Ares
10th September 2010, 02:10 PM
A father-of-two was arrested by police for firing an AK47 rifle into the ground outside his New York house in a bid to scare off gang members.
George Grier was held after 20 men believed to belong to the vicious MS-13 gang threatened him and his family on the lawn of their home in Uniondale, New York.
The weapon, more commonly seen on the battlefields of Afghanistan, was legally held by Grier, a later investigation showed.
Speaking to a television reporter, he said: 'I went around and went into the house, ran upstairs and told my wife to call the police.
'I get the gun and I go outside and I come into the doorway and now, by this time, they are in the driveway, back here near the house. I tell them, you know, "Can you please leave?"
The 30-year-old, who has no criminal record, claimed he was forced into the action when he saw five men arguing outside who were then joined by many more.
He told CBS New York: 'He starts threatening my family, my life. (He said) "Oh you’re dead. I’m gonna kill your family and your babies. You’re dead."
'So when he says that, 20 others guys come rushing around the corner. And so I fired four warning shots into the grass.'
Police were at the scene within minutes and arrested Grier who was later released on a $10,000 bond.
John Lewis, his attorney, said: 'What he’s initially charged with – a D felony reckless endangerment — requires a depraved indifference to human life, creating a risk that someone’s going to die.
'Shooting into a lawn doesn’t create a risk of anybody dying.'
Grier said he knew Nassau County Police employ the hi-tech 'ShotSpotter' technology in his area which allows officers to pinpoint a gunshot immediately to within 35ft of it being fired.
Police later said the home-owner had been co-operative and told them he feared then men were members of MS-13.
Nassau County Police Lt. Andrew Mulraine, head of the gang unit, said MS-13 has 2,000 members in the county.
'They’re probably the most organised. They almost have a military hierarchy within the gang, so they are the most organised gang we encounter on a daily basis,' Mulraine said.
U.S. law states that physical force can only be used to deter physical force, not the threat of it.
However, police determined the AK47 rifle - capable of firing at a rate of 600 rounds-a-minute - was legally held. Grier was not charged over the alleged offence.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1310439/Man-defended-home-gang-firing-AK47-arrested.html#ixzz0z9wNKWUf
George Grier was held after 20 men believed to belong to the vicious MS-13 gang threatened him and his family on the lawn of their home in Uniondale, New York.
The weapon, more commonly seen on the battlefields of Afghanistan, was legally held by Grier, a later investigation showed.
Speaking to a television reporter, he said: 'I went around and went into the house, ran upstairs and told my wife to call the police.
'I get the gun and I go outside and I come into the doorway and now, by this time, they are in the driveway, back here near the house. I tell them, you know, "Can you please leave?"
The 30-year-old, who has no criminal record, claimed he was forced into the action when he saw five men arguing outside who were then joined by many more.
He told CBS New York: 'He starts threatening my family, my life. (He said) "Oh you’re dead. I’m gonna kill your family and your babies. You’re dead."
'So when he says that, 20 others guys come rushing around the corner. And so I fired four warning shots into the grass.'
Police were at the scene within minutes and arrested Grier who was later released on a $10,000 bond.
John Lewis, his attorney, said: 'What he’s initially charged with – a D felony reckless endangerment — requires a depraved indifference to human life, creating a risk that someone’s going to die.
'Shooting into a lawn doesn’t create a risk of anybody dying.'
Grier said he knew Nassau County Police employ the hi-tech 'ShotSpotter' technology in his area which allows officers to pinpoint a gunshot immediately to within 35ft of it being fired.
Police later said the home-owner had been co-operative and told them he feared then men were members of MS-13.
Nassau County Police Lt. Andrew Mulraine, head of the gang unit, said MS-13 has 2,000 members in the county.
'They’re probably the most organised. They almost have a military hierarchy within the gang, so they are the most organised gang we encounter on a daily basis,' Mulraine said.
U.S. law states that physical force can only be used to deter physical force, not the threat of it.
However, police determined the AK47 rifle - capable of firing at a rate of 600 rounds-a-minute - was legally held. Grier was not charged over the alleged offence.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1310439/Man-defended-home-gang-firing-AK47-arrested.html#ixzz0z9wNKWUf