Beach parent is charged with taking gun to school

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Beach parent is charged with taking gun to school
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=85665&ran=213688

By MATTHEW JONES, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 28, 2005 | Last updated 12:05 AM Apr. 28

VIRGINIA BEACH — A man was arrested for allegedly taking a handgun to a parent-teacher conference at Landstown High School on Wednesday morning.

John William Tipton was charged with possessing a firearm on school property, a felony, said police spokeswoman Rene Ball.

There was no indication that Tipton meant to hurt or influence anyone, she said.

At about 7:30 a.m., Tipton walked into Landstown at 2001 Concert Drive for a previously scheduled meeting. As he checked in at the school office, Ball said, a staff member noticed the handgun in a holster on Tipton’s right hip.
Landstown’s safe schools coordinator told Tipton he was not allowed on school property with a weapon. He then left school property, put the pistol in his vehicle and returned to the school to meet with a teacher.

A school resource officer from Kellam High School went to Landstown to investigate and ended up arresting Tipton.

Ball stressed that police have no indication that Tipton meant to hurt anyone. His job requires him to carry a gun, she said, and he has a concealed-weapons permit.

Tipton had thought the permit allowed him to carry the gun onto school property, Ball said, but state law prohibits it. Tipton was informed once before that this was not permitted, Ball said.

Tipton, 53, of the 1900 block of Grey Dove Court, was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.



Reach Matthew Jones at (757) 222-5150 or [email protected].
 
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So the guy was either:
-ignorant of the law, a scary thought for a gun user, or
-intentionally ignored a prior warning.

There may be other info conveniently left out of the article, but on first blush it appears the guy screwed up, for which there are consequences which, barring other information we are'nt privy to, he earned.
 
Tipton looks to be an idiot.

If his job requiers that he carry, he has no excuse not to be fully aware of the law. As was/is being discussed in another thread about a similar arrest of a teacher in Virginia, the law appears to be very clear that you cannot carry on school property and you cannot leave your weapon in your car on school property.
 
Looks like he was trying to exercise his human right to self defense in direct violation of an oppressive and unjust law and got caught.

Ultimately, it's the law that's the problem. I hope he gets away with this.

- Gabe
 
Another instance of "Where's the problem"? Oh, yes, the thug that told him to disarm and the thug that arrested him.
 
Assisted in enforcing a bogus law because he's, and we can be sure this is the phrase, "just doing his job". Thugs. Thoughtless thugs. Muscle with no brains, or at least no willingness to use whatever they may have.
 
I say no blood, no foul.

Not enough info on this story.

If he was ignorant, being guilty of a crime usually has regard to intent. Or at least it's supposed to. That's why we have varying shades of murder; 1st degrees, 2nd degree, involuntary manslaughter, crime of passion, etc.

For instance the action of him walking into a school and gunning down the principal would prove his intent was to shoot somebody. The very fact that he walked out and put the gun in his car show his intent was NOT to shoot somebody. Now I don't know what his intent was. We'll just have to wait and see.

As for all of you so ready and willing to condemn him, I'll give him the benefit of doubt. That's what innocent before proven guilty is all about. Even if he was warned. I've carried (unintentionally) on school property. Needless to say I've almost needed a clean pair of shorts a time or two when I realized it.

I agree with GRD, it's the law that is a problem. When you start creating laws that criminalize for the most petty things every single one of us will break that law eventually. These laws are too subjective, where do you draw the line? I know a Super who used to use his old .38 for track. What about guys who live across the street? You know some of those laws extend a thousand feet from the building. So if you live within a 1/4 mile you're probably a criminal.

If you guys want to go by the letter of the law a whole bunch of us are guilty of all sorts of stuff.
 
Assisted in enforcing a bogus law because he's, and we can be sure this is the phrase, "just doing his job". Thugs. Thoughtless thugs.
Click to expand...
That's the ticket to changing bad laws all right, making excuses for the careless folks who break the laws (inadvertently or not) while calling other folks -- yes, who are just doing their jobs -- derogatory names. Yes, these type of comments are so likely to help us get support for changing the laws ...
 
You dont change laws by violating them, but what do I know, just being a mindless thug and all....... :banghead:
 
Actually a time honored way to change bad laws is to violate them in protest. And yes, those who enforce bad laws while hiding behind the excuse of "I was just doing my job/taking orders" are thugs. The Nuremburg Trials pretty much established that. If you prefer mindless automaton, that's fine. Co-conspirator? That works too. If you choose to take offense then perhaps you should think about exactly what it is you do and why you would feel the need to take offense?

The "authorities" in question specifically admit they have no reason to think the fellow intended any harm in any fashion whatsoever, yet they felt the need to "enforce the law". People felt the need to enforce slavery and keep women from voting and blacks on the back of the bus and send Jews to furnaces, too. Either your typical blanket defenses of "LEO's" apply to those creatures as well OR you have to review each instance and assign blame, regardless of whether it is "the law" or not, where it belongs.

I'm certain someone here can find a way to weasel around that, though. :rolleyes:
 
What the hell is a "school resource officer" and how does one have power to arrest?
Click to expand...

IIRC a school resource officer is a sheriff's deputy or county police officer who is specifically assigned to patrol a particular "problem" school while classes are in session.

Also, as of July 1 the law is changing (for the better!) in Virginia regarding CHL's and carrying on school property. The changes to the law are in the italicized text.

HB 2535
 
Oh that's just sick Bubbles,

That means this guy wouldn't have got burned if they caught him a few months from now. That's pretty bad.

You know there is something wrong with our society when all it takes to go from criminal to law breaker is just a matter of timing...

[EDIT] Heh, heh. Did I say criminal to law breaker? I meant law abider to criminal.. :eek:
 
Hmm, that's an interesting thing I never thought of in that way before. Criminal...law-breaker...obviously not necessarily the same thing, eh? :D
 
from what little info the article presents

The guy seems like a regular gun owner who carries 24/7 (as is his right per the 2nd Amendment)
To people like him (& myself) wearing a gun is no different then having a wallet,watch,hat,glasses.
This dumb rule (which only insures that there are unarmed victims for the next school shooter or terrorist)
was not (it seems) violated with malicious intent,he did after all take the gun off and put it in his car when informed of his "violation".
To me it's like wearing a hat in Church,you don't take a guy out and hang him for it,you tell him to please take it off.
 
Sigh.....I'm not defending the guy. I have no idea why he carried into the school.

But there is a definite message here. Someone told him he should not be doing that and he left and put it in the car. Some folks would have been carrying into the school in order to commit mayhem. 2nd Amendment might be a bit blunt in his commentary, but his point is well taken. The guy never intended to commit a crime. If he did he would have made an issue out of carrying and his rights and his right to protest etc. He did not. He went oops and put the gun in the car. After that reasonableness and common sense should have ruled the day. It did not.

It's all about intent here folks. Intent used to be an element in whether one was guilty of breaking a law, criminal law, not a civil infraction.

The forces of darkness are slowly but surely removing intent as an element of a crime. Hate crime, zero tolerance, political correctness, implied consent, et al. That whole scenario is about a priori guilt superceding actualy intending to do something criminal with criminal purpose. As an aside why is it never wrong for those on the left to actually intend to break laws and then perpretrate them. They are called protestors. Supporters of freedom are called criminals.
 
"If you choose to take offense then perhaps you should think about exactly what it is you do and why you would feel the need to take offense?"

Offense? Nah. Just questioning your tactless name calling. It is called The High Road after all.

John
 
So use of a term now extends not merely to insulting other posters but anyone? I'll expect you to comment similarly on everyone who uses a derogatory term for the Brady's or Schumer or Militia members or whomever on whatever side of an issue the resident rightys and leftys, including yourself, may wish to bash at various times.

I can count on that, right? Consistency. Lack of hypocrisy? That you're not looking for some stone to toss here so you don't have to deal with what was actually said? Ok, I thought I could count on you guys.
 
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