Jackson Free Press

What!?! Just because a man is a "homeowner" firing at apparent "thugs" with his semiautomatic, the JPD doesn't check his background? Good Lord. There goes another Clarion-Ledger front-page hero.

According to federal court documents, officers also found 215 ecstasy pills hidden inside a hollowed-out spray starch can and $14,000 cash inside Hamblin's home.
So far, Hamblin has been charged with illegal gun possession. Jackson police did not charge Hamblin in connection with the shooting, saying he was protecting his property. Jackson Police Cmdr. Ron Sampson said officers didn't check Hamblin's background because he cooperated with police, so they had no reason to check on him.

Previous Commentsshow

And remember that Sampson is the new Precinct 4 commander sent in to clean things up.

DonnaLadd

Oct 9 2007

Yeah, if someone fires a gun in a residential area, you would think---innocent via the Castle doctrine, or not, they would run their name through the NCIC just to be on the safe side. This way, they'd at least know who they're dealing with. More expert "crime fightin'", I guess.

Cliff Cargill

Oct 9 2007

Oh, and franke... your new commander...damn, he's good!

Cliff Cargill

Oct 9 2007

A "crack house" is torn down (and no crack was discovered) in the name of "fighting crime" (the same year that JPD had 0 arrests for illegal drug sales). And now this... 215 ecstasy pills and AGAIN NO ARREST?

xxgreg

Oct 9 2007

Right, Cliff. This is the kind of stuff you and I agree on. How in hell do you know to BELIEVE him about protecting his home if you don't bother to even check the basics? Another instance of JPD mishandling a gun situation.

DonnaLadd

Oct 9 2007

You make a good point, greg. Why no arrest for the ecstasy? Just what is supposed to make us believe that this police department/administration has any interest whatsoever in stopping the drug trade?

DonnaLadd

Oct 9 2007

The polices were likely so impressed by Hamblin's good police work that they weren't interested in shaking down an apparent good samaritan. The police department needs help. If the Mayor and Chief can't help why not accept the able and timely help of good citizen like Hmablin who shouldn't have a gun in the first place. The legislatures across the country and in our nation's capital should create a lesser included offense or excuse/defense for felons putting guns to good use such as shooting robbers and other harmful criminals while being accosted or broken into. I've told many of my felonious ex-clients and relatives who live in crime-ridden areas they can't possess a gun anymore and instead should keep some hot grease on the stove or a bat with nails in it to protect themselves. They get guns anyway. Charges will likely now be filed to save face on the drug charge.

Ray Carter

Oct 9 2007

Right about now, Osama bin Laden could be hiding out in Jackson and the police wouldn't check him out. Just great.

golden eagle

Oct 9 2007

Hamblin may have had the ecstasy for personal use and possibly was under the influence, though he didn't look like it, when he gave the interview. Probation officers thoroughly tell probationers or parollees they can't have firearms. To shoot at someone and then do a television interview isn't the sanest and soberest thing to do. Drugs and alcohol affect decision-making but alcoholics and drug abusers can't decide whether it does or doesn't. Maybe this explains why some drug users call the police when they discover they were shorted on drugs or someone stole some of their drugs.

Ray Carter

Oct 9 2007

There is no absolutely no way in the world Hamblin can mentally "have it all." At the least, it would seem that he would have removed the x pills and large amount of cash from his residence after he, knowing he was a convicted felon, announced to the world that he fired a handgun. *shaking my head*

dpsmith

Oct 9 2007

I think of a 9mm as one of the most popular handguns sold for personal protection. I think most police think that, so the type of gun I don't know plays a role. I don't know the details here, or how Hamblin or the situation appeared to the police. But if an ordinary homeowner shoots at (but does not injure) burglars on his property, I dont know if that in itself would warrant probable cause to be investigated. In hindsight its nice to say, maybe these would be burglars were looking for illegal goods to steal, and therefore the police should have looked into it. What led the Bureau of Tobacco & Firearms to Hamblin? And did it have anything to do with the police report filed where Hamblin used the gun?

herman

Oct 10 2007

I doubt they had probable cause to find drugs and therefore the search would have been excluded. Any homeowner who is threatened within the home has ab absolute right under the US Constitituion, state law, and hell even natural law to defend him/ herself and family. It doesnt matter if the person is not squeaky-clean; the right to self-defense is absolute and has been held as such since before Aquinas defined it as such in the middle ages.

Willezurmacht

Oct 10 2007

(Sorry about the bad grammar- in a hurry between classes)

Willezurmacht

Oct 10 2007

Well, the right to own and use a gun is not "absolute," even in Mississippi, for those with criminal records. And I agree with Herman: There are a lot of questions here. Whenever I see one of these simplistic daily crime stories, I wonder what the real story is. Of course, questioning and curiosity are vital to being an investigative reporter.

DonnaLadd

Oct 10 2007

I did not even refer to firearms in my post. Self-defense in your own home, with whatever weapon you have at hand, is absolute. Period. I am sure there are lots of questions in such a case and the man may well be a criminal. I expect that the police know that the search was illegal and they are unlikely to embarass themselves in court more than they already do.

Willezurmacht

Oct 10 2007