I tried getting this from my local paper on line but can't so I have to type it for you! This appeard in the Sunday Sept.17th edition of Freedom News Service.
3 MEN FACE CARGES AS GUNS FOUND AT GAME
By Dana Haydock
Bessemer City N.C.
Police arrrested three men Friday night at the Charlotte Catholic-Bessemer City football game after finding 3 loaded semi-automatic handguns in their pickup.
Jeffrey Scott Tomberlin, 21, 115 Cleveland Ave. Kings Mountain; Michael Edward Weisgerber, 22, 104 N. Ninth St., Bessemer City, and Richard Brian Abernathy, 23, 105 W. Ohio Ave., each face one count of possession of a gun on educational property. The charge is a felony punishable by three to 12 months in prison, dependent upon the person's prior record.
Gaston County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Putnam, working security at the football game, and GC police officer M.C. Stewart, on patrol in Bessemer City, first noticed Bud Light beer cans on the floor of the back seat of the 1995 GMC extended cab pickup, according to a sworn affidavit.Steward spotted a black handgun in the truck after asking the occupants to exit the vehicle. Weisgerber claimed the High Point Model C 9 mm handgun, according to a sworn affidavit. A .40 caliber S&W handgun in a mesh holder was located behind the passenger's seat. Tomberlin claimed that gun. Putnam spotted the third gun a Tressitu RSA Model T299 9 mm handgun on the driver's seat. Abernathy claimed the gun was his. "Somebody told me as long as you don't go to the school, you could have a gun with you, " Abernathy said Saturday. Gaston County Schools has a zero tolerance policy for guns on school property. So far this school year police have arrested 4 people, 3 of them students, for having guns in their vehicles parked in school parking lots. Abernathy said he carries his gun evrywhere but had no plans Friday night to use it. "It's not that I need to carry it to a football game, but I need to carry a gun everywhere I go because this world is crazy," Abernathy said. "I carry it for protection." Tomberlin and Weisgerber could not be reached for comment. All 3 men were released from Gaston County Jail on $2500 bonds.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I called one of them tonight but was only able to talk to his father. He said the reality is that his son got out and (because of what friends had told him) informed the officer he had a gun on the dash. I corrected him. In NC you can openly carry a gun on the dash or seat of your vehicle without saying a word. This is of course unless the law is supersceeded by a federal killing zone law. Anyway, I urged them to contact the NRA and the Southeastern freedom fund folks and try to get some help on this. If anyone else has any ideas for other groups who might be willing to help, please post the name and contact phone number and or web site address. Yes guys and gals, early 20 and stupid but I don't think any of the three have extensive arrest records and certainly no felony convictions like other cases so put on your thinking caps and let's see if we can help!
3 MEN FACE CARGES AS GUNS FOUND AT GAME
By Dana Haydock
Bessemer City N.C.
Police arrrested three men Friday night at the Charlotte Catholic-Bessemer City football game after finding 3 loaded semi-automatic handguns in their pickup.
Jeffrey Scott Tomberlin, 21, 115 Cleveland Ave. Kings Mountain; Michael Edward Weisgerber, 22, 104 N. Ninth St., Bessemer City, and Richard Brian Abernathy, 23, 105 W. Ohio Ave., each face one count of possession of a gun on educational property. The charge is a felony punishable by three to 12 months in prison, dependent upon the person's prior record.
Gaston County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Putnam, working security at the football game, and GC police officer M.C. Stewart, on patrol in Bessemer City, first noticed Bud Light beer cans on the floor of the back seat of the 1995 GMC extended cab pickup, according to a sworn affidavit.Steward spotted a black handgun in the truck after asking the occupants to exit the vehicle. Weisgerber claimed the High Point Model C 9 mm handgun, according to a sworn affidavit. A .40 caliber S&W handgun in a mesh holder was located behind the passenger's seat. Tomberlin claimed that gun. Putnam spotted the third gun a Tressitu RSA Model T299 9 mm handgun on the driver's seat. Abernathy claimed the gun was his. "Somebody told me as long as you don't go to the school, you could have a gun with you, " Abernathy said Saturday. Gaston County Schools has a zero tolerance policy for guns on school property. So far this school year police have arrested 4 people, 3 of them students, for having guns in their vehicles parked in school parking lots. Abernathy said he carries his gun evrywhere but had no plans Friday night to use it. "It's not that I need to carry it to a football game, but I need to carry a gun everywhere I go because this world is crazy," Abernathy said. "I carry it for protection." Tomberlin and Weisgerber could not be reached for comment. All 3 men were released from Gaston County Jail on $2500 bonds.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I called one of them tonight but was only able to talk to his father. He said the reality is that his son got out and (because of what friends had told him) informed the officer he had a gun on the dash. I corrected him. In NC you can openly carry a gun on the dash or seat of your vehicle without saying a word. This is of course unless the law is supersceeded by a federal killing zone law. Anyway, I urged them to contact the NRA and the Southeastern freedom fund folks and try to get some help on this. If anyone else has any ideas for other groups who might be willing to help, please post the name and contact phone number and or web site address. Yes guys and gals, early 20 and stupid but I don't think any of the three have extensive arrest records and certainly no felony convictions like other cases so put on your thinking caps and let's see if we can help!