Press Gets Pistol Caliber Wrong... Again

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

dleong

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Messages
522
Location
Where Am I?
From the Local section of the St. Paul Pioneer Press today:

*************************************


Dog shooter charged with felonies

He'll face firearm, animal cruelty counts

BY SHANNON PRATHER

Pioneer Press


An Eagan man who shot and killed the family's 9-month-old puppy early Sunday morning while his two young children slept upstairs now faces criminal charges.

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom charged Bart Andrew Swedin on Tuesday with felony animal cruelty and felony reckless discharge of a firearm. Backstrom called the killing "unconscionable."

According to the complaint, Swedin, 38, had been drinking when he came home and discovered the Labrador had chewed up a book and a piece of carpeting.

Swedin pulled out a .9 mm pistol and shot the dog three times in the downstairs bathroom while his children, age 3 and 5, slept in a room above, according to the complaint and police reports.

The dog did not die immediately. Police found the puppy dead in the garage of the home on Forssa Way.

A family friend called police a little before 1 a.m. Sunday to report the shooting. Swedin admitted to police that he'd been drinking and shot the dog.

"It's certainly sad to see any animal killed in such a cruel manner. There are a lot of places someone can turn to if they are having difficulty with a pet," Backstrom said. "They can go to an animal shelter. There are a lot of people who want to adopt pets. This is a situation of alcohol clouding this man's judgment."

It's the fourth time Dakota County prosecutors have used the felony animal cruelty statute since the Legislature enacted it in 2001.

In October, Joseph Grant Holupchinski pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty for putting a girlfriend's cat in an oven and setting it a 250 degrees in Oct. 2003. The cat suffered burns on its feet, tail and eyelids. Holupchinski, 21, of Bloomington will be sentenced Dec. 7.

In May, Dakota County prosecutors charged Joseph Donald Leier, of Hudson, Wis., with stabbing his girlfriend's two cats and leaving their bodies on her bed in her Rosemount residence. Leier, 30, will be back in court Dec. 8.

In May 2003, an Eagan man was charged with dropping his wife's poodle, breaking the dog's pelvis and causing internal injuries. Backstrom said his office dropped charges in October because his office was unable to prove the injuries were intentional.

A tearful Swedin made his first court appearance Tuesday. His bail is set at $15,000. If convicted, he faces a maximum of two years in prison on each count.

"Given his apparent remorse in court this morning, he obviously understands the gravity of the mistake," Backstrom said.

*************************************

True, it's only a decimal point, but it makes all the difference.


DL
 
Glad to see the prosecutors

taking animal abuse cases seriously. The link between animal cruelty and subsequent crimes against people is well documented.

Let's put the ABUSERS in an oven at 250 degrees...... :what:
 
That is an odd sentance, isn't it? Where exactly is the downstairs bathroom on a Labrador retriever? Next to the linen closet?

But really, what a creep, shooting a puppy for chewing. :barf:
 
Any "boy" who would put a cat, or any animal, in an oven should get a .44-40 slug in the brainpan. The person who did this does not even deserve the title of, "man."
I like cats. I like dogs. I like snakes and squrrels. Heck, I even like rattlesnakes and scorpions. They don't bother me, I don't bother them.
I like most any animal (can't stand hornets and yellow jackets). And even though I may dislike a few types of animals, I am never cruel to them.
If an animal must be killed (hornets in a nest or whatever) I find the quickest, most humane way to do it.
I don't appreciate all the macho posturing that causes some people to be cruel to animals. I've known shooters that got teary-eyed about their dog that died, but a moment later were laughing about setting a cat's tail on fire.
People like that are sorry, despicable, ignorant, cruel, unconscienable thugs. Period.

As for the .9mm pistol. It's an easy mistake to hit the . (period) key when typing. Or perhaps the reporter simply had no background in firearms. To me, the issue is a tempest in a teacup.
I was a reporter for 12 years (1985 to 1997) and knew more than a few reporters who had understanding of firearms. They often sought me out to look over their copy before it went to press. I can't begin to count the number of mistakes I found, some of them embarassing.
I tried to conduct myself as a reasonable, forgiving, knowledgeable member of the NRA --- and many were surprised that I wasn't some raving lunatic as they had believed. I think I gained the respect of many reporters, if I didn't change their mind about gunowners.
Journalism is the only field I can think of where you are expected to know a little bit about everything --- and what you know must be accurate.
Imagine having to know the following: the name of your state's lieutenant governor, the capitol of Eritrea, the defnition of "collision," how lentils are grown, the highest position of the local YMCA, the name of the board chairman of the local hospital, what years Agent Orange was used in VietNam, how Memorial Day was founded, what distinguishes an Apaloosa horse, the difference between gourmet and gourmand, what makes a trout become a steelhead and on and on and on.
I know you folks don't like reporters. I've met more than a few I detested as well. But many of them are simply not gun folk. Theyy're not evil. Most are simply ignorant of the facts.
Most of the current crop of reporters are under 40 years of age, from what I've observed. The last I looked, a few years ago, average pay for a newspaper reporter was under $25,000 a year.
Forget what you see in the movies and on TV: reporting is difficult work with lousy pay and long hours. Only those who truly love it stay in it. Few get rich from journalism, despite what the movies and TV portray.
Don't like what your read about guns in your local paper?
Then write the editor with a carefully crafted letter. Don't threaten, call him names or accuse him of some global conspiracy. Rather, present him with the facts, from an objective source.
And no, the NRA is not an objective source. Nor is Handgun Control Inc. The most objective source I've found is the Department of Justice. It lists the cold, hard figures.
And while you're at it, why not schedule a "Media Day" at your local gun club. Let the reporters and editors shoot muzzleloaders, .22 rifles, .22 pistols, try some skeet shooting, a lever-action rifle, a .223 semi-auto. Let them see how ammo is reloaded, and how bullets are cast.
Leave the politics behind. Don't be preachy, just let them observe and try.
I've taken a few reporters out shooting who had never before fired a gun. From this experience, they gained a better understanding of firearms.
Oh sure, you'll get plenty reporters that will vow to never touch a gun. They "know all about guns and I'll never touch one!"
There's a word for these people: bigot.
Judging a person (or in this case, an inanimate object) without learning the facts. And basing that judgement solely upon a feature of that group. That's what you call a bigot.
Oh sure, they'll take offense. They did when I used the B-word. I made some enemies, but a few saw my point.
I'm no longer in journalism. I'm in a job that pays well, with regular hours, and I don't get phone calls from someone who's angry because I misspelled his kid's name in a report on a high school play.
Oh sure, I made mistakes. Everyone does. The important thing is to own up to them, make amends as best you can (without going overboard) and move on.
And if the offended can't get over it, there's another word I use: skrewwwwmm. :evil:
 
Hi, Big G,

Caliber means bore diameter, regardless of the measurement system used (it can also mean barrel length in Naval guns), and 9mm Luger is the official U.S. (SAAMI) name for the 9mm Parabellum or 9x19 cartridge. The marking on your Colt is correct for an American made gun.

Jim
 
Thanks, ole bud. You always have the authoritative word and I appreciate your participation each and every time. Happy holidays, Jim! :)
 
Gatofeo (ugly cat?) --

As a former reporter, I agree with most of what you say.

However...

Imagine having to know the following: the name of your state's lieutenant governor, the capitol of Eritrea, the defnition of "collision," how lentils are grown, the highest position of the local YMCA, the name of the board chairman of the local hospital, what years Agent Orange was used in VietNam, how Memorial Day was founded, what distinguishes an Apaloosa horse, the difference between gourmet and gourmand, what makes a trout become a steelhead and on and on and on.
Click to expand...

If only there were some way of looking up this information, say... in a book or on the Internet!

And if only reporters had a book that would explain basic things like caliber...

Oh, wait! There is! The AP Stylebook is the Holy Bible for reporters.

Here's what is says in the "weapons" section, cross-referenced from "gun," "caliber" and "pistol." (you can read the whole thing at http://journalism.wlu.edu/Stylebook2000.pdf)

caliber A measurement of the
diameter of the inside of a gun
barrel except for most shotguns.
Measurement is in either millimeters
or decimal fractions of an
inch. The word caliber is not used
when giving the metric measurement.
The forms: a 9 mm pistol, a
.22-caliber rifle.
Click to expand...

There is such a thing as carelessness and there is such a thing as willful ignorance.

That this goof got past a reporter, an editor and a copy editor is pretty dang sad.

The Pioneer Press is not a liberal rag like the Star Tribune across the river; they usually do a better job.
 
Tory said:
taking animal abuse cases seriously. The link between animal cruelty and subsequent crimes against people is well documented.

Let's put the ABUSERS in an oven at 250 degrees...... :what:
Click to expand...


i'll second that!! :mad:
 
I put a chicken in the oven at 250 degrees, a while later it was very tasty.
Good grief, they're animals.
PETA is recruiting here now?
P
 
I got hit by a .9mm once.





I poked myself with a sewing needle. :mad: :neener: :D

As for abusers, I say we sic a hundred rabid Chihuahua-Doberman hybrids on 'em. If they survive, they won't enjoy the rest of their life. :evil: And yes, there is a difference between respecting all life and joining PETA.
 
A certain reporter on THE paper in this state

fabricated an image as an "in the trenches" street reporter. He was a poseur, acting the working stiff while living in one of the most exclusives TOWNS in the state - heaven forbid he actually live in the city he wrote about. He particularly favored stories dealing with beat cops and firefighters, with contacts enhanced by a brother who was a lieutenant on the police department in the capitol city.

This wannabe continually wrote about ".9 mm" handguns - even after a letter correcting his ignorance was published. While not his story, his paper also once referred to a ".9 mm revolver" in the cretinous presumption that all cops carried revolvers; therefore, if it was a cop gun it was a wheelgun.

Oh - his Friday column was always entitled "I was just thinking" and was usually proof he WASN'T. When he got bagged for plagiarizing, the paper dumped him. Now he spews his pseudo-blue collar drivel on the radio..... :barf:
 
Matt Payne said:
That this goof got past a reporter, an editor and a copy editor is pretty dang sad.
Click to expand...
Some time early last year, the Local section of the same paper ran an article in which the word principle was used to refer to the principal component of a loan. The only reason I noticed was that the same error was repeated several times throughout the entire article.

An automated spellchecker would not have caught that error.

DL
 
HEY PAUL, Do you eat cats on the side with your chicken? Last time I checked the local Publix didnt sell cat. It was a helpless animal put in a 250 degrees oven. Your not helpless go preheat your oven to 250 and grab the heating rods, then get back to me you shmuck. :cuss: :fire:
 
I find it hard to believe that anyone could confuse cooking a meal and being cruel to an animal. Anyone who would condone putting a live pet in an oven and consider that a normal event would be seriously misguided and should seek help.
 
I put a chicken in the oven at 250 degrees, a while later it was very tasty.
Good grief, they're animals.
PETA is recruiting here now?
P
Click to expand...

How clever. If I ever come across someone doing something like what was described in the first post, it'll be the last thing they do. Might not be the most prudent move on my part, but that's just how it would work out.
 
I put a chicken in the oven at 250 degrees, a while later it was very tasty.
Click to expand...

It was either a very long while, or you may have salmonella poisoning. 350-400 degrees is a better idea. Makes for a crispier skin, too. :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Dog shooter get's justice from victim
2 3
Replies
67
Views
3K
Tamara
T
G
  • Locked
Grand jury indicts bird lover in cat's death
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
PinnedAndRecessed
P
KBintheSLC
  • Locked
UT: Man Arrested For Shooting Feral Pigeon
2
Replies
48
Views
5K
ghoster
G
D
  • Locked
Son kills Mother/Father
Replies
0
Views
1K
Daemon688
D
Gbro
  • Locked
Going to Love This One!
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
go_bang
G
Back
Top