Already threatening to leave Colorado if House Bill 1224 becomes law, Magpul Industries now says it will not sell gun magazines to law enforcement officers unless they pledge to uphold the Second and 14th Amendments [remat: I corrected capitalization] to the U.S. Constitution.
“Back in 1990, when I was deployed in Desert Shield and Desert Storm as a Marine grunt, some companies prioritized me items for my M16 for shipping that I purchased with my own funds,” Magpul president and founder John Fitzpatrick said in a statement on the company’s website. “After getting out and forming Magpul in 1999, I established the same priority policy for Military and Law Enforcement, due to the requirements of their profession.”
“The same policy has been in place for 13 years now and has never been an issue until a few days ago. I do not support the idea that individual police officers should be punished for the actions of their elected officials. That said, I understand the concerns that some have with Law Enforcement officers getting special treatment while at the same time denouncing second amendment rights to another citizen in the same state.
“With the fight in Colorado right now we do not have time to implement a new program, so I have suspended all LE sales to ban states until we can implement a system wherein any Law Enforcement Officer buying for duty use will have to promise to uphold their oath to the US Constitution – specifically the Second and Fourteenth amendments – as it applies to all citizens.”
Magpul, a gun magazine manufacturer based in Erie, Colo., and employs about 200, has said it will leave Colorado if House Bill 1224 passes. That bill, which has already passed the Democratic-controlled House and is now working its way to the Senate floor, would limit gun magazines to 15 rounds.
John Jackson, police chief in Greenwood Village and chairman of the legislative committee for the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, said the move was unwarranted. While the chiefs association supports the legislation, individual officers shouldn’t be targeted, Jackson said.
“Law enforcement is not involved politically, and it’s our opinion that public safety has no partisan line,” Jackson said.
“They (officers) have already taken an oath to follow the Constitution,” Jackson said. “There is no reason for them to have to reaffirm that for any individual business or purchase. [remat: I corrected capitalization]
“That’s like asking them to reaffirm the First Amendment if they want to go to a movie.”
News media didn't capitalize the Constitution or Amendments. I corrected it. Sad.
