Posted on 06/10/2005 1:13:33 PM PDT by jdege
Jun 10, 2005 7:37 am US/Central
(WCCO) Two stars of the Minnesota Vikings made an embarrassing, but possibly dangerous mistake Thursday, involving a handgun.
Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper and running back Michael Bennett said they had planned to do some target practicing. They had rented a car, but when they returned the car, they forgot to take the handgun out of the car.
The two were caught having to explain the situation to the rental company and police.
Culpepper actually rented and retuned the car, but he had to call Bennett to come have him pick up the gun at the airport.
The gun was registered to Bennett, who said he has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Bennett picked up the weapon, and no charged were filed. Police said he did not break any laws.
Bennett said he wants everyone to know he was not arrested, and he feels embarrassed about the situation.
Culpepper and Bennett were in town to attend a Vikings developmental camp.
MN doesn't require the person to ID his carry weapon when it issues the CCW permit, right?
Right. MN doesn't restrict a carry permit to specific listed weapons. The application does not require you to identify which weapons you might carry.
Wisconsin has a "backdoor" handgun registration. Handguns are treated somewhat differently than rifles and shotguns and there is paperwork kept by the state when you purchase a handgun from an FFL. The state could track down the most recent purchaser of a handgun if it was purchased from an FFL dealer.
There is no handgun permit -- either a purchase permit or a CCW permit in Wisconsin.
The guy can throw a bullet, that's for sure, I don't see why he'd need the gun!
Wisconsin's retention of background check records may be troubling, but most of us would consider registration to be a law that made it illegal to possess a firearm unless you were recorded in the registry as the owner of that firearm.
And Wisconsin's law does not do that.
Consider Hawaii - every person arriving in Hawaii must register each and every firearm in his possession with the State within three days of arrival, and being caught with an unregistered firearm in your possession is a crime.
Probably meant Bennett OWNED the gun. The reporter will probably be SHOCKED and OUTRAGED to find out that handguns don't need to be registered.
According to the NRA, only California, Hawaii, Michigan, and New York register handguns.
Pinging Asphalt for addition to the NFL Ping List...
To all: The moral of the story is to make sure you don't leave a firearm lying around. I always have a dread of leabing one at the outdoor range and driving away.
thankee
According to the NRA's website, New Jersey only registers "Assault weapons".
Although we all know what it really is. Even the cops call it registration.
So I should take the gun from the rental car, wander around with it, call the previous owner (how?) and if stopped say, "I found this gun and I'm trying to return it. Sorry I got my fingerprints all over it. Gosh, I hope it wasn't used in a crime or anything."
I'd say it's certain that the reporter is mistaking having a CCW (or having an FOID) with owning a registered weapon. I've seen reporters here in Illinois make that same mistake with FOID.
See my post 38, but I'll say your explanation is more likely.
As much as I hate to say it, you're right. Also, a lot of people would call the police if they found a personal object worth $500 laying around, because it's a way to get it back to the owner without it "disappearing" in the hands of some lost and found type. Any handgun worth having is an expensive item.
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