Another patriot exercising his freedumb
by David Atkins
Another militiaman nobly defending against tyranny and invasion:
A member of a Minutemen militia was arrested Saturday night for allegedly pointing his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle at a Maricopa County sheriff’s deputy.
Richard Malley, 49, and two other group members were patrolling the area along Interstate 8 in search of illegal activity when two deputies approached, according to court documents. The Minutemen watch for unauthorized immigrants and drug smugglers crossing to Arizona from Mexico.
Malley pointed his rifle and flashlight at one of the deputies. He was also armed with a .45 caliber pistol and a fixed-blade knife. The deputy identified himself as a law enforcement officer, but Malley did not lower his weapon. Instead, he demanded that the deputy provide him with identification.
The deputy showed Malley his Maricopa County Sheriff uniform, including his badge, the patches on his sleeves and the word “Sheriff” across his chest. He then asked Malley to lay down his weapons, but Malley refused.
The irony here is that while this is supposedly a “near miss” and potential tragedy, the logic of gun rights activists is that guys like Richard Malley should shoot deputized law enforcement officers if they believe that the government has become “tyrannical.” Who decides when that is? It’s up to the militia man’s own moral compass and interpretation of the Constitution, of course.
What a comforting thought.
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