Tampa, Fl — Here’s a story that you won’t see on the nightly news because it doesn’t fit the Red Flag narrative.
We mentioned last week how there were already laws on the books that allow for somebody who poses a threat to himself or others to undergo an immediate mental health evaluation and even have their weapons removed.
No Red Flag gun confiscation law is necessary and no loss of due process, and yet somebody threatening others can be detained and evaluated and receive the help they might need.
Hillsborough County Police in Tampa, Florida announced on Tuesday, August 13th, that a 22-year-old man, Andrew Aman, was telling his roommate that he wanted to stab teachers and students at Bellamy Elementary School.
His radical leftist reasoning was, “because the exterior of the building is painted like an American flag,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
When they heard of this threat, the authorities invoked the Baker Act, an existing state law that allows for a person to be taken for a mental health evaluation before they can harm themselves or others.
Obviously, since this man was threatening to stab people, a Red Flag law wouldn’t have done much, unless they planned to Red Flag confiscate his butter knives.
Instead, the Baker Act, a version of which is on the books in nearly every state already, perfectly fit the situation.
Aman, who had made credible threats, was taken for a mental health evaluation, and if found to be “mentally unsound” would have been involuntarily committed until he was found to be mentally stable.
But there had to be a credible evidence of a threat that had to meet legal requirements.
The Baker Act couldn’t be invoked by an angry ex-girlfriend or landlord or liberal Aunt who doesn’t like your politics.
When police arrived at Aman’s home, they didn’t find any guns, and reported that there didn’t appear to be any ongoing safety threat for students, parents or staff at Bellamy Elementary School.
The authorities did release that Aman had been previously diagnosed with several mental illnesses in the past and may yet face charges for his threats.
We’re thankful those elementary school kids and staff are safe, but we think this story has two larger points:
Red Flag laws are an unnecessary and unconstitutional solution to a mental health problem where the far better solution is already on the books.
Secondly, Florida passed a law in May of 2019 that allows teachers and school staff to carry guns on the school campus if they take a 144-hour training course and their school board allows them to carry.
This situation is the perfect example of why every teacher who can carry in Florida, should.
Parent’s in Florida should let their school boards know that they want their kids’ teachers to be allowed to exercise this new right.