Buncombe sheriff candidate apologizes over ‘joke’ about seizing guns

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A candidate for sheriff who supports gun restrictions has apologized after shrugging his shoulders and saying “OK” in response to gun control opponents who say their weapons would have to be taken from their “cold, dead hands.”

A video of Buncombe County sheriff candidate R. Daryl Fisher delivering the line on March 7, 2018 has been shared more than 5,000 times and seen more than 285,000 times since it was posted by a conservative site on Saturday.

Local media reports that Fisher apologized Monday, and said the one-sentence clip posted online stripped the joke’s context.

Some people responded to the post saying Fisher is the reason the United States has the Second Amendment.

Fisher sent us this response:

“On the evening of Wednesday March 7, 2018, I addressed a Moms Demand Action meeting, where I was invited to speak about current gun laws in North Carolina. I spoke and engaged in Q&A with the group for about 40 minutes. During the meeting, I also was asked about my thoughts on sensible gun legislation.

Regretfully, I quoted a famous line from a movie star/NRA spokesman as a joke and the audience laughed. What I said next, and my actual point, was that the government cannot take any guns that were purchased legally and that responsible gun owners have nothing to worry about. A clip of the entire meeting may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMDcn97gu2w.

Unfortunately, a one-sentence clip from that meeting has been taken out of context and circulated on social media with a false interpretation of what I actually said. Anyone who watches the video in its entirety can see the truth and understand that my response was reasonable. While I regret having made a joke that could be misinterpreted, I stand by my actual response.

My vision for Buncombe County is “Justice for All” and sensible gun legislation that protects innocent citizens and respects the rights of gun owners. For details, please visit: www.redarylfisher4sheriff.com. I invite your questions and am willing to speak with any groups or individuals upon request.”

He also posted the response below to his official Facebook page on March 23:

“This post is for all of the people who have posted false information about my position on proposing sensible gun legislation as a candidate for Buncombe County Sheriff. As a citizen, human being, and Candidate for Sheriff, I would like to recommend the following legislation:

Ban the sale of high capacity magazines;

Ban the sale of any mechanism that will allow a weapon to fire in rapid succession;

Raise the age to purchase any weapon to age 21;

And ensure proper background checks are done for purchase permits.

These are sensible measures and are a big step at protecting our communities. Stop pointing fingers and bring solid and sensible solutions instead of spreading false information and propaganda.”