False alarm: Police don't find armed man in Gresham store

I'm back. I hate to paraphrase Lars Larson...I really do, but, he touched on something today worth thinking about:  The law prevents us from knowing what prescription drugs the shooters may have been on. Stuff like antipsychotics (one of them was known to be on an Rx)... we live in a culture where the prime time pharmaceutical ads are suddenly warning us to seek help if the product causes suicidal thoughts.

 

His medical records are sealed without a court order. We'll never know whether the REAL cause might be a combination of heavy pharmaceuticals, but we're all willing to point the fingers at everything else and see if we can find ways to blame that instead.  Something to think about.

If you are talking a singular policeman it would be doesn't... but, we aren't talking singular... their copy was correct...

@Blümchen roflmfao @ you correcting article w ploice

 @Ghetto Baby Exactly.  Everyone remember the "White Powder" scares back in 2001 and 2002.  Don't panic people.  These are very rare incidents regardless of what the media tells you.

 @Maggie Anderson 

You felt completely safe because the homeless man didn't have a gun and wasn't a threat.

 

Now if there was an active shooter then you would be telling a different story and that is only if you survived.

 

Remember that police rarely stop these lunatics. They only show up after the shooter kills himself and investigate the incident. Police will rarely keep you safe from someone who is intent on mass murder.

 @franksbeans What do you expect? The media continues to stir up the paranoia and most people fall for the propaganda. 

 @kalbinwhy "I would just hope that law enforcement can somehow recognise the difference between someone like me and someone who might actually be a threat. But HOW can they actually realisticly make that determination?"

 

Maybe I am misunderstanding your comment but they way police differentiate is when the sane and legally-carrying person puts the gun down when directed by police.  The crazy (or drunk or whatever) person probably will not.  

 

Even after all the violence of this week, officers are not just going to go in and start shooting without attempting to contact the person carrying (despite what many Portlanders think).  If you are legally carrying and sane, you'll comply with their directions.  They'll talk with you.  You'll show them your CHL and everyone will go home safe.

 @kalbinwhy  As long as they have learn, not to hesitate , with using their gun.  

 @kalbinwhy From what I am gathering, and from what I saw... it would seem that this was possibly someone who was carrying a gun, legally.  I was very pleased that the police did not get in a hurry, but handled things as they did, and the person was released with no charges and no harm to anyone.  Not that I wasn't happy that I hadn't decided at the last minute not to take my girls with me to Fred Meyer's.  Seeing the police and their weapons would, no doubt, have scared them.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case.  And, while I had a tremendous case of goosebumps, myself... I have to say that because of how the police handled it, I was not afraid... and I saw what was unfolding for probably close to 10 minutes before the evacuation was announced.  I could check my texts to be sure.  I texted a friend through the whole thing, as it was clear that things weren't as they should be for a normal Freddies shopping trip. 

 

It is my hope... for your sake and the sake of others who carry, legally... that this would always be the case when someone is suspected of carrying a gun, who is not openly threatening anyone with it.  I don't carry myself... but, know others who do... and I know why they do... How?  Well, I have asked one of them... and his answer was about the best anyone could give... because it might could help him save a life, if it came down to it.  That person saw his own father step into a murder.  He knows exactly why he wants to keep his right to carry a gun.  And, I greatly appreciate that.

 

 @RalphCramden Yup. Justifying the endless militarization of police departments.  How much longer until malls, parking lots, gas stations etc have machine gun nests with .50 caliber constantly pointed at people? The endless paranoia and dependance on police and government to save them will be their undoing since government has historically never saved a soul. 

 @RalphCramden  All over the world , If you think about it. :-) 

 @RalphCramden  And 'we' were all so surprised when it turned out that Medford, of all places, was ahead of the curve with the Gorilla of all SWAT response vehicles, right?!  

Hmmm

 @RalphCramden 

 

Or it could just be the new trend in pranks.  Like SWATTING the house of a celebrity for fun.  Somebody annoys another person in a public place and they get swatted with an accurate description just to exploit the whole "on alert" apparatus and paranoia. You like computers Ralph, it's just a social hack exploiting the over-the-top para-military apparatus and supreme paranoia encourage by media for petty revenge.  The whole exploit depends on the notion that there is never anything such as over reaction just preparedness.  It's the same mentality that authorized the purchase of that armored urban and citizen assault vehicle was authorized in Medford; you could confidently bet your boots that PPB has sent a few of the boys and any number of volunteers from the Police Union to go look at that bad boy and it will be in the essential budget by 2014 even if it has to squeeze out some community policing program..