Kansas City Mass Shooting Suspect Had Past Weapon Charge Dropped Because of State Law Change

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A gunman who opened fire outside of a Kansas City nightclub, killing a woman and injuring at least 15 other people before a guard killed him, had a past weapons charge dropped after lawmakers loosened the state’s gun laws.

Jahron Swift, 29, had been in trouble with the law before he opened fire on people leaving or waiting to get into the 9ine Ultra Lounge in eastern Kansas City late Sunday, when the city was celebrating the win that put the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Swift was sentenced to probation for an August 2015 traffic stop in which he was caught with cocaine and a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun, court documents say. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said Tuesday that Swift was charged in August 2016 with a concealed weapon violation, which might have led to a probation violation that could have landed him a short stint behind bars or more probation.

But the following month, Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto to pass sweeping gun legislation that allowed most adults to carry concealed weapons without needing a permit.

“I have really thought about what is comparable,” Baker told The Associated Press. “The only comparable I can think of is prohibition. All those whiskey charges that were pending in 1932, prosecutors couldn’t carry them anymore.”

Baker, who opposed the changes to the state’s gun laws, said prosecutors had to “dismiss a slew of cases,” including Swift’s. Baker said Swift also faced a robbery charge in 2013 that prosecutors couldn’t get past the preliminary hearing stage because of problems getting victims to cooperate.

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Florida Senate Bill to Permit Law Enforcement An Expanded Use Of Drones

Florida law enforcement agencies could see an expansion in 2020 to their authorized use of drones.

Scott Fielding, drone specialist at Alachua County Fire Rescue, said the use of drones has been important for his department. According to Fielding, the fire rescue department has operated drones for about three years following new regulations by the Federal Aviation Administration that OK’d them for local government.

“It really is a game-changer in the way that you can get a quick assessment of a situation, the way you can get assets to where a problem is,” Fielding said.

In Alachua County, the fire rescue department has already enforced the use of drones in large events — for example, during the 2017 Richard Spencer event at the University of Florida, Fielding said.

“There was a crowd that was expected to be there. It was expected to be violent, and we wanted to be able to quickly send our units into where a patient was at and get them out of that situation,” Fielding said.

State Sen. Joseph Gruters sponsored a bill (SB 520) to expand the authorized use of drones by law enforcement.

If the bill becomes a law, Florida law enforcement agencies will be able to use drones in event crowds of 50 people or more, in traffic management and in the collection of evidence at crime and traffic crash scenes.
State Sen. Keith Perry, R- Gainesville, introduces the bill to the Criminal Justice Committee. Perry voted in support of the bill. (Courtesy of The Florida Channel)

Jorge Campos, commander of the operations bureau for the Gainesville Police Department, mentioned that although his department primarily uses the joint aviation unit, drones cannot be compared to the joint aviation unit.

“It’s kind of like comparing a car to a semi tractor-trailer,” Campos said. “They’re both vehicles, but they have different uses.”

Campos said being able to use drones in crowds of more than 50 people would be a great resource for larger events.

“By placing a drone in the air, where an existing camera system doesn’t exist, you would be able to monitor with one officer looking through the drone rather than putting another five, 10 or 15 officers into the crowd,” he said.

Not only would the use of drones in large events be a resource to law enforcement, but it has also shown to be a resource for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. In November, the agency was able to locate a missing child by using a drone.

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Legislation Seeks To Recognize Fallen Law Enforcement

Legislation from state Senator Kim LaSata would help honor fallen police officers. LaSata tells WSJM News her bill, which passed the Senate unanimously this month, updates the rules for the Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument.

“My bill will align the Michigan monument standards with the national standards to allow for law enforcement officers, including court officers and corrections officers who die in the line of duty, to be included on the monument.”

LaSata calls the plan a reform, noting it will allow the names of Security Supervisor Joseph Zangaro and Court Officer Ronald Kienzle to be added to the state monument. 

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'Annoying' an officer could lead to jail time, big fines in Monroe County, New York

The Monroe County Legislature has passed a law that makes harassing or annoying police officers against the law and adds protections for first responders and peace officers. And the penalties are stiff.

It was approved last week in a 17-10 vote. The measure, written by Republican Legislator Karla Boyce, could mean thousands of dollars in fines or even jail time for anyone who “intends to annoy, alarm or threaten the personal safety of the police officer, peace officer or first responder.”

Boyce said most of the reaction she’s heard was positive, but she has heard some objections that center on one word.

“Annoy, OK? I know that was what was used on the floor of the legislature," Boyce said.

When asked to describe what annoying behavior would look like, Boyce didn't provide specifics.

"I think it’s the intent of the person that is making the overture or harassment,” said Boyce. “It’s no different than how someone can perceive feeling unsafe in the workplace. So you could say to me, ‘How can you feel unsafe?’ 'Well, that’s how I feel. I feel unsafe because of X, Y or Z.' ”

Boyce said no Democrat asked her to change the wording of her bill.

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U.S. Sen. Gary Peters promotes legislation to improve security at places of worship

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) met with faith leaders and law enforcement officials in Southfield Friday, Nov. 8, to discuss his bipartisan efforts to improve security for faith-based institutions in Michigan.

Peters highlighted his bipartisan legislation that recently advanced in the Senate to provide grants to nonprofits and religious organizations to help secure their facilities against potential terrorist attacks.

“Places of worship should be a safe haven, where people can practice their religion without fear of being attacked. But tragically, the rise in the number of violent attacks against synagogues, mosques and churches across the country has shattered that expectation,” said Peters.

Religious leaders from the Detroit area attended the roundtable at St. John Armenian Church to discuss their security concerns and how they can benefit from the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

Law enforcement officials, including representatives from the DHS’s Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency and the Michigan State Police also joined the discussion to advise attendees about best practices for improving security in churches, synagogues, mosques, gurdwaras, and other houses of worship.

Peters’ bipartisan Protecting Faith-Based and Nonprofit Organizations from Terrorism Act, which he introduced with U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), would authorize $75 million annually over the next five years for the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

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Protesters against Boston anti-mask ordinance

A menagerie of frustrated lefties, several attending Monday’s City Council hearing in animal masks, pushed back on a proposal to ban face coverings at public gatherings — an idea that comes in response to violence by some masked people protesting against August’s Straight Pride Parade.

“Do not let a few bad apples to cause you to reflexively take away the freedoms of many,” said Mary Landale, who showed up in a zebra mask — and got into a tiff with city hall security chief Bill Joyce, who told her to leave if she didn’t take it off.

“This is not Hong Kong — this is Boston,” Landale said. She was one of a couple dozen people — touting progressive slogans and denouncing the Straight Pride marchers — who showed up to rail against the proposed mask ban during Monday’s hearing. Several wore animal masks such as sheep and owls.

Deputy Superintendent William Ridge, who leads the Boston Police Department’s patrol division, told the council that the city and state need to further penalize people who commit crimes while wearing masks — such as masked antifa-style agitators.

“What we’re seeing now is these organized groups that are ‘masking up’ — they’re doing this to remain anonymous,” Ridge told the councilors. “When we’re doing our job correctly, we’re becoming a target.”

City Councilor Tim McCarthy, who introduced the bill and chairs the public safety committee that held the hearing, said he’ll make a report from the committee at Wednesday’s meeting and schedule a working group with councilors and city officials to move toward a resolution.

“The mask protects them from legal accountability,” McCarthy said.

Cops say it was mainly black-clad and masked protesters at the Straight Pride Parade — many from out of state — who caused trouble and fought with police and the conservative paradegoers.

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Bill to honor fallen trooper headed to the governor

A bill named after a state trooper killed in the line of duty was overwhelmingly passed by North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday and is now heading to Governor Roy Cooper’s desk.

House Bill 283, also called Conner’s Law, toughens the punishment for anyone convicted of assault with a firearm on law enforcement, probation and parole officers, or assault with a deadly weapon against other emergency responders.

The bill also provides an extra death benefit for families of public safety workers killed in the line of duty.

It’s named after former North Carolina State Trooper Kevin K. Conner, who was shot and killed last October while making a traffic stop in Columbus County.

The N.C. House unanimously passed the bill back in March. It then languished in Senate committees for approximately five months before a slightly altered version of the bill was unanimously passed by state senators on Sept. 10.

Nearly a year after Conner’s death, the final version of the bill bearing his name passed the House on Wednesday, 103-1.

“It has been a long road getting here. We have cried, grieved, and mourned for our friend Kevin. But let us rejoice today in his memory,” said Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus), one of the bill’s original sponsors. "I ask that everyone please continue to remember Miranda, Briley, Braxton, Glenn and Kay in their thoughts and prayers.

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