Ryn Gargulinski

Creativity on Fire

guns

Have gun, will use it: Welcome to Arizona?

Arizonans like their guns – or so the reputation goes. It’s a reputation backed up by incidents like Tucson’s recent road rage altercation that left a man fatally shot in a Jack in the Box parking lot and January’s tragic mass shooting.

The gun-happy reputation is enhanced even further with tales of border shootings and home invasions, armed robberies at banks and Circle K.

More bolstering of the reputation comes from the state legislature’s hesitancy to back gun-control measures. Doing so, an Arizona Republic article explains, can easily spell the end of political ambitions – or even a career.

It’s gotten to the point where Arizona is frequently viewed as a trigger-happy state full of mayhem. Former U.S. Sen. Dennis DeConcini, who has supported gun-control measures in the past and now travels the country on the Arizona Board of Regents, told the Republic the common line he hears when others find out where he’s from.

“Now, people will say, ‘Oh, you’re from Arizona. I’m sorry.’”

When I moved to Tucson several years ago, one of my friends nonchalantly pulled a pistol from her purse and said, “Now that you live in Arizona, you have to get a gun.”

It really is that easy, with Tucson having a wider variety of gun choices than it has latest shoe styles. Options run the gamut from Smith & Wesson revolvers to never-fired Colt semi-automatics, from military pistols issued in 1840 to the sweet yet powerful Beretta with the classy walnut grips.

Some of the shoe styles only come in beige.

[Read more…] about Have gun, will use it: Welcome to Arizona?

Fleeing to Mexico does not always work: Foothills murder suspect, ‘Dangerous felon’ both back in U.S. jails

Running off to Mexico not only sounds wholly romantic, but it’s long been an ideal way to evade American law enforcement.

Stop sign in Mexico/Thinkstock

Usually.

Two men found out otherwise in two unrelated incidents that landed them both back in Arizona detention facilities.

One was a U.S. citizen, found hiding out in Sonora, wanted for murder in a Catalina Foothills neighborhood earlier this year.

The other was an illegal alien trying to slip south of the border by attempting to outrun U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

Murder suspect

Hector Ernesto Estrada/submitted photo

U.S. citizen Hector Ernesto Estrada, 33, who had a warrant out for his arrest following the April 8 homicide of 30-year-old Michael Estrada Rodriguez, was arrested in Mexico Oct. 14, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Rodriguez was found shot several times and left to die in a parking lot in the 270 block of East Camino Lomas, southwest of North First Avenue and Orange Grove Road, according to the initial news release from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

One of the homicide suspects, Raymond Negrete, 31, was arrested April 27 and charged with first-degree murder. But Estrada was nowhere to be found.

In May, the sheriff’s department asked U.S. marshals to help find Estrada. The marshals, in turn, asked Mexican authorities to help last week once marshals discovered Estrada was hiding out in Nogales, Sonora.

Investigators from the Sonora State Investigative Police (PEI) located and arrested Estrada, turning him over to marshals at the DeConcini Port of Entry to await extradition to Pima County.

Estrada now sits in Pima County Jail, charged with first-degree murder and held without bond.

“Dangerous felon”

Another man trying to flee to Mexico, a 42-year-old illegal alien with a laundry list of U.S. crimes, was nabbed trying to sneak back into his home country Oct. 12, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The man, whose identity was not disclosed, was busted by CBP officers at the Douglas Port of Entry.

“The officers noticed the man who was suspiciously walking south toward Mexico in the pedestrian lane and stopped him for further interview,” the release said. “The man avoided the officers and attempted to run south into Mexico.”

He didn’t get very far.

Further investigation revealed the guy had been not only working in the U.S. as a marijuana mule, but he had several previous felony arrests. His past charges included battery with serious bodily injury, carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm in public, transport/selling of contraband, possession of rock cocaine for sale, robbery in the first degree, infliction of corporal injury to a spouse – just to name a few.

This guy went to the Florence Detention Facility to await his appearance before a federal magistrate.

So much for these two evading law enforcement – but perhaps they still have a chance for romance.

[tnipoll]

What do you think?

Are you glad when criminals are found and brought back to U.S. or are our jails too packed already?

Where would you flee to if you were fleeing a crime?

Would you attempt to outrun officers at the border?

Ambushed after all? Medical 'experts' wrong in shooting case of Pinal County sheriff Deputy Louie Puroll

Bloody shirts don’t lie – and Pinal County sheriff Deputy Louie Puroll’s green shirt says he didn’t shoot himself in the back after all.

Pinal County Deputy Purrol's wound/submitted photo

Such is the conclusion after the Arizona Department of Public Safety tested Puroll’s shirt for gunshot residue.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies, had investigated the April 30 shooting and found “the facts of the case confirmed the accounts of the event as Deputy Puroll described,” notes the most recent release from the sheriff’s office.

Two medical bigwigs then cried foul, saying Puroll had been shot at close contact. Neither of the medical “experts” had examined the wound, but merely glanced at photographs.

The Department of Public safety concluded its testing of Puroll’s bloody shirt Oct. 8 and, although DPS refuses to comment on the testing or any aspect of the case, the sheriff’s office fills us in.

Close up of Pinal Deputy Puroll's green shirt/submitted photo

The test results are “a hole was located on the back left side of the t-shirt. The area around the hole was microscopically and chemically processed for the presence of gunshot residues. Bullet wipe was found which is consistent with the passage of a bullet; however, no gun power was detected,” said the release.

Not only does this kill off a goodly number of conspiracy theories, but it leaves the two “experts” with a very tough decision:

Would they like the egg on their faces scrambled or fried?

To recap, 53-year-old Puroll, a 15-year-veteran with the sheriff’s office, was wounded on his left side while out tracking drug smugglers near Antelope Peak.

“He was ambushed and shot,” says a May 9 letter from Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, with the shooting resulting in a multi-agency sweep. “There were over 100 illegals apprehended within our security perimeter in the remote desert area south of I-8 and west of Casa Grande, just within 24 hours we were there.”

Then came the two medical “experts” who said that’s not what happened and offered their own opinions to the Arizona Republic.

Close up of Pinal Deputy Puroll's gunshot wound/submitted photo

Puroll had to be “within inches” of the weapon, not 25 yards away, claimed Dr. Michael Baden, co-director of the New York State Police Medicolegal Investigation Unit and former chief medical examiner for New York City.

“This was fired at contact range . . . with the muzzle of the gun lying against the skin,” the Republic quoted Dr. Werner Spitz, co-author of the textbook “Medicolegal Investigation of Death” and the retired chief medical examiner of Detroit’s Wayne County.

This is not the first time at least one of the “former” and “retired” medical examiners offered his two cents on a high profile case. This is also not the first time his two cents were not even worth a penny.

Baden took the stand as an “expert” witness in the case of Ted Binion, the Las Vegas tycoon who died under suspicious circumstances in 1998.

The defense said Binion, a reported heroin addict, died of a heroin overdose.

“By all initial appearances, it seemed like an open-and-shut case: suicide or accidental death of a life-long addict by lethal overdose,” CBS’s 48 Hours reported.

Baden said no, the guy was suffocated to death.

“Not just any kind of suffocation said Baden, but a rare method of murder dating back to 19th Century England called burking – suffocating an already intoxicated person leaving minimal evidence,” said CBS News.

“Baden said Ted’s burking was botched and pointed to circular marks on Ted’s chest, “‘which, in my opinion, matches up to the buttons on the shirt.’”

There goes Baden with another theory based solely on photographs.

While his testimony helped convict the two suspected murderers of Binion, a Nevada Supreme Court Judge overturned the convictions and a second trial cleared both suspects of the murder.

“Defense lawyers would have an amazing nine medical experts of their own testify that Baden’s burking theory was dead wrong,” CBS wrote of the second trial.

“‘And they have, in a singular voice, rejected as absurd the Baden theory of burking,’ (defense attorney Tony) Serra told the court.”

How strange the bigwig medical man keeps popping up during high profile cases. If we didn’t know any better, we’d perhaps think he’s just trying to get his name in the papers.

But that, of course, may qualify as a conspiracy theory.

NOTE: This post was amended to remove DPS from being named as an agency in the initial investigation that agreed with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office on the investigation’s findings, although an earlier news release from the sheriff’s office reported it had. Terminology that refers to the case as “closed” has also been omitted.

Past posts on topic:

Who shot Pinal Deputy Puroll?

Shot deputy recovering

[tnipoll]

PHOTO NOTE: Two desert area photos include: one photo taken by “Secure Border Intelligence” that captured Deputy Puroll working the same area approximately one month prior to the shooting incident and one photo also from “Secure Border Intelligence” of armed suspects in the same location and on the same day that Deputy Puroll was photographed.

Armed suspects in area same day Puroll was photographed/submitted photo
Pinal Deputy Puroll patrolling area where he was shot about one month prior to shooting/submitted photo
Blue shirt that had been tied around Pinal Deputy Puroll's waist/submitted photo
Pinal County Deputy Louie Puroll/submitted photo

What do you think?

Do you now believe Deputy Puroll was ambushed?

Sept. 28 poll results on the question (as of Oct. 12):

Do you believe Deputy Puroll was ambushed by drug smugglers?
Yes 26%
No 59%
I don’t know. I’m too busy still wondering how O.J. was acquitted. 12%
Other – please explain in comment section of post. 0%

Potentially deadly SWAT standoff ends with PepperBall arrest, dog bite

A Tucson police SWAT standoff between about 80 police personnel and a Tucson man holed up in a midtown home containing weapons could have easily turned deadly.

Tucson police dog with officer/file photo

It instead ended with minor injuries and an arrest of the suspect, according to a Tucson Police news release.

Suspect Ronald Zimmer, 55, faces charges of second-degree burglary, criminal damage and weapons misconduct, all of which are felonies. He also suffered a small laceration to the head and a bite from a police canine.

Good dog.

The two-hour ordeal began when a 50-year-old woman called police around 2 a.m. Oct. 2 from the Bashful Bandit bar, at East Speedway and North Dodge boulevards, to report her boyfriend had just assaulted her and was now on his way to her nearby home at Third Street and Dodge.

Police were at the Bashful Bandit within five minutes of the call, noted the woman had minor injuries from the reported assault, and learned the woman’s 20-year-old son was home alone.

Zimmer also knew where the woman kept her weapons.

While police were taking her report, Zimmer was allegedly busy forcing his way into her townhouse in the 3700 block of East Third Street and grabbing at least one gun.

The woman’s son fled from the house with no injuries.

Police arrived at the townhouse to find Zimmer standing in the driveway with a rifle, which he shot into the air before returning to the house and barricading himself inside.

The negotiations began.

Officers on the scene as well as an on-duty Hostage Negotiations Unit member from another patrol division tried to negotiate with Zimmer on the phone and through a public address system.

No go.

Rather than respond to negotiations, Zimmer instead reportedly fired several shots inside the house.

By this time a K9 team and SWAT personnel were also on the scene and a call went out for addition SWAT members.

Before more members arrived, Zimmer suddenly came out of the house with a handgun pointed at his head.

“Several minutes of tense standoff ensued until the officers were able to convince the suspect to set the gun down briefly,” the release noted.

Police then unleashed PepperBall “less-lethal munitions” and a K9 to stop Zimmer from grabbing back the gun.

Zimmer was taken to the hospital to treat his injuries, with his hospital stay followed by a booking into Pima County Jail.

[tnipoll]

What do you think?

Have you seen other SWAT standoffs in action? What was the outcome?

Have you ever been hit with a PepperBall?

Have you ever used non-lethal weapons to defend yourself?

'Death, vengeance and mass murder' aim of Arizona bomb plot: 'Madman martyr' Turney gets small sentence for big scheme

Arizona man Michael Roy Turney, 62, was reportedly bent on “death, vengeance and mass murder” – and he had all the bombs, weapons and plans with which to achieve it, according to a news release from the District of Arizona’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Michael Roy Turney/AZ Republic photo

Turney outlined his plan of mass destruction in his “Diary of a Madman Martyr,” the East Valley Tribune reports, a 97-page manifesto of sorts that outlined his scheme to attack a local electrical workers’ union hall for vengeance of his step-daughter’s death.

Turney pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices and was sentenced this week to the statutory maximum sentence.

What’s the maximum sentence for such an alleged grand scheme to kill, kill, kill?

A paltry 10 years.

Perhaps sentencing guidelines need some exceptions for people who pen things called “Diary of a Madman Martyr.”

Turney’s hand-written notes, just one chunk of evidence police found in his house with their 2008 search warrant, put his whole plan down on paper.

He had letters addressed to family members and news outlets, the latter with cover letters explaining, “Inside this envelope you will find my last writings that may give some insight how I got to this point in life that my death, vengeance and mass murder ….”

Turney apparently believed two local union members were responsible for killing his step-daughter, Alissa, who went missing nearly 10 years ago. He claims she is buried in Desert Center, Calif.

His plan was to use his van in an attack on the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ union hall.

Turney allegedly intended to set his van on fire, barrel it into the fenced properly of the union 640 headquarters and shoot off 100 rounds of ammunition “at anyone moving.”

So many explosives were in his home police evacuated 21 nearby residences during the search.

Turney’s collection of mass destruction included 29 explosive devices, consisting of three incendiary devices and 26 pipe bombs.

The smaller pipe bombs were packed with gunpowder and steel shot while the largest of the lot, a pipe 2-feet long with a 6-inch diameter, also contained roofing nails.

An ATF agent, who called Turney’s cache one of the largest pipe bomb seizures in Arizona, said packing the bombs with steel shot and roofing nails “was consistent with someone intending to increase the lethality of the explosive devices and cause death or serious physical injuries to his intended victims.”

All bombs were assembled and set with fuses.

The bombs were in good company with Turney’s collection of 15 weapons. These included an array of handguns, shotguns and semi-automatic rifles, one of the rifles outfitted with a bi-pod and double barrel magazine containing 97 rounds of ammunition.

Two illegal silencers and a ballistic vest rounded out the mix.

The van in the backyard was also set to go. It contained three full propane tanks as well as 5-gallon gas canisters full of gasoline and other flammable liquids.

If the van blew up, its additional liquids of bleach, ammonia and calcium hypochlorite (HTC), “would have been toxic and poisonous for persons within the immediate surrounding atmosphere,” the FBI Laboratory, Hazardous Materials Response Unit warned in the release.

Police found a large brick next to the van’s gas pedal, which would work to keep the van barreling forward as Turney concentrated on firing rounds at the union door and anyone or anything else in his range.

If Turney does serve the full 10-year sentence, he would be 72 when released and possibly still spry enough to carry out mass murder.

Besides, sitting in a cell for a decade may give him time to further enhance his scheme – and build up more anger.

Small sentences for potentially large crimes are reminiscent of the slap on the wrists would-be killers sometimes get in domestic violence cases.

Even if someone threatens to murder his or her significant other, the law often cannot do much until the victim is already dead.

[tnipoll]

The players:
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Phoenix Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The prosecution is being handled by David A. Pimsner and Michael T. Morrissey, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix. The sentencing was by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton.

The quote:

“The cache of dangerous weapons found in Turney’s house were not for decoration-they put hundreds of Arizonans at risk ,” said Dennis Burke, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. “Turney was living in a world of delusion, was armed to the max with live bombs and ammunition and had formulated a plan to harm Arizonans. I commend the prosecutors and investigators for removing this dangerous individual from our community.”

What do you think?

Did Turney get off easy or is 10 years enough?

Will prison do anything useful for him?

Who shot Pinal Deputy Puroll: Bloody shirt prime evidence to prove ambush by drug smugglers

First we had that pesky O.J. Simpson glove. Then came Monica Lewinsky’s blue dress.

Pinal County Deputy Purrol's bloody T-shirt/submitted photo

Now we have Pinal County Sheriff Deputy Louie Puroll’s bloody T-shirt.

Puroll’s bullet-holed shirt is officially being turned over to the Arizona Department of Public Safety – and his shooting case being re-opened – in the wake of reports that question the veracity of Puroll’s account of what happened out in the desert April 30, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

To recap, 53-year-old Puroll, a 15-year-veteran with the sheriff’s office, was wounded on his left side while out tracking drug smugglers near Antelope Peak.

“He was ambushed and shot,” says a May 9 letter from Sheriff Paul Babeu, with the shooting resulting in a multi-agency sweep. “There were over 100 illegals apprehended within our security perimeter in the remote desert area south of I-8 and west of Casa Grande, just within 24 hours we were there.”

Two medical examiners, one from New York and the other out of Michigan, told the Arizona Republic there is no way Puroll was shot from afar.

He had to be “within inches” of the weapon, not 25 yards away, claims Dr. Michael Baden, co-director of the New York State Police Medicolegal Investigation Unit and former chief medical examiner for New York City.

“This was fired at contact range . . . with the muzzle of the gun lying against the skin,” the Republic quotes Dr. Werner Spitz, co-author of the textbook “Medicolegal Investigation of Death” and the retired chief medical examiner of Detroit’s Wayne County.

Close-up of Pinal County Deputy Purrol's wound on his back/submitted photo

Neither doctor treated Puroll and both made conclusions based on photos of the wound.

“If in fact a rifle was fired at Deputy Puroll within a couple of inches as Dr. Baden and Dr. Spitz have concluded,” a release from Babeu’s office says, “burn marks and residue will be present on the shirt.”

Other “law-enforcement experts” question why Puroll was patrolling alone and how smugglers got away with large loads of marijuana if so many searchers were on the scene, the Republic story adds.

The case had already been closed. Both the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety had concluded their criminal investigation and confirmed Puroll’s account of what transpired. But now the sheriff’s office is re-opening it for further investigation.

Egads – was the shooting staged only to get some attention? Is all this mumbo jumbo about dangers in the desert, like rampantly running armed drug smugglers, really just a myth?

Hopefully the shirt will help with the answers – provided, of course, it fits better than some bloody gloves.

[tnipoll]

Pinal County Deputy Purrol's wound/submitted photo