Posted on 07/28/2005 7:15:31 AM PDT by holymoly
Man could face federal charges, officer escapes injury after a shot is fired
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are testing a cache of weapons seized from a Wheeling home in the early hours of July 19 to see if federal charges can be brought against a man arrested by local police that day.
Wheeling police arrested Gregory A. Banks, 43, of 496 Isa Drive, and charged him with aggravated discharge of a weapon and reckless discharge of a weapon after police said Banks fired an AK-47 at a police officer.
Officer James Theberge arrived at Banks' home at 1:57 a.m. July 19 after a female resident of the home called police to report a disturbance, said John Stone, Wheeling's deputy police chief. Theberge said he saw Banks outside the home with an AK-47 assault rifle before the man went back inside. Theberge said a shot was then fired from the house, hitting the ground just feet away from him.
Theberge called for assistance and more officers surrounded the home, which is located less than a quarter mile away from Twain Elementary School's entrance. Banks and three other people walked out of the house about 10 minutes after it was surrounded. Stone said Banks told police the gun went off "by accident."
Police entered the home and pulled out nearly a dozen guns, ammunition, a variety of knives and stacks of fireworks. Police also found phony badges, a gas mask, a ballistic helmet and a multitude of accessories for the guns, including a bayonet, a silencer and a shotgun hand stock.
The guns pulled from the home included an AK-47, a 12-gauge shotgun, two military style AR-15s, an Uzi-like M-11 and a Russian SKS assault rifle. Police also found other pistols and revolvers.
"(Banks) was using the weapons to scare the people of the house," Stone said of the incident leading police to the scene. "There was some kind of dispute between Banks and the owner (of the home)."
Stone said Banks lives in the house, but he does not own it.
Banks was the only person arrested last week. He posted bond Wednesday, said a spokesman from the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Office. He is scheduled to appear in court in Rolling Meadows Aug. 5.
Stone said Banks has a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card. All the guns can be possessed legally, Stone said, but altering them or accessorizing them with such things as bayonets or silencers can lead to federal gun charges.
"(Banks) said he bought them on the Internet," Stone said. "We don't know his motivation for having them."
No federal charges had been filed against Banks as of Monday.
Stone described Banks as "dangerous," given the amount and types of guns police found in his house.
"The last time I shot an AK-47 was in Vietnam, so that tells you what kind of weapons we're dealing with," Stone said. "These are weapons of war."
Stone also said police believe Banks is on medication. Prescription pill containers found in the home had Banks' name on the label and included antidepressants.
No such thing. The SKS is semi-auto only.
Stone...accessorizing them with such things as bayonets...can lead to federal gun charges.
Huh? Putting a bayonet on a rifle is a federal crime?
Boy, somebody better warn Dunhams Sporting Goods. Last time I was there, they had a s*load of Yugoslavian SKS Carbines, all with bayonets, and GRENADE LAUNCHERS!!!
The SKS with Grenade Launcher - when you want to get the whole herd. Now, at Dunham's.
depends on the state for the bayonette. unless he's got that silencer registered, that would be violation of NFA. unless its one of the million flash hiders that are made to LOOK like a "silencer"- which if he bought it off the internet, it probably is a fake.
The guns pulled from the home included an AK-47, a 12-gauge shotgun, two military style AR-15s, an Uzi-like M-11 and a Russian SKS assault rifle. Police also found other pistols and revolvers.
Geee... I'm thinking that's about what I usually have in the trunk of my car when I make a trip to to the range.
Yea, but the guy said it could lead to federal charges, not state.
"All the guns can be possessed legally, Stone said, but altering them or accessorizing them with such things as bayonets or silencers can lead to federal gun charges."
The guns pulled from the home included an AK-47, a 12-gauge shotgun, two military style AR-15s, an Uzi-like M-11 and a Russian SKS assault rifle. Police also found other pistols and revolvers.
This guy is obviously a maniac and should be hanged.
/SARCASM
I'm sure there are members of this forum who own more hardware than this guy.
I'm not condoning his behavior, and shooting at a cop is always going to get you in trouble. But his little collection is really not that big a deal, IMHO.
They did note that he was taking antidepressant medications at the end of the article. That should be a big red flag right there!
FYI - This article would seem to provide some more fuel for our earlier discussion
yeah that's what i meant, depends on state law, not federal for bayonette. sorry, shoulda worded that better.
i was trying to say that it sounded like the only federal law he really *might* have violated is over the silencer.. IF its a real silencer.
I doubt it, Wheeling is Cook County. That's a Cook County Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. Cook County bans these guns. Also, the fed assault rifle ban expired. There's no problem with bayonet lugs, pistol grips ect... anymore.
I should HOPE so - this is a pretty feeble collection
a gas mask, a ballistic helmet
Obviously an evil person - sound like a survivalist to me. Last I heard owning a gas mask and ballistic helmet wasn't illegal. Typical breathless reporting by the anti-gun press trying to make something that isn't a crime sound like one.
This reporter is an idiot. I am sick to death of all the anti-gun hype these jackasses try and cram into one sentance.
It's the latest tack the grabbers are working. Trying to enact legislation everywhere to create a zone around schools so large that homeowners are in violation just by keeping firearms in the house.
No such thing. The SKS is semi-auto only.
To the Legacy MediaTM every weapon is an "assault" weapon. Hey, you can assault people with it, right?
Typical police spokesman blather about any weapon they seize. Strange how you never hear them say: "We're only dealing with his Daddy's harmless little Remington 700 in 338 Lapua, so we're glad he didn't have any weapons of war like those nasty AK-47 clones. Somebody could have been hurt..."
My SKS has a bayonet (spike) on it but I didn't alter it, it's always been on it.
Plus he's just and out and out liar. It said in the article the weapons were legal, so that lets out AK-47s because unless you have the fed tax form ak47s which are full auto aren't legal. The guy had an AKM or AKS.
Just as an aside I don't like full auto AK's anyway too much muzzle climb.
Anit-gun wackjob alert!!
This reporter is an idiot a deliberate liar.
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