Topeka police chief asks for change in guns in car law

In December 2012, Topeka, Kansas City Council members voted to allow people to carry loaded guns in their vehicles. Now the Topeka Police Chief is asking the Council to change the law.

"It was a let's try it and see what happens," said the police chief. "We tried it and saw that we were seeing some serious situations arise. It made us think maybe it isn't a good idea."

In one recent incident, a motorist pulled a gun on an off duty officer.

"The main issue is the weapon was in the car and the driver did not know the motorcyclist was a police officer," said the police chief. "Also because of the easy availability of the weapon by someone not ordinarily thought of as a criminal."

The chief would like to see the law changed to ban guns in cars with exceptions made for police officers, hunters, and people with concealed weapons permits.

Man shoots and kills woman in road rage attack

30-year-old Matthew Webster, of Swanton, Vermont, was driving home after breaking up with a woman with whom he had been having an affair. Webster met his wife at a gas station where they argued but then agreed to go home and talk. Webster told police that on the drive home he had a Ruger 9 mm semi-automatic handgun in his hand and that he intended to kill himself. He "began squeezing the trigger, but could not do it."

Webster ran a red light and almost got into an accident with a car being driven by 31-year-old Anna Alger, of Highgate. Alger followed Webster and when she saw him pull over, she did too. According to reports, she got out of her car to ask Webster why he cut her off.

Webster described Alger as charging "like a six-point buck coming over a hill." Webster still had the gun in his hand and shot Alger, emptying the clip. He shot her repeatedly, including shooting her in the head and chest. Police found 11 empty 9 mm shell cases on the road near Alger's body. Alger was taken to the hospital but died of her wounds.

Webster's wife told police he is being treated for depression and chronic anxiety among "so many other things." Webster admitted abusing prescription medication including oxycodone and methadone.

Webster has been charged with second-degree murder.

Two Concealed Weapons Permit Holders Shoot & Kill Each Other in Road Rage Incident

56-year-old Robert Taylor and 43-year-old James Pullum were driving on a highway in Ionia, Michigan. According to witness reports, Taylor began to closely follow Pullum.

The two men pulled into a car wash's parking lot. They reportedly both exited their vehicles, drew handguns and exchanged fire.

The men were transported to the local hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Police have not yet released information about who fired their weapon first but did confirm that both men had concealed weapons permits.

The owner of the car wash where the shooting occurred told a reported he also has a concealed weapons permit but never carries a gun with him. "It's the strangest situation I've ever heard of," he said. "We've all had altercations in road rage, but to pull a weapon?"

Man has trouble merging into traffic, responds by pointing handgun

27-year-old Aaron Stenger, of Hamilton, Ohio was driving south on Eaton Avenue at 7:30 in the morning. According to police reports, he became upset when another car wouldn't let him merge into traffic.
Stenger's response was to pull up next to the woman driving the car and point his handgun at her. He then continued on his way.
Stenger was arrested and was released on his own recognizance. Stenger, who has a concealed weapons permit for the gun, was ordered to have no weapons of any kind.

Motorist Allegedly Shot At Car for Driving Too Slow

23-year-old Finus Harvey, of Flint, Michigan has been arrested and charged with two counts of felonious assault for allegedly firing a shot at a motorist on U.S. 23.
Two men, ages 53 and 55, were traveling north on U.S. 23 Friday afternoon when they had to brake for slowing traffic. According to the complaint, a 2002 Buick Century pulled up next to them in the slow lane and the two men in the Buick "began yelling." Words were exchanged between both vehicles and in response Harvey pointed a pistol at them and fired it one time.
Harvey told police that the did show his gun during the exchange but denied firing a shot. He said he was angry because the other car was doing 45 mph in the fast lane.
Police found a handgun in Harvey's car as well as a spent shell casing. Harvey told police the casing was left there from when he was shooting the gun days earlier.

Two men, both with concealed weapons permits, fire shots at each other while driving

27-year-old Eric Adamany, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told police he had just left a Taco Bell restaurant and pulled over to send a text message when a gold Dodge Magnum pulled up next to him. A passenger looked at him and said, "What are you looking at white boy?" showed a chrome handgun and fired a shot at Adamany's car.
"I immediately grabbed my gun, which is just sitting here, and I stuck it out the window and they took off," said Adamany. "They fired over 50 rounds before I ever returned fire."
The police report says Amamany "began to fire his gun at the Dodge Magnum, emptying his clip in an attempt to shoot out the Dodge's tires." He told police "how he is right-handed but shot the gun with his left hand while driving on the freeway because he was steering and calling 911 at the same time."
Roy Scott, the driver of the other car, told police that he and a friend were driving when a blue car passed him. The other driver "mean mugged" him and showed a black handgun. Scott then grabbed his gun and displayed it before driving off. Scott says that Adamany fired first so he fired back. He told police that he fired back out his driver's window, pointing backward over his shoulder with his right hand, while steering with his left.
According to police both men have concealed weapons permits.
Adamany has been charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon. No charges have been brought against Scott at this time.

Man arrested for pointing gun at bicyclists in road rage incident

52-year-old Moses Pagan, of Michigan City, Indiana was arrested on felony charges of pointing a loaded firearm and intimidation in connection with a road rage incident.
According to reports, a 61-year-old bicyclist told investigators he and two other men were riding on County Line Road just before 9 a.m. when they were passed by a car that was continuously honking at them and nearly hit them. The car stopped and Pagan yelled at them to "get off the road" and pointed a small black semi-automatic handgun at them.
Pagan admitted blowing his horn but denied pulling a gun. He was upset because the bicycles were taking up the entire lane. He said he had a loaded handgun in a holster on the passenger seat but never touched it. Police asked how the bicyclist could have accurately described the gun if it had been in the holster the entire time.