Defensive use of an AR-15 in New York State

[Yoda]

News item:

Rochester police are investigating a burglary in which a Rochester man used an assault weapon to chase two burglars from his home.

...two male suspects entered the home at 442 Congress Avenue just after midnight Tuesday morning.

(A resident) heard a noise, observed the suspects inside his house and notified his roommate of the break-in.

Moments later, one of the alleged burglars noticed the roommate and pointed a weapon, which was later determined to be a BB gun, at him.

One of the roommates retrieved his legally-owned AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle, and once confronted, the suspects ran out of the house.

...AR-15’s are considered assault weapons.

The crime comes at a time when the issue of assault weapon ownership is under hot debate. There was some public outcry questioning why Sheppard did not release this information earlier, and whether it was politically motivated because it could support private ownership of assault weapons.

“As long as the homeowner’s weapons are legally owned - if it’s a handgun they have a permit to possess it - I think their ability to protect their property is their right,” Sheppard said.

At the press briefing Wednesday, Sheppard said that previous non-reporting of the incident is not politically motivated. It was more because the crime ended peacefully - no shots were fired, no one was injured - and didn’t rise to the level of public reporting, he said.

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My comment: It almost sounds as if they're investigating the "crime" of using an AR-15 to deter a crime. Note: "...no shots were fired..." At least they correctly identified the AR-15 as a semiautomatic rifle.

Here's the link:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130123/NEWS01/301230042?nclick_check=1

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- - - Yoda

 

[Skribs]

He is entirely correct. The story of "man uses gun to defend himself, no shots fired" makes for a nice, boring story. "20 children dead" is a much more sensational story.

However, the fact that "20 children dead" stays in the news, and "no shots fired" doesn't even get aired just goes to make it LOOK like "assault weapons" are only used to kill.

 

[CLP]

Hits vs. misses...

What people hear about are mass shootings. They never hear about stories like this. Irrational and illogical opinions naturally follow.

The mother of a child now off in college awakens in the middle of the night from a dream that her child was in an auto accident. She calls her child, lo and behold, the child was in an auto accident. Must be ESP?
People don't account for the countless other mothers with children who've left for college that awaken with similar dreams, call their child up and find that they're ok.

Your perspective is easily skewed when you only get one side of the story. Severely skewed when the source of stories only lets you hear one side.
Irrationally skewed when the source of the stories only lets you hear a one side that's heavily embellished and incorrect.

 

[flyskater]

People protecting themselves from criminals is a boring story for the media. I guess the perception that good guys always win in the movies

Body count and bad guys shooting innocent people is what creates ratings and frenzy.

 

[DMK]

Your perspective is easily skewed when you only get one side of the story. Severely skewed when the source of stories only lets you hear one side.
Irrationally skewed when the source of the stories only lets you hear a one side that's heavily embellished and incorrect.

Quoted for wisdom. The latter is exactly what we get from the media these days.