It was just a few hours into the New Year and police in Dallas were investigating their first murder of 2019. Aman was killed in a parking lot near a northwest Dallas strip club.

It was just before 3:00 a.m. when a fight outside the XTC Cabaret, on Stemmons Freeway near Mockingbird, ended with gunfire.

After the shooting, investigators determined an argument, involving a34-year-old man, had gotten the attention of several unarmed and armed security officers.

When the guards, who worked at theneighboring nightclub, attempted to stop the victim from leaving he ignored their commands and proceeded to try and drive away.

After ignoring their commands,security officers Daterrious Haggard and Eric Hansen opened fire on the victim’s truck. The victim was shot several times and crashed into several cars parked in the lot. The 34-year-old, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say security Officers Haggard and Hansen were interviewed by Dallas police and both admitted firing their weapon at the victim.

Detectives alsoreviewed a video circulating on social media that captured a significant portion of the incident, after whichboth guards were arrested and will be charged with murder.

Police say witnesses told them Hill was trying to leave the strip club after getting in a fight– when armed security guards Hansen and Haggard approached his truck – attempting to stop him from hitting aN unconscious man in the street.

Police say Hanson told them the truck hit him and he started firing. Haggard joined in. And as Hill drove away the shots continued.

Jalen Bell – a military veteran – feels for the victim – saying last May he was assaulted by security guards at X-T-C after getting in a verbal fight with another customer.

“Punched out, kneed in my ribs,” said Bell.

He says he made a complaint and contacted police.

Tuesday he learned one of the security guards – Hansen – has a criminal history. Serving time in prison for a 2010 burglary.

“Their process for vetting the security guards has to change. If it doesn’t, we’ll wait another six months and you’ll be hearing something else in the news”

Originally Posted On CBSDFW.COM

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Ever heard of a castle law or perhaps a castle doctrine? If not, you are fortunate because this article delves a bit into the intricacies of the concept. The Institutes of the Laws of England in the year 1628 said and I quote, “For a man`s house is his castle, et domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium [and each man`s home is his safest refuge].”

The above quote became the backbone for the various facets of the castle law and could be interpreted to mean the granting of sovereign power to every man or woman within their legal spaces or castles. Though not exactly a clear-cut set of laws, the castle laws refer to applicable but steady principles that are employed in real life scenarios involving self-defense. Yes, just as occupants of a castle go to any length to protect their castle from invaders these principles are those that allow any legal occupant of a given space (could be a home) to apply lethal force when confronted by threatening invaders. The fourth amendment to the United States Constitution also share the same sentiments as the original principles. To be clear, the castle law is a form of protection for persons charged with criminal homicide; NOT A CONDITION FOR MURDER. Based on the state, castle law is incorporated by various methods into their laws. Some conditions are necessary before a case could be ruled as self-defense, a few are:

• The legal occupants must believe that their lives are being threatened by the invaders.
• The occupants must not apply such deadly force against a lawful officer of the state.
• The invader must have made or is making an unlawful attempt to gain entrance.

The Texas castle law is the state`s own version of the castle doctrine. But unlike the conventional castle law, the state has taken it employment of self-defense to include not just a person`s home but also the office, vehicle or just about any place a person is permitted by the law to be at a given point in time. While in your castle, the Texas castle law under certain conditions and circumstances views any action carried out as being reasonable and as an acceptable form of justice. But just as considered in the general castle law, the Texas castle law also possesses few conditions of its own:

• Unlawful and forceful entry into the space (as provided by the law to include home, vehicle, and office) of the lawful occupant.
• Another situation is when the invader attempts to expel you from your lawful space.

So, in order for an individual to be convicted the prosecutor would need to prove that the accused has neglected these conditions of his or her own free will.

The Texas castle law is also unique in its use of the word “habitation” and not “building” or even “property” (as are used by certain jurisdictions). This is because the castle law on its own does not cover your entire property; hence the use of “habitation” covers both the structure and/or vehicle of the individual.

In conclusion, the castle law gives individuals the right to protect themselves and is applied by various jurisdictions in various ways. The Texas castle law takes the coverage of self-defense to a whole new level to include just about anywhere a person is legally allowed to dwell; giving birth to the saying “In Texas, we go big, or we go home.”

The Texas EZCHL One Day Concealed Handgun Class and License to Carry Class covers what you should know about the Castle Doctrine commonly referred to as the Texas Castle Law. Anytime a legal question is to be answered regarding the law, it’s best to consult a legal professional such as an Attorney or Lawyer. If you’re in need of finding an Attorney near you, we suggest looking on AttorneyReviewGuide.com which offers Attorney Reviews and Ratings.

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Armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and at least three handguns, a man shouting anti-Semitic slurs opened fire inside a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday morning, killing at least 11 congregants and wounding four police officers and two others, the authorities said.

In a rampage described as among the deadliest against the Jewish community in the United States, the assailant stormed into the Tree of Life Congregation, where worshipers had gathered in separate rooms to celebrate their faith, and shot indiscriminately into the crowd, shattering what had otherwise been a peaceful morning.

The assailant, identified by law enforcement officials as Robert D. Bowers, fired for several minutes and was leaving the synagogue when officers, dressed in tactical gear and armed with rifles, met him at the door. According to the police, Mr. Bowers exchanged gunfire with officers before retreating back inside and barricading himself inside a third-floor room. He eventually surrendered.

Mr. Bowers, 46, was injured by gunfire, although the authorities said it was unclear whether those wounds were self-inflicted or whether the police had shot him. He was taken to Allegheny General Hospital.

Federal officials chargedMr. Bowers with 29 criminal counts. They included obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs – a hate crime – and using a firearm to commit murder. He alsofaces state charges, including 11 counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation.

Though a bris, a ceremony to mark a child’s birth, was among the ceremonies taking place Saturday, no children were among the casualties, law enforcement officials said. The wounded included a 70-year-old man who had been shot in the torso, and a 61-year-old woman with soft tissue wounds, said Dr. Donald Yealy, chairman of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

The attack Saturday morning struck the heart of the city’s vibrant Jewish community, in the leafy Squirrel Hill neighborhood that is home to several synagogues, kosher restaurants and bakeries. Hours later, hundreds gathered at three separate interfaith vigils on a cold, rainy evening to mourn the dead and pray for the wounded.

The assault on the synagogue unfolded on a quiet, drizzly morning, and came amid a bitter, vitriolic midterm election season and against the backdrop of what appears to be a surge in hate-related speech and crimes across America. It also took place in the wake of the arrest Friday morning of a man who the authorities said sent more than a dozen pipe bombs to critics of Mr. Trump, including several high-profile Democrats.

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Most modern guns have one or more mechanical devices or subsystems designed to reduce the likelihood of an inadvertent discharge. These subsystems are collectively known as “safeties.”Generally, safeties can be either “active” or “passive.” Today, we’ll cover active safety systems–those that are intentionally activated and deactivated by the user. (Passive safety systems workwithoutyour direct intervention.) Safeties are generally located on the firearm in close proximity to the thumb or index finger of the shooting hand, which allows the user to engage or disengage the safety without disturbing his or her grip.

1. Sear-Blocking Safeties
The sear is the action component of the firearm that holds the hammer or striker in the cocked position; when released, it permits firing. Some safeties work by preventing the sear’s release until the user disengages the safety. Examples of sear-blocking safeties include the thumb safety on the M1911 Government Model and Browning Hi-Power pistols.

2. Trigger-Blocking Safeties
The sliding tang safety on most break-action over/under shotguns is of the trigger-blocking safety type. On some break-action shotguns, the tang-mounted sliding trigger-blocking safety automatically resets to the “safe” position each time the gun is opened and closed.

Eitherof the above safeties will reliably prevent the gun from firing–IF the safety system is in proper working order. This may not always be the case with guns that are older, much-used, or that have been abused or neglected. Even in a new firearm, the engagement between the trigger and the sear or hammer, or between the sear and the hammer or firing pin, may be only about the thickness of a single credit card. Wear or improper trigger adjustment (either from the factory or, more commonly, from home gunsmithing) can sometimes reduce this slim margin to the point at which dropping the gun, or even closing the action briskly, can cause the trigger or sear to release even with the safety engaged. For this reason, some gunsmiths and firearm authorities consider a safety that solidly blocks the hammer or firing pin to be more secure than the other types of active safeties. This brings us to #3:

3. Hammer- or Firing-Pin-Blocking Safeties
The swinging safety mounted on the bolt shroud of Winchester and Mauser bolt-action rifles retracts and locks the firing pin rearward, and thus is of the firing-pin blocking type.

It’s good to know what type of active safety systems your current or potential gun has, and how it works,but it’s also important to remember that active safety systems are mechanical devices that can fail.Furthermore, someguns do not have active safety systems at all. Double-action revolvers, for example, usually lack such systems as their long, heavy trigger pulls make an accidental discharge highly unlikely. This is why the very most important “active safety system” of all is #4:

4. Between Your Ears
Your brain is the most critical “active safety system” there will ever be. When you follow the Three Rules of Gun Safety–and ensure that everyone around you does the same–if the mechanical devices that keep the firearm from discharging ever fail, injury can be avoided. So:
ALWAYSkeep the gun pointed in a safe direction. This means that even if the gun were to fire, it would not cause injury or damage. Common sense will dictate the safest direction, depending upon the circumstances.
ALWAYSkeep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. When holding a gun, rest your trigger finger outside the trigger guard alongside the gun. Until you are actually ready to fire, do not touch the trigger.
ALWAYSkeep the gun unloaded until ready to use. Unless the firearm is being kept in a state of readiness for personal protection, it should be unloaded. That said, never assume a firearm is unloaded,even if you

unloaded it yourself. Treat all firearms as if they areloaded.

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