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Oakland advised woman to "get a gun"

HankT

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(title s/b Oakland cop advised woman to "get a gun")

Sometimes the coppers get it right.Even the Oakland coppers...

In general, I think that a any woman who is actually being threatened by the man in her life, or the ex out of it, should be put on a fast track to purchase a gun and get training for it. Maybe even havethe gubm'nt issue the firearm to the woman. I dunno... I hate to see these cases. All it takes is a goof with a broken heart and a gun (usually) and it's curtains for the woman. Not fair.

Interesting details, too, the investigators picked up aboutHans Reisor's bookpurchase. I wonder if they pulled his Internet forum posts...


Nina Reiser told to arm self
Ex-Oakland cop says he advised woman after observing Hans' 'hostility'

By Chris Metinko, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated:11/30/2007 02:45:37 AM PST


An Oakland police officer familiar with the Reiser family said he told Nina Reiser she should get a gun after watching her estranged husband's aggressive behavior toward her.

Ben Denson, now a retired Oakland police officer, took the witness stand Thursday in the Reiser trial and described how for a year he watched Nina and Hans Reiser exchange their two children at the Police Administration Building in downtown Oakland during 2005 as he worked the patrol desk.

"My impression was that she was a caring, loving mother," Denson said, adding he would have short conversations with her as she waited for Hans to return the kids to her on Wednesday evenings.

Though Nina came across that way, Denson said he had a very different view of Hans Reiser, who is charged with the murder of his wife.

"It was my impression the defendant displayed hostility toward Nina," Denson said. "I would call it barely restrained aggression."

Denson said he would often follow the couple outside to make sure nothing ensued. He admitted, however, that Hans Reiser never got physical with his wife.

Prosecutor Paul Hora asked if Denson ever gave Nina any advice on how to handle Hans, and Denson related one incident when he told Nina to protect herself.

"There was one occasion where the defendant was looking at her — there was menace in his eyes," Denson said. "I told her, 'You need to get yourself a gun.'"

William DuBois, Reiser's defense attorney, pointed out that in Denson's 27 years on the police force he has never testified for the defense in any case.

Denson was the second person to take the stand Thurs-day in what became a parade of witnesses, with five people taking the oath. Earlier in the morning, the prosecution called Sandra Rudd to the stand.

Rudd was an employee of the now-closed Barnes and Noble bookstore on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley.

Rudd testified Hans paid cash for two books on Sept. 8, 2006, five days after his wife, Nina Reiser, went missing. The books were "Masterpieces of Murder" and "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets."

Rudd said she did not recall the transaction and could not tell for sure if the man in the store's video surveillance was Hans Reiser, but agreed from reading the receipt that the purchased occurred.

Rudd also said, based on looking at the receipt, that Reiser did not use his Barnes and Noble membership card — something he did have. Hora claimed in his opening statements that, along with paying cash, there were signs Reiser did not want the purchase to be tracked.

Mary Aima, a teacher at Grand Lake Montessori, and Helen Campbell, founder and principal of the school, also testified Thursday. The Reiser children attended Grand Lake Montessori.

Both Aima and Campbell told the jury Nina always seemed to put the couple's children first.

Campbell also testified about a meeting she attended with Hans, Nina and teachers of the couple's oldest child, Rory. The teachers were concerned Rory had weak fingers and was falling behind in learning writing skills — something to which Hans Reiser seemed to take offense.

Campbell said Hans Reiser seemed upset at both Nina and the teachers during the meeting, speaking through clenched teeth at times to his estranged wife. Campbell called Hans "extremely hostile" at the meeting. She also recounted another encounter with Hans when he told Campbell Nina was affiliated with the KGB and was a "good liar."

Nina Reiser, who had been awarded legal and physical custody of the couple's two children, was last seen alive Sept. 3, 2006.

At the time, she and Hans Reiser were involved in bitter divorce proceedings. Nina Reiser's body has never been found despite exhaustive searches in the Oakland hills and elsewhere.

The Reiser trial is set to continue Monday at 10 a.m.

http://origin.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_7599067
 

CA_Libertarian

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HankT wrote:
Sometimes the coppers get it right.Even the Oakland coppers...

In general, I think that a any woman who is actually being threatened by the man in her life, or the ex out of it, should be put on a fast track to purchase a gun and get training for it.
I don't think there should have to be a "fast track" to purchase a gun... the problem is the waiting period in the first place. I doubt that has stopped a single crime from being committed, since most criminals buy their guns illegally too.
Maybe even havethe gubm'nt issue the firearm to the woman.
Also, I don't think the government is a solution to much of anything, and the last thing CA needs is more socialism... let people provide their own guns. Again, if there wasn't so much gov't regulation, it would be much cheaper to buy a gun in CA, since manufacturers wouldn't need to produce special models for CA.

I dunno... I hate to see these cases. All it takes is a goof with a broken heart and a gun (usually) and it's curtains for the woman. Not fair.
I'm not sure where you get your information that firearms are the weapon of choice for estranged spouses. I would be interested in seeing it if you can share your source.

I don't see anything in this article that indicates a gun was involved in this crime. Actually, reading this article I would have to say the state has a very weak case... no body, no witnesses (to the disappearance/murder), no murder weapon, no crime scene... It's gonna be really tough getting a conviction based on menacing looks and the purchase of a couple murder novels. I hope the prosecution has some solid evidence, otherwise this is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars (not to mention harassment of a man presumed to be innocent).
 

HankT

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CA_Libertarian wrote:
HankT wrote:
Sometimes the coppers get it right.Even the Oakland coppers...

In general, I think that a any woman who is actually being threatened by the man in her life, or the ex out of it, should be put on a fast track to purchase a gun and get training for it.
I don't think there should have to be a "fast track" to purchase a gun... the problem is the waiting period in the first place. I doubt that has stopped a single crime from being committed, since most criminals buy their guns illegally too.

The suggestion is obviously contingent on the status quo, in whatever state the woman is in. What do you think of the idea of a "fast track" given the current laws?

Including the training. That would be crucial, too. Whaddya think?
 

Legba

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Ohio has an emergency license to carry a concealed weapon, which someone could get under such circumstances. I think they're good for 90 days, giving someone time to get a "permanent" one without undue delay. It'd be nice for other states to follow suit.

I'm a bit unnerved at how a cash book purchase got tracked, especially since the clerk couldn't even recall the guy from the surveillance tape of the transaction. Sounds like the Patriot Act run amok again.Just make sure to keep your copy of The Anarchist's Cookbook next to a Bible. That way, if someone suggests that having the Cookbook makes you a terrorist, you can say no, no more than having the Bible makes someone a minister.

-ljp
 

CA_Libertarian

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HankT wrote:
CA_Libertarian wrote:
I don't think there should have to be a "fast track" to purchase a gun... the problem is the waiting period in the first place. I doubt that has stopped a single crime from being committed, since most criminals buy their guns illegally too.

The suggestion is obviously contingent on the status quo, in whatever state the woman is in. What do you think of the idea of a "fast track" given the current laws?

Including the training. That would be crucial, too. Whaddya think?
Given the current laws... no, I still don't like the idea of a "fast track." I would rather have people see how harmful the laws are until they get repealed, even if it takes a thousand cases like this to wake people up. It's sad that she didn't care enough about her safety to own a gun before her trouble began.

Also, adding a 'fast track' exception may give some lawmakers the idea to make all gun purchases illegal unless you get permission from the government because of a special circumstance.
 

CA_Libertarian

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Legba wrote:
...I'm a bit unnerved at how a cash book purchase got tracked, especially since the clerk couldn't even recall the guy from the surveillance tape of the transaction. Sounds like the Patriot Act run amok again...
(from the OP)
Rudd said she did not recall the transaction and could not tell for sure if the man in the store's video surveillance was Hans Reiser, but agreed from reading the receipt that the purchased occurred.
Sounds to me like the prosecution found the receipt for the book purchase. I don't see why the prosecution even called this witness, since she couldn't identify who actually made the purchase. Possession of the receipt doesn't necessarily mean much.

For example, I'm in the habit of using my receipt as a bookmark. Then when I lend a book to someone else I sometimes forget to remove the receipt. I'm sure my brother has received several of my receipts this way, as I have a few of his. I usually pay cash... he uses his Border's card.
 
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