Loaded handgun found on the side of the road in Wareham

[Len-2A Training]

Remember, under MGL any property worth more than $3 must be turned over to the local PD and becomes the property of the founder if not claimed within a specific time (I think it's 30 days).

Chances are a found handgun would be worth more than $3.

And I am 100% certain that in MA, there is NO WAY IN HELL that any LE agency would turn over a gun found if not claimed (and not involved in a crime) after any period of time. It's hard enough to get them to return a lost/stolen/confiscated gun to the KNOWN owner in this state! In other words, they would gleefully ignore said law (like they ignore many others that they don't particularly like).

I'd like to say just pick it up, make it safe, and bring it in.

But in today's Massachusetts I doubt that is a wise course of action.

Very unwise, see below.

There was a shooting down the street that night. The guy shot twice at another dude but missed.

Probably the same one used in the shooting

If your prints are on it, you also become a suspect. No thank you. I'll call it in and otherwise not touch it . . . even if I don't know that it might have been a crime gun.

 

[spt_1955]

Dat rasis

I guess the Glock reference was to obtuse? Let me help this time....

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/obtuse?s=t

 

[firestorm]

They think it is the gun from the shooting on the street next to mine. https://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2016/01/12/227693-Authorities-search-suspect-Wareham-shooting Seems the fine upstanding citizen fired twice at close range, hit nothing, and ran away when the victim ran.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I'd like to say just pick it up, make it safe, and bring it in.

But in today's Massachusetts I doubt that is a wise course of action.

MA probably wouldn't try to boil an unlicensed person who did that, however, considerable problems could arise if such a person were found with the gun before turning it in. Plus, if it's a crime gun, doing so could damage evidence.

There was a case in England where someone found a gun in a garden (thrown over a fence). He did pick it up to turn it in - and was prosecuted since there was no exemption allowing him to even touch a found gun.

And I am 100% certain that in MA, there is NO WAY IN HELL that any LE agency would turn over a gun found if not claimed (and not involved in a crime) after any period of time. It's hard enough to get them to return a lost/stolen/confiscated gun to the KNOWN owner in this state! In other words, they would gleefully ignore said law (like they ignore many others that they don't particularly like).

Exactly, but it would be fun bringing them to court to try to make them follow the law.

I know of one case where a gun turned in by a widow never made it on the books - discovered when a police officer relative of the widow went to get it. He tracked down the officer who picked it up and said something like "I expect you were just too busy to log the gun in; I'll come back tomorrow after you have had time to do so, then I will get the gun."

Sometime over drinks I'll tell you what it took to get a stolen gun returned

 

[Come and take]

They think it is the gun from the shooting on the street next to mine. https://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2016/01/12/227693-Authorities-search-suspect-Wareham-shooting Seems the fine upstanding citizen fired twice at close range, hit nothing, and ran away when the victim ran.

Dude has big ears.

 

[AHM]

I found as Hitachi hammer drill with tons of carbide bits under an overpass ten years ago, still works.

A cousin has found tons of tools with one simple technique - he always look very carefully when passing the curb cut of construction sites. Guy tosses his tools in the back of a pickup or flatbed, drives home for the day, tools bounce out as soon as they get to the road.