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Gun control in Cache Valley By
Sam Springer LOGAN -- Last week, police were called to the Mt. Logan Clinic at 246 E. 1260 North in response to a suicidal man. The man was Craig Garrett, 51, of Preston, and in a turn of events Logan police officers Mark Robinson and Shand Nazer began struggling with Garrett and realized he had a semiautomatic handgun in the waistline of his pants. During the struggle the firearm discharged, hitting Robinson just above the ankle and exiting through his foot. "The police gods were watching down on them that day," said Logan Police Captain Russell J. Roper. Robinson was the only officer struck by the bullet during the struggle, and police did not return fire. It is not known whether or not the weapon was intentionally fired during the struggle, but "Garrett's intentions seemed clear," said Roper. "Earlier in the day he threatened suicide, and he then shows up later at the clinic with a loaded firearm." Buzzy Mullahkhel, a computer technician working at the mental health clinic, said he was close enough to hear the officers' conversation with Garrett before the shot was fired. "The conversation was normal and before you knew it things got out of control," Mullahkhel said. "Then when the shot was fired it was loud enough to make your ears ring." Mullahkhel along with a few workers and patients escaped through a back door, he said, trying to reach a nearby Mr. Mac clothing store for safety. Garrett could face five charges including violation of a concealed weapon, which Roper said he did not have a permit for, discharging a firearm within city limits, reckless endangerment, second degree aggravated assault on the officer who was injured, and a third degree aggravated assault on the danger imposed to Nazer, the other officer. Although Garrett is from Idaho, he would be subject to Utah law because that is where the crime was committed. However, in cases dealing with firearms, the crime falls under federal statute. Utah law prohibits the carrying of a concealed weapon without proper permits. A permit to carry a concealed firearm in the State of Utah may be obtained by completing the instructions, and meeting the requirements as outlined on theapplication for a concealed firearm permit. The medical records of Garrett are unable to be released due to patient confidentiality laws, and will not be available until his case goes to trial. However, there are no laws that say a person who is threatening suicide can't own a gun. There are laws in place that do not permit you to own a gun if you have any history of mental illness. "Those laws are hard to impose," said Roper. Gun control issues have long been a back and forth struggle for lawmakers in America. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads, "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This amendment is considered by some to be scripture, and others deem it as archaic writing. Each side of the argument has adament supporters. The most visible group in favor of more federal regulation isHandgun Control (the Brady Center), along with its affiliate organization, the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence. On the other end of the debate is theNational Rifle Association (NRA). The argument of gun control lobbiests contends that when the founders of the Constitution drew up the second amendment, they added it at a time when invasion of the United States was a possibility, and in a time such as today when the United States has no need for a militia, many people see it as an outdated amendment that no longer serves a purpose. In stark contrast to gun control lobbiests, the NRA sees the Second Amendment like all of the other parts of the Bill of Rights, which serve as expressions of our individual rights that are basic to what the American culture stands for. Both sides stand firmly by their arguments, as the debate continues in Congress whether or not to tighten gun control laws.
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