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Imagine your telephone ringing in the middle of the night. The caller informs you that he is a police officer. He wants to "get you the help and appropriate resources you need." But wait, you have not asked for any help, don't need any help, and certainly don't want this "help" in the middle of the night.
But this offer of "help" and "appropriate resources" is an offer you can't refuse. You see, your home is surrounded by SWAT teams from multiple jurisdictions. There are men in helmets with machine guns everywhere. Snipers are aiming at your home. You are told to come outside. You are promised you won't be arrested, handcuffed or removed from your property. You are told your possessions will not be confiscated. The friendly paramilitary troops outside your house just want to chat with you.
Any rational person would recognize the danger in refusing the orders of dozens of heavily armed cops.
You leave your home and immediately you are handcuffed at gunpoint and taken to a mental hospital for a "psychological evaluation." The police enter your home without a warrant, without permission, without probable cause and confiscate your firearms.
You have NOT been "arrested" so you have no right to an attorney. You have no right to remain silent. You are subjected to a "hold." You can be held for up to 180 days. You can be medicated against your will. Your crime? The lawful and state-approved purchase of firearms.
None of this is fiction or speculation. It happened to an Oregonian on March 8th. This is the new face of "gun control" in the age of Obama. Buy a gun, go to a mental hospital.
David Pyles of Medford Oregon purchased several firearms between March 5th and 7th. In Oregon, a firearms purchase made through a dealer requires the approval of the Oregon State Police. David received approvals for all purchases, but it was these legal purchases that the police used to justify the raid on David's home and the state-sponsored kidnapping that followed.
Shortly before David made these purchases, he had been put on "administrative leave" from his job at the Oregon Department of Transportation. He was involved in a dispute with a superior which he was attempting to resolve though normal channels and union procedures when he was told he would have to work from home.
His gun purchases were long planned and the result of some extra cash he had on hand because of a tax refund. David already owned other firearms. But the State Police, after approving his purchases, contacted local law enforcement in what, at this time, appears to be a blatant violation of the law. And because his employer accused him of being "disgruntled," his perfectly legal gun buys became the excuse for an unlawful and unwarranted attack on his freedom and property.
A few hours after being dragged to an involuntary "psychological evaluation" David was released following clinical psychiatric evaluation which determined he was sane, of no threat to anyone, and of no threat of harm to himself. But the police kept his guns. At first, he was told he would have to wait 2 to 4 weeks to get his confiscated property back, but widespread attention and outrage by media and bloggers forced the police to return his guns.
His employer meanwhile posted notices warning other workers to run away if they saw David and call police. They also said David had made no threats to anyone.
David broke no law. He committed no crime and threatened no one. Yet, with no warrant and no probable cause, David was dragged off into the night by heavily armed troops with no legal authority to do so and he was given none of the protections a common thief would get from the legal system.
We cannot say how his life will be affected by this incident, especially now that, thanks to the NRA and the Brady Campaign joining forces, "mental health" records are being sent by the states to the Obama administration. We do know that this is a very dangerous situation and one the police have refused to explain or justify.
You can read an excellent and in depth review or what happened to David here and here. You can listen to an audio version here. You can download an in-depth analysis of the dangers of these kinds of raids here.
The Oregon Firearms Federation has been in contact with David since soon after the incident. He as recently expressed an interest in getting some assistance in his legal battle to hold the various actors in this chilling fiasco accountable.
This is a case with nationwide implications. All gun owners, in fact all Americans should be horrified and fearful of the"Minority Report" implications of taking someone by force in the absence of any crime or even an indication that a crime was planned.
What the gun grabbers have failed to achieve legislatively, they are trying to do the old-fashioned Soviet way. Just claim you're mentally ill and "not cooperating." Adding insult to injury, The Medford Mail Tribune, best know for its efforts to acquire the names and personal information of area gun owners, has published an editorial praising the actions of the police.
If you would like to assist David in his battle against this outrageous deprivation of his rights, the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation has set up a fund for him. You may make a tax deductible donation to the Foundation or if you prefer, you can make a donation directly to David.
David Pyles
c/o the "David Pyles Legal Defense Fund"
P.O. Box 728
Medford, OR 97501
If you choose to donate through OFEF you can donate by check to :
Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation
PO Box 556
Canby OR 97013
Be sure to note that your donation is for David.
If you would prefer to make a secure donation online, you can safely do so at this link. Under "Donation Type" be sure to pick Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation and make a note that your gift is for David's defense. Clearly this kind of abuse must be stopped. We are all at risk. Thanks for your support.
