Oregon activist drafts bill to shield armed bystanders after Bend shooting
A gun rights advocate in Oregon has written draft legislation aimed at protecting armed citizens who stop an attack, following the shooting in Bend where a bystander with a gun ended the threat.
Snapshot
According to Bearing Arms, Derek LeBlanc, who was named "Activist of the Year" by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, posted his proposal on the ORGOAL website the day after the Bend shooting. The bill would amend Oregon Revised Statutes to remove criminal exposure and add civil protections for someone who uses a firearm to stop an attacker, which LeBlanc says is needed because current law leaves that decision up to local authorities after the fact.
Key points
- The proposal: LeBlanc's draft legislation would modify Oregon statutes to eliminate potential criminal penalties and add civil protections for the armed citizen who intervened in Bend, per the article.
- His stated reasoning: LeBlanc said he wants to stop what he called the hypocrisy of officials and "elites" being protected by guns while everyday people, including children, are left without the same protection.
- Defensive gun use cited: LeBlanc pointed to a CDC figure showing firearms are used defensively up to 3 million times a year, often without a shot fired, as evidence guns mainly serve protective purposes.
- Political backdrop: Bearing Arms notes Oregon's Nov. 3 governor's race, with incumbent Tina Kotek seeking reelection, and that Democrats and anti-gun groups have responded to the shooting differently than Republicans.
Quick take
Bearing Arms' Tom Knighton argues LeBlanc's idea is straightforward: protect the person who stops an attacker instead of leaving that call to local discretion after the fact, which he says only adds hesitation when seconds matter. Whether Oregon lawmakers take it up is another question entirely.
Read the full story: bearingarms.com