Free Republic

Guns and coffee collided Tuesday outside as Ohio State students from the group Buckeyes for Concealed Carry on Campus spent part of their Valentine's Day advocating for the right to carry a weapon on campus. The group protested outside Starbucks on 14th Avenue and High Street in a response to a nationwide boycott against Starbucks for its neutral position on concealed carry. The National Gun Victim's Action Council called for a nationwide boycott of Starbucks on Valentine's Day until the corporation prohibits guns in the stores. Michael Newbern, a second-year in industrial engineering and president of Buckeyes for Concealed Carry...

WCMH, Columbus' NBC affiliate, is reporting that police are investigating a break-in in which approximately 80 firearms were stolen from a Central Ohio shooting range as well as boxes of ammunition. Thieves knocked a hole through a cinder block wall to gain access to The Powder Room, which is located in Powell. According to the report, this wasn't the first time thieves have targeted The Powder Room. In the past, a gun stolen from the shop was later used in a crime where violence against a police officer was involved. Linda Walker is the Ohio chair of the Buckeye Firearms...

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Ohio Supreme Court (OSC) has declined to hear the case of a 55-year-old Cleveland homeowner convicted in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last year of killing an intruder. In 2010, Carl Kozlosky was convicted by a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court jury and sentenced last year to 18 years to life in prison for the shooting death of Andre Coleman on Sept. 20, 2009. Last fall, the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for Kozlosky, saying there was overwhelming evidence that he had acted in self-defense. "Under the...

The Dayton Daily News is reporting that according to a DDN analysis of permit data, opinion polls and interviews with firearm and criminal justice experts, more women in the Miami Valley are choosing to purchase and carry handguns for protection, reflecting a national trend. From the article: More than one in five who have applied to carry concealed handguns in Butler, Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Warren counties are women, and owners of local gun stores and shooting ranges say women are increasingly participating in training and target practice. Although violent crime continues to decline in the region, experts said more...

The Marietta Times is reporting that the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is voicing concerns about HB422, legislation that seeks to repeal requirements that a concealed carry licensee inform an approaching law enforcement officer that the licensee is a licensee and is carrying a concealed handgun. From the article: House Bill 422, jointly sponsored by Reps. Ron Maag, R-Lebanon, and Andy Thompson, R-Marietta, would amend the current state code to remove a requirement that during a traffic stop drivers must notify police officers if they're carrying a firearm. "The patrol has concerns from a public safety viewpoint, not only for...

The Ohio Supreme Court declined Wednesday to hear the case of a 55-year-old Cleveland homeowner convicted in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last year of killing an intruder. When the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals threw out the conviction of Carl Kozlosky and ordered a new trial, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason appealed the decision. The Ohio Supreme Court's decision Wednesday returns the case to Common Pleas Court. Kozlosky was sentenced last year to 18 years to life in prison for the shooting death of Andre Coleman on Sept. 20, 2009. Coleman broke into Kozlosky's house and began beating...

Lawyers for four suspects involved in an alleged stolen clothing case claim their clients are victims of racial profiling. "Anybody in the business would know this is a profiling case," said Atty. Gary Rich. "I believe without a doubt. Illegal aliens, or drugs in the car, no drugs found and my clients legal." Rich's client, Jesus Fabian, was the only one of the four to be released on bond. The other three remain jailed on an Immigration and Naturalization Services hold. Last week, the Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle and seized nearly $78,000 worth of stolen clothes, including...

State Reps. Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) and Andy Thompson (R-Marietta) have introduced two bills that seek to reform, or "de-Taft," portions of Ohio's concealed carry law. House Bill 422 seeks to repeal requirements that a concealed carry licensee inform an approaching law enforcement officer that the licensee is a licensee and is carrying a concealed handgun. According to rep. Maag, Ohio is one of only four states that have such a requirement. The idea for repealing the notification provision has been the subject of frequent discussion since last June, when Canton police officer Daniel Harless was caught on dash cam video...

DAYTON — A woman is dead following the attempted burglary of a residence on Burbank Drive, according to police. The woman was fatally shot by the resident of 1932 Burbank Dr., after she broke in to the residence Saturday afternoon and was confronted by a resident of the home. The resident told the unarmed woman to stay put after he discovered her intruding, but the woman threw an object at him. He then shot the woman in the chest using a semiautomatic handgun, according to Dayton Police. When asked if the resident was justified in firing his weapon, Lt. Kenneth...

This summer a man was arrested, threatened with execution while handcuffed in the back of a cruiser, and then forced to deal with the real life tragedy of having to go through a criminal trial for something he shouldn't have been charged with in the first place. William Bartlett spent the next four months of his life having a prosecutor dangle sweetheart deals in front of him that always came with a catch: Plea to this and we'll drop the more serious charges. Sign a waiver that releases the city from any culpability or legal liability and we'll make this...

Shots will fly as five members of UT's College Republicans attend a concealed weapons course this weekend. This day-long seminar will begin with a lecture explaining how to legally conceal and carry a firearm. The students will then demonstrate their shooting abilities with live ammunition at a shooting range. If their aim is accurate, participants who are 21 years old and up will be licensed to carry a concealed firearm in Ohio. This is the second time the College Republicans will have the opportunity to learn about carrying a concealed firearm. Scott Mazzola, Doug Dettert, Drew Ashcraft, Patrick Richardson and...

Every January, Buckeye Firearms Association identifies the top 10 threats to our gun rights for the upcoming twelve months. Historically, the list includes an ever changing line up of anti-gun personalities including the likes of Sarah Brady, Toby Hoover and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. One of the people included on the list more times than any other, however, is the apathetic and uninformed gun owner. Few individual threats pose more danger to the right to bear arms than the self-proclaimed gun-rights advocate who doesn’t support the latest pro-gun reform, or who refuses to take their business elsewhere when a...

BLACKLICK, Ohio -- A man who was shot to death after breaking into a car sparked a grand jury hearing. On October 9, 2011, a Blacklick man confronted 28-year-old Sean Stiffler who was breaking into a neighbors car on Bollengen Road on the city's far east side. The case begs the question: when can you claim self defense? 911 caller: "He went into his pocket and drew a gun on me. I thought he had a gun and my life was in danger." A Franklin County grand jury looked at the facts from the shooting and decided Wednesday not to...

BEDFORD, Ohio— A Bedford woman was defending herself Wednesday morning when she shot her ex-boyfriend in the face after he broke into her house, authorities told Fox 8 News. Investigators said the suspect showed up at the woman's home on Grant Boulevard, and when she didn't answer the front door, he allegedly went to the back door, broke a window and forced his way inside. Police said the woman was at the top of her stairs, and told her ex to leave, but instead, he started up the stairs, and that's when she shot him in the face. On a...

HAMILTON, OH (FOX19) - An 84-year-old Hamilton man called 911 Tuesday morning and told police that he shot and killed an intruder. Hamilton Police say officers got a call at around 10 a.m. from a resident in the 2700 block of Hilda Avenue saying that he had shot a male inside his house. In the 911 call, the man identified himself as Charles Foster and told the dispatcher that he "had a dead man in the basement." When the dispatcher asked how the man died, Foster replied, "I shot him." Police arrived and found Ed T. Stevens, 75, dead in...

A 22-year-old Akron man was robbed at gunpoint after advertising an Xbox on Craigslist. Akron Police say it happened around 6 p.m when a suspect came inside the victim's home on Triplett Boulevard to see if the game system worked. Police say the suspect called a friend to bring him money and within minutes, two other males came inside the house, armed with handguns, and robbed the victim of $85.00. According to authorities, the victim turned the tables on the robbers and pulled his own handgun, firing several shots at the suspects. Both suspects were found inside Barberton Citizen Hospital...

COLUMBUS/SANTA FE --(Ammoland.com)- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and New Mexico Department of Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Gorden E. Eden, Jr. have signed an agreement that permits reciprocity between their states for citizens who have valid concealed carry permits. “I am pleased that this agreement between Ohio and New Mexico will allow Ohioans who have concealed carry permits the same rights to carry a concealed handgun in the State of New Mexico, as well as New Mexicans who have concealed carry permits to do the same in Ohio” said Attorney General DeWine. Secretary Eden reiterated those remarks. “As proponents of...

On Dec. 8, Attorney General Eric Holder received questions from senators who have been critical about the handling of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ failed sting operation aimed at Mexican gun smugglers, Operation Fast and Furious. BATFE conspired to supply thousands of weapons to some of the most dangerous criminals on earth. These are people who think nothing of cutting off heads and murdering children and little old ladies. If he had prior knowledge of the operation, the chief law-enforcement officer of the nation broke the very laws that he has sworn to uphold. His arrogance and...

PLAIN TWP. — A teenage boy and a young woman were shot during a robbery at a local skill games business, and a woman accused of helping them was later arrested in an FBI office escape attempt. The young woman was inside the Lucky Heaven 777 Skill Games at 2123 Columbus Rd. NE in Plain Township when she answered a knock on the rear door at 5:28 a.m. Thursday, said Chief Deputy Rick Perez of the Stark County Sheriff’s Department. A masked man carrying a gun walked inside. An employee suspecting a robbery was underway pulled out his own gun...

Hunters still have a weekend of deer-gun hunting, December 17-18 COLUMBUS, OH- Ohio hunters took 90,282 white-tailed deer during the state's popular, week-long deer-gun season, which ran November 28 through December 4, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife. In 2010, hunters checked a total of 105,034 deer during the same time period. "Hunters clearly took advantage of the weather as the week progressed. They trimmed the deficit from last season from 39% on opening day, to 14% by the close of the season on Sunday," said Mike Tonkovich, ODNR, Division of Wildlife deer project...

Officer Daniel Harless is still receiving paid time off, even after running out of sick days by Chad D. Baus The Canton Repository reported recently that a hearing for Officer Daniel Harless, the Canton police officer who was caught on dash cam video berating an Ohio concealed handgun license-holder and threatening to execute him, has been postponed yet again. The article also reveals that Harless continues to receive sick pay, even though he is out of paid time off, thanks to a special clause in his union contract. From the article: A disciplinary hearing for Daniel Harless, the police officer...

This morning, an article in The Washington Times noted that Newt Gingrich’s campaign was likely to miss the Ohio filing deadline to be on the GOP primary ballot — Wednesday, December 7, 4pm EST. But that’s not the full story: that is an old deadline because the Ohio legislature recently moved its GOP presidential primary from March to June, and with it, the filing deadline. Gingrich is not missing the actual deadline. In Ohio, the deadline for filing to be on the primary ballot is 90 days before the primary, which means that the new deadline for now-scheduled June primary...

WUPW, Toledo's Fox News affiliate, is reporting that more people are considering carring a concealed handgun in the wake of two violent encounters. From the report: "Frightening that you can't go out in public without having to worry about your safety.late at night,” said Derek Mungons, who lives a few blocks from one of the shooting incidents. Mungons is glad he got a conceal-carry permit. A 9mm pistol is now strapped to his side. "I do carry and never thought I would," he admitted. "People seem to have less and less respect for other people's property and lives."

COLUMBUS -- A frightened owner opened fire on a man who broke into his convenience store on North Monroe Avenue Friday morning. "I just wake up, find somebody wearing mask, and when I say 'Freeze!,' he throw something at me," the owner told ABC6/Fox28 News' Walter Allen. It happened just about 7 a.m. when the owner reported hearing noise when he went to open Nick's Quick Stop Food Mart in northeast Columbus. He says he confronted the suspect, involved in a robbery attempt, and ordered him to "Freeze!" The store owner says the alleged robber responded by throwing something at...

This is a video story about the Ohio Castle Doctrine law. It is surprisingly well done, with very little political correctness. There is an annoying commercial at the beginning of the video clip, but it is not very long. The video is worth watching because it is not politically correct, so it goes against the usual progressive mindset in the MSM.

It has been two months since concealed carry in restaurants became law in Ohio and onerous car carry rules were removed. Once again the anti-gun editorial boards and fear mongers were wrong. Carrying a "hidden gun," as the "guns in bars" -types like to call it, is proving to be no more dangerous than the "hidden" car keys carried by the same person in the same establishment. It was a long hard fight for such a common sense law, but it was worth it. In the first month of the new law I left my gun in my car in...

Due to recent crimes and awareness on campus, some students are feeling the need to pursue a concealed carry license. A concealed carry permit gives people the ability to legally carry a handgun or another weapon in a concealed manner, on their person, or near their proximity. A new group, Buckeyes for Concealed Carry on Campus, is advocating restoring the right to carry a concealed weapon on university property to individuals who already have a license. The founder of the group Michael Newbern, a second-year in mechanical engineering, said the group is specifically looking to restore those rights to individuals...

Toledo police are at the scene of a convenience store robbery in North Toledo where one person has been fatally shot. The deceased was identified by police as Lamar Allen, 25, of Toledo. The incident occurred about 9:45 a.m. at the Express Carryout, 1920 Mulberry St. The two adult male suspects were in the process of emptying the store's cash register when the clerk fatally shot one of them, said Toledo police Sgt. Joe Heffernan. The victim, who was struck multiple times, collapsed right in front of the counter. It was unclear whether the second suspect, who fled the store,...

The Ohio Gun Collector's Association (OGCA) returned to the I-X Center in Cleveland on October 15-16, 2011, for their first event in almost 10 years. The huge crowds that packed the show Saturday made it obvious that they had been missed. As is typical, the show was less crowded on Sunday, but a vendor I bought some supplies from indicated he was actually selling more on Sunday than he did on Saturday. No matter how you measure it, the event was a success. Lots of new members were signing up with thoughts of attending future meetings. For many years, OGCA...

In the wake of the release of explosive dash cam video which showed Canton police officer Daniel Harless unleashing a violent, profanity-laced tirade on a concealed handgun license-holder, saying "People like you don't deserve to @#$%#$ move throughout public. Period!" before threatening to murder the CHL-holder, Canton City Council President Allen Schulman delivered his own tirade against Ohio's concealed handgun licensure laws, calling them "completely insane." The group Ohioans For Concealed Carry, which obtained and released the dash cam video, immediately called for Schulman's resignation. Schulman hasn't resigned, but has reportedly "made peace" with OFCC after attending an indoor shooting...

When Lamar Allen and another man entered a North Toledo carryout Monday and allegedly threatened a clerk with firearms and allegedly began emptying the register of cash, the clerk was ready for them. Allen, 25, whose last known address is 1029 Bronson Ave., was killed by the clerk about 9:45 a.m. at the Express Carryout, 1920 Mulberry St., in an exchange of gunfire. Shot more than once, he collapsed by the counter. The man with him fled. The clerk, whose name was not released, was uninjured but shaken, Toledo police said. “There is always a gun in the store behind...

The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) was certain Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli had sold them out. “His opinion on the GMU ban went against us,” said VCDL Vice President Jim Snyder in his introduction of Cuccinelli at Thursday night’s membership meeting in the Mason Governmental Center. Cuccinelli soon allayed the group’s fears: “As Attorney General I cannot undercut my client by going out and saying something like, ‘You’re idiots for doing this.’ But the case is over, and I can now say I think they’re crazy.” In January 2011, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld George Mason University's prohibition against guns...

Gongwer News Service reported recently that the agency that oversees Capitol Square moved Monday to avoid a public hearing on gun regulations. On October 20, the unelected CSRAB voted to prohibit concealed guns on the property surrounding the Statehouse. From coverage at the time from The Columbus Dispatch: "The thought was that the board wants to be proactive as we continue to have more events outside," said Gregg Dodd, the board's deputy director. "The board's intent is to make the Statehouse the people's house, inclusive and acceptable to everybody, and we just want to assure that all families that are...

*snip* The unusual case began to unravel in rural Nobel County on November 6, when a terrified and blood-soaked man from North Carolina knocked on a door and asked for help, Sheriff Stephen Hannum said in a press release. The middle-aged man told police that he met two people for breakfast in a little town called Marietta to discuss the job. The asked him to drive out to see the farm and got him to walk in some woods after telling him the road was closed due to a landslide. As they got deeper into the woods, he heard what...

For the thousands of Buckeyes on OSU campus at all times, the threat of crime may be the last thing on their minds. Finals week, Thanksgiving break and scheduling classes approach in the distance as fall quarter rapidly draws to an end. But should it be the last thing on their minds? OSU student and engineering major Mike Newbern doesn’t think so. “There have been four incidents in the last two weeks within three blocks of campus,” he said. “The important thing to understand is that bad guys are not going to stop getting guns, which is why it’s important...

AKRON, Ohio— Shirley Bennett, of Akron, says she never wanted a gun in her house when her children were growing up. Three years ago, however, she decided to get a concealed carry permit after someone attempted to break into her apartment. It is a decision she believes paid off on Thursday. While stopping at a Wilbeth Road bank in Akron to make a deposit, Bennett says she was approached in the parking lot by a man who, at first, asked for directions. "By the time I was ready to get in my car, he was behind me and started hitting...

A judge threw out the concealed carry charge against a driver at the center of a controversial traffic stop. After city prosecutors finished their case Wednesday afternoon, Municipal Court Judge Stephen Belden granted the defense motion to dismiss the most serious charge against William Bartlett of Brewster, arguing there was not enough evidence to continue the trial.

The Columbus Dispatch reported recently that on October 20 the unelected Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board voted to prohibit concealed guns on the property surrounding the Statehouse. From the article: "The thought was that the board wants to be proactive as we continue to have more events outside," said Gregg Dodd, the board's deputy director. "The board's intent is to make the Statehouse the people's house, inclusive and acceptable to everybody, and we just want to assure that all families that are visiting and the Downtown work force that it continues to be a safe gathering place." Dodd did...

As many of our readers are aware, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman has consistently worked against the Second Amendment and the Constitution during his long term as mayor. The Ohio chairman of the anti-gun group Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), Coleman and his city council enacted an unenforceable assault weapons ban in 2005, which caused the NRA to pull plans to hold their annual meetings in the city in 2007, which would likely have poured upwards of $25 million dollars into the Ohio economy. Coleman also drove the Ohio Gun Collectors Association out of town with unreasonable demands he put upon...

Aggravated Robbery: Around 11:30 last Friday morning, a 62 year old male was sitting in his car at a gas station, located in the 200 block of East Market, playing lottery tickets when the suspect opened the passenger side door and jumped into the car. The suspect was wearing a mask, armed with a stun gun and demanded the victim’s money. The victim then threatened to shoot the suspect with his handgun. The suspect jumped out of the vehicle and ran. The suspect, Melvin L. Thompson, 41, of Childs Avenue in Akron, was located in an apartment on Perkins Street....

The city of Cleveland became a little safer last Thursday—safer for criminals. In what has become an annual spectacle, the city dumped more than 700 firearms into the Number 1 Basic Oxygen Furnace at the Cleveland Arcelor Mittal facility. The formerly useful weapons, collected in “gun buyback” programs in the city and surrounding communities in September, were subjected to temperatures of about 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit and 200 tons of molten iron. Here’s a video of the actual event, but be warned, it’s difficult to watch. It’s not clear how the city could “buy back” something it didn’t own in the...

Have not seen the actual PPP poll itself, but here is the e-mail: Re: New Mandel vs. Brown Polling Numbers Date: October 24, 2011 Some new polling for the Ohio Senate race was just released and the numbers show a growing momentum for Josh Mandel against an increasingly vulnerable Sherrod Brown. In fact, Mandel has closed this race to a single-digit gap (-8) that’s actually closer than Rob Portman was to Lee Fisher (-11) and John Kasich was to Ted Strickland (-10) at approximately this same time two years ago. As we know, Portman is now U.S. Senator and Kasich...

I live in Uhrichsville. Within eight months’ time, my property was broken into three times. After the second time, I had a security system installed. At 2 a.m. on April 24, 2010, the alarm to the backyard barn went off. I armed myself and went to check it out. The barn door was wide open and a man was inside looking around with a flashlight. I yelled at him to come to me and he came at me with a tire iron in hand. He was less than 10 feet away when I fired a warning shot. He turned and...

When Fred Whitmore's wife left for work, Barbara Smith of Canton slipped into her former co-worker's Ball Ground home with a gun. Update 5 p.m. Lt. Jay Baker, spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, just released the identities of the homeowner and the woman in this morning's fatal shooting near Ball Ground. This is what he had to say: "Inside the home they located the homeowner, Fred Stanley Whitmore, 54 years old of Canton, and a deceased person dressed in camouflage and wearing a mask. Whitmore explained that shortly after his wife left for work he heard a noise...

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) has named Buckeye Firearms Association their "Organization of the Year" for 2011. The award was presented at the 26th Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) by CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, who said "No organization deserved this award more than Buckeye Firearms. They are the total package when it comes to grassroots activism." I had the honor of receiving this award on behalf of Buckeye Firearms Association, which also won the award in 2007. There are many great grassroots groups working to protect our Second Amendment rights. Many of them...

Outdoor writer Jeffrey L. Frischkorn recently publicized discussions at the Ohio Division of Wildlife to open deer hunting to firearms other than certain handguns, shotguns and muzzle-loading rifles. From the article: As for the future of deer management in Ohio, that is a subject under review, said [Mike Tonkovich, the Ohio Division of Wildlife's deer management administrator]. The biologist is in the process of sending out a random survey of all licensed Ohio hunters. One of the questions being asked is whether hunters would support an antlerless-only muzzle-loading season in October. Also being explored is whether to liberalize the regulations...

Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, WLWT, is reporting that a store clerk was able to protect himself from an armed robber by distracting the criminal long enough to draw his own gun and fire. From the article: Grayson Matthews was working at the family-owned 12th Street Market on Saturday night when a man wearing a garbage bag walked in and demanded money. "I laid it on the counter and he demanded more," Matthews said. "He said, 'Now I want the rest,' and he puts the gun up in my face." Matthews said he held the money in his left hand and tried...

Mark Naymik's Sept. 22 column,"Gun violence swells calls for state action," is typical anti-rights nonsense that suggests politicians in Columbus can simply pass more laws and make Cleveland's criminals leave their guns at home. Cleveland's problem isn't guns; it's bad people who obtain guns illegally. When Mayor Frank Jackson vetoed flash-mob legislation in August, he said, "The law needs to be narrowly tailored to combat the illegal activity, be an effective deterrent to wrongdoers, and not unduly interfere with the rights of law-abiding citizens." Jackson's own words help us conclude that Cleveland's gun ordinances -- which have been nullified by...

A man in the brutal rape of a young girl makes his first court appearance. Alfredo Lopez-Cruz entered the courtroom amid heavy security because of the impact the crime had on the community. For six long years, Lopez-Cruz was Butler County's most wanted man. Today, wearing a bullet proof vest in addition to handcuffs and leg irons, Lopez-Cruz was led into court by the man who tracked him from Hamilton to Mexico for six long years---Butler County Deputy Paul Newton. A translator helped explain the court proceedings to Lopez-Cruz who was given a court-appointed attorney. He is charged with the...

When Ohio's concealed carry law passed in 2004, then-Governor Bob Taft made sure to insert poison pills designed to make it nearly impossible for a citizen to carry legally. It took nearly seven years, but as of today, September 30, 2011, the onerous car-carry restrictions that Taft created and that made countless honest Ohioans into felons are being relegated to the political scrap heap. Ohioans will also be able to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol for consumption, as long as the license holder does not drink and is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Attorney General Mike...