I am not a proponent of “gun control” laws. And in fact, the tragedy that started yesterday, and was finally ended in Atlanta, GA this morning would not have been prevented by any “gun control” law.
However, this system could have had a major impact on what had happened. The O’Dwyer Vle Handgun, made by Metal Storm Ltd. would have prevented Nichols from using the Deputy Sheriff’s gun.
But more importantly, this could have been prevented if the Sheriff’s Department had handled Nichols better in the first place.
Nichols was being re-tried for rape. His first trial had ended in a hung jury. He was said to be expecting a guilty verdict at this trial.He was a man who looked at women as targets, as victims… as something he could control as he wished. And yet he was put in the custody of a single woman, nearly a foot shorter than himself.
I’m not sure that he should have been in handcuffs. Although that may have been justified, I don’t know how he was brought into the courthouse. I don’t know if he was brought in as a prisoner, or came in under his own recognizance. But at the same time, anyone being charged with the crimes he was charged with should have been considered dangerous. Especially to any women.
I’m not saying that the Deputy Sheriff is not capable of doing her job, but her job should not include single handedly guarding a dangerous man half again her size. Unless she is going to hold her gun on him the whole time, she has no way of controlling that kind of situation.
I wouldn’t want to be put in that situation myself. I’m a guy with no real fear of anyone else, yet at only 5’6”, I recognize that I could be easily overpowered in that circumstance.
In closing, while I am anguished that three, possibly four, people lost their lives at the hands of this… monster, at least the Deputy Sheriff is expected to recover. And I am very relieved that this didn’t turn into a shoot-out where many more were killed. I just hope that this man gets everything that is coming to him.
The other thing I think when I read stories like that is "if all the good people in that room were carrying concealed weapons, that piece of shit never would've gotten off a second shot, much less made it out of the room."
Posted by: Harvey at March 13, 2005 01:06 PM