Excited utterances are an exception to hearsay. “He’s shooting a mother-f***ing gun at my house!” is an example. Clement Austin may have been having a bad day. He got into an argument inside his aunt’s apartment. (About what isn’t entirely clear; maybe something about a girl and cigarettes). He stormed out and as soon as […]
As a young agent, I had a perspective-changing conversation with a defense attorney on an island. I’ve mentioned before that I moved from IRS Criminal Investigation to ATF when I was still in my early 20s. (https://lnkd.in/g3AZdxb9) At IRS-CI, I frequently found myself in nice houses. That’s the nature of white collar criminal investigations. But
I often write about firearms, sometimes explosives, but rarely alcohol or tobacco. They make up half of ATF’s official name (and 2/3 of its acronym) but only a tiny fraction of its modern mission. Alcohol and tobacco, however, offer a fascinating study in American history and the mechanics of “gray” markets. (Not really “black” markets,
Contraband Cigarettes Read More »
If you’ve ever thought, “I could build a better gun (or silencer),” you should do it. BUT FIRST… Make sure you stay on the right side of the law. Advanced manufacturing tools and techniques have made it easier, cheaper, and faster to design and produce many things, even firearms. Making firearms, however, can raise a
Did you know that much of the pumpkin you eat is not pumpkin at all, but is really squash? My family thinks I’m making this up, but it’s true. You can see the FDA’s take on labeling cans of squash as “pumpkin” right here: https://lnkd.in/gDPWb4Du. As far as the government is concerned, go ahead and
That’s Not Pumpkin Read More »
Happy Constitution Day! I found this little guy in the shower at the gym yesterday. Guess somebody thought I needed a little Jesus in my life. It seems the world has gone crazy lately. An assassin thought it justifiable to murder someone who said words he didn’t like. Awful. I thought we would all agree
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The nature of security threats evolve, and the strategies, tactics, and technologies for dealing with them must evolve, too. In the wake of the sniper-style assassination of Charlie Kirk, I spoke with KSNV in Las Vegas about the challenges of securing outdoor venues. See the news story here: https://news3lv.com/news/local/experts-propose-indoor-venues-to-counter-rising-security-threats-at-las-vegas-events.
Securing Outdoor Venues Read More »
I spoke with Chris Jansing about the firearm used to kill Charlie Kirk, the role of video and biological evidence, and some of the issues investigators will face identifying and hopefully one day prosecuting the killer. See the clip here: MSNBC on Charlie Kirk Murder.
MSNBC on Charlie Kirk’s Murder Read More »
I’m sickened, and saddened for our Nation. Free speech and non-violence are not partisan issues. Regardless of one’s politics, anyone who values free speech should be outraged by the murder of Charlie Kirk. I spoke to Nick Penzenstadler at USA TODAY about the firearm used and the role it will play in finding and holding
USA Today on Kirk Murder Weapon Read More »
ICYMI, the University of Wyoming College of Law’s Firearms Research Center posted highlights from its 2025 “Works-in-Progress” Conference on its forum. (The conference was awesome and I even found time to do some sightseeing: https://chittumlaw.com/me-and-butch-cassidy/). The forum post includes a summary of my forthcoming article on silencers (https://chittumlaw.com/blog-post-silencers-2a/), as well as overviews of articles written
WIP Conference Summary Read More »
