« Benjamin Netanyahu Endorsed As Israel PM | Main | A Little Time Out »
February 20, 2009
College Ousts Marine for LEGALLY Concealed Gun
College ousts Marine for legally concealed gun
A Marine has been arrested, suspended from college and ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation for bringing a handgun and knife to campus – even though he holds a concealed carry permit issued by the state.
"They put me in cuffs as quick as they could and hauled me off," Western Oregon University student Jeffrey L. Maxwell told Portland's KATU-TV. "With my concealed weapons permit, I thought I was well within my rights to carry it. I never remember signing away my right to keep and bear arms."
Campus police arrested Maxwell, a 30-year-old junior, Jan. 28 after someone reported seeing a knife in his pocket. Maxwell was cooperative when authorities detained him. When they asked if he had any other weapons, he politely informed them he had a loaded two-shot .22 caliber Derringer and pocket knives in his possession. He also said he carried a rifle in his truck.
Monmouth police took Maxwell into custody for violation of ORS 166.370, possession of a firearm in a public building. Kevin Starrett, president of the Oregon Firearms Federation, said Maxwell was forced to sit at the police station for three hours after the district attorney told police to charge him.
"The law is absolutely clear that Jeffrey was not doing anything illegal, and this district attorney doesn't know that?" he told WND. "They can't figure out to read three lines and one section of the law?"
Polk County District Attorney Stan Butterfield dropped charges against Maxwell Feb. 10.
"I believe the Monmouth Police Department issued the citation in good faith and that there was an arguable violation," Butterfield wrote in an e-mail obtained by KATU. "However, a careful reading of the statute and the facts led me to conclude the charge was not in the best interest of justice."
Nonetheless, a Western Oregon University student disciplinary panel has determined that Maxwell may not re-enroll at the college until a mental health professional determines that he is not a threat to himself or the public. The panel consisted of four unnamed students and one university staff member. Maxwell asked for a public hearing, but his request was denied.
"These were children on the panel who were judging him," Starrett said. "These people were in elementary school when Jeff was serving his country in the Marine Corps. I looked at these kids thinking, these kids are judging this guy?"
As soon as the hearing was over, the panel closed and locked the doors, he said. Suddenly, nearly 50 people standing outside heard a burst of laughter coming from the room.
"We were like, 'What the hell is going on in there?'" Starrett said. "I've never seen anything like it."
The panel also demanded that Maxwell submit a 10-page essay on the importance of following the law, accepting responsibility for his actions and recognizing the impact of possessing weapons on a college campus before he will be allowed to return next spring.
University policy prohibits people from carrying weapons, even if they have state-issued permits. But Maxwell and his attorney are fighting the decision – saying the school's rule undermines Oregon state law and violates his right to carry firearms into public buildings.
"They had no interest in the Oregon state law," Maxwell told KATU. "They didn't want to hear anything pertaining to the law. They only wanted to hear what was pertaining to the student codes of conduct."
Starrett said, "It was clearly an effort to humiliate him. Every time someone exercises their rights they need to get their head examined? It's unnerving stuff."
But Oregon State Reps. Bruce Hanna, R-Roseburg, and Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, wrote a letter to Oregon University System Chancellor George Pernsteiner asking the college to discard policies that undermine rights of gun owners who possess permits, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
"I hope the universities will recognize that those with concealed handgun licenses are legally able to bring their arms on campus," Thatcher said.
The Oregon Firearms Federation is demanding Maxwell reinstatement, an apology and compensation for the student. Maxwell has written a letter of appeal to the school.
"It's a letter of his position on why they're wrong, and that's the process," Starrett said. "That's been sent. Now, what we're expecting is just for them to blow it off, and then we file our lawsuit."
When asked why he carried the weapons on campus, Maxwell said he was concerned about his and other students' safety after the April 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech.
"When Marines hear gunfire, we don't run from it. We run toward it," Maxwell told KATU. "I kind of thought of myself as one of the good guys – the one who, if something happened at school, was going to step in and save everybody else."
Wild Thing's comment........
God bless this Marine, he did nothing wrong. If I was attending school again I would LOVE to know there was a Marine on campus that had a concealed weapon. I would feel much safer and thank him as well.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at February 20, 2009 05:45 AM
Comments
Sputter,sputter, sputter! Little academic tin gods.
A Marine! Gee, think that had anything to do with the extent of this crap?
Posted by: yankeemom at February 20, 2009 07:51 AM
Its obvious the panel was made up of communist faggots.
Posted by: cuchieddie at February 20, 2009 10:24 AM
Where is that earthquake we've been promised, the one that's supposed to cleanse that rectum known as California and Oregon. Portland, Oregon is as bad or worse than Berkeley, California in leftists underpinnings. So much for a permit and being law abiding, just frigging carry and let the Constitution be your guide. I packed a .45 in Cleveland, Schenectady, Houston, Tustin, Tacoma and Portland. the only asshole who had the gall to question it was my ex father in law, who was a wannabe cop. Don't tell and don't flash it around.
Posted by: Jack at February 20, 2009 11:47 AM
I'm very pro 2nd Amendment and a member of the NRA who has given money to further our gun rights but I have mixed feelings about this.
First: His statement of running to the rescue with a .22 derringer is kind of ridicules. As a Marine, he knows he has an effective accurate range of about 5 feet with the derringer. Not good against a 9mm, rifle, or shotgun. That's like trying to put out an oil well fire with a garden hose.
Second: you know it's against the law to bring a weapon to any type of school. To do so only invites trouble. The first rule of CCW carry is to not allow your weapon to be seen by anyone. Like Jack said, "don't tell and don't flash it around". There are places that even with a CCW it's illegal to carry a weapon. All responsible CCW permit holders know this.
Third: To do what he did only gives the anti-gun crowd more ammunition to legislate against legal gun owners. Responsible gun owners have fought long and hard, spending millions of their hard earned dollars to enact CCW laws. Since Oregon is a very liberal state, he may have set gun owners back decades in regards to CCW carry.
Posted by: BobF at February 20, 2009 12:40 PM
I agree a .22 is not much of an assault weapon, mostly defensive purposes. Except maybe the one I saw carried 2 410 guage shotgun shells.
The gun laws in these various states is in direct violation of the 2nd Amendment. The Constitution and Bill of Rights trumps any statelaw. Especially if the man has a permit to carry. The Supreme Court proved that last year with their decision on the DC Gun ban and the right to self-defense.
He didn't flash his weapon, he somehow got spotted with a pocket knife and this is what started the whole mess.
Are we suppose to run and hide so as not to piss off the anti-gun left. They are already at war with us, as far as gun rights goes anyway. So what difference does it make to give them a little more aggravation in the process. If you are white and own a gun they automatically belive you are also a member of the Klan. So I say piss on them I could care less if this puts their panties in a bunch. As far as I am concerned he did nothing wrong. The little spy who blew him in ought to be invited to a blanket party.
Posted by: Mark at February 20, 2009 07:29 PM
Yankeemom, exactly. Love how you put this...." Little academic tin gods"
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 20, 2009 07:34 PM
cuchieddie, LOL I agree.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 20, 2009 07:35 PM
Jack, hahahha they have been promising that earthquake since I moved to Calif. in 1968. "da' big one elizabeth" heh heh
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 20, 2009 07:37 PM
BobF., my guess is that being it is meant to be a concealed weapon he knew he could not have rifle.
I have been wishing they would allow teachers to have a gun at school. To take lessons in how to use a gun and have cancealed carry permits for any teacher that would want one. I think when bad guys at any age know there are ways for someone to fight back it puts a damper on their thinking they can do the killings we have seen. And it would be a plus I would think for the NRA to show how a teacher saved lives having a gun to protect the students.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 20, 2009 07:48 PM
Mark, I agree, he did not flash his weapon.
I always remember that woman that was at a church and she had her gun with her, I think she was with the force. She had taken her gun to church and she saved a lot of lives that day.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 20, 2009 07:52 PM
