Playing golf can be dangerous....looking down the barrel of a rifle!

Capt Steve

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I was playing golf at the local course this morning with three friends. All was well for the first six holes but when we arrived at the seventh tee we encountered the worst kind of nut...one with a gun. Her house is about 40 yards right of the tee box and we had zero conversation or interaction with this woman. As we were hitting our drives she let her two large dogs out of the house through the sliding glass door and followed them into the yard carrying a lever action, walnut stock rifle of undetermined caliber. I commented to my friends that you don't see a blond with a rifle around here very often.

I kept an eye on her and as we walked off the tee box she aimed the rifle directly at my partner and I as we were getting into the golf cart. Now she is about 40 yards away sighting us in and I loudly said "Don't do that!". She not only continues to draw a bead on us, as we drive away she tracks us for about 50 yards, all the while rifle at the shoulder sighting at our heads. I called the proshop and told them to call the Sheriff. By now we were several hundred yards down the fairway and lost sight of her. An hour and 15 minutes later the deputies arrive and I am brought in off the course to give my statement. I told them that she had a history of erratic behavior as she had gone off on a golfer that she accused of flashing her when all he was doing was tucking in his shirt. There were multiple witnesses to that incident as well. They head for her house and I return to the course.

About 45 minutes later I get a call from the deputy. Three deputies knocked on her door and she and her husband let them in. She denied the entire incident. Said they had guns in the house but none that matched my description. He didn't feel like she acted guilty or like she was lying and he felt it came down to he said/she said, no further action was contemplated. To say the least I was dumbfounded. Now I know that since the LEO's did not witness the incident they could not make an arrest but they made no effort to interview my three friends. He felt my credibility was strained as I had not called 911(calling 911 without a street address is a waste of your breath - they will not respond and I had no idea of her house address) and had knowledge of the prior incident. He inferred that I might have issues with her. I don't know this lady, have never spoken to her, just seen her on my rounds working and playing the course. I had knowledge of the prior incident only because I worked there.

He advised me to avoid any further contact with her (DUH!), and said the matter was closed. I reminded him that I had not had any contact with her until I was looking down the barrel of her rifle. Told him she was without question lying through her teeth and predicted he would hear of her again. I know LEO's are trained to be a good judge of people, read them when they are lying, but this one got by him.

For the record I was not carrying, I never do on the golf course. If I had been it would have been either my Bersa .380, my Smith 649 or MP9c. None of these would have been any sort of a match for a rifle at 40 yards. Pulling anyone of these and challenging her to drop the rifle would have only escalated the situation and we chose to flee rather than prolong our exposure to an obvious armed nut job. I just got off the phone with the deputy and asked him to call my partner for his version of what went down to verify my version. He apologized for giving me the impression that he doubted my version and promised to call Bernie.

OK guys let fly. What should I have done/not done?
 
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I'd scream, pardon the expression, "bloody murder," and call the chief of the department and demand that they take statements from your three friends.

Also, consider carrying a bazooka in your golf bag, and if she assaults you with a deadly weapon again, fire off a couple of rounds of suppressive fire. That ought to chill her out.

Just kidding about a very serious subject. Seriously, I would not let this one lie. Sooner or later this whack job is going to shoot someone, and at a minimum, she needs a conviction for assault and the loss of the right to own firearms. Sorry, that's just my take on it.

I am hopeful that some of the LEOs on this board will chime in with more detailed, and probably better, instructions.

Glad you're safe and that no one got shot.


Bullseye


P.S.: This story confirms my impression that you meet a better class of people at shooting ranges than on golf courses.
 
I think you handled the situation very well and I am not sure what else you could do under the circumstances. I suppose you and your friend could swear out a warrant for the woman, but I don't know exactly how that would play out in the legal system. You are certainly right about one thing, the LEO's have not heard the last of that woman!
 
I would think in most states, pointing a rifle at someone [for no reason] is a felony.
They should be able to arrest her on the statements of you and your golf buddies.

I would also talk to the golf course owners, make sure they know about what happened.
 
I'd scream, pardon the expression, "bloody murder," and call the chief of the department and demand that they take statements from your three friends.

I'd buff it up a little and ask for the shift commander or higher. The really hot setup is to write a letter to the Sheriff and send it "return receipt requested" so you will know that they got it. More importantly, they will know that you know that they got it!

If you really want to stir things up, simply type: cc. "W??? TV news" (or whatever the call sign of your local TV station is) at the bottom of your letter, mail it, and then stand back.

I'm with you in that interviews should have been done all around. And, no, the police do not need to see the offense. That's why they call it a "report". You report, they write it down, and are supposed to follow up on it.
 
hmmmm... Too bad you can't get a Michigan Pistol... It would have fit mighty nice in that golf bag. :)

Frankly, you did the only thing you could have done. The worst thing you could have done is draw a pistol in that situation. Your right, that would only have escelated the situation, and on top of that, she was on her own property. Along with the lack of witnesses, you would have been in pretty big trouble. I don't consider friends as witnesses, because it can come back that you all "collaborated" your stories...

You handled it well. The only thing you can do now is hope that either she doesn't do something like that in the future (very unlikely) or that next time she'll do it to the wrong guy. Either a police officer, friend of a police officer, or the owner of the course.

Good luck.
 
.380?!?! ....
thats one thing evolving out of legal CCW that I just do not understand.
The willful compulsion to bank your life on a pipsqueek that'll likely leave you dreadfully outgunned when you need it ... like now.
If my thin build person can stash a Mosburg 500A .. anyone can pack a 629!!!!!!!!

so ... what to do or should have done .....
Never understood golf in light of the fact that we also have sporting clays ....
I'd like to see some dingbat pull that stunt on a clays course
 
I know what would have happened here to the report of a woman with a gun at the golf course...

"What's a golf course?"


Seriously, this woman will be heard from again, I just hope it isn't a fatal incident.
 
why not simply go to the magistrate and obtain a warrant for her arrest?

The lack of proof. Simply saying she did it isn't enough proof.

If they would have snapped a picture like previously suggested, it would be a different story.
 
...... now where did I put that recipe for napalm .... Hmmmmm:D
since it has fallen upon you ... it is your duty for the safety of your fellow golfers to nail that piece of work.
cameras are good .. video preferred.
and use them covertly.
if she sees the gathering of evidence against her in progress ... you can bet you'll know if there is a God before any of us.
You can contact PETA ... which is handy although we tend to detest that organization by default.
she has dogs and they'd love a report of unnatural acts to sink their knee jerk fangs into ... true or not ... dont directly solve anything but you need some entertainment ... right?

I like sporting clays ... though I speak for me on the issue. In the game of golf ... which I still don't understand, theirs likely room in the bag for another club ... I might recommend an AR15 iron to address the unique hazards of your course.
I suppose she could be designated as a par 3 hole ... two chest one head ... we know the drill
 
Cell phone camera? One quick pic would have proved your case.

The cell phone was buried in my golf bag. I doubt that at 40 yards it would be much of picture as I don't tend to hold the camera all that still while looking down the bore of a rifle. Flight seemed the best option and ultimately worked...I'm still here to post this, but my concern is for the future. On average I drive by this idiots house at a range of 40 yards about 10 to 12 times a shift (once or twice a week), and once every time I play the course.

I'm still so mad I'm shaking and once I calm down (probably tomorrow), am seriously thinking about taking this up with El Jefe down at the Sheriff's office. The deputy did call my partner and he verified every detail of my report but they have yet to talk to the other two in our group who saw the gun but did not have it directed at them as they had driven off before she could take aim at us.
 
why not simply go to the magistrate and obtain a warrant for her arrest?

Because, at least in Arizona, a private person cannot obtain an arrest warrant from the court.

A couple of other thoughts:

1) Did the deputy talk to the other golfers? Sounds like several persons' words against hers.

2) Agree with those that say take it up chain of command.

3) In theory, could have tried to effect a citizen's arrest (bad idea).

4) Deputy could have arrested even if misdemeanor not in his presence (not true in all states).

5) Deputy could have arrested for felony aggravated assault (use of firearm to place another in fear of imminent physical injury).

6) Deputy should have at least written a report and submitted to County Attorney for charging decision.
If for no other reason than to cover his backside.
 
better camera and bigger carry guns. maybe like an M4 and 10mm auto. as other have said, this isn't over and may be just getting started. if you continue to play golf on that course, i would be better armed.
 
better camera and bigger carry guns. maybe like an M4 and 10mm auto. as other have said, this isn't over and may be just getting started. if you continue to play golf on that course, i would be better armed.

If you think you should be better armed, you should not be on the golf course. Take it up with the owners of the golf course. This person needs to be locked up, and you should avoid her until she is. Almost no gun (or maybe none at all) is a replacement for sensible caution around crazy people with rifles.
 

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