Law enforcement AR-15s referred to as “patrol rifles” – not assault weapons – in media

I found this interesting. When the media refers to rifles used by law enforcement during a shooting event, they reference the standard AR-15 semi-automatic rifle as a “patrol rifle” rather than an “assault weapon.”

Can you find the use of an AR-15 type rifle being carried by law enforcement referred to as an “assault weapon” in the media? If so, please link to the article in the comments section.

To be perfectly clear, the rifles carried by almost all of law enforcement are exactly the same rifles that can be purchased by law-abiding civilians in states free from an “assault weapons” ban. It’s rare for law enforcement to carry select-fire or fully-automatic versions of these rifles.

From the Tyler Morning Telegraph, with my emphasis in bold.

“The (man) failed to comply with the officers’ instructions and re-entered the residence through the back door. Officer Matt Riggle moved to the back door and continued to give this suspect commands to drop the weapon,” he said.

Martin said the man Fuentes pointed the handgun at Riggle, and Riggle fired his patrol rifle (AR-15) several times, striking Fuentes.

From the News-Herald in Michigan. Notice the change of use. A gunman is using an assault weapon while the exact same rifle is referred to as a patrol rifle when in the hands of law enforcement.

A police officer has been suspended for 30 days without pay after admitting to taking a patrol rifle home to prove a point. …

According to Grant, past practice dictated that if a patrol car was going to be used in the next shift, it was permissible for an officer from the previous shift to leave the gun in the car for the next officer. He said the officer who left the gun in the patrol car did nothing wrong, but it bothered the officer who followed him in the next shift. Grant said this particular officer prefers to not carry a patrol rifle. Police are required to carry a pistol with them at all times. Although the patrol rifle is optional, Grant said most officers like to have the rifle in their vehicles in case a need arises for higher-caliber weapons, such as a standoff with a gunman using a rifle or an assault weapon.

“This officer noticed the gun was left in the car and he indicated that it irritated him,” Grant said. “He went to his house and stored the gun in a locker. He said he wanted to see if the missing gun would be noticed.”

The new Elizabethton, Tenn. police chief is certified as a patrol rifle instructor rather than an assault weapon instructor. In Omaha, Neb., police officer recruits trained for an active shooter event and can be certified for a patrol rifle. A Christmas card was sent to between 50 and 100 “offenders on its naughty list” by the Abbotsford Police Department in British Columbia, Canada. The card featured the chief in a Santa suit holding an AR-15 patrol rifle, not an “assault weapon.”

Just saying…

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

9 Comments

  1. SeeingRed on January 3, 2013 at 8:45 am

    You say tomato, I say tomato.? The media spin is delicious but I can’t get to a point where THEY know the difference between a patrol rifle, an assault weapon and a proverbial hole in the ground.



  2. Linda Mae on January 3, 2013 at 2:35 pm

    assault is used as an adjective to describe – albeit incorrectly – one function of the rifle.? It is not part of the name.? Same as semi-automatic…semi doesn’t mean half – these rifles cannot be made automatic.? One must pull the trigger for every shot.? As for cartridges….remember Dirty Harry – counting the number of bullets in a gun.? `
    these facts are being ignored in order to create the problem.? Wait for the rent-a-mob demonstrations to come in order to enable our politicians to respond to “public” concerns.? This strategy is clearly described in The Shadow Party by Horowitz…pure Alinsky…
    Dems know perception creates reality – and their media controls perception…



  3. sammy22 on January 3, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    Repubs also know very well how perception creates reality? (just check some of the NRA’s positions, e.g. blame Hollywood). Given all that, “redefining” the meaning of assault weapons, or semi-automatic does not make the problems go away.



    • JBS on January 3, 2013 at 7:24 pm

      Please, give me an example of how the Republicans are creating a reality out of a perception. Please, I would like to know.
      ?
      And, no, the NRA is not a Republican organization; Conservative, perhaps, American most certainly.
      (I know you just misspoke on that one. Or, are you trying to create a reality out of your media generated perception? Just to give you an example to follow.)



    • PatRiot on January 3, 2013 at 8:52 pm

      1. The focus needs to be on the individual’s right to protect themselves.? And keeping intact the 2nd Amendment that puts it into words?a?reminder to respect that right.?
      2.? If you think the NRA is a wholly Republican membership, think again.? An?individual’s rights?had best?trump party affiliation or they shall be lost.? Remember, politicians and lawyers thrive on compromise and sovereign rights should never be left in their hands.
      3.? “doesn’t make the?problems?go away” – exactly.? And the problem is not the firearms, it is the very real criminal evil.? And I prefer to have the absolute most options of “personal protection devices” for when?(not if) I have to deal with a criminal “problem”.



    • rperezwyd on January 7, 2013 at 11:02 am

      We’ve had this discussion for weeks now and everybody’s missing the point with. the NRA and all gun holders need to do is set the standard of if you ban a weapon of any kind will it fix the problem and you have to beat that into the nonvoters heads. If today the United States ?had every single weapon from being produced or sold will that stop violence in the United States or in the world and the answers is no and that’s what you have to keep pushing.?
      During Prohibition they banned all alcohol ?we currently ban illegal drugs but that does not stop their use and abuse and that’s what you have to keep being into their heads that banning something doesn’t necessarily stop anything.?



  4. JBS on January 3, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    The low/no information voter thinks exactly what the Democrats, via the media, wants them to think. The administration in police departments are not stupid, contrary to popular opinion. By terming an officer’s designated rifle as a “patrol rifle” or “patrol carbine” they seek to differentiate it from what it really is. It says to that low/no information person in the public, a civilian (!), that the police have something exclusive and special. Also, it is easier to change out a model when newer technology becomes available.
    It is all about, as Linda Mae says, perception. The media aids and abets the charade. Most of them have NO CLUE when they try to speak authoritatively about firearms. Use of the term “clip” is an instant tip off that the speaker is a poser, a pretender. (Very, very few firearms employ an ammunition clip; most of the time, clip is referring to a stripper clip used to charge a detachable magazine; or, feed ammunition into a magazine well, such as, a C96 Mauser pistol or an 8-round enblock clip as used by the M1 Garand. ) When you hear the term clip, your BS detector should sound loudly!)
    ?
    ?



    • rperezwyd on January 7, 2013 at 11:03 am

      We’ve had this discussion for weeks now and everybody’s missing the point with. the NRA and all gun holders need to do is set the standard of if you ban a weapon of any kind will it fix the problem and you have to beat that into the nonvoters heads. If today the United States ?had every single weapon from being produced or sold will that stop violence in the United States or in the world and the answers is no and that’s what you have to keep pushing.?
      During Prohibition they banned all alcohol ?we currently ban illegal drugs but that does not stop their use and abuse and that’s what you have to keep being into their heads that banning something doesn’t necessarily stop anything.?



square-santa-patrol-rifle

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