Nashua, NH police against CCW? ND at a Wal-mart...

[Manedwolf]

It's not the ND the guy had.... it's the question the police asked later.

In an interview with police later that night, Masterson said he had been carrying the Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. When asked why he felt the need to carry a concealed handgun at Wal-Mart, Masterson replied: “Well, I have the right to bear arms, you know.”"

This follows a police statement, after a convenience-store owner chased off an armed robber with a gun of his own...that people shouldn't confront armed robbers, it's only money.

Did Mass*oles get hired as Nashua cops or something? I'm also a bit stunned at the punishment. An apartment search? $25,000 bail? Is that normal for that sort of thing?

Wal-Mart shooter faces felony charge

By ASHLEY SMITH, Telegraph Staff
[email protected]

Published: Thursday, Sep. 7, 2006

HUDSON – Charles Masterson was always taught that it’s safest to point a gun at the sky when it’s not being used, so that’s what he did when he stepped into a bathroom stall at the local Wal-Mart to relieve himself, he told police.

The precaution backfired when the gun went off and struck a ceiling tile, scaring the pants back on Wal-Mart employee, who came running out of the next stall. For placing that teenager in serious danger, police are holding Masterson criminally responsible.

Masterson, 36, of 23 Brook St., "No. 3 in Nashua, was jailed overnight after the gun discharged, but released on personal recognizance Wednesday after an arraignment in Nashua District Court. Charged with felony reckless conduct, Masterson is accused of discharging the weapon in the bathroom of the Hudson Wal-Mart around 9 p.m. Tuesday. His 13-year-old son was also in the bathroom at the time, police said.

In an interview with police later that night, Masterson said he had been carrying the Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. When asked why he felt the need to carry a concealed handgun at Wal-Mart, Masterson replied: “Well, I have the right to bear arms, you know.”

The Wal-Mart employee, 17-year-old Adam Carew of Dracut, Mass., told police he was in the handicapped accessible stall when he heard the gunshot. Carew said he ran out and saw Masterson’s son covering his ears. Masterson walked out of his stall, put the gun in his pants and “just walked right out of the bathroom like nothing happened,” Carew told police.

Store employees called police, and Masterson complied when management asked him to stay until they arrived.

At the Wednesday hearing, Masterson asked Judge Thomas Rappa Jr. to reduce his $5,000 cash or surety bail, maintaining that he is not a flight risk and he cannot afford it while paying child support.

Rappa agreed to change Masterson’s bail to $25,000 personal recognizance, which means he pays nothing as long as he stays out of trouble. “I’m talking not even a stop sign violation,” Rappa said.

Sgt. Donna Briggs, the Hudson prosecutor, requested that Masterson’s apartment be searched as a condition of his bail. Masterson agreed to the search, which was to be conducted by Nashua police immediately after his release.

Briggs also asked that Masterson have no contact with Wal-Mart or its employees, which the judge imposed.

Carew, the Wal-Mart employee, could not be reached for comment. His father, Art Carew, said his son was “pretty shaken up” by the whole thing.

 

[ProguninTN]

Nashua PD

It would seem that MA people have infested the Nashua PD. NH is (and I hope it stays) a Pro-2A state. Too bad I haven't been there lately.

 

[Erebus]

People are leaving MA in droves and heading north for the most part. Everytime I see my family in NH they tell me they want the Bostonians to stop moving to southern NH and f'ing up their elections.

 

[30 cal slob]

it's southern NH, whaddya expect?

i personally have gotten the same treatment up in chestmanster.

 

[up_onus]

I think that guy gives gun owners a baaaad rep

You kiddin me? takes his gun out, finger on the trigger...
hrm...

 

[pdowg881]

yup im in southern Nh right on the mass border and mass people are moving up here like crazy. Mostly just for shppoing though because of the no sales tax stuff. They come over the border to route 125. really gotta watch out for them on the roads. I don't think they've ever heard the term yield or the right of way concept.

 

[Manedwolf]

it's southern NH, whaddya expect?

What do I expect? The same pro-2A, libertarian-minded state I'd seen in the past. I'm afraid it's the infestation of ultra-leftists from MA, yes.

 

[El Tejon]

Lesson learned: Buy a holster.

What kind of hilljack procedure was this guy attempting???

Recklessness, hmmm, we'll see but would not have happened if he had a proper holster. The poor putz probably listened to some gun shoppe commando saying that "all you need" is to stick your gun in your pants.

 

[30 cal slob]

well, if it makes you feel any better, nashua is still better than the people's republik of Hangover, where I was a proleteriat for four years.

 

[Manedwolf]

Oh, and I agree that the guy was an idiot. Trigger-safety-only guns BELONG IN A HOLSTER.

But the police question of "why he felt he needed to carry in wal-mart", the $25,000 bail, and the apartment search? What is the probable cause for an apartment search?

They're treating a guy being a moron as if he deliberately shot up the bathroom or something...but when a COP does it, it's no big deal.

Meanwhile, real criminals and street thugs get back out on the street with a slap on the wrist.

 

[Devonai]

I think he should receive a criminal punishment equivalent to the administrative punishment Nashua cops would receive for the same thing.

The search of his apartment was part of his plea deal and I would rather spend some time in jail than submit to cops trashing my apartment.

 

[rbernie]

Sgt. Donna Briggs, the Hudson prosecutor, requested that Masterson’s apartment be searched as a condition of his bail.

What would be the law enforcement justification for wanting this search?

 

[Pilgrim]

When asked why he felt the need to carry a concealed handgun at Wal-Mart, Masterson replied: “Well, I have the right to bear arms, you know.”

I suspect this question is asked by officers who have never asked themselves why they carry. To them it is merely a requirement of employment.

What would be the law enforcement justification for wanting this search?

Fishing expedition.

Pilgrim

 

[Car Knocker]

Manedwolf,

Rappa agreed to change Masterson’s bail to $25,000 personal recognizance, which means he pays nothing as long as he stays out of trouble.

 

[Manedwolf]

Regards the last, that was along with a threat that he better not even pass a stop sign.

That, and the apartment search. Sounds like an antigun prosecutor wants to send a message to gun owners or something.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I really hate to hear about idiots like this. Incidents like this tend to end up as talking points for the antis. "We need tighter restrictions, we have people shooting up Walmarts!" and other such drivel.

There is absolutely no excuse for this. He pulled the frigging trigger!

What would be the law enforcement justification for wanting this search?

He was charged with a felony, this was part of the deal to avoid bail. They were probably looking for more guns.

yup im in southern Nh right on the mass border and mass people are moving up here like crazy. Mostly just for shppoing though because of the no sales tax stuff

Um...yeah, I was thinking of moving to NH so I can pay double the property tax that I pay now just to avoid sales tax. I mean, it's not like I can just drive there now and buy stuff.. Oh, wait a minute...

You guys are pretty quick to blame the MassH***s for the behavior of your local cops. Most of the people I know that have relocated to NH from Mass (and I've thought about doing it too) have done so - at least in part - to avoid the ridiculous restrictions we have here, not to bring them north.

 

[Manedwolf]

You guys are pretty quick to blame the MassH***s for the behavior of your local cops. Most of the people I know that have relocated to NH from Mass (and I've thought about doing it too) have done so - at least in part - to avoid the ridiculous restrictions we have here, not to bring them north.

You're not the vast majority. Most are downright rude securitymom families who still work in Boston and move into zero-lotline McMansions built on former rolling hills and farmland, who nearly run over you with their Volvos in Boston driving habits, who call the police when they hear rifle fire in the woods in deer season, and who lobby to get rid of gun stores and the like with the "think of the children"...verbal excrement.

There's also the activists, of course. Someone coming out of the Manchester Firing Line range with a .22 rifle put it in their car and drove off, and got stopped by the police and treated to the criminal treatment before they were able to say where they'd been. Some anti freak who WAS FROM MA had been near there to call in a report of a "man with a gun" and their car description.

 

[30 cal slob]

...sipping their extra hot no-whip soy Starbucks lattes.

 

[Geno]

Charge the Wal-Mart Employee

He "ran out" of the "handicap" stall? Ran??? As a handicapped individual, I say lock the punk up and throw away the key. Handicap parking, including parking one's posterior in a handicapped stall, is reserved for handicapped folks. At best, he should get his butt (literally) ticketed.

Oh yeah, the man with a holster-less Glock. Idiot? Yeap. But not felony idiot.

Doc2005

 

[EddieCoyle]

Most are downright rude securitymom families who still work in Boston and move into zero-lotline McMansions built on former rolling hills and farmland, who nearly run over you with their Volvos in Boston driving habits, who call the police when they hear rifle fire in the woods in deer season, and who lobby to get rid of gun stores and the like with the "think of the children"...verbal excrement.

Well, you got your anecdotal evidence, and I got mine. Just for the record, the Mass of today is not the Mass of my youth. I'm not that old (43) and I can remember me and my friends bringing our .22's on the T bus when we were kids and no one batting an eye. If a kid tries that today he'll go to prison along with his parents. My state changed and it wasn't because people moved here from somewhere else. The same thing is happening to NH now. It's easy to blame people from Mass, but a lot of it is home-grown.

Also, if you're implying that your rolling hills and farmland are being devoured by greedy MassH***s, you'd be better off blaming the greedy landowners selling out to developers and the greedy local politicians that allow that kind of zoning for the increased tax revenue.

My town in Mass has avoided that sort of thing by enforcing stricter zoning rules and by the town buying up open land when it comes on the market. Sure, it makes it a bit more expensive to live here, but so far anyway, the townspeople have voted in favor of it.

 

[Low-Sci]

What an idiot. He definately deserves some punishment, but I don't see how this is felony material. A heavy fine and having to sweat out the court proceedings should suffice. Learning the hard way to keep your finger off the damn trigger should be rough on a person so the lesson sticks.

He pointed the weapon into the air, but when you're indoors isn't it more prudent to point it toward the ground, so you don't end up making lights and various debris fall on people?

 

[Manedwolf]

He pointed the weapon into the air, but when you're indoors isn't it more prudent to point it toward the ground, so you don't end up making lights and various debris fall on people?

Unless you're on the second floor of a two-story building? This was thankfully a one-story wal-mart. I'm just still not sure how he managed to pull the glock's trigger or what he was doing to "aim it up"...or why there was no holster.

 

[Devonai]

Someone coming out of the Manchester Firing Line range with a .22 rifle put it in their car and drove off, and got stopped by the police and treated to the criminal treatment before they were able to say where they'd been. Some anti freak who WAS FROM MA had been near there to call in a report of a "man with a gun" and their car description.

That turned out to be a fake story. The person who posted it was outed and apologized to the forum.

 

[cbsbyte]

I would like to know where the DA and Police chief grew up, and wonder if they are born and bread NHrites. I agree with EddieC about the lack of strict zoning laws has more effect on the loss of rural farmland into subdivisions than greedy M*******s. I believe the problem is more with the local politicans who want more property tax money. If you don't like the way things are done in your state change them. Then again, look at Vermont, it was taken over by "liberals" from NY, NJ and Mass thirty years ago. Now it is one of the most progressive states in the union, with very strict zoning, and enviromental regulations yet even after being induated by New Yorkers, it still is a rural state, with alot of farmland and a lack of gun laws.

 

[Car Knocker]

Handicap parking, including parking one's posterior in a handicapped stall, is reserved for handicapped folks. At best, he should get his butt (literally) ticketed.

I believe there are ordinances governing parking in handicap parking stalls but I don't recall seeing any laws restricting usage of handicap toilet facilities to handicapped people. Could you post a cite, please?