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MILLER: D.C. police damage soldier’s guns
The Washington Times ^ | 17 June, 2012 | Emily Miller

Posted on 06/18/2012 4:14:21 AM PDT by marktwain

Army First Lt. Augustine Kim’s finally got the Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to return his guns after two years -- only to find them permanently damaged. The department violated its own regulations on handling firearms in evidence by engraving marks on the sides of the guns, and the city should reimburse the soldier for the loss.

The Afghanistan war veteran was wrongly arrested while lawfully transporting his firearms from New Jersey to his home in South Carolina.

All charges were later dismissed, but the city refused to respond to repeated requests from the national guardsman to return the $10,000 worth of property seized during a traffic stop.

After The Washington Times highlighted this case, his congressional representatives -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Tim Scott -- got involved.

Mr. Graham wrote to Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier to demand the guns be returned to his constituent immediately.

On Friday, May 18, MPD Property Clerk Derek Gray ruled that the guns should be sent to a police department in Charleston “next week.”

By Thursday, May 24, with one day to go until the deadline, the guns had not arrived. Lt. Kim’s attorney, Richard Gardiner, could not get an answer about when they were sending it from the evidence department.

I asked MPD Spokesman Gwendolyn Crump about the status. She responded two hours later that the guns, “will be delivered to the Charleston County Sheriff's Office by Saturday.”

In a last-minute effort to make the deadline, MPD paid the shipping cost for priority overnight Saturday FedEx delivery.

The department should have saved the taxpayers’ money because the Forensic Services Service department in the Charleston County Sheriff's office was closed on the weekend. Since Monday was Memorial Day, the soldier was not able to pick up his personal guns

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: 2012; 57states; assholecop; banglist; bloodoftyrants; cathylanier; corruption; dc; democrats; donutwatch; fraud; govtabuse; gun; kim; lanier; leofascism; mediawingofthednc; mymuslimfaith; partisanmediashills; policestate; rapeofliberty; tyranny
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Emily Miller is becoming one of the best gun reporters in the country.
1 posted on 06/18/2012 4:14:26 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

She’s fearless! Andy Parks has her on his show a couple of times each week, and she really knows how to stick it to the DC tinhorn dictators.


2 posted on 06/18/2012 4:20:51 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: marktwain

I think I’d be suing the DC police department.
The guns have been ruined for resale value and the markings were not done in accordance with department policy.
This is exactly what I’d expect from DC finest thugs.


3 posted on 06/18/2012 4:29:38 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (End the racist, anti-capitalist Obama War On Freedom.)
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To: BuffaloJack

Lt. Augustine Kim would have to stand in line. The MPD is facing multiple suits all the time.


4 posted on 06/18/2012 4:39:39 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine's brother (Near term Obamacare 'Unit")
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To: marktwain

While it is routine practice for cops to engrave their initials on seized firearms, they are supposed to do it in accordance with their agency’s policy.

In this case, someone ignored the policy detailed in an internal MPD directive that says evidence should be marked “in a manner that does not deface or alter its appearance.”




5 posted on 06/18/2012 4:46:58 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (FUMR)
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To: marktwain

It’s time to move the capitol to free American territory, Washington D.C. has been captured and occupied by the enemy.


6 posted on 06/18/2012 5:01:15 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
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To: BuffaloJack

I’d like to know why DC is engraving on the firearms in the first place. There is no reason to do so legally, forensically, or otherwise.

If I were that LT. I’d make them buy him one for one, new guns.


7 posted on 06/18/2012 5:12:14 AM PDT by BCR #226 (02/07 SOT www.extremefirepower.com...The BS stops when the hammer drops.)
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To: marktwain

Does Congress not administer D.C.?

This cess pit of totalitarian control needs to be pulled up short.


8 posted on 06/18/2012 5:14:07 AM PDT by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: marktwain
Totalitarianism and union thugs is the result of electing democrats. What you see is what you get. Until individual cops and their supervisors are fired and /or arrested for intentional violation of the rules and/or laws they will continue with their gestapo ways!!
9 posted on 06/18/2012 5:34:36 AM PDT by ontap
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To: marktwain
D.C. = District of CRIMINALS
10 posted on 06/18/2012 5:52:37 AM PDT by mkjessup (Jimmy Carter is the Skidmark in the panties of American history, 0bama is the yellow stain in front!)
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To: marktwain

So what? Even if they get sued it will be the taxpayers that pick up the tab.


11 posted on 06/18/2012 5:56:08 AM PDT by Fido969
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To: BuffaloJack
The guns have been ruined for resale value and the markings were not done in accordance with department policy.

I dunno, the guns, with copies of the letters from the Senators and related newspaper articles, might command a premium.

12 posted on 06/18/2012 6:00:35 AM PDT by Fido969
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To: Fido969

Actually he should sue the officer who did the marking. Would be interesting to see if the Department provided defense for him violating their policies.


13 posted on 06/18/2012 6:06:30 AM PDT by Kadric
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To: BCR #226

> If I were that LT. I’d make them buy him one for one, new guns.

That might be the wrong approach.
I purchased a firearm in 1982 for $399.
I could purchase another of the same model number (but different internal design) right now for about $700.
Because of design features that were removed from the model I own sometime between its purchase and now, my gun is worth more.
I have actually been offered $3000 for it by a gun dealer.
It’s too bad I lost it last summer in a canoe accident.


14 posted on 06/18/2012 6:17:59 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (End the racist, anti-capitalist Obama War On Freedom.)
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To: Kadric

I agree, don’t sue the department, sue the offending officer to ensure the money comes out of his pockets and not the city’s.


15 posted on 06/18/2012 6:29:47 AM PDT by XXXoholic
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To: Fido969

“So what? Even if they get sued it will be the taxpayers that pick up the tab.”


You bring up a great point that we all just seem to accept and never challenge.

If the voting public would attend town hall meetings during the primary season and challenge the candidates to promise to work to change the protection given government employees some of this crap might change.

It was not the taxpayers who damaged the gun but some government thug. That thug should be on the hook first and the taxpayers second if at all.


16 posted on 06/18/2012 6:30:50 AM PDT by Wurlitzer (Nothing says "ignorance" like Islam!)
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To: marktwain
Well, the condition of these weapons is pretty dismal to begin with. I'd be ashamed to call those mine...

That being said, if my weapons were returned with permanent brag-tags like that, there would be some hell to pay.

17 posted on 06/18/2012 7:25:01 AM PDT by FunkyZero (... I've got a Grand Piano to prop up my mortal remains)
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To: BCR #226

The engraving requirement is insane.

It is a taking without compensation.

It is a presumption of guilt.


18 posted on 06/18/2012 7:32:44 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: marktwain

They never expected anyone outside the PD to ever see the guns again so they didn’t care if their markings violated policy or not.


19 posted on 06/18/2012 7:33:31 AM PDT by Iron Munro (John Adams: 'Two ways to enslave a country. One is by the sword, the other is by debt')
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To: SampleMan

“Does Congress not administer D.C.?”

Nope. D.C. got home rule in 1973. Thus able to elect POSes like Marion Berry.


20 posted on 06/18/2012 8:00:55 AM PDT by bjorn14 (Woe to those who call good evil and evil good. Isaiah 5:20)
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