copblock.org
Back in July of 2011 I was having problems with an ex-boyfriend. The man had been living with me and believed that he had all rights to the property. He’d been told to stay away though he had lived there before and had destroyed thousands of dollars of my property. He had also been reported to the authorities who informed me property damage and rumors of threats were not enough for me to file a restraining order.
One night I got word from a friend that this man was headed towards my house on a drug-induced rampage and was bringing a friend from The Navy along. I’m a small woman with no self-defense training of any kind and these two men were a terrifying prospect. I immediately dialed 911.
My new roommate had police training with the explorers and was taking Administration of Justice classes at the time. He had a handgun and the licenses to go with it. He was the one to go outside and politely ask the ex-boyfriend to leave. When the trespasser picked up a stick and went into a rage, his friend reached into his car for something. My roommate saw this motion and pulled the gun down to his waist and demanded they leave the private property. I was still on hold with emergency dispatch.
The two finally backed the car out onto the street and yelled obscenities waking all the neighbors. After 45 minutes on the phone, our sheriffs finally arrived. My roommate put his weapon on the ground in pieces as soon as they showed up and gladly showed them anything they needed and answered all their questions.
15 minutes later I watched the officers drive off with my roommate in the back of their squad car. He was placed under arrest for brandishing a weapon while the other two were let loose despite me begging officers to drug test them and bring them to justice.
Now, 9 months later, we finally got the letter saying the charges had been dropped and my roommate’s handgun could be retrieved. He’s been nine months without full-time work because he lost out on security contracts requiring his weapon. He now has to pay twenty dollars to get his weapon back. Where is the justice in this justice department?