Garland (Maine)lawmaker barred from State House after gun incident was exhibiting “erratic behavior”

[Maine-ah]

Source: BDN

WATERVILLE, Maine — Maine’s House speaker took steps Sunday to bar a Garland legislator from the State House after the first-term Republican was arrested Saturday for allegedly pointing a gun at a man in the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot.

Rep. Frederick L. Wintle, whose “erratic behavior” was brought to the attention of Capital Police last week, was arrested at gunpoint Saturday after he allegedly pulled a .22-caliber pistol from his waistband and pointed it at Michael Seamans of Sidney, a newspaper photographer for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, outside the coffee shop on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

Wintle was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon and with a felony charge of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey of the Waterville Police Department said Saturday. Wintle was taken to the Kennebec County Jail where bail was set at $3,500 cash. He had not posted bail as of Sunday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance on the charges at 1 p.m. Monday, May 23, at Augusta Superior Court.

Read more: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/05/21/politics/garland-legislator-arrested-in-waterville-on-charge-of-criminal-threatening/

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[DeSwiss]

1. He has "I'm a brain-dead Republican" written all over his face. - K&R n/t

[roguevalley]

19. could be. also could be early symptoms of alzheimers. It does that

to you sometimes.

[ladywnch]

2. well, if he doesn't look like a great big pile of "duh-iya.....which way did

they go George, which way did they go?".

[TheWraith]

3. "after he allegedly pulled a .22-caliber pistol from his waistband and pointed it"

He's doing at least six things wrong, as far as I can determine just from that sentence.

1. Brandishing a deadly weapon, which can be either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the context. Here, since he pointed it at someone, it's a felony.

2. Pointing it at someone, which is in itself an additional crime.

3. Carrying a concealed weapon without a license, which in most states is another felony.

4. Carrying a firearm in your waistband is a really good way to either lose it, or accidentally shoot yourself in either the leg or the nuts. Ask Plaxico Buress.

5. Carrying a .22 as a self defense weapon is a joke, unless you're an 75 pound girl. Actually, the girl could probably still handle a .380.

6. Doing all of the above to, and in front of, a newspaper reporter.

[NM Independent]

6. "Carrying a .22 as a self defense weapon is a joke"

You clearly know absolutely nothing about weapons. It's sure as hell a lot better than nothing, much better than a knife, and with the right rounds in the right place, is absolutely fatal.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Yeah it's better than nothing but most of us who know about weapons

consider it a joke to carry a 22 as only gun if you are going to carry.

[TheWraith]

13. Actually, I know a huge amount about weapons.

I also know that while a .22 is better than nothing, there are at least a half dozen other options which are equally compact, such as a .380 ACP, which provide far better power and effect on target. The only good reason to carry a .22 pistol is if you're small enough that anything larger either gives you recoil problems or is too bulky to carry.

[provis99]

20. the M-16 is a .22 calibre weapon.

As is the AK-74, and most other military assault rifles.

[TheWraith]

25. An M-16 round carries 1100 joules of kinetic energy.

On a 55 to 80 grain bullet. A .22 Long Rifle round, out of a pistol length barrel, only delivers 80 to 100 joules on a 20 to 40 grain bullet. An M-16 round is literally a dozen times more powerful than a .22 pistol. And even as such, the military has been having problems with stopping power with it. The 5.56 rounds used in the M16/M4 rifles and carbines were designed to be easily controlled while firing on full auto, not for single-round power.

[rocktivity]

11. DING DING DING! Wraith, you're our grand prize winner!

Carrying a firearm in your waistband is a really good way to either lose it, or accidentally shoot yourself in either the leg or the nuts. Ask Plaxico Buress.

Or this cop. Or http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x237741">this woman.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[TheWraith]

16. Irony is, those were supposedly both in holsters.

Which is interesting, because most waist holsters have a restraining strap to prevent just that sort of thing.

I suspect "slipped out of the holster" is a euphemism here for "I fucked up and didn't have it secured right."

[boppers]

12. Ah, the "knockdown" myth.

A .22 makes a loud enough bang to freak people out, can punch a hole into a body without exiting cleanly (and wasting that energy on non-targets), and has a small enough kick that incredibly tight groupings are much easier than with larger calibers... plus, you can carry a *lot* more needles in a clip than larger calibers, at much lower weights. Oh, and if you want to muffle it, it's much easier, as well.

At far as dick-waving on the part of male gun owners who view penises, calibers, and gender as related topics, I'll just note the statement about "unless you're a 75 pound girl" speaks volumes.

[TheWraith]

15. Kinetic energy is not a myth.

A .22 out of a pistol length barrel carries only a tiny amount of the kinetic energy that a larger, faster bullet carries. That translates directly into depth of penetration, and the likelihood of being able to hit a vital organ. Yes, a .22 can kill a man, but killing someone is not the purpose of a self defense weapon. Stopping the attack is. You can kill a moose with a .22 as well, but it's not a weapon for hunting moose.

You can punch a half dozen holes in an attacker, but typically even someone shot with a larger caliber like .45 ACP--which has at least 6 times the kinetic energy of a high end .22 out of a pistol barrel--has 5-10 seconds of activity before they fall down. It's one of the reasons that the FBI and an increasing number of police departments have given up 9 millimeter in favor of .40 rounds.

"At far as dick-waving on the part of male gun owners who view penises, calibers, and gender as related topics"

Thank you, but please, do go talk to someone to whom your comment is relevant. My assessment is based on simple facts. Anyone with an adult body weight and strength should be easily able to handle a slightly larger and more effective round like .380 ACP--a round which is, in itself, considered marginal for self defense by most experts.

[boppers]

18. "killing someone is not the purpose of a self defense weapon. Stopping the attack is"

Yes. Exactly.

Mace is not extremely lethal, but it stops attacks.
Stun guns are not extremely lethal, but it stops attacks.
22's are not extremely lethal, but it stops attacks.

If you want self defense, or want to kill somebody: This affects caliber, and weaponry, decisions.

[TheWraith]

26. What you just said is simply not the case.

"Mace is not extremely lethal, but it stops attacks."

Mace is completely unsafe in confined spaces, where it will incapacitate both the attacker and the victim, and it's unreliable outdoors where a stray burst of wind can make it miss the target, hit the victim, or do nothing at all. There's reasons that mace is more tightly controlled than firearms are.

"Stun guns are not extremely lethal, but it stops attacks."

Not really. Stun guns are very ineffective: they cause pain, but they don't necessarily disable a target, and you have to be literally touching the person to use one. Tasers are much more effective, but also more regulated, and they are a single shot weapon with very short range.

"22's are not extremely lethal, but it stops attacks."

Actually, that last one is completely backwards. Shooting someone with a .22 is MORE likely to kill them than it is to stop them from attacking you. They'll just die twenty minutes later from blood loss.

[jpak]

23. A .22 can kill you - don't kid yourself

n/t

[CreekDog]

28. so what you're saying is that girls are weak

we get it. :eyes:

[newfie11]

4. how does someone like that get elected .n/t

[aquart]

14. Have you seen what's been going on in Maine lately?

Buncha teabags.

[kickysnana]

21. One of ours was caught in the PP parking lot near his estranged girlfriends apt.

Idiocracy has invaded all the state legislatures.

[jpak]

24. Yup - the teabaggers exploited Maine's economic situation and demonized welfare & the unemployed

Now they've got a bunch of Douchbaggers like this Bozo in the State House and Gov. 38% in the Blaine House.

The teabaggers did well in rural and Northern Maine - but the Maine GOP just passed a health insurance overhaul bill that will significantly raise health insurance premiums in rural and Northern Maine.

Can you say buyer's remorse?

This asshole is a poster boy for GOP stupidity and overreach

yup

[L0oniX]

5. "erratic behavior”??? ...oh the fuck it is ...it's criminal and terroristic behavior!

[plumbob]

7. Just exercising his 2nd amendment rights, right?

Nothing to see here, move along citizens.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

8. Nonsense

There is no constitutional right to carry a concealed weapon.

It's a cowards way to end a verbal exchange and it's a felony.

[TheWraith]

17. Actually no, it's completely legal in 48 states, and practiced daily by millions of Americans.

Who are, statistically speaking, six times less likely than average to commit a violent crime against you.

[iwishiwas]

30. Repugs in WI have a bill right now to make it legal to do just that.

[Ken Burch]

9. He pulled a gun on a guy at a donut shop?

Even Homer Simpson doesn't like donuts THAT much...

[wordpix]

22. police should have looked into his gun collection @time they were asked to sit in on legis. mtings

Letting a mentally ill person keep guns is a recipe for a shooting

[crim son]

27. Amusing timing.

Didn't LePage just sign a law allowing guns in the State House? You know, *sometimes*.

[iwishiwas]

29. Lawmakers working on a Sunday. Wonder if they called a special session? I

read here on DU that Maine lawmakers wanted a bill to bring guns into the legislature earlier. Wonder where that is going??


.....

WATERVILLE, Maine — Maine’s House speaker took steps Sunday to bar a Garland legislator from the State House after the first-term Republican was arrested Saturday for allegedly pointing a gun at a man in the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot

[Greybnk48]

31. My first thought when I saw this guy, cue the banjos! n/t