The Oklahoman Editorial: Should Oklahomans Worry About Concealed Carry Licensees?

The Oklahoman Editorial ~ "If the number of concealed handgun license holders is any indication,” said a Tulsa World story two years ago, "robbers may have to worry about more than stolen goods during a heist.”

Should Oklahomans now worry about those license holders, given the fact that one of them recently killed a 16-year-old who was attempting to rob his pharmacy?

We don’t think so, but the question must be asked. The state has nearly 78,000 concealed carry permit holders; the number is growing by the day. Incidences involving permit holders, however, are extremely rare.

Nevertheless, reporting by The Oklahoman’s Nolan Clay on the mental state of Jerome Ersland raises questions about the law and whether Ersland should have been issued a permit.

Read the entire editorial at http://www.newsok.com/shooting-raises-question-on-concealed-carry-permits/article/3376400?custom_click=pod_headline_opinion-oklahoman-editorials.

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2nd Amendment Expert On Pharmacy Shooting: 'Imminent threat' Means Just That

Nationally-recognized 2nd Amendment expert Howard Nemerov of Austin, Texas, weighs in on the Oklahoma City pharmacy shooting with an analysis in three parts that focuses on what the law says about "imminent danger" facing law-abiding citizens and what justifies, and does not justify, the use of deadly force.

Read Nemerov's reports at http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m6d2-Justifying-deadly-force-Part-1.

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Judge Demands List Of Firearms In Ersland Case; Box Says They Are Now His And Refuses

Oklahoma County District Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure and Irven Box, defense attorney for accused murderer Jerome Ersland, tangled in court today over Ersland's collection of firearms.

Box told the judge that Ersland gave all his guns to him as partial payment for his attorney fees.

“I gave every weapon of mine to my attorney. I swear to the Lord,” Ersland said.

His comment came after Bass-LeSure demanded a list of all his firearms. Box said his client will not provide such a list and since he (Box) now owns them, he won't either.

Bass-LeSure last week allowed Ersland, 57, of Chickasha to be released on $100,000 bail but she banned him from any access to weapons. The hearing today was to see if he had complied with her order.

Reporter Nolan Clay has all the details at www.newsok.com.

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Prater, Judge Disagree In Ersland Case

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater and District Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure argued today over whether accused killer Jerome Ersland should have access to a firearm while at work if he makes the $100,000 bail the judge set.

Prater, who yesterday filed a first degree murder charge against Ersland after viewing videotape of the shooting of robber Antwun Parker, argued Ersland should be able to defend himself and fellow pharmacy employees if another robbery is attempted. The judge disagreed.

The hearing turned contentious when Prater asked the judge not to bar Ersland from access to a gun while at the store. He argued Ersland still has a right to defend himself and pharmacy employees if the store is robbed again.

He said the restriction either meant Ersland would be fired from his job or crooks now know it is "open season" at the pharmacy if Ersland is there. The district attorney said his position sounds crazy but under the law Ersland has the right to protect himself. Courtroom spectators applauded Prater's statement.

The judge refused to change her decision, saying Ersland can get another job. "If somebody wants to be around him, they are not going to have access to a gun," the judge said.

"That's wrong," Prater replied.

The judge ruled that Ersland, 57, of Chickasha will be under house arrest if he makes bail and can only leave his home to go to his doctor, see his attorney, go to court, go to the grocery store, go to restaurants, go to church and to work.

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Police, DA Clear Homeowner In Shooting

Oklahoma City police and District Attorney David Prater have cleared homeowner Scott Henson in the shooting death of an intruder inside Henson's home last week.

Prater said it appears Henson, who holds a license to carry a concealed firearm, was justified in shooting 29-year-old Ronald Penn when he found Penn inside his home when he returned for lunch. Henson said he drew his pistol and fired when Penn made an aggressive move toward him.

Prater's comments in the Henson case came as he discussed the filing of a first degree murder charge against pharmacist Jerome Ersland in the shooting death of an armed robber on May 19th. Prater said Ersland, who also holds a license to carry a concealed firearm, fired five shots at near-point blank range into Antwun Parker after Parker already was incapacitated by a shot to his head. "It's a good example of what not to do," Prater said of Ersland's action.

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Pharmacist Faces 1st Degree Murder Charge

Pharmacist Jerome Ersland of Chickasha has been charged with 1st degree murder in the recent shooting death of an armed robber inside an Oklahoma City pharmacy.

District Attorney David Prater filed the charge after reviewing police reports and, apparently, a videotape from cameras that captured the entire incident.

The videotape, released to the news media by Prater this afternoon, is about 27 seconds long. After Ersland's initital shot at the robbers, one of whom clearly has a pistol in his hand, Ersland pursues the robber with the pistol to the door. The second robber has fallen to the floor, apparently hit by Ersland's shot. The videotape shows Ersland reentering the store, then walking behind the counter, down an aisle way, opening a drawer, removing a pistol, then walking back to the wounded robber, leaning over and shooting him repeatedly. The robber isn't visible in the released videotape, but Ersland firing is visible. Ersland then returns to the counter and calls police.

Prater said Wednesday that the 57-year-old Ersland was justified in shooting Antwun Parker once in the head on May 19. But Prater says Ersland went too far when he shot Parker five more times in the abdomen while Parker lay unconscious on the floor. Ersland's attorney — Irven Box — says Ersland was protecting himself and two women inside the pharmacy.

The charge alleges Ersland repeatedly shot Parker, 16, while Parker was semi-conscious, incapacitated and prone on the floor. Ersland’s account of the incident doesn’t match the video or the evidence collected at the scene, Oklahoma City Police Detective David Jacobson wrote in his affidavit.

Parker was shot once in the head and five times in the stomach area. The autopsy found Parker was still alive after the head shot and died from the stomach wounds. Apparently, it is the stomach wounds, inflicted after the shot to the head, the prompted the filing of the murder charge.

Ersland, holder of a license to carry a concealed firearm, says he acted in self defense when he shot Parker to stop the armed robbery attempt.

Ersland, a disabled veteran, said two armed men in ski masks threatened him and two other employees when they burst into Reliable Discount Pharmacy in south Oklahoma City.

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