CHL LIABILITY- SHOULD I ACT OR LET IT BE?

[snatchel]

Alright fellow CHL holders, I have a doosie for you all. This is gonna be kinda long, but you will no doubt find the details necessary to pass judgement. Mr. Cotton, your advice above all others should be insightful and helpful due to your profession.

I have an aunt we can just call K for this purpose. Though I dont have this on a factual basis, I think it's only natural to assume has some manner of psychiatric disorder. I can't be specific because I dont have facts, so please excuse that. I do however have first hand knowledge that she is on a fairly heavy concoction of perscription pain killers and anti-depressants. She is one of those people that always seems just a little off due to medications, and is irresponsible while taking them (taking them=daily basis--and I will expand on the irresponsibility in a moment.) To a casual observer, her behavior would likely not be noticable, but for those of us who know her well it is fairly obvious that she is drugged up.

She filled out an application, took the CHL class, and sent in her paperword recently. Assuming something like an arrest, or possibly a medical discrepancy (not sure if that is even accesible by the background guys) doesn't pop up, she will recieve her plastic in a month or two. This is the kind of woman that likely disreguarded any of the questions from the application that might lead to a dissaproval such as chemical dependency, etc., which alone makes her dangerous. The idea of this woman carrying a firearm is incredibly frightening. To give you an idea of what we could be dealing with, I will tell a quick story. A few months ago my wife, AK and I were at my cousins house. Aunt K told AK that she recently purchased a taser, and promptly went to get it out of her purse. For the record, my wife, AK, is terrified of firearms, tasers, ..anything. Not quite a liberal, but not exactly NRA spokesman material. Aunt K brings this taser over, and while acting as if she is handing the taser to AK, depresses the firing mechanism with the taser 8 inches away from my wifes face, intended as a joke. This of course earned Aunt K a swift trip to the ground, as I was also taken by surprise and naturally assumed Aunt K was attemping to shock my wife. I'm not big on hurting women, but I won't let someone-including family- bring harm to my wifey. No harm done to my wife, the taser never touched her, but that has become a foreboding and insightful memory when it comes to Aunt K carrying a firearm. This lady would probably just as quicly point a loaded firearm at someone as a joke, and we all know where that road leads.

How do I stop this? Can I place a call to DPS to take a closer look at her application? What would y'all do, or what advice can you give me?

[suthdj]

Notify DPS of known facts is all you can do.

[snatchel]

Kinda thinking the same thing. ugh.

[Beiruty]

I guess DPS have not much to rely on other than the application answers and background check. If your K, has not been found mentally defective by court or was not in mental institution for treatment her CHL app might be approved. However talking to DPS does not hurt and let us kno how it goes

[RoyGBiv]

So what was her reaction when you introduced her to the floor?

There's no way I'd let her back in the house armed....
She'd be "informed" both verbally and in writing that her weapon is not welcome in my house.

[snatchel]

Her reaction was one of shock and anger. She bruised her hip, and her wrist was swollen where I torqued it a bit to force weapon release. She yelled that I was disrespectful for treating her that way, I replied that I've reacted much more violently on less fortunate for presenting weapons that would have otherwise caused harm to me.

You would think common sense dictates most folks, and you would be mistaken. Ignorance and stupidity...ugh

Oh, and she will Not be bringing a firearm into my home..ever..

[RoyGBiv]

You would think common sense dictates most folks, and you would be mistaken. Ignorance and stupidity...ugh

"Common Sense" is an oxymoron...

And I believe Hanlon's Razor applies here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[snatchel]

LoL. You should hear one of my professors lecture on common sense. He is extremely liberal, and self proclaimed atheist- but I have found common ground in his stance on stupidity.

[sugar land dave]

Probably a little before your time, but the dearly departed "Dear Abby" would say something along the lines of Ban her from your house, then MYOB. How can you, a big strong person, relate to an older, weaker, smaller woman? Have you yet experienced the first physical pains of older age? Have you grown old enough yet to feel people sizing you up as prey because of your age? Who will protect her from the evils of the world. It doesn't sound like it will be you.

Ban her from your house if she doesn't fit in there, then leave her be. She doesn't really sound like a BG to me, just someone whose old ideas do not match yours.

[snatchel]

I vaguely recall Dear Abby columns, but was unaware that she is dead. Aunt K isn't a BG at all, just an idiot with the potential to hurt herself/someone else. She is gonna be one of those people the Dems use as ammo ..

[Jasonw560]

I understand where you are coming from. There is a version of your aunt K in my family. However, she would never pass a background check. I would talk to DPS, and you will have to check her purse every time she comes over.

[snatchel]

I don't think I need to worry about her coming over.. We aren't exactly kosher at the moment. I think most families have an Aunt K.

[sugar land dave]

I still say let sleeping dogs lie. The Brady bunch tries to control our ability to have a CHL. You are trying to exercise control over her for your reasons, good or bad. If she really is as sick as you describe, there should be a record somewhere in the system. It is THEIR job, DPS, the FBI, local law enforcement. Take care of your own house.

As another thought, It sounds like domestic violence occured. If the police had been called, an outside party would have decided for or against your position, and she might have been CHL disqualified by that.

[gigag04]

Cut your losses and run.

Also - was it a Taser or a stun gun? If it was a full blown Taser w/ a cartridge, Aunt K would have a broken arm and sprained wrist at best, had it been my face.

[drjoker]

Cut your losses and run.

Also - was it a Taser or a stun gun? If it was a full blown Taser w/ a cartridge, Aunt K would have a broken arm and sprained wrist at best, had it been my face.

A Taser shoots a projectile. It's kinda like a gun. A stun gun needs contact to work. If she were firing a Taser at your wife, then you reacted fine. If she were firing a stun gun at your wife, then you may have overreacted, depending on the distance your aunt was from your wife and your aunt's demeanor at the time. Regardless, you should ban her from your home.

It wouldn't hurt to talk with the DPS. Be sure to have her name and birthday handy when chatting with the DPS or else they wouldn't be able to put your info with her file at the DPS because more than one applicant could possibly have the same name. Just telling the DPS that your aunt is crazy is worthless information to the DPS. Giving the DPS specific verifiable information and evidence is what you'll need to do. The DPS cannot take away someone's constitutional right to bear arms based on your conjecture. However, if you tell them that your aunt was institutionalized for schizophrenia against her will because she stabbed someone on a specific date, then that is valuable information to the DPS. The DPS could ask for her complete medical records dating from that period. The DPS could also request arrest records from the PD of the town she was arrested in. Small towns may not have all their older arrest records computerized, so your intel could possibly cause her application to be rejected. If she were truly stark raving mad, I don't think that she would be able to pass the written exam. If you live in a small town and there's only one CHL instructor in your town, then you should also talk with the instructor. Have the instructor keep an eye on her to make sure that she has proper muzzle control. The instructor has the power to fail her if he/she deems your aunt to be a danger. For example, the instructor has the power to flunk your aunt if he/she sees your aunt muzzle someone with her gun in class. Do all of this discreetly or else she'll come after you. Unemployed crazy people have nothing to do all day long except for dreaming up creative ways to make your life miserable. Don't ever tick off unemployed crazy people.

If she's sane enough to pass the written exam, act safely during her CHL class, and pass the increased scrutiny of the DPS after you've chatted with them about her, then relax. She may be more sane than you think.

Good luck,