W.E.G.
Member
VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/19/08
-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Van Cleave
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 2:47 PM
Subject: VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/19/08
VCDL Update 8/19/08 - "Defending your right to defend yourself."
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
2. CHP renewal correction
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
8. Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
9. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial on Atlanta airport ruling
10. GeorgiaCarry.org's page on the litigation
11. Texas school district gets it right, permits teacher carry
12. Who needs a gun at the Olympics?
13. Who needs a gun in a National Park? (TN)
14. Democrats ban talk of guns at convention's "Town Hall"
15. Gun shows and events!
**************************************************
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
**************************************************
As you may recall when anti-gun Senator Henry Marsh's gun show bill
was in the Senate Courts of Justice committee earlier this year, the
bill was killed.
In committee, Senator Marsh threw a hissy fit over the bill dying. In
order to calm him down the committee ended up referring the bill to
the Crime Commission for further study.
Well, the Crime Commission is going to meet at 10:00 AM on Tuesday,
September 9th in Senate Room A in the General Assembly Building. Gun
owners need to be there to make it known that we vehemently oppose
Senator Mash's bill (SB 109)!
The anti's are trying to get a lot of their members to attend and we
need to outnumber them!
I will be there with with large orange Guns Save Lives stickers to
hand out to those of you who are planning on being there.
**************************************************
2. CHP renewal correction
**************************************************
VCDL EM Ron Hyson suggested I make a clarification to the new CHP
renewal procedures I described in last week's update and so I shall.
You only have to renew your CHP between 90 and 180 day ahead of
expiration IF you want your new permit's effective date to begin on
the date the old permit expires.
You can renew with less than 90 days before expiration, but your new
permit will probably have an effective date that is before your old
permit expires, costing you to lose some days or weeks off your old
permit.
At a minimum you should renew at least 45 days before expiration as
the Court has that long to issue your new permit.
**************************************************
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
**************************************************
I don't know any more about this case than what Mr. Yates says below.
I don't know if there was any mitigating circumstance that forced him
to plead guilty. But once you do so and are convicted, it is hard to
get your case reheard later.
http://tinyurl.com/5dt968
starexponent.com
Glenn M. Yates Jr.
Published: August 8, 2008
Imagine working every day to support your family. Obeying the law,
living without a criminal record. Married to the woman you've been
involved with since 1999. Imagine this woman having your children and
living a Christian lifestyle.
Now imagine three violent felons with extensive criminal records
coming to your home on a rainy day, with the stated intent of killing
you, hurting your family and abducting your children. Imagine you are
the only thing that stands between your family and these aggressors.
Then, you're blindsided, eye swollen and hurt. You call out for these
criminals to leave. No one listens and you see anger in their eyes.
Desperately you fire a legal weapon, wounding one of the assailants.
Do you finish him off? No, you render first aid, you call the police
and basically save the life of your assailant.
Now imagine when the police arrive, from your own phone call, you are
charged as the criminal. You are read your rights. You are charged
with three felonies ranging from 27 years to life.
You are taken from your family in handcuffs. You are placed at the
mercy of a system you know nothing about because you have never before
been in trouble.
Now stop imagining because all that you've read has happened to me. On
Sept. 26, I was wrongfully convicted after being coerced by a court-
appointed counsel and the commonwealth's attorney's office. I was
given a sentence of 30 years, with 20 suspended.
Keep in mind that I have had employment since 11 years old, went to
Culinary School after graduation and have four small children, ages 6,
4, 2, and 6 months old.
You would think that truth, protection and rights would prevail in
this matter. No, it's just more of the lies and wrongful protection
we've seen in the past. Only in Culpeper would a man protecting his
home and family receive a greater sentence than known drug dealers,
pedophiles and molesters.
My wife is forced to use food stamps and public assistance to support
our children. In this, my family is made to be a burden to the good
people of Virginia, making you also the victim of this wrongful
prosecution.
As an American citizen, you have the right to bear arms. I had a
legal, registered firearm. I was at my home defending my family and
myself. I was raised to tell the truth, which I did, and was punished
for it. Not being a criminal and having been focused on raising our
children, I was incompetent of the law, and the commonwealth took
advantage of this.
The transcripts are on the record; look at the facts.
Please, my good people of the home I've known for 20 years: Write to
the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office or myself; write to local
organizations or churches to bring attention to this great injustice.
I'm not asking for just myself, but for my four beautiful children.
I truly believe the Lord prevails in all situations of my life.
Glenn M. Yates Jr. is a resident of Culpeper.
Editor's note: Yates pleaded guilty to aggravated malicious wounding.
His case has been appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
**************************************************
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
**************************************************
I received this letter from a member in Hopewell. I'm glad he is OK,
but it is another example of how crime happens when you least expect
it and why I am always armed whenever possible. It also shows that it
is a good idea to be alert when you come home to an 'empty' house.
--
Philip,
I'm writing this to let the VCDL community know that one cannot be too
prepared.
Friday, August 8th, I came home from work at about 2:40 p.m. I
unlocked the front door and noticed that the alarm was not on. My
daughter must have forgot to turn it on when she left earlier. Usually
when I enter the house, my two cats are waiting on me and want me to
pet them. Well, one acted normal and the other one came to me and then
immediately ran behind and underneath the couch (a sign I missed). I
laid my motorcycle helmet down and took off my riding pants and jacket.
I tried to call a friend on my cell phone. Then I tried to chirp
another friend on the Nextel. I picked up my helmet, as it had fallen
off of the motorcycle and I had to wipe it off. I carried it and the
Nextel as I went from the living room into the hallway.
Well, this is where things went downhill. Four young men jumped me,
beat me, and threw me to the ground. They handcuffed me, taped my legs
together, then picked me up and, with a gun to my head, forced me to
open my safe (which only held ammo and mags). Then they pushed me into
my bedroom and forced me to open three small, pistol-size safes (one
of which contained my loaded Glock 27).
They then asked me where the guns were (while hitting me and pointing
the gun at me). I told them the guns were in the safe in the basement.
They then dragged me to the basement steps and I managed to get down
by myself (one scumbag suggested to another to push me down).
I opened the safe and they put me in my food closet (old half bath),
and pushed the chest freezer against it. After I did not hear them, I
cut the tape off of my legs (I had my box cutter clipped in my right
pocket). I forced the door open and escaped through the basement
(cellar) door and ran to the house behind me (I live on a corner).
They made off with 22 guns: 5 AR-15s, 2 SKSs, 4 Glocks, 6 S&W
revolvers, and a few others.
Not a good day.
However, I am happy to have lived through the ordeal. My left eye was
beaten, but it should be fine.
**************************************************
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
**************************************************
Here is a copy of a letter that a gun owner sent to BB&T last week.
Perhaps Virginia should revoke Ms. Bocckinfuso's Notary Public status
for not notarizing a legal document that she didn't agree with:
--
August 7, 2008
Doug P. Hackett
BB&T
310 First St 2nd Floor
Roanoke, VA 24011-1929
Dear Mr. Hackett:
I recently had an incident at the Westlake Branch of BB&T on Booker T.
Washington Highway in Hardy, Va. I would like to make you aware of the
circumstances surrounding this incident.
My husband and I went to the bank, he to do some transactions and me
to have a paper notarized. I asked a woman by the name of Harriet
Bocckinfuso (card attached) if she was a notary. She stated, "Yes,"
and asked what would I need notarized. I stated, "Papers for my gun
permit." She was visibly unsettled by my request and went into an
office, spoke to someone, came back out and stated, "I don't feel
comfortable signing this." I responded with, "Excuse me?" and she
replied, "We don't feel comfortable." We left the bank and went across
to Bank of America where we have another account, and within minutes
it was notarized.
Now let me mention this was for a renewal permit. I have been legally
using firearms for 40 years. I have had permits in New York,
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire and currently hold a valid out of
state Connecticut gun permit as well as Virginia.
Two days ago, I returned to the bank to get the business card and to
ask Mrs. Bocckinfuso why she refused to sign the official document, as
all she was asked to do was to verify my signature. She refused to
give me a reason except to say "she didn't like the looks of the
document." (Is she going to call Franklin County and tell them she
doesn't approve of their legal document? I think not.)
I feel that this was a personal issue, perhaps a dislike of firearms,
which in any case should not be reflected in dealing with the daily
business of the bank.
I feel this individual has not acted in a professional manner and I
would greatly appreciate a response.
We will be closing our account at BB&T and transferring our account to
Bank of America.
Sincerely,
Katrina D
**************************************************
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
**************************************************
Another sad reminder that there are some very evil people that will
kill you in a heartbeat, with no remorse whatsoever. A Virginia Beach
detective working undercover paid the ultimate price for being in
contact with such scum.
Our condolences go to Officer Phillips's family:
http://tinyurl.com/6ouryu
myfoxhamptonroads.com
Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
Last Edited: Monday, 11 Aug 2008, 10:24 PM EDT
Created: Friday, 08 Aug 2008, 8:48 AM EDT
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY.com) -- For the second time in a week,
police cars surround the parking lot on Holland Road and Lynnhaven
Parkway. The first time, it was to protect the integrity of a crime
scene.
Now, it is to protect the memory of the officer who lost his life at
the scene.
Hundreds gathered around the makeshift memorial in the parking spot
where Officer Michael Phillips was shot in an undercover drug bust.
It was this circle of comfort that welcomed the family of the fallen
officer as they made their way towards the center. His wife and his
two boys.
Left without a father, without a husband, and without a fellow police
officer, it is the burning memory of a hero that warms them now, a
memory the crowd will not let go out.
Phillips' life as an undercover officer makes it difficult to find out
too much about his job. But while his work is shrouded in secrecy,
his memory will be carried with respect.
----
Virginia Beach Police detective shot and killed during undercover
operation
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (myfoxhamptonroads.com) -- Police have released
the names of the two suspects charged with killing Virginia Beach
police detective Michael Smith Phillips.
23-year-old Ted Carter and 26-year-old Marshall Moyd, both of the 900
block of S. Clubhouse Road, are charged with First Degree Murder, Use
of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Conspiracy to Violate
the Drug Conspiracy Act. They are expected in court for a hearing
Friday afternoon.
Police spokesman MPO Adam Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com,
Detective Phillips was a member of the Special Investigations
Department for six years. He was shot and killed during an undercover
operation. According to MPO Bernstein, Phillips also served for the
Hampton Police Department for three years prior to joining VBPD in
August 2002.
Detective Phillips is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 12 and 8.
The shooting happened at the Green Run Shopping Center parking lot on
Holland Rd around 11:15 p.m., Bernstein said. "At some point during
the operation the officer was shot." Rescue crews rushed to the scene,
but the officer was pronounced dead.
Police roped off nearly an entire block around the scene. "I heard a
bunch of sirens, came out and saw about a million cops," one neighbor
told myfoxhamptonroads.com. For several hours police detoured traffic
around the scene.
Minutes after the shooting, officers took two men into custody in
front of Zoots Dry Cleaners on Lynnhaven Blvd., around the corner from
the originial crime scene. An SUV could be seen facing the wrong
direction with its doors open.
With heavy hearts, detectives searched for evidence to help them
understand what led to the shooting. Bernstein did not provide details
of the undercover operation. Other officers covered their badges with
black stripes. "This is to honor and show respect for the officer and
his family," Bernstein said. "This affects us all, not just in
Virginia Beach, but nationwide."
Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake
Jacocks delivered the sad news to the officer's wife and children.
"It's the worst part of the chief's job - knocking on that door and
telling his family this has happened."
Shortly after sunrise Friday morning, a tow truck removed a blue
pickup truck from the scene. The driver's window on the pickup had
been shattered.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the Virginia Beach Police
Department has had 10 officers killed in the Line of Duty, since 1923.
That includes Officer Rodney Pocceschi, who was shot and killed on
June 23, 2003, while making a traffic stop on Dam Neck road.
**************************************************
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/5ercm6
fredericksburg.com
What price guns? Victims of violence
August 13, 2008 12:15 am
David R. Sadler's response ["Amrhine's views on guns ill-informed,"
July 30] to Richard Amrhine's July 20 column has merit--most gun
owners of this country would agree with it.
Most amendments of the Bill of Rights have a cost to allow each
freedom that is guaranteed. Free speech tolerates hurtful ideas.
The issue is not if the gun was obtained legally or not. It is if we
as a society are willing to sacrifice our family members to random
acts of gun violence.
The Second Amendment's cost is that there are victims of gun violence.
That is the price American society pays for that freedom.
For the families affected by gun violence, the price keeps increasing
every year.
Kevin Morrow
Stafford
Message truncated to conform with board’s character-limit.
For full message see [/url]http://www.vcdl.org[/url]
-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Van Cleave
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 2:47 PM
Subject: VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/19/08
VCDL Update 8/19/08 - "Defending your right to defend yourself."
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
2. CHP renewal correction
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
8. Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
9. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial on Atlanta airport ruling
10. GeorgiaCarry.org's page on the litigation
11. Texas school district gets it right, permits teacher carry
12. Who needs a gun at the Olympics?
13. Who needs a gun in a National Park? (TN)
14. Democrats ban talk of guns at convention's "Town Hall"
15. Gun shows and events!
**************************************************
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
**************************************************
As you may recall when anti-gun Senator Henry Marsh's gun show bill
was in the Senate Courts of Justice committee earlier this year, the
bill was killed.
In committee, Senator Marsh threw a hissy fit over the bill dying. In
order to calm him down the committee ended up referring the bill to
the Crime Commission for further study.
Well, the Crime Commission is going to meet at 10:00 AM on Tuesday,
September 9th in Senate Room A in the General Assembly Building. Gun
owners need to be there to make it known that we vehemently oppose
Senator Mash's bill (SB 109)!
The anti's are trying to get a lot of their members to attend and we
need to outnumber them!
I will be there with with large orange Guns Save Lives stickers to
hand out to those of you who are planning on being there.
**************************************************
2. CHP renewal correction
**************************************************
VCDL EM Ron Hyson suggested I make a clarification to the new CHP
renewal procedures I described in last week's update and so I shall.
You only have to renew your CHP between 90 and 180 day ahead of
expiration IF you want your new permit's effective date to begin on
the date the old permit expires.
You can renew with less than 90 days before expiration, but your new
permit will probably have an effective date that is before your old
permit expires, costing you to lose some days or weeks off your old
permit.
At a minimum you should renew at least 45 days before expiration as
the Court has that long to issue your new permit.
**************************************************
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
**************************************************
I don't know any more about this case than what Mr. Yates says below.
I don't know if there was any mitigating circumstance that forced him
to plead guilty. But once you do so and are convicted, it is hard to
get your case reheard later.
http://tinyurl.com/5dt968
starexponent.com
Glenn M. Yates Jr.
Published: August 8, 2008
Imagine working every day to support your family. Obeying the law,
living without a criminal record. Married to the woman you've been
involved with since 1999. Imagine this woman having your children and
living a Christian lifestyle.
Now imagine three violent felons with extensive criminal records
coming to your home on a rainy day, with the stated intent of killing
you, hurting your family and abducting your children. Imagine you are
the only thing that stands between your family and these aggressors.
Then, you're blindsided, eye swollen and hurt. You call out for these
criminals to leave. No one listens and you see anger in their eyes.
Desperately you fire a legal weapon, wounding one of the assailants.
Do you finish him off? No, you render first aid, you call the police
and basically save the life of your assailant.
Now imagine when the police arrive, from your own phone call, you are
charged as the criminal. You are read your rights. You are charged
with three felonies ranging from 27 years to life.
You are taken from your family in handcuffs. You are placed at the
mercy of a system you know nothing about because you have never before
been in trouble.
Now stop imagining because all that you've read has happened to me. On
Sept. 26, I was wrongfully convicted after being coerced by a court-
appointed counsel and the commonwealth's attorney's office. I was
given a sentence of 30 years, with 20 suspended.
Keep in mind that I have had employment since 11 years old, went to
Culinary School after graduation and have four small children, ages 6,
4, 2, and 6 months old.
You would think that truth, protection and rights would prevail in
this matter. No, it's just more of the lies and wrongful protection
we've seen in the past. Only in Culpeper would a man protecting his
home and family receive a greater sentence than known drug dealers,
pedophiles and molesters.
My wife is forced to use food stamps and public assistance to support
our children. In this, my family is made to be a burden to the good
people of Virginia, making you also the victim of this wrongful
prosecution.
As an American citizen, you have the right to bear arms. I had a
legal, registered firearm. I was at my home defending my family and
myself. I was raised to tell the truth, which I did, and was punished
for it. Not being a criminal and having been focused on raising our
children, I was incompetent of the law, and the commonwealth took
advantage of this.
The transcripts are on the record; look at the facts.
Please, my good people of the home I've known for 20 years: Write to
the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office or myself; write to local
organizations or churches to bring attention to this great injustice.
I'm not asking for just myself, but for my four beautiful children.
I truly believe the Lord prevails in all situations of my life.
Glenn M. Yates Jr. is a resident of Culpeper.
Editor's note: Yates pleaded guilty to aggravated malicious wounding.
His case has been appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
**************************************************
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
**************************************************
I received this letter from a member in Hopewell. I'm glad he is OK,
but it is another example of how crime happens when you least expect
it and why I am always armed whenever possible. It also shows that it
is a good idea to be alert when you come home to an 'empty' house.
--
Philip,
I'm writing this to let the VCDL community know that one cannot be too
prepared.
Friday, August 8th, I came home from work at about 2:40 p.m. I
unlocked the front door and noticed that the alarm was not on. My
daughter must have forgot to turn it on when she left earlier. Usually
when I enter the house, my two cats are waiting on me and want me to
pet them. Well, one acted normal and the other one came to me and then
immediately ran behind and underneath the couch (a sign I missed). I
laid my motorcycle helmet down and took off my riding pants and jacket.
I tried to call a friend on my cell phone. Then I tried to chirp
another friend on the Nextel. I picked up my helmet, as it had fallen
off of the motorcycle and I had to wipe it off. I carried it and the
Nextel as I went from the living room into the hallway.
Well, this is where things went downhill. Four young men jumped me,
beat me, and threw me to the ground. They handcuffed me, taped my legs
together, then picked me up and, with a gun to my head, forced me to
open my safe (which only held ammo and mags). Then they pushed me into
my bedroom and forced me to open three small, pistol-size safes (one
of which contained my loaded Glock 27).
They then asked me where the guns were (while hitting me and pointing
the gun at me). I told them the guns were in the safe in the basement.
They then dragged me to the basement steps and I managed to get down
by myself (one scumbag suggested to another to push me down).
I opened the safe and they put me in my food closet (old half bath),
and pushed the chest freezer against it. After I did not hear them, I
cut the tape off of my legs (I had my box cutter clipped in my right
pocket). I forced the door open and escaped through the basement
(cellar) door and ran to the house behind me (I live on a corner).
They made off with 22 guns: 5 AR-15s, 2 SKSs, 4 Glocks, 6 S&W
revolvers, and a few others.
Not a good day.
However, I am happy to have lived through the ordeal. My left eye was
beaten, but it should be fine.
**************************************************
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
**************************************************
Here is a copy of a letter that a gun owner sent to BB&T last week.
Perhaps Virginia should revoke Ms. Bocckinfuso's Notary Public status
for not notarizing a legal document that she didn't agree with:
--
August 7, 2008
Doug P. Hackett
BB&T
310 First St 2nd Floor
Roanoke, VA 24011-1929
Dear Mr. Hackett:
I recently had an incident at the Westlake Branch of BB&T on Booker T.
Washington Highway in Hardy, Va. I would like to make you aware of the
circumstances surrounding this incident.
My husband and I went to the bank, he to do some transactions and me
to have a paper notarized. I asked a woman by the name of Harriet
Bocckinfuso (card attached) if she was a notary. She stated, "Yes,"
and asked what would I need notarized. I stated, "Papers for my gun
permit." She was visibly unsettled by my request and went into an
office, spoke to someone, came back out and stated, "I don't feel
comfortable signing this." I responded with, "Excuse me?" and she
replied, "We don't feel comfortable." We left the bank and went across
to Bank of America where we have another account, and within minutes
it was notarized.
Now let me mention this was for a renewal permit. I have been legally
using firearms for 40 years. I have had permits in New York,
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire and currently hold a valid out of
state Connecticut gun permit as well as Virginia.
Two days ago, I returned to the bank to get the business card and to
ask Mrs. Bocckinfuso why she refused to sign the official document, as
all she was asked to do was to verify my signature. She refused to
give me a reason except to say "she didn't like the looks of the
document." (Is she going to call Franklin County and tell them she
doesn't approve of their legal document? I think not.)
I feel that this was a personal issue, perhaps a dislike of firearms,
which in any case should not be reflected in dealing with the daily
business of the bank.
I feel this individual has not acted in a professional manner and I
would greatly appreciate a response.
We will be closing our account at BB&T and transferring our account to
Bank of America.
Sincerely,
Katrina D
**************************************************
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
**************************************************
Another sad reminder that there are some very evil people that will
kill you in a heartbeat, with no remorse whatsoever. A Virginia Beach
detective working undercover paid the ultimate price for being in
contact with such scum.
Our condolences go to Officer Phillips's family:
http://tinyurl.com/6ouryu
myfoxhamptonroads.com
Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
Last Edited: Monday, 11 Aug 2008, 10:24 PM EDT
Created: Friday, 08 Aug 2008, 8:48 AM EDT
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY.com) -- For the second time in a week,
police cars surround the parking lot on Holland Road and Lynnhaven
Parkway. The first time, it was to protect the integrity of a crime
scene.
Now, it is to protect the memory of the officer who lost his life at
the scene.
Hundreds gathered around the makeshift memorial in the parking spot
where Officer Michael Phillips was shot in an undercover drug bust.
It was this circle of comfort that welcomed the family of the fallen
officer as they made their way towards the center. His wife and his
two boys.
Left without a father, without a husband, and without a fellow police
officer, it is the burning memory of a hero that warms them now, a
memory the crowd will not let go out.
Phillips' life as an undercover officer makes it difficult to find out
too much about his job. But while his work is shrouded in secrecy,
his memory will be carried with respect.
----
Virginia Beach Police detective shot and killed during undercover
operation
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (myfoxhamptonroads.com) -- Police have released
the names of the two suspects charged with killing Virginia Beach
police detective Michael Smith Phillips.
23-year-old Ted Carter and 26-year-old Marshall Moyd, both of the 900
block of S. Clubhouse Road, are charged with First Degree Murder, Use
of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Conspiracy to Violate
the Drug Conspiracy Act. They are expected in court for a hearing
Friday afternoon.
Police spokesman MPO Adam Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com,
Detective Phillips was a member of the Special Investigations
Department for six years. He was shot and killed during an undercover
operation. According to MPO Bernstein, Phillips also served for the
Hampton Police Department for three years prior to joining VBPD in
August 2002.
Detective Phillips is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 12 and 8.
The shooting happened at the Green Run Shopping Center parking lot on
Holland Rd around 11:15 p.m., Bernstein said. "At some point during
the operation the officer was shot." Rescue crews rushed to the scene,
but the officer was pronounced dead.
Police roped off nearly an entire block around the scene. "I heard a
bunch of sirens, came out and saw about a million cops," one neighbor
told myfoxhamptonroads.com. For several hours police detoured traffic
around the scene.
Minutes after the shooting, officers took two men into custody in
front of Zoots Dry Cleaners on Lynnhaven Blvd., around the corner from
the originial crime scene. An SUV could be seen facing the wrong
direction with its doors open.
With heavy hearts, detectives searched for evidence to help them
understand what led to the shooting. Bernstein did not provide details
of the undercover operation. Other officers covered their badges with
black stripes. "This is to honor and show respect for the officer and
his family," Bernstein said. "This affects us all, not just in
Virginia Beach, but nationwide."
Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake
Jacocks delivered the sad news to the officer's wife and children.
"It's the worst part of the chief's job - knocking on that door and
telling his family this has happened."
Shortly after sunrise Friday morning, a tow truck removed a blue
pickup truck from the scene. The driver's window on the pickup had
been shattered.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the Virginia Beach Police
Department has had 10 officers killed in the Line of Duty, since 1923.
That includes Officer Rodney Pocceschi, who was shot and killed on
June 23, 2003, while making a traffic stop on Dam Neck road.
**************************************************
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/5ercm6
fredericksburg.com
What price guns? Victims of violence
August 13, 2008 12:15 am
David R. Sadler's response ["Amrhine's views on guns ill-informed,"
July 30] to Richard Amrhine's July 20 column has merit--most gun
owners of this country would agree with it.
Most amendments of the Bill of Rights have a cost to allow each
freedom that is guaranteed. Free speech tolerates hurtful ideas.
The issue is not if the gun was obtained legally or not. It is if we
as a society are willing to sacrifice our family members to random
acts of gun violence.
The Second Amendment's cost is that there are victims of gun violence.
That is the price American society pays for that freedom.
For the families affected by gun violence, the price keeps increasing
every year.
Kevin Morrow
Stafford
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