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Duluth News-Tribune
July 28, 2003 Monday
SECTION: P1
LENGTH: 1158 words
HEADLINE: Putting the ice on packing heat;
GUN PERMITS:Carrying concealed handguns in public comes with steep legal and social responsibilities, according to handgun defense instructors.
BYLINE: BY SCOTT THISTLE; NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
BODY:
Robert Berquist drew a steady bead on the silhouette target with his .45-caliber pistol and shouted.
"Stop. Drop the weapon!"
The demand was followed by five thundering booms as Berquist fired.
One of about a dozen Northland area instructors authorized to train people to carry handguns for personal protection, Berquist was showing a recent class how lethal force -- as a last resort -- would be employed.
"It's about killing the bad guy, and you've got to be able to do that both legally and safely," he said.
The prospect is sobering for the 10 students in his class that day, and after learning more about the serious responsibilities associated with carrying or using a firearm in public, most said they doubted they would do so.
"Am I going to carry one? Probably not," said student Dick Kempfert, a Two Harbors tow-truck driver. "But it would be nice to have it if I need to."
His boss was attacked during a late-night tow a few years ago, and it made him contemplate the dangers of his job and defending himself, Kempfert said.
"I'm just taking the training to see what it's all about," said student Bob Mostrom of Duluth Township. "I want to be able to put one on if I want to."
Some permit holders will want to carry almost all the time, but that's an unlikely scenario for most in Minnesota, said another Duluth-area handgun instructor, Gardy Behrends.
IT'S PERSONAL
Berquist became interested in carrying firearms for self-protection and teaching others how to do so after a gang member wielding a baseball bat beat his elderly father to death in Chicago.
"That's what tipped me over," said Berquist, who said before the murder he was not an avid gun supporter. "My wife and I are 100-percenters, with the gun all the time, every day."
Robert and Jody Berquists don't expect others to be like them, but do want people they train to fully understand the seriousness of carrying a firearm in public places.
Minnesota's law is aimed at personal protection, as its title -- the Minnesota Personal Protection Act -- implies.
But Robert Berquist warns students that if they choose to carry a firearm in public and ever decide they have to use it, they should be prepared for what follows. Just displaying a gun in public is risky legal business.
"If you pull your gun out of your holster it is going to cost you a fair amount of money to stay out of jail," he said.
Under Minnesota law, someone can be charged with a gross misdemeanor for recklessly handling or pointing a gun at another individual, whether the weapon is loaded or not.
Take it a step further and fire the weapon? Plan on being arrested and taken into custody, at least while law officials get all the facts sorted, Jody Berquist said.
"If you are the law-abiding citizen, you still may not be spending the night at home. You will be spending it in jail," she said.
Wounding or killing somebody with a handgun brings another set of complicated legal, financial and emotional issues, Jody Berquist said.
Post-traumatic stress, the financial and emotional expense of defending against charges up to murder and other issues mount for those who have to use lethal force to defend themselves.
Without strong evidence of an eminent threat of serious bodily injury or death it is difficult to shoot somebody in Minnesota and stay out of prison, Jody Berquist said.
"You may be alive; shooting someone solves one problem but it causes other ones," she said.
During their seven-hour course, the Berquists advise over and over again it's best to call the police right away and let the lawyers and police officials sort out the facts after a self-defense shooting.
They also advise their students to be respectful and polite to law officers at all times. "The bad guys don't call the cops," Jody Berquist said. "Good guys call cops."
IT'S RESPONSIBILITY
The Berquists also make the point that being licensed to carry a handgun in public isn't a license to be the world's next superhero. "I don't feel it's my job to police the planet and protect everybody in Duluth," Robert Berquist tells his class.
Some of the class focuses on how to use a handgun properly for self-defense and how to defend against possible criminal charges that might stem from firing a gun in public, but a major portion focuses on how to avoid ever having to draw a firearm in the first place.
Newly on the books, Minnesota's handgun permit law is going to be closely watched, and so are those who are applying and getting permits. That's why their behavior needs to be above reproach, Robert Berquist tells his students.
"Having a gun isn't a license to go to the bad part of town or do something stupid," he said. "The whole concept of what you do with the gun and how you act is a very big deal. The deal is, if we've got the gun, we've got to be the normal guy."
That includes avoiding trouble, backing away from confrontation and carefully considering all the consequences before pulling a gun in public, he said. That also means respecting the wishes of private businesses that choose to ban guns on their premises. Minnesota's law requires private businesses to post signs stating guns are banned on their properties but also requires a gun holder to be notified in person that guns are banned.
If permit holders see a sign they should respect it. They can also choose not to do business at places that ban handguns, Robert Berquist said.
Behrends, with the National Rifle Association, and the Berquists, with the American Association of Certified Firearms Instructors, have different philosophies but both classes share a focus on handgun safety. From carrying and transporting weapons safely to storing them safely at home or in a vehicle to selecting a weapon with proper safety mechanisms, the courses are designed to give people most of the essentials they need to meet Minnesota's qualifications to carry.
At least one Duluth police officer, Detective Sgt. Robin Roser, who talks about the legal responsibilities of carrying in Behrends' class, said those seeking training and permits aren't the ones people and police should fear.
"The criminals could care less what the permit laws say," Roser said. "You know the people that shoot cops on traffic stops or have guns on the street are not your typical person that's going to pay 100 bucks and go get a permit so it really doesn't matter to them."
Whether those trained choose to carry or not, and whether they ever fire their weapons in self-defense will ultimately be a very personal decision, the instructors said.
"It's just not about carrying a gun around and pulling it out when someone makes you mad," Jody Berquist said.
"It's about defending yourself, your family, your loved ones," Robert Berquist said. "If you are going to do it, you are going to do it good."
July 28, 2003 Monday
SECTION: P1
LENGTH: 1158 words
HEADLINE: Putting the ice on packing heat;
GUN PERMITS:Carrying concealed handguns in public comes with steep legal and social responsibilities, according to handgun defense instructors.
BYLINE: BY SCOTT THISTLE; NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
BODY:
Robert Berquist drew a steady bead on the silhouette target with his .45-caliber pistol and shouted.
"Stop. Drop the weapon!"
The demand was followed by five thundering booms as Berquist fired.
One of about a dozen Northland area instructors authorized to train people to carry handguns for personal protection, Berquist was showing a recent class how lethal force -- as a last resort -- would be employed.
"It's about killing the bad guy, and you've got to be able to do that both legally and safely," he said.
The prospect is sobering for the 10 students in his class that day, and after learning more about the serious responsibilities associated with carrying or using a firearm in public, most said they doubted they would do so.
"Am I going to carry one? Probably not," said student Dick Kempfert, a Two Harbors tow-truck driver. "But it would be nice to have it if I need to."
His boss was attacked during a late-night tow a few years ago, and it made him contemplate the dangers of his job and defending himself, Kempfert said.
"I'm just taking the training to see what it's all about," said student Bob Mostrom of Duluth Township. "I want to be able to put one on if I want to."
Some permit holders will want to carry almost all the time, but that's an unlikely scenario for most in Minnesota, said another Duluth-area handgun instructor, Gardy Behrends.
IT'S PERSONAL
Berquist became interested in carrying firearms for self-protection and teaching others how to do so after a gang member wielding a baseball bat beat his elderly father to death in Chicago.
"That's what tipped me over," said Berquist, who said before the murder he was not an avid gun supporter. "My wife and I are 100-percenters, with the gun all the time, every day."
Robert and Jody Berquists don't expect others to be like them, but do want people they train to fully understand the seriousness of carrying a firearm in public places.
Minnesota's law is aimed at personal protection, as its title -- the Minnesota Personal Protection Act -- implies.
But Robert Berquist warns students that if they choose to carry a firearm in public and ever decide they have to use it, they should be prepared for what follows. Just displaying a gun in public is risky legal business.
"If you pull your gun out of your holster it is going to cost you a fair amount of money to stay out of jail," he said.
Under Minnesota law, someone can be charged with a gross misdemeanor for recklessly handling or pointing a gun at another individual, whether the weapon is loaded or not.
Take it a step further and fire the weapon? Plan on being arrested and taken into custody, at least while law officials get all the facts sorted, Jody Berquist said.
"If you are the law-abiding citizen, you still may not be spending the night at home. You will be spending it in jail," she said.
Wounding or killing somebody with a handgun brings another set of complicated legal, financial and emotional issues, Jody Berquist said.
Post-traumatic stress, the financial and emotional expense of defending against charges up to murder and other issues mount for those who have to use lethal force to defend themselves.
Without strong evidence of an eminent threat of serious bodily injury or death it is difficult to shoot somebody in Minnesota and stay out of prison, Jody Berquist said.
"You may be alive; shooting someone solves one problem but it causes other ones," she said.
During their seven-hour course, the Berquists advise over and over again it's best to call the police right away and let the lawyers and police officials sort out the facts after a self-defense shooting.
They also advise their students to be respectful and polite to law officers at all times. "The bad guys don't call the cops," Jody Berquist said. "Good guys call cops."
IT'S RESPONSIBILITY
The Berquists also make the point that being licensed to carry a handgun in public isn't a license to be the world's next superhero. "I don't feel it's my job to police the planet and protect everybody in Duluth," Robert Berquist tells his class.
Some of the class focuses on how to use a handgun properly for self-defense and how to defend against possible criminal charges that might stem from firing a gun in public, but a major portion focuses on how to avoid ever having to draw a firearm in the first place.
Newly on the books, Minnesota's handgun permit law is going to be closely watched, and so are those who are applying and getting permits. That's why their behavior needs to be above reproach, Robert Berquist tells his students.
"Having a gun isn't a license to go to the bad part of town or do something stupid," he said. "The whole concept of what you do with the gun and how you act is a very big deal. The deal is, if we've got the gun, we've got to be the normal guy."
That includes avoiding trouble, backing away from confrontation and carefully considering all the consequences before pulling a gun in public, he said. That also means respecting the wishes of private businesses that choose to ban guns on their premises. Minnesota's law requires private businesses to post signs stating guns are banned on their properties but also requires a gun holder to be notified in person that guns are banned.
If permit holders see a sign they should respect it. They can also choose not to do business at places that ban handguns, Robert Berquist said.
Behrends, with the National Rifle Association, and the Berquists, with the American Association of Certified Firearms Instructors, have different philosophies but both classes share a focus on handgun safety. From carrying and transporting weapons safely to storing them safely at home or in a vehicle to selecting a weapon with proper safety mechanisms, the courses are designed to give people most of the essentials they need to meet Minnesota's qualifications to carry.
At least one Duluth police officer, Detective Sgt. Robin Roser, who talks about the legal responsibilities of carrying in Behrends' class, said those seeking training and permits aren't the ones people and police should fear.
"The criminals could care less what the permit laws say," Roser said. "You know the people that shoot cops on traffic stops or have guns on the street are not your typical person that's going to pay 100 bucks and go get a permit so it really doesn't matter to them."
Whether those trained choose to carry or not, and whether they ever fire their weapons in self-defense will ultimately be a very personal decision, the instructors said.
"It's just not about carrying a gun around and pulling it out when someone makes you mad," Jody Berquist said.
"It's about defending yourself, your family, your loved ones," Robert Berquist said. "If you are going to do it, you are going to do it good."
