American Military News by Christian M. Wade 1/23/2020
Police have seized weapons belonging to at least 20 people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others under the state’s “red flag†law, according to newly released data.
The law, passed in the wake of school shootings and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in July 2018, allows police, friends or relatives of a legal gun owner to seek a so-called “extreme risk protection order†if they believe that person poses a risk to themselves or others. The order gives police authority to temporarily confiscate that person’s firearms and ammunition.
Data released by the state’s Trial Court shows the law has been used to confiscate firearms belonging to at least 20 people since the law went into effect in August 2018. Twelve of those cases were last year.
At least 16 of those cases were emergency orders, meaning that the firearms were confiscated by police prior to them appearing before a judge.
To date, there have been 29 extreme risk petitions filed under the law.
More:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/01/more-firearms-seized-under-massachusetts-red-flag-law/
