Anti-gun Polls Exploit Philly Standoff, Ignore Gun Control Failures (Plus an insipid Press Release)

Anti-gun Polls Exploit Philly Standoff, Ignore Gun Control Failures August 15, 2019 By Dave Workman

Anti-gun politicians including Senators Kamala Harris and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney are being criticized for exploiting Wednesday’s shooting and subsequent standoff between Philly police and an armed suspect as more evidence for the need for additional restrictions on Second Amendment rights.

But as it turns out, the suspect in this case, identified as 36-year-old Maurice Hill, might easily be used to exemplify the abject failure of gun control laws. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Hill’s history in the adult criminal justice system began in 2001 when he was 18 and was arrested with a gun that had an altered serial number.”

He has racked up about a dozen arrests, spent time in prison for such beefs as drug dealing, illegal firearms possession and aggravated assault. He’s been convicted of prison escape, resisting arrest and fleeing from police, but the newspaper said “he beat criminal charges on everything from kidnapping to attempted murder.”

Instead of admitting that stringent gun control laws apparently failed to keep a gun out of Hill’s hands, Harris took heat for her remarks to CNN while the shooting was still happening, according to rival Fox News.

The Guardian noted that Mayor Kenney wasted no time after stepping up t a microphone to declare, “Our officers need help. They need help with gun control. They need help with keeping these weapons out of these people’s hands. This government, both on federal and state level, don’t want to do anything about getting these guns off the streets and getting them out of the hands of criminals.”

Six officers were wounded in the confrontation, which became an hours-long standoff. All have reportedly been treated and none of the wounds was life-threatening.

It started when Philadelphia police tried to serve a warrant. As the Inquirer noted, “his record would indicate, he does not like to go to prison.”

Maybe that’s because he’s spent so much time there. He drew a 55-month sentence back in 2010, and he was jailed in 2008 after pleading guilty to possession of a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver and a Taurus PT .45 semi-auto pistol.

“His prior felony convictions should have barred him from owning those weapons,” the Inquirer report noted.

Convicted of perjury in 2013, he was sentenced to seven years’ probation. It’s only been six years since that conviction.

So, what’s a fellow with this background doing on the streets, much less with a firearm? That’s a question anti-gunners answer only by demanding more restrictions on law-abiding citizens, rights activists complain. The issue was even mentioned in a tweet from President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Harris and fellow anti-gun Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren are both in hot water over statements that black teenager Michael Brown, who was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri five years ago, was “murdered.”

Fox News noted that Washington Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler had awarded both senators, who are also running for their party’s presidential nomination, four “Pinocchios” over their claims, which is tantamount to calling someone a liar. As Fox reported, Harris and Warren both mentioned Brown’s shooting in tweets last week.

“Michael Brown’s murder forever changed Ferguson and America,” Harris tweeted, according to the Fox report. “His tragic death sparked a desperately needed conversation and a nationwide movement. We must fight for stronger accountability and racial equity in our justice system.”

Meanwhile, Warren reportedly tweeted this message: “5 years ago Michael Brown was murdered by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Michael was unarmed yet he was shot 6 times. I stand with activists and organizers who continue the fight for justice for Michael. We must confront systemic racism and police violence head on.”

This happened on the anniversary of Brown’s death. Fox News noted, “But the fact-checkers said the evidence in the case contradicts the comments by Harris and Warren: Three months after the shooting, a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson. And in March of 2015, a report released by President Barack Obama’s Department of Justice found that Officer Darren Wilson most likely had reason to fear for his life and did not break the law when shooting Brown.

“In awarding the Pinocchios (sic), the Washington Post’s Kessler wrote: ‘Harris and Warren have ignored the findings of the Justice Department to accuse Wilson of murder, even though the Justice Department found no credible evidence to support that claim,’” Fox added.

Mayor Kenney today delivered the following statement regarding the shooting incident Wednesday evening in North Philadelphia.

Mayor Kinney official website: Remarks as prepared; check against delivery:

Wednesday was a heart-wrenching day for the City of Philadelphia.

As you know, six police officers were struck by gunfire and others were injured while responding to the scene of an extremely dangerous incident.

I am grateful that their injuries were not life-threatening. My prayers are with them and their families as they recover.

I commend Police Commissioner Richard Ross and the brave officers of the Philadelphia Police Department.

Their careful and professional response, which spanned seven hours, ensured the safety of their fellow officers and the residents of North Philadelphia.

In the face of what could have been a horrific tragedy, the peaceful resolution of the incident marks one of the finest moments in the history of the Department, and I am proud of every officer who was involved.

The fact that our officers found themselves under such an attack while trying to carry out a basic function of their job is reprehensible.

Seeing an entire neighborhood put in harm’s way was nothing short of devastating. We can and must do more to protect our officers and all Philadelphians.

Of course, this incident is a reminder — a harsh reminder — of the devastating reality Americans face every day.

Whether it is mass shootings like we saw last week in El Paso and Dayton, guns have flooded American cities, leading to senseless — and preventable — violence.

In fact, as dozens of officers were responding to the North Philadelphia incident last night, others in South Philadelphia were responding to another shooting — a man, shot in the head and later pronounced dead.

That incident didn’t draw national attention. It happens daily in this city and many others across the nation.

But a life was lost last night — to gun violence — here in Philadelphia. And like so many other shootings, it goes unnoticed.

As I said last night, our officers need help. They need help keeping these weapons out of the hands of wrong-doers.

No one should have access to the kind of weaponry and fire power that we saw in the North Philadelphia incident.

Several weeks ago, I attended a meeting of faith-based leaders in Philadelphia who are concerned about gun violence.

Like the police, they are also on the front lines of this crisis. They are working every day to bring hope — and faith — to their communities.

And they look to us here in government for answers. I sat during that meeting and heard their pleas for help, and saw the despair in their eyes.

Ministers, pastors, rabbis, imams — they came looking for our help.

I told them simply, we are trying. In January we launched a series of anti-violence initiatives that we believe can make a difference.

But I also told those men and women of faith the simple truth — we here in city government can only do so much.

Getting relief in the form of meaningful gun control legislation will save lives — the lives of residents, and the lives of the men and women who have sworn to protect us.

Incidents like this should not keep happening—not in our city, not in our country. If we fail to act, we will continue to see gun violence ravage our communities and tear families apart.

So I say to our state and federal lawmakers: step up — or step aside.

Help our police officers. Help our clergy. Help our children.

And if you choose NOT to help us, then get out of the way — and allow cities like Philadelphia that struggle with gun violence to enact our own solutions.

Thank you, and now Police Commissioner Ross will provide an update on last night’s events.