Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

'He was going to kill me' Shooting trial ... incident between miner and off-road vehicle riders
Medford Mail Tribune ^ | 02/09/2011 | Sanne Specht

Posted on 02/09/2011 3:59:11 PM PST by Uncle Miltie

A Gold Hill (OR) man who lost his lower right arm after a violent encounter with an Illinois Valley gold miner (testified) Tuesday at the miner's trial

Graybill, testified that he and his friends drove into an isolated campsite about eight miles outside of Kerby. Spears immediately began screaming at them to get off his mining claim, firing into the air with his 12-gauge shotgun for emphasis.

"He said, 'Get the f—- outta here. He was extremely agitated."

Graybill grabbed a beer and took off on foot. Spears suddenly appeared again. Graybill stepped toward Spears before he was "bayoneted" by Spears' shotgun in the right side of his ribcage.

He pushed the gun away just as Spears fired at point-blank range.

"If I hadn't done the left-hand sweep, I'd be dead. I swept. He fired."

The blast knocked the beer from Graybill's hand and tore away most of his right arm.

While one driver raced to cell phone range, Graybill's friends (used) a belt as a tourniquet.

"Blood was starting to slosh on the floorboards. I knew it was going to be close."

Graybill, Stacy and Olson testified before a gallery filled with Spears' supporters. About 20 members of the Southwest Oregon Mining Association, dressed in yellow shirts stating "Mineral Estate Grantee Vested Authority Jurisdiction Since July 26,1866," sat behind Spears.

The miners alleg(ed) Graybill and the others in his group were aggressive, drunken trespassers who initiated the confrontation.

"I think it's an enormous injustice," said Ida Reman, 32. "(Spears) was being attacked by drunks. He's been in jail for two years. They attacked an old man. They are young bullies. They should be in jail."

Stacy said Hood (82), the unofficial leader of the off-road group, committed suicide last Christmas, in part because of the stress of the incident.

(Excerpt) Read more at mailtribune.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: banglist; propertyrights; selfdefense
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last
To: Free Vulcan

Depends on where you live. In Oregon, 82% of the land is Fed or state. BLM, National forest, state lands.
Most states east of the Rockies are almost all privately owned.

I can jeep 80 miles to the coast and never cross privately
owned land.


21 posted on 02/09/2011 5:04:17 PM PST by OregonRancher (Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Free Vulcan
It’s inconceivable to me growing up in a rural area of joyriding like a bunch of punks across someone else’s land. You don’t do ANYTHING like that here without permission. As far as I’m concerned these guys took their lives into their own hands and should feel lucky it didn’t end up worse.

An associate of mine (from the suburbs) once parked in a spot on a street in South Philly and was told by a local that the spot was somebody else's and to move his car. My associate said, "Hey, snooze you lose," and the next thing he knew he had a gun in his ear. He moved his car without another word.

22 posted on 02/09/2011 5:11:23 PM PST by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat

Did they save the beer????......


23 posted on 02/09/2011 6:01:46 PM PST by Red Badger (Whenever these vermin call you an 'idiot', you can be sure that you are doing something right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Miltie

Well, he didn’t drop the beer til things got serious. You just know it was some lousy swill beer like Stroh’s!


24 posted on 02/09/2011 6:31:21 PM PST by Fitzy_888 ("ownership society")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fitzy_888

In Alaska the mining claims must allow others on the claims for any reason. You can put up danger signs buts that’s about all. People hunt on mining claims all the time up here.


25 posted on 02/09/2011 6:51:06 PM PST by Cowgirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Miltie

Wow, they should pay the guy a bit of money for the time he has been locked up. I think if this happened in Florida they would have taken a statement from the guy and that would have been the end of it. He was within his rights to shoot them. If someone with a gun tells me to leave their property, I would leave.

I bet the asshat tried to take the gun from him and lost his arm for it.


26 posted on 02/09/2011 8:43:15 PM PST by TheGarbone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Miltie

Geez, what a poorly written article. It hardly makes any sense.


27 posted on 02/10/2011 4:47:24 AM PST by caver (Obama: Home of the Whopper)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: allmendream

Sound’s like he was just giving the miner a hand.


28 posted on 02/10/2011 4:56:56 AM PST by BOBWADE
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson