While today’s sizzling headlines are mainly dealing with the release of thousands of documents about the war in Afghanistan, there is another war going on right here at home, and it will ultimately affect gun owners.
How many Washingtonians are aware of the Columbia Basin incident on Saturday, July 17 that began as a routine fishing license check and quickly escalated into a life-or-death confrontation between two state Fish & Wildlife officers and a pair of hombres who just might be in this country illegally? This column says “might” because Immigration & Customs (ICE) has a hold on the pair who are now in custody, and that typically suggests the authorities are investigating their status.
Washington is not Arizona and you can bet this state’s legislature is far too sanctuary-minded to adopt legislation even remotely similar to the tough new statute in the Grand Canyon State regarding illegal aliens. Yet, Saturday’s incident should raise some alarms.
I don’t know his immigration status, but I do know that ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has a hold on both of them. Being an alien in possession of a firearm is a Class C felony. Perhaps that was his concern.” WDFW Deputy Chief Mike Cenci
Published accounts in the Tri City Herald (picked up over the weekend by the Seattle Times) and Wenatchee World detail the harrowing incident involving Wildlife officer Chad McGary and Wildlife Capt. Chris Anderson. McGary was checking fishing licenses on Lower Crab Creek that evening when he encountered Jose Juan Garcia Meraz, 18, of Mattawa and his father, Nicholas Garcia Godinez, 60, a model citizen (we’re not sure of which country, yet) who was wanted on an outstanding warrant.
Garcia Meraz did not have a fishing license, so McGary started escorting the teen back to his car. Apparently he heard something “clinking” in the suspect’s pocket, ordered him to stop and in a flash, Garcia Meraz came up with a .45-caliber handgun. Despite this state’s statute that allows unlicensed concealed carry of a handgun while engaged in legitimate outdoor activities, including fishing, nobody is likely to lose money betting that this kid was not legally-armed.
Garcia Meraz eventually was arrested after his car stalled. He has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and is being held on $1 million bond in the Grant County Jail…Garcia Godinez…has been charged with second-degree assault and was being held on $100,000 bond. Both men also had holds placed on them by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
One report said Garcia Meraz held the gun to McGary’s head, demanding that the game cop surrender his own pistol. Instead, McGary reportedly told the teen that another officer was nearby, and then tossed his gun into the brush. The teen fled and the older man pulled a knife on McGary, who eventually retrieved his pistol, arrested Garcia Godinez and alerted Anderson.
About that time, Anderson arrived in the area and gave chase to Garcia Meraz, who reportedly doubled back on the lawman and exchanged shots as their cars sped toward one another. Anderson’s vehicle was hit, but neither man was wounded.
Garcia Meraz is facing far more trouble than he would have for just fishing without a license. He was being held on $1 million bond. However, he’s not lonesome for lack of company. Garcia Godinez is in jail, too, on $100,000 bond for second-degree assault. And then there’s that little matter of the arrest warrant, not to mention the ICE hold.
During the pursuit, Garcia-Meraz turned his vehicle around and fired at (Anderson), with one round penetrating the driver-side door, Cenci said. Anderson returned fire after the man attempted to shoot at him a second time, he said. There were no injuries.
It would hardly matter if Garcia Meraz’ name was Seamus O’Leary, when an 18-year-old pulls a handgun on a Fish & Wildlife officer over a fishing license beef, gun prohibitionists do not look at this as a fishing violation gone very bad, but as an example of weak gun laws. Washington has what some people think are very lax firearms laws. They will contend this could not happen if teens could not get their hands on guns, same as they will argue the Lake Sammamish incident is why law-abiding citizens should be prohibited from legally carrying defensive handguns in state parks, as we discussed here. They ignore the reality that the wrong people, regardless of age and criminal history will always be able to get their hands on guns. This column discussed that here last Friday.
Lots of people legitimately carry firearms in the outdoors for any number of reasons, and for no reason at all. It is, after all, a civil right protected by both state and federal constitutions, and state statute. One does not need a reason to exercise a civil right, as we discussed here. This state’s outdoorsmen were having a rather spirited discussion about this incident on the Hunting-Washington forum.
But there is something else. We have laws against illegal aliens possessing firearms, same as we have laws against underage people and convicted felons from having guns. There are laws against assault, attempted murder and, yes, even fishing without a license. Please explain in as few words as possible in the space below which laws worked along Lower Crab Creek on July 17.
For more info: Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
PLEASE FORWARD the link to this column and share with all of your chat lists and forums
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE by clicking on the link above
More from Gun Rights Examiners
Atlanta Ed Stone | Austin Howard Nemerov | Boston Ron Bokleman | Charlotte Paul Valone | Cheyenne Anthony Bouchard | Chicago Don Gwinn | Cleveland Daniel White | DC Mike Stollenwerk | Denver Dan Bidstrup | Des Moines Sean McClanahan |Detroit Rob Reed | Fort Smith Steve D. Jones | Knoxville Liston Matthews | Los Angeles John Longenecker | Minneapolis John Pierce | National David Codrea | Seattle Dave Workman | St. Louis Kurt Hofmann | Tucson Chris Woodard
And Don’t forget to visit:
Comments
All of the laws worked exactly as designed. Laws do not create lawful behavior. Laws codify which behaviors are bad and to be punished. In most cases, the simple rule of doing no harm to others is sufficient.
On a related subject, should the state Fish & Wildlife officers be better trained in threat recognition?
This is yet another example of the blatent disregard for law that is brought by illegal immigration. I am disapointed that the officer was not able to kill the bastard but grateful he is still alive.
As far as I can tell none of the laws worked to dissuade, however hopefully a couple of them will function to punish the wrongdoers. While training is good... enforcement starting at the borders would be a far bigger help in this instance and many many others.
But you guys just KNOW that if all guns were illegal, not only would these dirt-bags not have been armed, but they probably wouldn't have even violated our borders by entering the country illegally. Not.
And completely off-topic: It has been rather too quiet around here lately, and I just read why on David Codrea's blog: July 19 the poster here known as Straigharrow passed away. I truly enjoyed his perspective. RIP, man.
Laws are not preventative. They exist to provide a framework for punishment.
That's yet another reason why gun control is ridiculous: it has no function other than to provide a framework to punish law-abiding citizens. Criminalizing the law-abiding is the very definition of tyranny.
Yep I'm sure they will contend this could not happen if teens could not get their hands on guns. Just like we wouldn't have drug problems if teens couldn't get their hands on drugs. Obviously our drug laws (complete prohibition of possession, manufacturing, use, sale, or purchase) are way too lax.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: NO man-made law has EVER stopped anything from happening.
I live in New Zealand and here you can buy a gun at 16 but only with a hunting licence and you cannot own handguns. I think this is a very good system because people can still own guns for home protection and hunting but not pistols which are usually only used by criminals. we only have 4 million people in New Zealand but over 1 million guns privately owned, yet our gun homicide rate is extremely low and much much lower than is the USA, this is mainly due to the face handguns are heavily restricted. seriously why do you need handguns anyway, its just unnessesary, they are more innacurate and less powerful than rifles or shotguns anyway. Americans are too obsessed with guns and need to get better hobbies.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!