Video, Longwood Police Chief and others on SB1250

[peter nap]

aow? Sbs?

Nova quoted an ATF opinion stating that even a full size shotgun had some conditions of sale.

 

[Repeater]

Thanks Repeater. You beat me to it.
T Dubya, it's sketchy right now but it does appear she had an old fashioned sawed off shotgun. I haven't gotten the make and model yet but will.

There are a few unanswered questions right now and some indignation.

First, I want to know what terrorist organization she belonged to.
Why was a suspected terrorist working in an administrative position at the college?
Why did the Chief present this as if this was an unknown person at the school.

I need some information from the package which isn't available today. It should be tomorrow.

Did the campus cops stop the vehicle or did the county?
Was the college policy the RAS for the stop as the Chief said...or was it that there was a sawed off shotgun exposed. How was that RAS since a short barrel shotgun is not illegal in Va?

It seems the local paper provides more information:

Longwood Employee Fired After Felony Firearm Charge

An Amherst woman was charged with possession of a sawed-off shotgun over the weekend when a Longwood Police officer spotted the weapon in her car in Longwood's parking garage on Friday, November 5.

The officer obtained a warrant and Valerie Lynn Epling, also known as Valerie Lynn Tomlin, was arrested on November 6, 2010, by Amherst County Sheriff's deputies. Epling/Tomlin was an Administrative & Office Specialist in Longwood University's Facilities Management Department.

...

"A Longwood University police officer noticed the gun in the car after parking his police vehicle. The employee was subsequently arrested by the Amherst Sheriff’s Office for felony possession of an illegal firearm. This person is no longer working at Longwood University. Members of the campus community are reminded that the possession of weapons on campus is prohibited."

...

According to the Code of Virginia, § 18.2-299, “"Sawed-off shotgun" means any weapon, loaded or unloaded, originally designed as a shoulder weapon, utilizing a self-contained cartridge from which a number of ball shot pellets or projectiles may be fired simultaneously from a smooth or rifled bore by a single function of the firing device and which has a barrel length of less than 18 inches for smooth bore weapons and 16 inches for rifled weapons. Weapons of less than .225 caliber shall not be included.”

According to Code Section 18.2-300, possession of a gun meeting that description is a Class 4 Felony.

 

[peter nap]

I can't believe I wasted all this time reading posts arguing the semantics of what an AOW and a shotgun are. What I want to know is if Peter found out anything with the court document and if this was really a sawed-off shotgun.

I'm going to post some information later today or tomorrow after I speak to her attorney. This is her preliminary hearing on the felony charges so not much is going to happen unless she pleas guilty.

Otherwise, I expect it to be certified to the Circuit Court.

I'm afraid that this is going to be another of those cases I can't give all the details about until it's over. There are some interesting things so far.

 

[Repeater]

Fair trial?

I'm going to post some information later today or tomorrow after I speak to her attorney. This is her preliminary hearing on the felony charges so not much is going to happen unless she pleas guilty.

Now I'm wondering if the Chief's intemperate remarks before Committee may have interfered with the accused Constitutional right to a fair trial.

I wonder if Beach respects Constitutional rights generally?

 

[peter nap]

Now I'm wondering if the Chief's intemperate remarks before Committee may have interfered with the accused Constitutional right to a fair trial.

I wonder if Beach respects Constitutional rights generally?

That's number 1 on the topic list when I speak to Mr. Bell.

 

[2a4all]

Nova quoted an ATF opinion stating that even a full size shotgun had some conditions of sale.

So what do the acronyms AOW & SBS (Short Barrelled Shotgun?) stand for?

 

[jmelvin]

AOW = Any Other Weapon

SBS = Short Barrelled Shotgun

Both as used in the National Firearms Act of 1934.

 

[2a4all]

AOW = Any Other Weapon

SBS = Short Barrelled Shotgun

Both as used in the National Firearms Act of 1934.

Thanks.

Looks like I need to read this document

 

[Repeater]

There are a few unanswered questions right now and some indignation.

First, I want to know what terrorist organization she belonged to.
Why was a suspected terrorist working in an administrative position at the college?
Why did the Chief present this as if this was an unknown person at the school.

I need some information from the package which isn't available today. It should be tomorrow.

Did the campus cops stop the vehicle or did the county?
Was the college policy the RAS for the stop as the Chief said...or was it that there was a sawed off shotgun exposed. How was that RAS since a short barrel shotgun is not illegal in Va?

Those are important questions. Especially considering this code section:

§ 18.2-303.1. What article does not prohibit.

Nothing contained in this article shall prohibit or interfere with the possession of a "sawed-off" shotgun or "sawed-off" rifle for scientific purposes, the possession of a "sawed-off" shotgun or "sawed-off" rifle possessed in compliance with federal law or the possession of a "sawed-off" shotgun or "sawed-off" rifle not usable as a firing weapon and possessed as a curiosity, ornament, or keepsake.

She could have been "in compliance with federal law" or it could have been inoperable. It seems, regardless of the law, the police assumed the worst and obtained an arrest warrant based solely on the shotgun in plain view.

 

[nuc65]

If these are LEOs in uniform representing their departments and receiving federal funding has anyone considered filing Hatch act violation complaints?

 

[T Dubya]

Hey Peter, what's the latest on this? Hear anything about "terrorist organization?"

 

[peter nap]

Hey Peter, what's the latest on this? Hear anything about "terrorist organization?"

Not yet. Her lawyer hasn't called me back and I doubt he will at this point. I need to go to the Court and look. It's near my farm (20 couple miles) but I need to go when I'm not filthy or on a weekend.