Crowd packs guns, packs City Hall in Oak Harbor

Originally published February 5, 2013 at 9:41 PM | Page modified February 6, 2013 at 6:33 AM

At least a dozen people were packing at the Oak Harbor City Council meeting on Tuesday night. The topic: whether to repeal an ordinance banning guns from city parks and the marina.

PREV 1 of 3 NEXT

A large crowd, including Bill Frail, second from right, with an M1 Garand rifle, recites the Pledge of Allegiance at Tuesday evening's City Council meeting in Oak Harbor.

Enlarge this photo

ERIKA SCHULTZ / The Seattle Times

A large crowd, including Bill Frail, second from right, with an M1 Garand rifle, recites the Pledge of Allegiance at Tuesday evening's City Council meeting in Oak Harbor.

PREV 2 of 3 NEXT

Gun-rights supporters wore firearms to the Oak Harbor City Council meeting Tuesday.

Enlarge this photo

ERIKA SCHULTZ / The Seattle Times

Gun-rights supporters wore firearms to the Oak Harbor City Council meeting Tuesday.

Seattle Times staff reporter

OAK HARBOR, Whidbey Island — It was not a sight seen before at the City Council meeting in this town of 22,000: guns, lots of them.

At least a dozen people, mostly men, came openly carrying pistols strapped to their belts.

An unknown number had concealed weapons, as an overflow crowd of 160 filled three rooms at City Hall on Tuesday night.

They saw the City Council unanimously repeal an ordinance that bans guns from city parks and the marina.

State law allows guns in these locations, and the pro-gun Second Amendment Foundation had threatened to sue if the city’s rules remained at odds with the state’s.

But the overflow crowd was really here after a YouTube video went viral showing what happened at the Jan. 15 council meeting during which guns were the topic.

The video shows Lucas Yonkman, 28, a partner in a local construction firm and an Army vet who served in Afghanistan, speaking before the council.

“I’m a professional with a weapon. I carry a weapon every day, for the purpose of protecting people,” Yonkman said. “The American people should be very careful about messing with the Second Amendment ...”

That was when Councilman Rick Almberg, 68, a retired contractor, and himself an Army veteran, asked Yonkman whether he was carrying a weapon.

Yes, replied Yonkman. “I have a concealed-carry permit, and I am concealed-carrying at this moment. I would hope that people felt comfortable with that, due to the fact that I am a trained professional with a weapon. ...”

Almberg then moved that the public either check their guns with the police or leave the meeting. The motion lost 4-2, and Almberg walked out in protest.

On Tuesday night, a number of gun-rights advocates unsuccessfully called for the resignation of Almberg and the other councilmember who voted for the motion.

Almberg said he didn’t see the point of allowing guns at council meetings, and, he said, such a display would “bully” those not carrying them.

It’s an issue that councils in other cities have grappled with.

In his December 2012 newsletter, Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess writes:

“The Seattle City Council can regulate the size of the signs people carry into Council Chambers for safety reasons, but we can’t prohibit firearms at Council meetings? Nonsense.”

A good portion of those attending the Tuesday meeting in Oak Harbor were gun owners, including Nick Smith, 44, a Tacoma retail consultant.

In his holster he had a SIG 239 semi-automatic pistol.

“I think that apathy is something to be rejected,” Smith said about coming to the council meeting.

He said he’s had to use a gun in self-defense only once. That was when a “vagrant” came up to his car, and after being turned down for money, “he started grabbing the window and door violently.” After Smith put his pistol on his lap, he said, the vagrant “decided he had better things to do.”

The public-comment period of Tuesday’s meeting was limited to 30 minutes, and there were a few people who spoke for gun control.

One of them was Shane Hoffmire, 28, an Oak Harbor man who works in building maintenance. He and his wife have a 7-year-old son.

A little nervous, he had written out his statements.

“Should assault rifles really be allowed on a playground where our children are playing?” he asked.

On Tuesday night, here in Oak Harbor, the answer was yes.

Erik Lacitis: elacitis@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2237

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020294850_oakharborxml.html

Views: 196

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted a blog post

The Draconian Show

Sometimes I talk to my invisible friend, IkeHe comes from another dimension when magnetic fields…See More
7 hours ago
tjdavis posted a blog post
yesterday
Doc Vega posted a blog post
Wednesday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Tuesday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Monday
Doc Vega favorited tjdavis's photo
Sunday
Doc Vega commented on tjdavis's photo
Thumbnail

Game Night

"Ha! Good one!"
Sunday
Doc Vega commented on FREEDOMROX's blog post MRNA VACCINES: Question
"Listen man I know where you're at but back in October of 2023 thru December of 2023 for months…"
Sunday
tjdavis posted a video

Architecton | Official Trailer HD | A24

SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/A24subscribeWritten and directed by Victor Kossakovsky and starring Michele De Lucchi. ARCHITECTON – Coming Soon RELEASE DATE: Comin...
Sunday
tjdavis posted photos
Sunday
tjdavis posted a blog post
Sunday
Burbia posted a video

Europe Will Not Survive

The hubris.All things Archaix at www.archaix.com
Sunday
FREEDOMROX posted a video
Jun 21
Burbia commented on tjdavis's blog post Track AIPAC
Jun 20
rlionhearted_3 commented on Doc Vega's blog post Latest Details on Missile Exchanges Between Iran and Israel
"May get really ugly over there?"
Jun 20
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Latest Details on Missile Exchanges Between Iran and Israel

Latest information about the air attacks between Israel and Iran as the US moves another carrier…See More
Jun 19
tjdavis favorited Less Prone's video
Jun 19
tjdavis posted a blog post
Jun 19
cheeki kea replied to cheeki kea's discussion Tartaria
"Some interesting information has come to light ( from the renaissance period ) which explains that…"
Jun 19
Sandy posted a video
Jun 19

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted