Springfield - Police nab guns, rocket launcher

[guywithglasses]

http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1209885342265010.xml&coll=1

SPRINGFIELD - A 60-year-old arms collector, whose private arsenal police said included a live anti-tank rocket launcher, was arrested yesterday afternoon after a family dispute over money.

Police responded to a domestic disturbance incident at 84 Randall St. yesterday, which led to the discovery of dozens of weapons, including machine guns, assault rifles, percussion caps, gunpowder and the rocket launcher, Police Lt. Robert Strzempek said.

It took several hours to tag all the items in the collection, Strzempek said.

Officers John Taylor and Edward Ebberston arrived at the scene around noon after Gerald Plouff, the owner of the house, allegedly threatened the life of his 33-year-old daughter during a heated argument over financial matters, Strzempek said.

"The husband and the wife are getting divorced and they were trying to decide who would get the money" when the collection is sold," Strzempek said. "He's a big collector. There's all kind of items. Apparently the daughter took the mother's side and he threatened to shoot her," Strzempek said.

Plouff "never raised an actual gun or anything," but his daughter felt threatened and called police, Strzempek said.

It turned out the weapons were illegal. "His license for those firearms is revoked," Strzempek said.

The city Arson and Bomb Squad was called at the scene at 1:39 p.m. and confiscated gunpowder, percussion caps and the launcher, Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger said.

"It appears to be some kind of foreign-made anti-tank rocket launcher. (The Arson and Bomb Squad) will be contacting the military on Monday about those items," Leger said.

Plouff faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, threatening to commit a crime, and possession of firearm without a permit.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Springfield District Court tomorrow.

 

[Scrivener]

Was the LTC revoked before or AFTER the police response?

 

[doobie]

Was the LTC revoked before or AFTER the police response?

Maybe it was a 'FID for Life.' that expired? Chase him down, maybe you can get a lot of the money from the collection to get him off the hook

 

[99si/mass]

Either way how do we get a LTC for a rocket launcher and were can we get em. Groupbuy time?

 

[Carguy]

How does he get charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon when they say he never raised a gun at his daughter?!? Is the verbal threat assault with a dangerous weapon?

 

[guywithglasses]

It's curious that there's no charge related to the "machine guns"

 

[clinotus]

How does he get charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon when they say he never raised a gun at his daughter?!? Is the verbal threat assault with a dangerous weapon?

Assault and Battery can be verbal.

I would surmise from the moment of the daughters compliant they started the 209 process which automatically suspends the license.

Hes SOL as far as the arms go, so the daughter who took the moms side just lost out on the money from the collection since the weapons were seized...assuming neither she nor the mother had LTCs...a non factor really.

She and the mom are further SOL since that money that they squabbled over is now likely to go to lawyer.

 

[Pilgrim]

a live anti-tank rocket launcher,

what is a live launcher? This is illegal?

threatening to commit a crime

This is illegal?

 

[Half Cocked]

Was the LTC revoked before or AFTER the police response?

Good question. The chief stated that the LTC "is" revoked. Not "was" revoked. Tough to decipher.

 

[vicpinto]

Let me get this straight. I feel "threatened" by you... I call the cops and they arrest you? What kind of BS is that?

 

[JonJ]

threatening to commit a crime
This is illegal?

Yes. MGL Chp 275S2

Let me get this straight. I feel "threatened" by you... I call the cops and they arrest you? What kind of BS is that?

No. Threat to commit a crime is not arrestable but the other charges are.

As has already been pointed out, there are holes in this report. He was charged with AB/DW (arrestable) but the Lt says "Plouff never raised an actual gun or anything".
The charge of AB/DW would have to be the result of Plouff actually assaulting and battering someone with a dangerous weapon.

 

[matt1956]

Maybe it was a 'FID for Life.' that expired? Chase him down, maybe you can get a lot of the money from the collection to get him off the hook

a 100 to 1 that is the case.

I tell ya, I feel much safer knowing that this horrible 60 ganster is off the streets [sarc]...

 

[Dench]

is it state policy to call the bomb squad in when they find anything that can be considered explosive including what would be under my assumption a stable explosive like a AT weapon? or are the police afraid of it?
i wonder what thell give him for a punishment for that, hes a little old to throw into jail for 20 years becasue of it...

 

[Erebus]

I think the AB/DE comes from the threat to shoot her and the fact that he clearly had access to weapons. Maybe this won't stick in court, Scriv may be able to better address this.

As far as his permit being revoked and getting charged with possession it's not clear about when his "permit" was revoked. If it was revoked that morning and they are immediately able to slap him with possession without a permit than that scares me. All it takes is someone to report any of us threatened them and they can revoke and charge, then we are all walking the razor's edge. It also doesn't state if it was an LTC or FID. But it does say revoked and not expired. If there was a live rocket with that launcher it doesn't sound like he ever had any kind of permit to cover that. Is there one?

 

[Erebus]

is it state policy to call the bomb squad in when they find anything that can be considered explosive including what would be under my assumption a stable explosive like a AT weapon? or are the police afraid of it?
i wonder what thell give him for a punishment for that, hes a little old to throw into jail for 20 years becasue of it...

Policy or not, I know I wouldn't want to handle it with absolutely no training in explosive devices. I don't know how old it is, if it's been maintained, if it needs maintenance, if it get unstable with age. And I would imagine most regular LEOs wouldn't know either.

I would call the bomb squad and let them handle it. That's what they are there for, to deal with explosives.

I wouldn't want to end up having a "Grab the cat!" moment cause I thought I could mess with something like that without knowing anything about it.

 

[jcr]

update

"WW2 German range finder was first believed to be a rocket launcher."

From
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/springfield_man_60_denies_ille.html?category=Crime

Is the scoped rifle, 2nd from bottom, an M1A?

 

[Dench]

well it does look like a super old version of a AT4. honest mistake. i would of thought it was most likly AT if i saw that to unless i really gave it a up close inspection.

 

[theGringo]

As far as his permit being revoked and getting charged with possession it's not clear about when his "permit" was revoked. If it was revoked that morning and they are immediately able to slap him with possession without a permit than that scares me. All it takes is someone to report any of us threatened them and they can revoke and charge, then we are all walking the razor's edge. It also doesn't state if it was an LTC or FID. But it does say revoked and not expired. If there was a live rocket with that launcher it doesn't sound like he ever had any kind of permit to cover that. Is there one?

This all reminds me of a line from the Jerky Boys: "That's a very sophisticated case you have there".

The law will sort it out. All the money that was being fought over by the family will be exhausted on legal defense, and the 33-yo daughter will have to go back to blowing truck drivers to earn a living.

 

[Erebus]

Well not to minimize a threat but I can't help but wonder if the threat was a flippant comment and the daughter decided to put the screws to him over it.

Either way it's going to cost them all a lot of money now that his collection has been seized and he will have to pay a lawyer. Still no clarification on what happened with the "permit" revocation.

And yes I probably would have thought it was a rocket launcher too.

 

[icyclefar]

"WW2 German range finder was first believed to be a rocket launcher."

Please excuse me while I go pee my pants.

 

[Palladin]

This all reminds me of a line from the Jerky Boys: "That's a very sophisticated case you have there".

The law will sort it out. All the money that was being fought over by the family will be exhausted on legal defense, and the 33-yo daughter will have to go back to blowing truck drivers to earn a living.

GREAT Line.!

+1

 

[Erebus]

Please excuse me while I go pee my pants.

Did you see the picture? I can easily see myself mistaking it for one.

 

[Fixxah]

Hey now...Go easy on the truck drivers...lol

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Either way it's going to cost them all a lot of money now that his collection has been seized and he will have to pay a lawyer.

Not to mention Peter Dowd's cut of the action if he gets in on the deal.

 

[pdm]

"WW2 German range finder was first believed to be a rocket launcher."

From
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/springfield_man_60_denies_ille.html?category=Crime

Is the scoped rifle, 2nd from bottom, an M1A?

Oooh, he had three whole bayonets. Be still my beating heart.

 

[Snapshot]

If there was a live rocket with that launcher it doesn't sound like he ever had any kind of permit to cover that. Is there one?

A destructive devices permit MIGHT cover it. Not that it matters cause it was really a range finder but just an FYI

 

[Snapshot]

Is the scoped rifle, 2nd from bottom, an M1A?

M1A is a proprietary name given only to M14s made by Springfield Armory. There are a half dozen decent places turning these things out on a fairly regular basis.

But yes, that looks like an M14

 

[Twigg]

Looks like the wife isn't going to be getting very much of his money now.

What with the police confiscating the collection and the legal fees now...

How does he get charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon when they say he never raised a gun at his daughter?!? Is the verbal threat assault with a dangerous weapon?

This is covered in Goal's upcoming Concealed Carry class this week.

I suggest you call and see if a seat is available.

 

[Urj]

How does he get charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon when they say he never raised a gun at his daughter?!? Is the verbal threat assault with a dangerous weapon?

My criminal law textbook defines assault as, "an intentional threat, show of force, or movement that could reasonably make a person feel in danger of physical attack..."

The assault charge comes from the explicit threat of bodily harm. Battery is the actual physical manifestation of the threat. Some places split the two terms this way, other places lump them together and call it assault and battery. Sort of along the lines of some states calling DUI a DWI or an OUI.

If someone were to walk up to you on the street, raise their fist and say "I'm going to mess you up" that's assault and you can press charges for it.

I assume the deadly weapon aspect of the charge stems from the explicit threat pertaining specifically to shooting the girl.

 

[theGringo]

criminal law

Not TOO redundant.