WPD Vice detectives were in the area of 8th and Queen Streets on Wednesday and Thursday in response to complaints of drug dealing and use in the area.
Detectives executed a search warrant at 803 Queen Street and recovered marijuana, ecstasy, prescription medications and several firearms. The firearms included a stolen .45 caliber pistol, a .44 magnum revolver, a .50 caliber Desert Eagle and an AR-15 style assault rifle.
The types of firearms seized illustrate an alarming trend in the types of weapons drug dealers are choosing to arm themselves with. The rounds that these weapons fire are capable of inflicting massive and devastating injuries. The weapons also use high-capacity magazines capable of holding between 15 and 30 rounds of ammunition.
Here are the arrests that resulted from the operation. Photos of these suspects are being retrieved for later distribution:
Ronnie Levern Barnhill, 12/10/1959, Possess Stolen Firearm/Possess Firearm by Felon $50,000 bond.
Jariel Matthew Ragin, 09/19/1990, Possession w/ Intent to Sell/Deliver Marijuana, Felony Possession of MDMA (ecstasy), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - $20,000 bond.
Desmon Terrell Barnhill, 10/14/1977, Possess Stolen Firearm - $60,000 bond.
Rosalyn Ragin, 03/09/1956, Possess Stolen Firearm - no bond information available.
All offenders reside at 803 Queen Street. Leland Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assisted in locating Desmon Terrell Barnhill who was not at home during the raid.
INFORMATION FROM A NEWS RELEASE SENT TO THE WWAY NEWSCHANNEL 3 NEWSROOM.
I've read
all the posted comments. As usual, Common comes through with fact and attempts to open eyes.
What amazes me though is the relatively low bond amounts listed. Chump change for these guys to come up with if they are in fact organized dealers.
Misinformation
""The weapons also use high-capacity magazines capable of holding between 15 and 30 rounds of ammunition.""?
I'd like to see anyone "try" and use a 15 or 30 magazine in any of these: .45 caliber pistol, a .44 magnum revolver, a .50 caliber Desert Eagle.
Can't be done!
RFLMAO
The writer of this article shows their COMPLETE IGNORANCE of firearms..."powerful" firearms? THREE of the four are so COMMON it isn't even funny...the AR15 isn't AS common...but it's PRETTY darn common...."The rounds that these weapons fire are capable of inflicting massive and devastating injuries." I bet a round with my .410 shotgun can do some massive and devastating injuries as well...LOL...ignorance....you just gotta laugh.
NOW...to the REAL issue here...these guns were seized with drugs...should AUTOMATICALLY be LIFE IN PRISON...PERIOD.
Life in prison..... Yes they
Life in prison..... Yes they were breaking the law but the ones who should get life are the rapist and child molesters. I am not advocating by any means but you have to pick your battles.
While you are correct that
While you are correct that the rapists and child molesters should get life in prison, the average drug dealer will spend more time in prison than the rapist or molester. it's a wonderful system we have! Also, if you kill your child or try to again you will get less time than a drug dealer! I've seen it many, many times at my job.
yeah, I'm sure those guns
yeah, I'm sure those guns were just used for protection. They aren't really dangerous criminals
Why?
Why do I have to choose? They can all have a ride there....
What a load of bovine droppings
"The types of firearms seized illustrate an alarming trend in the types of weapons drug dealers are choosing to arm themselves with. The rounds that these weapons fire are capable of inflicting massive and devastating injuries. The weapons also use high-capacity magazines capable of holding between 15 and 30 rounds of ammunition."
Let's see....the .44 Magnum revolver has been around since the Fifties. The other two are based on technology that has existed for over one-hundred years. None of those three calibers, .44 Magnum, .45 ACP, or .50 AE will penetrate a good vest.
The .223 round of the AR-15 will penetrate most body armor, but so will just about any rifle round. So in that regard, it's no deadlier than a .30-06 or .30-30, two very common hunting rounds.
Now, about magazines - take the time to research how long it takes to deliver thirty shots from one magazine or thirty shots from three ten-round magazines. The times are nearly identical.
Basically, don't fall for the idiotic notion that there are "good guns" and "bad guns." I recall the previous chief going on and on about the deadly weapons law enforcement has to face, then pointing to a Remington Model 870 Wingmaster. The folding black stock somehow made it deadlier than the identical gun Grandpa uses for duck hunting.
I think what they are
I think what they are getting at is that these criminals are starting to use these types of weapons instead of what they used to use...smaller calibre weapons that don't produce as much damage. Yes these weapons have been around for awhile, but these thugs normally didn't use these types of weapons
Not true, WilmMan
John Dillinger carried a .45 ACP. George "Machine Gun" Kelly didn't get his name by carrying a small caliber handgun.
As far as "producing damage," that goes right back to my main point: Don't accept the idea that there are good guns and bad guns. I guarantee you that a .22 can kill you just as quickly as a .45 ACP round. My own father was killed by a .25 ACP (horrible round in horrible pistols) round that hit his collar bone and riccocheted down through his aorta.
No sir. It's an agenda. Keep the idea of "bad guns" in front of the American people until the time is right.
Remember the frenzy to get the "assault weapons" ban passed? According to the media, they were suddenly "the choice of criminals," even though at the time of the ban the bureau's stats showed that assault weapons were used in less than one percent of all crimes. The FACTS don't even slow these people down.
No officer wants to face a firearm, but I will also tell you that many misguided chiefs of police with political ambitions or wanting to garner political favor, join sides with the Left-wingers and media in pushing an agenda to make private firearm ownership outlawed. That's not the case with the current WPD chief, but his predecessor was a big anti-gun tyrant.
Remember - a thug with a .22 is far more dangerous than a law abiding citizen with an MP5.
I couldn't agree more about
I couldn't agree more about keeping fireamrs available. I guess it just seems like in recent history, smaller weapons and lower damage bullets were used. Now, hollow points and higher calibre weapons are being used. And I understand that a .22 can kill you, but the chance of it are not as high as a .45 killing you
A Gun is A Gun
and my pencil is an assault pencil if I attack you with it.
Alarming trend, blah, blah, blah. The more alarming trend is the media being overly scarred of guns and pushing stories to try and sway people to the gun control side.
...and don't think they've changed their spots
I have an acquaintance who is a state organizer in Democrat politics in Georgia. The word is that the conservative Democrats are up in arms because it's no secret within the party that if Obama wins again in 2012, they intend to go full bore on banning weapons by specific type, so that you'll still have a RIGHT to own a firearm, but your choice will be limited to an iron-sighted, single shot rifle or shotgun.
They're specifically planning on banning ALL semi-automatics and detachable magazines, "sniper rifles" (i.e., any scoped center-fire rifle) and of course, the old reliable, the "Saturday Night Special," which will be defined in such a way as to include every handgun.
So if anyone tells you that the Democrats have backed off gun-control because it's a losing issue, don't believe it.
(Once glance at what they're doing with healthcare reform makes you realize that they're willing to go down in defeat for the sake of "losing issues" they hold near and dear to their little Marxist hearts.)
drug bust
So we're all going to see that some or all of these people have priors. Our judicial system sets them free, they grow bolder & improve techniques & we hope that they don't hurt anyone. Stop releasing the bad guys is almost always the answer (didn't the WPD Chief just say this?). Everyone is going to clamor about drugs or gun control or whatever... The answer is to keep these type of people locked up for a very long time.