whiskey_warrior_556
Courtesy Instagram

You may have followed the situation that played out online and in Mahopac, New York on Saturday evening. Alexander Booth, a veteran who posts on Instagram as whiskey_warrior_556, put of video from his home as the Putnam County Sheriff and other police assembled outside his home.

It wasn’t clear exactly what prompted the police response at the time. Booth claimed it was a red flag confiscation and hinted that it may have involved possession of 30-round magazines (which are illegal under New York’s SAFE Act).

 

The hours-long standoff drew the attention of civil rights and Second Amendment supporters around the country.

 

Police say they were investigating a prior domestic violence situation when an officer allegedly heard what he thought was a gunshot. He then called in backup and surrounding homes were evacuated.

After a deluge of calls and social media traffic regarding the Booth standoff, the Sheriff’s department issued a statement denying that they were trying to carry out a “red flag” confiscation.

They claimed that all of the online attention had made the situation more difficult to resolve with some encouraging booth to remain in the house. As news12.com reported . . .

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says the social media frenzy heightened the stakes of the incident because law enforcement couldn’t get in touch with the community from the heavy overflow of calls and messages. “This is a person in crisis, having mental illness, having issues and he didn’t need the people on social media telling him that his rights are being violated. He needed help — medical help,” says Town of Carmel Police Chief Michael Cazzari.

The situation was finally resolved around midnight on Saturday when Booth was persuaded to come out and was taken into custody peacefully. The Putnam County Sheriff issued the following press release. Booth won’t be charged for Saturday’s standoff, but has been charged relating to a previous alleged domestic situation involving his wife.

Note that no guns or New York-prohibited magazines were found on the premises.

Again, there was a lot of confusion as the situation played out, some due to Booth’s sketchy description of what was happening, and some due to online speculation about the situation on the ground and the motivation of local police for surrounding Booth’s home.

Much of the speculation was incorrect and similar to early media reports in active shooter situations which frequently turn out to be wrong.

Gun rights supporters are understandably concerned with the proliferation of due process-free red flag laws in states around the country and their potential for abuse by spouses, exes, co-workers and others. That concern for a veteran who appeared to be targeted for such a confiscation seemed to feed much of the online activity about what was happening in Mahopac on Saturday.

It seems clear that we still don’t know the whole story here. We’ve heard a partial representation of Booth’s side from the live streaming he posted to Instagram, but that didn’t appear to be a clear presentation of his side of things.

The Putnam County Sheriff will hold a press conference today to give their side of what led up to the standoff and why Booth was arrested.

In the mean time, a GoFundMe account has been set up by supporters for his legal defense.

UPDATE: The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department’s Facebook page seems to have been taken down. Here’s an image of the statement they released:

whiskey_warrior_556
Courtesy news12.com

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145 COMMENTS

  1. Still need more info before any opinion or support can be given. I’ll be waiting for the Sheriff’s press conference.

      • Any source of additional info is better than what I’ve read so far. I don’t know enough of this situation due to the sparse info and emotional opinions provided so far.

        I agree with Dan on this one…I’ll take the info we have so far with a grain of salt and wait for more confirmation before opening my yap.

        • Only thing I know for sure is Putnam county and several nearby towns were constantly calling in license plates from 7ish to after midnight. Seemed to be a lot more than normal but the why is only speculation.

        • And this boys and girls is why your country will fall with a whimper, not a bang. Cheap calories, too much comfort. You’re cowed. Sit down and let the real men take over, the men who have run things while you’ve been napping, the Jews and their genetic brothers in Islam.

        • The county sheriff’s web sight has changed their story about every 12 hrs since this incident occurred, by now I can give a crap what B’s they have to say

    • I live in Mahopac. It was not a Red Flag raid. The cops were responding to a domestic dispute call. No guns or ammo where found. I want to state that we are a very pro 2nd amendment area. Our police and local government is also very pro 2nd amendment. We were one of the first counties to pass a resolution to repeal the SAFE act and have one of the highest gun ownership rates in the NY, particularly when it comes to CCW permits.
      Somebody or persons have put out a lot of miss information about the event.

      • Enough with the facts already. We need a narrative and this event was close enough.

        Now on to the next useless hill to die on.

      • Please revel your sources that disprove this.
        As I said, until a reputable, non- government source can disprove the red flag issue (funny how they claimed to have heard a gunshot), I will hold everything the SD says with a grain of salt, based on personal experience.

        • I’m not throwing out names of guys I know in our police department.
          I don’t like seeing guys who think like me being manipulated by BS.
          Nothing gun related happened here Saturday except for guys going to the range or shooting deer in the woods.

          • Ah, ‘guys in the PD’. Not exactly the best source when the PD wants to cover something up because they are attempting to subvert someone’s rights..

            So we can say you really don’t have any corroborating evidence for their story.

            And before you try and say I’m anti-cop, I’m not. But I also know PD’s will make up stories, lie to the public, and get away with it.
            A single possible gun shot isn’t going to get a SWAT call out, with all the trimmings.
            So yea, something doesn’t seem right.

            Until there is reliable, independent verification, I’m not going to say it wasn’t anything other than what it has been portrayed as by the veteran.

        • Hydguy, please do get some help. Otherwise we will be reading about you in these funny pages and you’ll be able to report firsthand what it’s really like to be red flagged.

          • I have been, but the term ‘red flag’ wasn’t around.
            Got the full SWAT treatment, threatened to have my daughter taken (they were really unhappy when I wouldn’t tell them were she was).
            But in the end, the hand picked shrink wouldn’t tell them I was a threat to anyone, and after getting the runaround for a few days, I got my stuff back without having to hire a shark for deprecation of rights under color of law.
            So do us a favor, and please tell us what your source, aside from the PD (who have every reason to lie), is.
            If you can’t name a reliable, verifiable source, shut your pie hole and kindly FOAD.

          • I have been, but the term ‘red flag’ wasn’t around.
            Got the full SWAT treatment, threatened to have my daughter taken (they were really unhappy when I wouldn’t tell them were she was).
            But in the end, the hand picked shrink wouldn’t tell them I was a threat to anyone, and after getting the runaround for a few days, I got my stuff back without having to hire a shark for deprecation of rights under color of law.
            So do us a favor, and please tell us what your source, aside from the PD (who have every reason to lie), is.
            If you can’t name a reliable, verifiable source, shut your pie hole.

          • I have been, but the term ‘red flag’ wasn’t around.
            Got the full SWAT treatment, threatened to have my daughter taken (they were really unhappy when I wouldn’t tell them were she was).
            But in the end, the hand picked shrink wouldn’t tell them I was a threat to anyone, and after getting the runaround for a few days, I got my stuff back without having to hire a shark for depravation of rights under color of law.
            So do us a favor, and please tell us what your source, aside from the PD (who have every reason to lie), is.
            If you can’t name a reliable, verifiable source, shut your pie hole.

            (Reposted so you can’t whine about an autocorrect spelling error)

        • I have been, but the term ‘red flag’ wasn’t around.
          Got the full SWAT treatment, threatened to have my daughter taken (they were really unhappy when I wouldn’t tell them were she was).
          But in the end, the hand picked shrink wouldn’t tell them I was a threat to anyone, and after getting the runaround for a few days, I got my stuff back without having to hire a shark for depravation of rights under color of law.
          So do us a favor, and please tell us what your source, aside from the PD (who have every reason to lie), is.
          If you can’t name a reliable, verifiable source, shut your pie hole.

          (Reposted so you can’t whine about an autocorrect spelling error)

        • So let me get this straight, you don’t believe the poster who says he is LEO friends are saying the same as the sheriffs department has publicly stated?

          You say you need some kind of additional evidence before you believe that explanation.

          Well, what evidence do you have that discredits that explanation? Why would you disbelieve two separate sources when you have zero evidence to contradict him?

          Is your fantasy speculation somehow more credible than actual statements from real humans?

          And I’ll bet you believe that Trump’s inaugural crowds were the biggest in history, right? And that the Ukrainians, not the Russians, were the bad actors who hacked our election in 2016, right?

          All with zero evidence, right?

          Fascinating.

      • The Chans were trolling all day about this story. They were putting out disinfo to get a bunch of gun owners to show up and get shot or arrested.

        People forget there are a lot of 13 year olds on the internet. If they are not playing games or watching pron they are trolling.

      • It is not the job of the cops to get involved in domestic disputes. If the feminazi doesn’t like that, she can die alone surrounded by cats.

        • Dude, you are really far out!

          So if a female is being assaulted by a male, it’s OK in your book? Clearly, your training in common American domestic practices is severely lacking, comrade.

          So you believe the police should only respond to calls when men are attacked?

          Wow, as this year is the one hundredth anniversary of women getting the right to vote I’ll bet you’re really pissed off all month long.

          Seriously, you incels have such a hatred of womenfolk, I’m kind of glad that’s the situation because I don’t think most of us want folks like you procreating.

        • Pwrserge is right. The cops should stay out of domestic disputes. However, the cops in this case were serving a CRIMINAL WARRANT for DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. Disputes are civil disagreements between two parties that are adjudicated by family and civil courts. The above cops were dealing with an exclusively CRIMINAL matter (turned mental health crisis intervetion), which is why we have cops, statutory law, criminal courts, jails, and district attorneys.

    • whisky_warrior_556 is alive because of all the media attention that was focused on this incident. Live streaming what was happening undoubtedly is what saved his ass.

    • Based on the number of years I spent in the Army, and some of the War Game Scenarios I participated in, I can assure you I TRUST NO-ONE who gets a pay check from any government, be it state, municipal or Federal. Anything they say must be taken with a grain of salt because they are more interested in covering their arse then in telling the truth.

    • this is just the beginning…expect more of this nonsense…encouraging to see the outpouring of support, though…

    • That Carmel Police Chief said it all. He, Booth needed medical help. So then what surprises me is he wasn’t surrounded by doctors or even paramedics. Nope he was surrounded by heavily armed cops. Makes sense to somebody I guess , but I ain’t that particular package of fertilizer.
      This is off topic but I haz a question for Dan Z. The keltek advertisement that recently ran as a left handed review, didn’t have the normal comments section. Now my question, is that because every one but kel tek knows it’s junk and it has no fans?

  2. If he was charged with all those violations, why didn’t the police get a warrant?
    There is nothing police hate as much as people watching them abuse citizens’ rights. How long before they make laws that allow cutting off communication with the outside world for these violent(sarc) criminals?

    • Because police don’t need a warrant to respond to a reported crime. When a bank gets robbed, they don’t go to a judge for a warrant first.

      Wife called in DV complaint, police showed up to investigate said complaint. Future Florida Man then went online and lied about the situation and escalated it, other Florida Men amplified it. None of this is controversial.

      • Seems like the only liar here is the LEO who called in “shots fired”.

        When Booth saw that guy’s backup swarming in, presumably with guns drawn, he apparently had two thoughts:

        1. I don’t want to die like Andrew Finch or Gary Willis.
        2. I’m being red flagged.

        He then relayed those thoughts on Instagram, along with “I’m unarmed, somebody please help me, I don’t want to die.”

        Then thought #3, one that never would occur to me in his situation:
        3. I need a drink, or better yet, a bottle.

  3. Wow! It really seems like the LEO’s, at least at the top, want to use these Red Flag Laws for all there worth. They no sooner get past then their at the door of some poor slobs home. It looks like NY & NJ are vying for first place in this competition. Just wait til there’s blood, the antis will be foaming at the mouth.

  4. I want to see court documents. That show when by filing stamp that the charges were filed beforehand.

    Preferably presented by his attorney from the previous incident.
    Otherwise I think it is a cya by the court and sheriff department to explain their presence.

      • Jersey’s down to 10 rounds now. I just picked up some brand new GLOCK 17 magazines with 15 round capacity for $14.95 each. My guess is that since they can no longer be sold in NJ and Colorado just laughs at the 15 round law, they were on sale.. I don’t know of any other states with mag capacity limits at 15.

        • That sucks, arbitrary capacity limits are silly to begin with but at least that wasn’t so bad. Well back to waiting on court decisions and trying to introduce new shooters and let them figure out just how stupid the law is first-hand.

        • @I Haz A Question,

          I know the models of Glocks, and their factory capacity. I have both a G17 and a G19. Once again, for the truly obtuse, these are G17 magazines, with 15 round capacity, obviously produced for states with 15 round limits. The holes in the back stop at 15, and they won’t hold more than 15, and they fit flush in my G17, and protrude on the G19. Am I making myself clear???

          Finally, to satisfy your desire to nit pick, the model # stamped at the bottom rear, (right below the Glock trademark) is 33950-01.

          Reading and comprehending is… FUN-DUH-MENTAL.

          Here’s 5 pages of people arguing about these “unicorns”.
          https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/glock-17-15-rd-factory-magazines.1611441/

        • Pollock,

          Interesting. Being that I’m a lifelong CA native, we’ve had the infamous 10-rounders here for many years and are limited to them (unless we took advantage of our recent Freedom Week). I’ve never even heard of a 15-rd mag mag for a G17, but if they truly exist, then a simple correction for enlightenment’s sake would have sufficed. Instead, you chose the snarky route and assumed that anyone who doesn’t possess the Golden Knowledge you do is “obtuse”.

          You own both a G17 and G19? Good for you. But so do I, and in fact own several in different configurations and builds. I’m willing to bet most people here on TTAG do as well. Acting superior and condescending doesn’t to anything for you here.

        • Vermont now, if it’s a handgun magazine. If it’s a rilfe magazine, limited to 10 rounds. Currently up for review by the state supreme court, I believe. But, still no permit needed to carry concealed.

    • It almost reads like a report of a 30 round magazine simply being present in a neighborhood, was justification to evacuate it and cordon it off like there was a nuclear bomb discovered, with only minuets to disarm it before it exploded.

      THIS IS AN EMERGENCY BROADCAST WARNING: This not a drill. A 30 round magazine has been reported in the county of Putnam. Be advised an immediate mandatory evacuation of the county has been ordered. Be warned the 30 round magazine could be floating around on its own looking for a gun to insert itself in and begin firing at onlookers. Evacuate now.

  6. With the PD saying it wasn’t a red flag situation but heard “gunshots” but it’s also a Domestic? Leo has lied about hearing gunshots and saw a 22lr in my kitchen through the window and justified themselves to open my door guns drawn I don’t doubt there lying about hearing gunshots maybe bodycam will tell us. It will be shown wether they went through the process of a RFL later as well. Wait to hear

    • Your comment is unclear. Please explain what you’re talking about. Are you commenting on something that happened you YOU, or dovetailing an opinion into Whiskey’s situation?

  7. And a BUNCH of social media was deleted/censored over the weekend over this. Just watched Mrgunsngear post about being deleted on Instagram. He also mentioned the Bundy ranch gubmint back down from armed resistance. I honestly don’t know enough about this guy with 20000 “followers”…

    • Cloven-hoof Bundy is nothing but a welfare queen, wanting free stuff from the government. He’s been illegally grazing his cattle on our taxpayer federal lands for decades, and when the federal courts ordered him off the land he issued his fake call for ‘patriots’.

      Any Internet celebrity who champions the Bundys is nothing but another slacker, trying to get the government, you and me as taxpayers, to subsidize their lifestyle.

      He’s number 10 dinky dau.

  8. REALLY curious to see how this pans out. There’s gonna be a lot of eyes on the papers for this.

    I think it says really bad things about the political temperature of the country no matter who’s version of the story is true. I hope that the Internet’s reaction isn’t the reaction of most IRL. If so that’s really scary and says bad things about the years to come.

  9. “I may have heard a gunshot”
    “I smelled marijuana”
    “I’m making up probable cause. It didn’t actually happen, but it gives me power as if it really happened, and can never be held against me as long as I never admit to being a lying sack of shit.”

  10. So they thought they heard a gun shot yet there were no firearms or illegal magazines on the premises? Does that strike anyone as odd?
    I am glad it ended peacefully.
    What I also see is that there were people mobilizing. Meaning that if this had been an unwarranted red flag law, then it would have gone a different direction. That should put departments on notice that unlawful confiscation will not be tolerated.
    I also want more information. I know it takes time, and that is fine.

  12. What’s funny is the liberal trolls coming out in praise of the police all the sudden now they’re confiscating firearms.
    A week ago it was: “fuck tha pooleece comin straight from the underground!”

    But now… now all the sudden they just love the police. And we’re a bunch of gun owning terrorists threatening police.

    Then by next Next week when an “unarmed innocent black child” is shot by the police it’ll be back to the BLM chants about murdering cops.

    The cognitive dissonance among the left can probably be measured by the hour at this point.

    • Damnit that reminds me I need to visit the family for Thanksgiving where I will likely hear both in the same bottle of wine.

      • Tru dat. I’m looking forward to our post-dinner tradition in which the men load up the fire pit out back with lots of oak and spend the next few hours enjoying the crackling warmth while puffing on old-school tobacco pipes, sipping on whiskey, and talking about all sorts of family/news topics.

  13. Probable Cause is always a murky area. Without it much of what happens or is discovered gets thrown out. After the bad things happen of course.

    Wait until this situation is played out 10 times day.

    • Probable cause?
      I heard something, by golly. And it might have been a gunshot, so that gives me PC.
      And if that’s not enough, the resident refused to let me in without a warrant, which is further evidence he might have just shot somebody. If he had nothing to hide he would have invited me in.

      Give me a SWAT team and an APC, stat. I’ve got Probable Cause coming out my ass.

    • Without any physical evidence, how ‘credible’ is any one person’s word worth against another’s?

  16. If people feel squeezed by the government then you need to get involved. The left and anti-gunners are motivated. The pro-2A, pro-constitution faction is not. If you have concerns of overly aggressive policing or an increase of the militarization of police then you need to sit down with leadership and express your concerns. You can actually talk to sheriffs and chiefs of police (Well, not 90% of the gun community but someone that is articulate and isn’t 350 pounds and smells like rancid Burger King.) After Saturday’s cluster there are a lot of people that exposed themselves as wanting to be violent, they just needed a reason. That makes those people no better than antifa or any other violent proxy of a movement. The gun community needs to stop being so damn anti-intellectual. Critical thinking needs to be the next trend with the gun community not boogaloo themed guns.

    There isn’t going to be a boogaloo, 2nd civil war or whatever moniker you like. People have real responsibilities and it isn’t connected to social media controversies. There’s nothing wrong with training or being prepared but let’s be honest, your wife isn’t letting you go die for some guy over an acute episode of POTENTIAL government over-reach. We have to allow due process!

    Social media is complicating the world faster than us humans can keep pace with. The people with cultural hegemony of the gun culture misused their influence and their followers had a pavlovian like response to something they knew nothing about. This clearly shows they don’t have the capacity to understand their position but I’m sure they love the paycheck.

    • The POTG aren’t motivated?? Did you *just* start reading TTAG or any other pro-gun, pro-2A sites? Under which rock have you been hiding the past couple of years, let alone the past few months?

    • Sound more like a comment posted by a Purple-haired, Soy drinking, SJW Leftist TROLL! Please return to the Lib TARD lefty news site you are Trolling from….Not interested in Flame Wars started by Demo-Authoritarian constients….

    • “There isn’t going to be a boogaloo, 2nd civil war or whatever moniker you like.”

      God willing.

      People like you often make these predictions, and every single time, you’re proved wrong.

      Read some opinions of pundits before the last civil war, and you’ll see some strikingly similar tones, from “no way will Americans make war upon eachother” to the “stupid/weak *north or south* will capitulate quickly.

      Fast forward to the war to end all wars that will be over by Christmas.

      Then, in our own time, I personally remember many other foolish predictions made. As the Soviet Union crumbled there was much talk of the “end of history”. That “liberal democracy” Had proven to be the best form of government and its dominance would mean and end to war. Fast forward again to the mid to late 90s, when again, predictions were made that the US victory over Iraq in ‘91 meant the end of state on state warfare globally. That American hegemony combined with new hyper advanced technology would mean that never again would we see a large scale war, and that the a Gulf War would be remembered as the “last big war”, fought in a matter of hours. The statement, “we’ll never see a large scale ground invasion ever again.” Was mentioned a few times. The end of the Cold War even mean Nukes would be a thing of the past within a generation.

      All those predictions looks pretty damn foolish now. There will eventually be another full on war on American soil. Wether it’s civil war, or a Chinese invasion in the year 2109, it’ll happen. History doesn’t end, humanity doesn’t get “more advanced”, and people don’t learn. We’re biologically and intellectually the exact same as the Egyptians or Romams. You say people now have too many responsibilities, are too comfortable. And right now, you’re correct. But that’s now. In a few years, it’s quite possible people won’t be concerned with losing their jobs or retirements, because those things will already be gone. People will fight for their children and their property when they are threatened to be taken away by a desperate government looking for every last dime to maintain control.

      “Well that’s not going to happen here.” Ok. That lines been said to many times throughout history. From the Bronze Age civilizations that collapsed, to the western Romans, to the Soviet Union, everything seems fine until it’s not.

      • If the big igloo happens, Who is the leader you look to??? The revolutionary war Had the Adams’, the civil war had the Governors of states and a confederate constitution. If the big igloo sets off like you guys think, you won’t be patriots, you won’t be militia, you WILL be terrorist criminals. You will be living in caves, hunted by the government, and scorned by the majority of the population. I’m not saying that I like these facts or definitions, but it’s reality. Will I fight for the constitution if we get that far down the road, Yes, but we are a long way from that.

        • I don’t even really get what you’re trying to say. Alright Look, you seem to think that another civil war entails a couple thousand three percenters take off into the woods to valiantly fight the full weight of the federal government to the death… that’s not a civil war, and that’s not what I’m talking about. Look, I’m not going to sit here and spend all night typing out thousands of years of human history that proves my point. I’m just going to tell you to do more then read social media, blogs, and Wikipedia. Study up on more things then just the last 100-200 years of history. Go back and read about all kinds of events in history and you’ll start to notice a pattern. Then you’ll have some idea as to what I’m trying to explain.

        • For a revolutionary general equal to George Washington, look no further than President Donald Trump!

          He is a military genius, remember, he clearly stated he knows more than the generals so he is our military expert who can lead our forces to victory!

          After all, President Donald Trump is the only one who has ever done anything to help the veterans, even the main stream media is forced to admit how much president Donald Trump cares about America’s soldiers:

          “Time and time again, Trump — undeterred by reality — has tried to take credit for signing into law the Veterans Choice Program, even arguing that Sen. John McCain couldn’t previously get it passed. This ignores the reality that VA Choice was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2014, and was co-sponsored by Sen. McCain. Trump signed a bill to continue the program and consolidate other programs under the new Veterans Community Care Program.”

      • I’ll repeat myself, social media is complicating the world faster than us humans can keep pace with. The context of when these historical events happened matters! America has not and is not anything remotely similar to the Soviet Union. China invading would be just that an invasion. It is completely irrelevant to a topic about what happened over the weekend. The gun culture is relevant, who’s in charge of the gun culture is relevant and the simple fact that people are posturing about what they are willing to do against the government. Most functional people with in society have responsibilities they cannot just simply leave and go die (too many think they’re going to win) for a cause they think will advance a better future for their children. Which supports my point, all these people in the comments and on social media are going to leave their children? Um, negative. So stop with the nonsense.

        Everyone is so impressed with themselves and their gadgets they think they’ll use. You want to do something, work with in the system that is presently established but that is more difficult than seeming unwavering about their rights behind a keyboard. I’m not the enemy, I just not buying everyone’s BS.

        • Your lights go off for a week and you will be at war.

          I promise

          If one state over anyone notices, kinda depends on your state.

        • Repeat yourself all you want, you’re wrong. Social media hasn’t done a dam thing except make the world a more volitiale place. If you somehow think that social media has brought an end to history then you are fooling yourself. The more things change, the more things stay the same. The names, flags, and dates change, but history dances to the same tune. Empires rise and fall and one day this one will too. No amount of social media or social awareness or popular opinion will change that. The forces that drive history are bigger and more powerful then selfies, cameras, and air conditioning. Maybe when your older, and you’ve seen people repeat the same shit people have always done, then maybe you’ll understand.

    • “Critical thinking needs to be the next trend with the gun community not boogaloo themed guns.”

      Critical thinking already is a trend with the gun community and has been for a very long time. That’s why many of us are here.

      As for “boogaloo themed” firearms, by which I assume you mean so-called assault weapons, what do you think we should own instead?

      • Yeah, Ing. The most lethal ‘weapon of war’ is hiding in plain sight, and those ‘Progressives’ are too blind to see it.

        A single-shot, bolt-action scoped hunting rifle. The military has a special name for such a rifle, and they are highly coveted on the battlefield to this day – A sniper rifle. The devious camouflage it uses makes it indistinguishable from Grandpa’s deer rifle… 😉

        • I don’t have one of those. It’s a hole in the collection…er, arsenal… that I haven’t yet filled. I do have a really handy mid-range carbine (aka cowboy boogaloo gun) that also looks exactly like Grandpa’s deer rifle, so there’s that.

    • “After Saturday’s cluster there are a lot of people that exposed themselves as wanting to be violent, they just needed a reason. That makes those people no better than antifa or any other violent proxy of a movement.”

      Actually, a key difference would be that Antifa doesn’t need a reason. They just get violent.

      If the 2A community wanted to be violent and didn’t need a reason, things would look quite a bit different in this country by now. For starters, I doubt Antifa would exist.

  17. Highlights the issues with only having partial information.

    Much like Red Flag Laws where only a smidgen of information is needed to absolve someone of their rights. And no due process or rebuttal to the accuser.

  18. I practiced law in Carmel for a year. Nice town. Residents rarely make any furtive movements there and there are virtually no black residents, so police shootings are rare..

    • Ralph, I was in Carmel in August in the summer of 1998, and it was foggy and cold. If that’s summer, what’s the dead of winter like there?

  19. having been involved in a similar situation, years back, so I take the Putnam County SD’s account with a grain of salt.
    In my case, I did have guns, ammo, and mags, all of which were legal, and were confiscated.
    However, I was able to get all my stuff back, and I will say the Fairfax County PD was not happy when their hand picked shrink didn’t toe their narrative and said I was not a threat. Nor were they happy when they had to give me back my guns, mags, and ammo.
    So, until there is verification from a source other than the Putnam SD and the anti-gun media, I will be on the side of the veteran.

    • they’re never happy when they have to give your guns back…always looking for someone else to blame…

      • Yep, but they will give your guns back if you press the issue.

        It was very interesting when the PD handed me back my Smith 41 magnum nickel 4 inch, and my KG nine in the case with the special zipper pull tab.

        But they did indeed return my weapons to me and without a court battle or other extreme measures.

    • Anything can be “legal”. That only means some words exist on a piece of paper.

      Not everything is “lawful”. That means they must comply with the Constitution, which is the Supreme Law of the Land.

  21. I’d like to add to my above comment that I believe the gun community and culture is being infiltrated by pro-2A advocacy hustlers. Kind of like the 2A version of Al Sharpton. I also think it is some of the most well known people with in the community. They’re in it get rich and famous but never really accomplish anything and so far I have not found them to be as smart as they say they are.

    • There are people like that in every movement and every segment of society, and it’s not always easy to tell who they are.

      There are also plenty of concern trolls just itching to derail any kind of action one might take. They’re not always easy to identify, either, but they do follow a pattern.

      If you have a good way to identify either of these types in our midst, please say so.

    • some are opportunists just looking to make a buck….but many are genuine…be careful and selective before donating money…

  22. The only thing this has reaffirmed is that there’s a sizable contingent of “libertarian” gun owners who are almost indistinguishable from ANTIFA foot soldiers.

    Both are law enforcement hating anarchists.
    Both revile dissent from ideology and mercilessly attack those who break ranks. In ANTIFA’s case, they call dissenters “fascists” and “racists”. In the libertarian gun owner’s case, they use the terms “Fudd”, “bootlicker”, and now “boomer”.

    It’s amazing the similarities. Proud intolerance and ignorance from both camps has them almost indistinguishable at this point.

    • Lol!!
      Just because we don’t just stop and not question this situation, we ‘indistinguishable from ANTIFA foot soldiers’?

      I don’t hate LE. But in a situation like this, I can believe that the SD would try to skew the story to their side.
      A single possible ‘gunshot’ doesn’t get a SWAT call out, unless the PD is already responding to another issue.
      A past supposed DV case, which there is no supporting evidence of, independently verified by a reputable source, doesn’t get a full court press with an APC.
      Add in the reported threats to have CPS remove the children if the wife fails to comply, and you should have no reason to question the actual motivations of the PD.

      I generally am supportive of LE, but having been in a similar situation, I can see how a situation can get blown way out of proportion by the police.
      Luckily, I didn’t get any trumped up charges pressed against me, and got all my guns, mags, and ammo back.

      • Hydguy,

        Doesn’t sound like you live in SoCal. A single shot would absolutely bring your friendly neighborhood SWAT bunnies to your neck of the woods for a chat or more.

        • I see. So your fellow 2A supporters here fighting hard and constantly for our/your rights aren’t Americans. Interesting perspective.

          • Awe.. I offended a commiefornian.
            Oh dear, whatever shall I do?
            Load a 30rnd mag? Maybe a BetaC..
            Oh.. I’ll go check and see if my SBRs and suppressors are in their proper place..

        • Nice…you just outed yourself as one of the basement dwellers that haunt these pages. Not someone to take seriously from this point forward.

          Carry on. You’re on my “ignore” list and will hear nothing further from me.

  24. want to bet that an excuse has now been genned up to take away his 2Amendment rights….and permanently list him as a RED FLAG possible ….forever branded

    • If the red flag laws didn’t exist, would Whiskey have had a hot button issue to get people fired up with?

      The red flag laws are just creating more unnecessary hassle for the average police officer and furthering trust issues between the law abiding and law enforcers. If the dolts in Albany were the ones that had to do the enforcement, these laws would never get passed.

      • Ah NO, not even close:

        “History and adoption

        “In 1999, Connecticut was the first to enact a red flag law, following a rampage shooting at the Connecticut Lottery. … In 2019, New York enacted a red-flag law as part of a broader package of gun-control legislation that overwhelmingly passed the state legislature.”

  27. Something both the author of this article and the people in the comments are missing is that last statement by the Putnam SD. “At the conclusion of this incident, no weapons or ammunition feeding devices were found or seized….”. Note how they didn’t say they didn’t search for them, just that they didn’t find any and (obviously) didn’t seize any.

    The whole thing stinks of incompetence on both sides, IMO. I’m reminded of the HL Mencken quote pertaining to rights. “The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one’s time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.”

    • So, you’re surprised that after holing himself up in a house for 7 hours, that the police searched the guy’s house for firearms and related items?

      • Depends on the warrant and how the situation was resolved but I generally prefer to not have home searches be easy let alone routine.

  28. Well, correct me if I am wrong but if the felony charge sticks he will loose his 2A rights, right?

  29. The entire problem with this is government overreach. Probable cause, red flag laws, whatever you want to label the reason for interaction. The guy obviously felt threatened, that’s why he went to IG for accountability. Whether or not he did or didn’t, the fact they’re potentially threatening to cut off comm’s from the outside world is the biggest issue I have.

    “We would’ve been stacking bodies by now…”-Ben Franklin.

  30. Since there were no guns present how is they Second Amendment story? Not only has TTAG home down hill apparently so have the comments.

    • Because the incident was sparked over a supposed report about him being in possession of a 30 round mag.

    • It’s not a 2A story, he’s just a lying wife beater who baited gullible people into rallying around him because he didn’t want to go to jail. He knew exactly how to dupe people, and it was pitifully easy to do.

      • What is your source that supports your statement?
        The PD press release? The media?
        Think both don’t lie to cover themselves?
        You are gullible.

  31. This is the Boston Massacre (1770) repeated under slightly different conditions, but the same principles apply.

    Regardless of the ‘facts’ of this particular case, red flag laws are unconstitutional and represent the ultimate tyranny of the police state over the citizen. This case simply brought all of this to the forefront for public scrutiny.

    Red flag laws are just the tip of the iceberg relative to unconstitutional laws. It took 5 more years for the Revolutionary War to foment after the Boston Massacre, but the point is that the course we are on, we will share the same fate. States, counties and cities cannot continue being ‘sanctuaries’ from laws of all kinds they don’t agree with, and they should not have to. However the gang of nine (supreme court) has forced this upon us with their willy nilly bs rulings not based on the Supreme Law of the Land (Constitution).

    We have a government to represent us, not rule us. This has flipped however and we are now ruled with an iron fist. This must stop, immediately. Any and all who participate in the enforcement of unconstitutional laws can and will be held accountable by the citizens. It’s what the Founders intended and what our COTUS provides.

  32. So it appears that some kind of wife beater exploited the sympathies of the 2A community? Or it’s something else and wilfully muddied? Not interested; won’t be contributing.

  33. im sorry but all of this is caused from gun owners finally realizing they are up against the wall. Look at the comments here, half of us don’t trust law enforcement and the other half overly trusts them. Like it or not gun right WILL have to be fought for again if we want to keep them, there is no other way. History is replete with cases of government continuously overstepping its bounds and trampling the rights of its citizens. America is not the exception to this rule, we just like every other developed country will have to put government back into their rightful place if we want to continue being free. The founders knew this just as well and they did everything in their power to ensure we stood a chance when that day came, and its rapidly approaching. Many if not all of us would love to think law enforcement would be on our side but the simple truth is that it wont be, at least not all of it. The almighty paycheck has been a reliable deterrent for people stepping out of line for thousands of years and why wouldn’t it be? This case will be no different. If we are going to preserve our freedoms you have to make peace with what lies ahead.

    • No, this is the result of living in an echo chamber. The gun owners who were fooled
      By this are no different than the BLM crowd.

  34. “…ammunition feeding devises…”

    *facepalm* Engrish no so good?

    We’re supposed to trust these people with complicated shit like “rights” and “the law” but this is what we get from their PR people?

    “Alarm bells are ringing Willy…”

  35. Jonathan
    It doesn’t take much to be accused and get domestic violence order against you. Standard tactic for many divorce lawyers.

    I was waiting to be a witness in criminal case once and was talking to guy who was middle age, small business owner. His Asian wife and mother-in-law stripped his house down to the floor boards while he was away then claimed violence. His passport etc showed he was overseas about 10 hour flight away. He still lost because he might be violent in the future.

    • The sad part is that all this does is make actually being violent the smart move. If the stupid bitch is actually scared of you, she’s probably going to be better behaved.

  36. Whysky Warer 556 yur full of shit? High Ground? Holed up in a coffin box more like it.

  37. This guy is the Jussie Smolett of the gun world. Still waiting for it to come out that he was never in the military in the first place.

  41. Sounds like an “Arkansas search warrant”. You know, one cop goes to the front door and the other one goes through the yard to the back of the house. The cop at the front door yells “Police” and the cop behind the house then yells, “Come in”. Ok just kidding, but there are overzealous cops who engage in marginal legal activity. These few make the rest look bad.

  42. “…heard a gunshot.” Really? This smells of government overreach, and a spineless attempt to sweep an illegal search and seizure under the rug. One lone officer to serve an arrest warrant on a felon with prior violent tendencies under his belt…a likely story.

  43. Posted on the Putnam County Firearms page — ” Alexander Booth is reported to be a mentally disturbed man. His WIFE and daughter had an ORDER OF PROTECTION against him because they feared for their safety. His wife and daughter were living at a different location, NOT in his house. Somehow Mr Booth found out where they were staying, and reportedly while intoxicated, forcibly broke into the safe house. (It was NOT Booth’s House) That’s apparently why Mr Booth was charged with burglary. Mr Booth reportedly VIOLATED the order of protection that his wife and daughter had against him.
    This was NOT a 2A issue.
    Some people, probably anti-2A provocateurs, or possibly even some well meaning fools were inciting our people to take action that would damage the credibility of our organization.
    So many people from around the country were calling that they seriously disrupted the 911 EMERGENCY SYSTEM. If someone was having a medical emergency such as a heart attack or your house was on fire or a criminal was invading a citizens home, people could NOT contact emergency services for life saving help.
    Those that were involved in spreading this dangerous MISINFORMATION should be ashamed of themselves and must be more careful in the future.”

  44. The bottom line here is ..rather than wait for the facts , many people over reacted and made the problem worse. And if you look at the profiles of some of the people stirring the pot , they don’t even live in NY . Plus , the guy was posting his rants online and mentioned Hi-Cap Mags ..and that instigated it …even though there were no Firearms and no Mags involved and he wasn’t charged with anything Firearms related .There’s no doubt that Gun owners in NY have good reason to be worried since our rights have been repeatedly trampled and cast to the side. But because of this , in many ways we’ve become our own worst enemies . We rarely work together , few trust the NRA or the courts and we can’t even agree to vote as a block . And now ..many have complicated things by posting BS on the Sheriff’s page and insulting our Police …one of the few real Allies we still have in this State . The sad thing is …even with the facts , many out there won’t believe what they read and the Tin Foil Hat conspiracy BS will be embraced ..Why ? because there’s so much blind anger out there now that , they need someone & something to blame . Too bad we couldn’t harness all that anger when we had a chance to get Cuomo out .

  46. Where is the public record from the “previous” crime? There is a public record from this arrest, so where is the previous one? People are searching online and can’t find it. I call bullshit.

  47. Did he have outstanding warrants or something cause everyone says his home so how was he charged with burglary and trespassing in his own home.

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