In Washington DC No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Washington DC really is a hive of scum and villainy. Good deeds are frowned upon so severely that performing one will result in you being fined:

The horrific incident that spawned the investigation occurred on a Sunday afternoon in late January as 11-year-old Jayeon Simon and his friend rode bicycles near Eighth and Sheridan streets Northwest in the Brightwood neighborhood. According to court records filed in D.C. Superior Court, three unleashed pit bulls pounced on Jayeon and attacked him.

Seeing the attack, Mr. Srigley went inside his home to get his Ruger 9 mm pistol while several other men hopped over fences to get away from the dogs, court records state.

From behind the wooden fence of his front lawn, Mr. Srigley began firing at the dogs.

Good on Mr. Srigley, his actions likely save that boy’s life. However the local police were unhappy with one minor detail:

Authorities last week made an agreement not to prosecute a Northwest D.C. man who used his unregistered handgun to kill a pit bull in order to stop it from mauling a child in his neighborhood.

Most people, at least I hope, would overlook the fact that Mr. Srigley used an unregistered firearm. After all he did save the live of a child with it. In fact such a scenario may point out a flaw of mandating all firearms be registered. If people like Mr. Srigley can use an unregistered firearm to save a life why should he be burdened by registration laws? Considering the massive number of hoops and hurdles, not to mention the sheer costs, one has to jump through to legally obtain and register a firearm in Washington DC it’s likely Mr. Srigley wouldn’t have had it had he complied with the law. Had he not been in possession of a firearm one boy would likely be dead. But logic doesn’t play into the state’s decrees:

As part of the agreement, Benjamin Srigley, 39, was required to pay a $1,000 fine but will not have criminal charges filed against him for the three unregistered firearms and the ammunition that investigators found in his possession, said Ted Gest, a spokesman for the office of the attorney general.

“We took it into account that he saved this boy’s life,” Mr. Gest said.

They took into account that Mr. Srigley saved the boy’s life and that consideration still leads to a $1,000 fine? That’s cold. But what else can you expect from America’s most corrupt city? Let this be a lesson to everybody, don’t go into Washington DC thinking you can help people. The local police department isn’t going to let you off the hook for doing good.