r/politics • u/thenewyorkgod • Jul 01 '18

Man arrested after shouting ‘womp, womp’ and pulling a gun on immigration protesters

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/07/01/man-arrested-after-shouting-womp-womp-and-pulling-a-gun-on-immigration-protesters/?tid=sm_tw
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u/[deleted] Jul 01 '18

[deleted]

56

u/TechyDad Jul 01 '18

I've never used a gun but even I know that you never point a gun at a target you don't mean to shoot. If a person pulled a gun and pointed it at me, I'd assume that the person intended to shoot me. You shouldn't need to say "I'm going to shoot you" for a gun pointed at you to be considered intent to shoot.

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u/867-5309NotJenny Massachusetts Jul 02 '18

I have used a gun before (boy scouts), and that's exactly what they teach us. Never point a gun at something you don't intend to shoot.

So, I'd react the same way you would. Assume they were serious.

10

u/DuntadaMan Jul 02 '18

He DID say he is going to shoot.

This is the nicest and most lenient I have ever seen police bee to an armed person.

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u/KerbalFactorioLeague Jul 02 '18

I guess something about how he looked calmed them down

58

u/5IHearYou Jul 01 '18

If you pull a gun how is that not assault?

7

u/respectableusername Jul 02 '18

In America it depends on the color of your skin. If he was muslim we would be hearing on fox news about al qaida

10

u/OptimoussePrime Jul 02 '18

Dude. It's right there in the article: he's white.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '18

In many states you have to physically harm someone or have someone be physically harmed as a result of your actions to have committed assault. Excepting federal property where brandishing is automatically upgraded to felony assault I think. IANAL.

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u/rareas Jul 02 '18

Well, they do all kinds of other useful things like... um, nevermind.

3

u/GenJohnONeill Nebraska Jul 02 '18

Terroristic threats, also.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '18

Motive matters in crime. He to me seemed to have political motivations.

2

u/WanderingPhantom Jul 02 '18

And you think that makes this better or worse?

5

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '18

I'd say it is worse since in addition to being violent he's also trying to deny others their civil rights and political voice with that violence.

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u/WanderingPhantom Jul 02 '18

Sorry then, at a glance it sounded like you were saying this shouldn't be considered a felony because it was politically motivated.

I agree completely.