Mother charged with bringing gun to softball game...

[Green Lantern]

I was gonna start this with an apology for lack of detail - but luckily the website for the station I saw it on has something still up on it:

http://wlos.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/wlos_vid_686.shtml

Sounds like it wasn't a smart thing to do, but then again it also sounds like she might have had a valid reason to fear for her son's safety. Sounds like the sheriff there is a hardcore "anti," they REALLY threw the book at her!

Mother Charged

A men's softball game in Macon County gets violent when the mother of one of the players pulls a gun. 45 year old Rhonda Shope is charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Witnesses say it all started when Shope's 20 year old son got into a fight on the field. Shope told police she was worried her son would get hurt so she pulled out a gun and started waving it in the air. Seth Adams was playing in the game when the incident happened. "I heard, I've got a gun if y'all don't break it up." Shope is also charged with going armed to the terror of the people, carrying a concealed weapon, no operators license, and child abuse because her 9 year old daughter was with her at the game.

Now, the story said she got the gun from her CAR. As long as it's either in plain view, or locked up in the trunk or somewhere out of immediate access, you're ok to carry one in there without a permit!

What really infuriated me was the remarks from the 'bliss-ninny' they interviewed for the story, his last quote was more or less like this:

A ballgame should be one of the safest places you can be, but you can't be safe with guns or drugs or alcohol around!

I'd like to see the look on his face when he finds out that people CAN and DO legally carry concealed weapons. And part of me sympathizes with the "alcohol" comment (raised by an alcoholic and all) but REALLY! When's the last time a brawl broke out at a wine tasting? At the steakhouse where guys are drinking some beer with their dinner?

BTW, it showed two signs where the park was posted during the story, one "no guns," and what looked like a big banner that just said "no concealed weapons."

 

[sithanas]

Witnesses say it all started when Shope's 20 year old son got into a fight on the field. Shope told police she was worried her son would get hurt so she pulled out a gun and started waving it in the air.

Worried mother or not, that's firmly on the list of things you don't do when carrying. And anti-gun or not, most LEOs would throw the book at her. They should maybe consider "acting like a nutjob in public" if it's not already on the list.

 

[jackstinson]

Worried mother or not, that's firmly on the list of things you don't do when carrying. And anti-gun or not, most LEOs would throw the book at her. They should maybe consider "acting like a nutjob in public" if it's not already on the list.

I have to agree with this. The woman had no business doing what she did. Her "kid" is 20 years old and got into a fight during a ballgame, big deal. That's not exactly a rarity. So this whack-job starts waving a gun in the air and gives anti-gun folks EXACTLY what they need by way of support. It's a good thing her "kid" doesn't play hockey...oh the humanity!
When the article says she was charged for "no operators license", was that a car driver's license? Or no concealed carry permit?
Around here, she would have immediately been charged with brandishing....among other rightful charges.
Jack

 

[Claude Clay]

no operators lincense

that was for living

------------------

it may also be that she hears music in her head:
their coming to take me away ha ha hee hee ho ho....

 

[JohnBT]

"Sounds like the sheriff there is a hardcore "anti,""

Doesn't sound like it to me, she earned every one of them.

I still think it should be possible to charge someone with Being Stupid in Public

 

[Kitchen_Duty]

"I thought my son was threated so I waved a gun in the air." Doesn't sound so great when you think about it. Deadly force was not needed.

OTOH: "My son was getting killed by the other team. They gathered baseball bats, surrounded him, and proceeded to beat him until he was bleeding and broken... So I got my gun." That would have been justified, a little... unrealistic but justified.

 

[Sage of Seattle]

Doesn't sound like it to me, she earned every one of them.

Looks like we'll have to agree to disagree then. I really, honestly can't see any justification for child abuse simply because her 9 year old daughter was present in the stands at the time. I mean, gimme a break. Sounds to me like the usual thing these days -- throw as much crap as you can to see how much can stick.

Brandishing, sure. Carrying concealed? Not if she got it from her car. Going armed to the terror of the public? Maybe, I can see that. Assault with a deadly weapon? Sounds like it to me. But child abuse?

I'm guessing at this point they're all felonies, so two felonies aren't enough? There has to be four? As if she's some kind of career criminal gang-banger type...

 

[jrfoxx]

Geez, the only thing they didnt charge her with was disturbing the peace. That still may be coming though. Maybe they ran out of room on the form to list charges.

Kidding aside, unless someone was threatening the son with a bat, or it was like 3+ on one,they had him down and were stomping on him, etc, then it was a REALLY bad move, she screwed up bad, did somting stupid, and will likel get hit fairl hard for it. So, barring some circumstance where the guy was in legit danger of serious injury or death, then I cant have any sympathy fo her on her actions here.

 

[catfish101]

Going by this info only it is hard to say if the Sheriff is anti gun or not. She did something pretty stupid.

Child abuse is going over the top though.

 

[swift535]

child abuse i'd agree is kind of dumb.

but so is that lady. what mom - or 20 year old guy for that matter - thinks of an argument during a game as a life & death situation?

there are lots of ways that could have been handled differently. let the coaches & officials deal with the problem, ask someone you know at the game to go break it up, tell your son "we're going home now", etc etc

 

[Jeff White]

For years I've wanted the legislature to pass a law on Aggravated Ignorance to cover situations like this. There was no need to wave a firearm around.

Jeff

 

[jakemccoy]

Based on the article, the mother sounds like a maniac who's drunk on the power of having a gun when others don't. I hope they throw the book at her.

 

[doc2rn]

C.S.S. see below.

 

[koja48]

Add with "intent to be stupid." I'm pro-gun, CCW all the way, but some folks just shouldn't own anything more lethal than a marshmallow.

 

[Sage of Seattle]

I hope they throw the book at her.

Looks like you'll be getting your wish.

Anyway, you know the famous saying, "Let the punishment [strike]fit the crime[/strike] be as severe as possible no matter the circumstances."

At least, that's how I think it goes...

 

[pyle]

People who do stupid stuff like that only hurt the rest of us. The media jumps all over it and tries to portray all of us as nuts like her.....

 

[USMC 1975]

People who do stupid stuff like that only hurt the rest of us. The media jumps all over it and tries to portray all of us as nuts like her.....

I agree 100 %. This whack-a-doodle did nothing but hurt us law abiding gun carriers who have common sense.

She deserves having the book thrown at her and hopefully it hits her in the head and tightens a few loose screws.

Chris

 

[mekender]

she wasnt charged for bringing the gun to the ball game... she was charged for brandishing it, assaulting someone with it, and acting like an asshat...

 

[Sage of Seattle]

This whack-a-doodle did nothing but hurt us law abiding gun carriers who have common sense.

Exactly! And all those DUI's give us sober drivers a bad name too! Next thing you know, they'll want to restrict driving cars even more, thanks to them!

 

[Standing Wolf]

...child abuse because her 9 year old daughter was with her at the game.

Well, not to mention the fact that guns cause cancer, too.

 

[Flyboy]

A ballgame should be one of the safest places you can be, but you can't be safe with guns or drugs or alcohol around!

You can go to a baseball game and not drink beer?

Damn. Guess you really do learn something new every day. File that under "trivia, useless."

 

[Lew]

You can go to a baseball game and not drink beer?

Softball no less. Some things shouldn't be done sober.

Well, not to mention the fact that guns cause cancer, too.

Yes, child abuse? There's a head scratcher.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Nice misleading thread title. I like how the title was used to play down the events that took place to make it look like the mother was charged with something silly when it is just one of many charges and one that would never have happened if she didn't do something stupid and commit other illegal acts at the same time.

 

[Green Lantern]

FWIW, I "borrowed" the title of the thread from the title the TV station website gave the link.

Hmm...I was assuming that she DIDN'T have a permit since she was being charged with CCW - but then again, if the place was POSTED...well, I HOPE she didn't!

I dunno...my main irritation to share was the attitude of the guy quoted at the end. But while what she did was uncalled for, I don't know if I approve of what I see as some "trumped up" charges.

I guess it's one of those "you had to BE there" situations to really be able to judge. Maybe she DID overreact and go gonzo. Maybe HER side of the story is right though (IE, she had a valid reason to believe that the situation was a grave threat to her son's safety).

Either way, no good is coming of this. If nothing else, we're likely to get more people thinking like the guy they interviewed...

 

[Walkalong]

Aggravated Ignorance

I like that one.