The surveillance state is showing its increasing reach.
Authorities followed a New York City firefighter to a gun show in Philadelphia. When the firefighter crossed back over the New York state line, he was arrested because of the items he had purchased.
Aaron B. Martin, 49, is a veteran of the Fire Department of New York and a member of an elite FDNY unit in Queens, according to the New York Post. He also serves as a chief for a Long Island volunteer fire department.
As reported by the Post, New York is cracking down on illegal guns. Martin was arrested Feb. 13 after an investigation the New York State Police and the Queens District Attorney’s office.
The Post report did not explain what brought Martin to the attention of investigators in the first place.
Martin was followed into Pennsylvania by a surveillance team. He attended a gun show held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. His purchases were monitored by the team, according to the Post.
Martin bought a Sipahi semi-automatic shotgun, “high-capacity” ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets, and polymer firearm receivers, which can be used to assemble guns that do not have a manufacturer’s serial number, the Post reported.
When Martin drove back into New York, he was pulled over and arrested.
During the stop, Martin admitted where he had been, and that he purchased a shotgun. However, he denied having the other items in his possession, according to the Post.
Multiple charges were filed against Martin, including felony possession of an assault weapon, the Post reported.
New York has some of the toughest and most restrictive gun laws in the country. And even if considering a shotgun an “assault weapon” is ludicrous, transporting illegal weapons into a hostile jurisdiction is never smart.
Whatever becomes of Martin’s legal case will be up to the courts.
But the incident highlights the kind of absurdity that has grown up around progressive state regulation of a right guaranteed in the Constitution.
The reason such different standards for gun laws exist from state to state is government fearmongering and control issues regarding guns. Liberals love to use scary-sounding terms like “assault weapon” for a firearm that’s commonplace among gun owners, such as the AR-15 rifle.
Pushback against government overreach continues to expose concerns. The Washington Free Beacon recently revealed that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had compiled a database to monitor firearm ownership, outraging Republican Rep. Mike Cloud of Texas, who called it a “shameful” violation of a law banning a federal firearms registry.
Liberal politicians don’t respect the Second Amendment, and constantly move to curtail American gun rights. Many elected officials propose and enact the most restrictive laws they can get away with in their locales.
These positions are unpopular with voters in heartland America. Democrat Beto O’Rourke was forced to recant his earlier anti-gun rhetoric after he announced his campaign for Texas governor.
Based on how Democrats behave in office, does anyone believe this flip-flop?
Does anyone believe Democrats really respect the constitutional right to bear arms?
the NY State police has nothing better to do than tail a man to a gun show buying a shot gun (in parts) then arrest him as he come back to the city?https://t.co/F2Ue6VFU9K
— Joe Del Norte (@joe_norte) February 20, 2022
New York City is being crushed by rampant criminal activity. New York state has practically become a byword for governmental dysfunction, thanks to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Empire State authorities — and liberals in general — should have more important priorities than attacking Second Amendment rights.