Utah Sheriff Missing Fully Automatic M-16
BY Herschel Smith
10 years, 8 months ago
A fully automatic M-16 rifle went missing from the Davis County Sheriff’s Office, probably sometime before 2006, according to an investigation by that office.
The U.S. Department of Defense provided 20 M-16s to the sheriff’s office in 1998. Except for a few training exercises, the rifles sat in storage until 2006, when they were issued to deputies.
But there’s no record of the missing rifle having been issued, according to a report from the sheriff’s own detectives.
“This investigation has been inconclusive as to where the missing weapon is,” a detective wrote in his report’s conclusion. “The weapon is listed” in a nationwide law enforcement database “and if that is how it is located, then a criminal investigation will commence.”
Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson said last week it’s only a matter of time before the rifle is found. And anyone who knowingly possesses the rifle will be prosecuted, even if that person is or was a peace officer.
“If it was procured by somebody who found it,” Richardson said, “they are in possession of a stolen rifle and they’re going to suffer consequences for it.”
The Pentagon provided the rifles through its 1033 Program, which gives surplus weapons and other gear to law enforcement. Sixty-two Utah law enforcement agencies are eligible to receive equipment through the program.
Of course, there is a solution to this problem. Stop the military surplus program for law enforcement, and make it illegal for them to have fully automatic weapons if we can’t. The Hughes amendment that is good for the goose is good for the gander. On the other hand, that wouldn’t stop incompetency by the LEOs, just incompetency affecting fully automatic weapons owned by LEOs.
I can’t solve all problems, just some of them.
On April 9, 2014 at 8:16 am, Paul B said:
LEO’s do not need full auto firearms. Those belong only in war zones. Oh, wait, we have war zones in our cities now. Seems to be a self fulling prophecy.
On April 10, 2014 at 1:35 am, Awake&Aware said:
Well put – “we have war zones in our cities now” – exactly right, and the LEO are the armed invaders.
On April 10, 2014 at 3:42 pm, Pat Hines said:
I want them to have fully auto rifles, that will make them burn up their ammo really, really fast.
Remember, after the ATF staged their home invasion against the Branch Davidians, they were shooting MP5s and ran out of ammo. The Davidians, rather foolishly in my opinion, didn’t take them prisoner at that point.
That’s not going to happen again if I have anything to say about it.