Hard to imagine a more perfect example of the insanity of New York crime laws than this:
A man in Queens has been charged after he shot and killed another person who was allegedly trying to rob him, police reported.
Officials say the shooting happened in a driveway on 82nd Avenue in Kew Gardens at around 2 a.m. Wednesday.
The 32-year-old was armed with a sharp object and attempted to rob a 65-year-old of money and cigarettes, authorities said.
The 65-year-old, identified as Charles Foehner, pulled a sliver handgun and shot him as many as five times.
You may be wondering if Foehner could really feel justified in putting five into this guy's chest. Here's surveillance footage of the incident.
If you're coming at somebody like that — basically like a wild animal on methamphetamine — you shouldn't be surprised if they whip out a blaster and put you down.
Now, as the district attorney notes, this case is actually sort of "complicated," at least in a narrow sense. Foehner hasn't been charged explicitly with the shooting; rather he's been charged for carrying his firearm without a permit. He reportedly has a permit for a shotgun, but not a handgun.
In the minutes before the shooting, investigators believe the assailant went on a rampage, inexplicably smashing windows in two neighboring buildings. Foehner lives around the corner with his wife, where he is well-liked. Sources say he has an active NYPD firearms permit.
All of this demonstrates the injustice and stupidity of a permitting system, especially one as severe as New York City's, where you can wait nearly a year to get a handgun permit and incur charges of over $300 while doing so. Foehner has a right to defend himself. He shouldn't have to beg the government, and shell out several weeks' worth of grocery money, in order to do so.
