Well it was a good shoot......

[Jeff White]

If the cab driver hadn't been a convicted felon, this would have been a good case to use in the push for CCW.....

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...CDB46BE7FDD26BE78625710200530FD6?OpenDocument

Cab driver kills 16-year-old trying to rob him, police say
By Bill Bryan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/26/2006

A taxi driver unlawfully carrying a handgun for protection used it to shoot and kill an armed 16-year-old youth who was trying to rob him, St. Louis police said Wednesday.

It happened about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 3200 block of Nebraska Avenue. The youth, Corey Blanks, was shot in the forehead. He lived in the 2400 block of Menard Street.

Although homicide detectives said they believe the 44-year-old Allen Cab driver acted in self-defense, the case will be presented to the circuit attorney's office today, and a weapons charge might result.

Carrying a handgun in a car in Missouri is not necessarily a crime, but the driver is a convicted felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms, officials said. In fact, police said he is on parole from a conviction for illegal possession of a weapon.

The driver fled from the scene and was tracked down by officers. They said he initially claimed he took the gun away from a second robber at the scene but later admitted it was his own.

Police Capt. James Gieseke said the driver picked up the youth after being dispatched to Northcrest Lane, near the Halls Ferry Circle. The youth told him to go to the 3200 block of Nebraska. When they arrived, the youth had only $20 to pay for the $29 fare, and told the driver he would go into a house and return with the rest.

Moments later, the youth and a second male came out of the house and got into the cab, the driver told police. The cabdriver said the first youth pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and demanded money. The driver claimed he had none, then grabbed the revolver, which he had stashed in the cab, and jumped out, police said.

The driver told police he fired one shot after the two youths got out, too, and the one with the shotgun pointed it at him. The driver said he panicked and fled. The dead youth's companion apparently fled, too.

A witness told police to look for a taxi driver, and Allen Cab helped investigators find the driver, who had gone to a girlfriend's house.

Police said the revolver and sawed-off shotgun were recovered.

[email protected] 314-340-8950

 

[taliv]

not only is it still useful for CCW, it's also proves that laws against guns won't keep felons from getting them

 

[Aguila Blanca]

This also shows why laws prohibiting ex-felons from possessing firearms are unfair and unjust. Ex-cons often can't find jobs other than dangerous ones like cabby or pizza delivery guy. They should be allowed to defend themselves.

However, this guy was still on parole, so he's in the grey area. So far, my argument has been that those who have completed prison and parole should have their rights restored. I don't think I'm willing to revise that based on a single incident, but it does give pause...

 

[Molon Labe]

This also shows why laws prohibiting ex-felons from possessing firearms are unfair and unjust.

+1.

Felons have a right to keep and bear arms.

 

[tellner]

Not all felons. But there should be a real procedure - not just a theoretical one -for getting one's civil rights back. And there are some people who just plain shouldn't be allowed to have guns, people who have proven that they are not responsible enough or are a danger to others with them.

 

[761]

Not all felons. But there should be a real procedure - not just a theoretical one -for getting one's civil rights back. And there are some people who just plain shouldn't be allowed to have guns, people who have proven that they are not responsible enough or are a danger to others with them.

I agree, but the problem is in trying to define that. We don't need any more laws, let alone gun laws on the books. I'm sure that in trying to define that would carry some further firearms restrictions with it for EVERYONE? Maybe not.

 

[Molon Labe]

And there are some people who just plain shouldn't be allowed to have guns, people who have proven that they are not responsible enough or are a danger to others with them.

I would rather live with this danger than deny people of their rights.

Thomas Jefferson would agree:

I much prefer dangerous freedom to peaceful slavery. - Thomas Jefferson

 

[TallPine]

And there are some people who just plain shouldn't be allowed to have guns, people who have proven that they are not responsible enough or are a danger to others with them.

Those people should be in prison.

 

[merk]

not only is it still useful for CCW, it's also proves that laws against guns won't keep felons from getting them

Much less 16 year old kids.

 

[buzz_knox]

Apparently, his prior felony is for illegal possession of a weapon, an act which under any rational interpretation of the Constitution cannot be illegal. So, his initial status as a felon is a travesty.

 

[Mr. James]

Well said, TallPine and buzz_knox!

The driver didn't help his case any by fleeing like a common criminal. I still hope they no-paper him.

 

[Rusher]

I noted this little slant from the get-go "A taxi driver unlawfully carrying a handgun for protection used it to shoot and kill an armed 16-year-old youth who was trying to rob him"....notice how the cab driver was unlawfully carring a gun and yet the 16yo robber must have been carring legally........I thought it was kinda amusing.

 

[Rusher]

I noted this little slant from the get-go "A taxi driver unlawfully carrying a handgun for protection used it to shoot and kill an armed 16-year-old youth who was trying to rob him"....notice how the cab driver was unlawfully carring a gun and yet the 16yo robber must have been carring legally........I thought it was kinda amusing.

 

[El Tejon]

Let us count the anti-gun failures:

1. Law against carrying pistols--failed;
2. Law against teens owning firearms--failed;
3. Law against felons possessing firearms--failed.

Yep, one more gun law is JUST what we need.

 

[Soybomb]

Allow non-violent felons to have guns at the very least. I'd like to hear more details on his original conviction.

 

[beerslurpy]

However, this guy was still on parole, so he's in the grey area.

No, this is a major problem in our criminal "justice" system. Guys get nicked for something and then spend the rest of their lives getting arrested for minor "felon doing x" crimes or "parole violation crimes" which put them back in jail or get them more parole. Which keeps them forever a hair's breadth away from being back in jail again.

I only discovered this a few years ago when I began looking at criminal records of certain "habitual offenders" I would say that probably the first or 2nd thing they were charged with was an actual crime, the rest were all just tacked on as a result of their initial contact with the system.

 

[hammer4nc]

Another story stated this cab driver was on parole for unlawful use of a weapon. So, under "Project Safe Neighborhoods", he'll be looking at a lengthy prison term...won't that look good on the ATF statistics! Whether or not its justice (or effective use of resources), is another question entirely.

Wonder why the cab drivers name wasn't mentioned?

 

[Waitone]

Evidently convicted felon trying to earn a living don't have to worry about being held up. Yea, that's the ticket. The solution to crime is crime. Criminals don't have to worry about being victims of criminals <head aches>

 

[Optical Serenity]

I personally do not believe felons should have the right to keep and bear arms. Why? Because that is one more darn good reason not to break a law, especially a felony.

 

[Molon Labe]

I know a felon who owns lots of guns, and I regularly shoot with him. He's safer and more responsible than most non-felon shooters I know.