Gun Owners Can't Afford NOT to Support George Zimmerman

A highly decorated police officer who was shot five times last year delivered a harsh message Tuesday to a Wayne Circuit judge who handed down an “insulting” and “lenient” sentence to the convicted 25-year-old felonious thug who attempted to murder the officer during the commission of an armed robbery.

Detroit Police Officer Arthur Matthews, 40, was shot the morning of May 6, 2011, while off-duty at a Marathon gas station on Michigan Avenue and 11th Street.

Officer Matthews was at the gas station refueling his car when Proctor approached him and demanded, “Give me all your (expletive),” Matthews said.  “I see he’s got a gun in his hand,” said Matthews, recounting the shooting prior to the sentencing. “As he’s walking toward me, he racks the gun. My first instinct was to shoot him, but he’s got his gun out already and I can’t.

“He puts his gun to my temple and tells me he wants my money. I’m thinking I’m going to try to throw the money between his legs and make him turn around; then I’ll shoot him. But he gets nervous and says, ‘Don’t move. If you grab my gun I’ll shoot you in the face.’”

Matthews said he identified himself as a police officer. “I said, ‘What are you doing? I’m the police.’ But he started shooting. I knew I was hit but I felt no pain.”

Although Matthews said Proctor had the gun aimed at his temple, he was able to wrest it lower, so when Proctor pulled the trigger, he shot the officer five times in the legs and side. His left femur was shattered. A sixth bullet struck Matthews’ service pistol in its holster.

“I don’t know if his gun jammed or if he ran out of bullets, but he stopped shooting. I told him ‘You just shot the police.’ Then I punched him in his face. He starts yelling, and trying to regain control of the gun. Then he tried to run away. I don’t know if he was going to shoot me again, so I pulled out my gun and shot him three times.”

While that gunfight raged, Matthews said he believes friends of Proctor opened fire on the officer. “I was hiding behind a street pole,” Matthews said.

Matthews said he received death threats, and that police put a detail outside his east-side home for several weeks.

“I just can’t figure how someone who tries to kill a police officer can be walking the streets in a few years,” he said. “This is our criminal justice system.”

I can’t figure out how somebody who tries to rob and kill ANY citizen will EVER be walking the streets again.  This senario is repeated everyday in America.  We haven’t heard from Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and the liberal fascist main stream media, demanding justice in this case. Both Proctor and Matthews are African Americans.  There’s no money to be made on black on black crime by Jackson and Sharpton so they took a pass on taking a stand for justice.

The shooter, Christopher Proctor, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, which each carry up to a life sentence. But Wayne Circuit Judge Ulysses Boykin on Tuesday sentenced Proctor to only 14-25 years in prison.

Matthews, who still uses a cane as a result of his injuries from the shooting incident, stood up in the courtroom and called the judge’s sentence “insulting.” The patrolman, based in the department’s northeastern district, was named last week by the Detroit Police Officers Association as one of several Officers of the Year.

“There’s a sea of emotions I’ve had since this happened,” said Matthews, who has been on disability since the shooting. “The (sentence) has been whittled down to 14 years. I find that very insulting. That’s kid gloves, not attempted murder.

“This is the message you send to police officers when we try to do our jobs?” Matthews asked Boykin. “I don’t expect any remorse from the defendant, but I did expect justice from this court.”

Boykin explained that he came to his sentencing decision after receiving “numerous letters from Mr. Proctor’s family.”  Proctor’s mother said her son is “a wonderful person, a hard worker and a great father.”  “He’s innocent, but he pleaded guilty because he knew nobody would take his word over a police officer,” she said.

Proctor had previously been acquitted on another homicide and shooting of two other bystanders and  while on probation of felony narcotics charges.

Under Michigan law: “Any person who shall assault another with intent to commit the crime of murder, shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for life or any number of years.”

Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Thomas Trzcinski said his office didn’t cut a deal with Proctor. “There was no plea deal; (Proctor) just pleaded guilty to what we charged him with,” Trzcinski said.

Proctor had a gun. But it’s ludicrious to think a person needs a weapon to kill you. 

What would you do if a strong seventeen year old African American attacks you and starts hitting you in the face with his fists and you aren’t black?  Are you going to fight back?  Will you use deadly force as a last resort to protect your life no matter the race of the attacker?

What would you do if the assailant’s blows knocked you to the ground and you couldn’t get up?  What would you do if after the attacker got on top of you and started banging the back of your head it into the pavement as hard as he could, you where unable to physically stop him?  What would you do if you called for help and nobody came to your aid?  What would you do if you were not strong enough to physically stop the attack and the next blow could kill you or knock you unconscious?  Are you going to die or legally defend yourself using deadly force as a last resort if you are armed?

I know what I’m going to do.  And there is a good chance an over zealous, politically motivated prosecutor will charge me with murder without presenting the case to a Grand Jury (which is unconstitutional but happens in most states). If Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton and the media promote mob justice by playing the race card, anyone of us could be in the same situation as George Zimmerman.  If anyone of us uses deadly force to legally defend ourselves from death or serious bodily injury we will need help to finance our legal defense and post constitutionally excessive million dollar bonds. Innocent until proved guilty does not apply when the media mob tries your case in the court of Al Sharpton on MSNBC.

How can gun owners afford NOT to contribute to the George Zimmerman legal defense fund?   Please help.  If everyone who reads this post sends in just $5, it will be a significant contribution and make a difference. This is an opportunity for every gun owner in America to fight injustice while defending the second amendment civil rights of all Americans.