>> STATION 10 O’CLOCK NEWS. >> THIS HANDGUN CONVERTED INTO A FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPON.
INVESTIGATORS NOW SAY IT WAS
AMONG THESE ITEMS RECOVERED BY
LOCAL DEPUTIES DURING A RECENT
TRAFFIC STOP.
♪
THE FLAGLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S
OFFICE RELEASED NEW
INFORMATION TODAY SAYING THE
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT ANALYZE THE GLOCK
17 HANDGUN IN ITS CRIME LAB
AND DETERMINED IT HAD BEEN
CONVERTED. THEN ACCORDING TO
THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THE
WEAPON WAS SEIZED DURING THE
ARREST OF A GEORGIA FUGITIVE
LATE LAST MONTH. NEWS 4 JAX
REPORTER ERIK AVANIER JOINS US
LIVE. ERIK, REALLY CONCERNING
TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
>> WELL, YES, IT’S A CONCERN
TO LAW ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE
THEY CONSIDER THAT CONVERTED
HANDGUN AND A TO TO NOW BE A
MACHINE HANDGUN CAPABLE OF
MOWING DOWN PEOPLE IN A MATTER
OF SECONDS. KEEP IN MIND
MACHINE GUNS ARE ILLEGAL HERE
IN THE U.S. UNLESS YOU HAVE A
SPECIAL FEDERAL FIREARMS
LICENSE OR IF THAT HAND, IF
THAT OF FIREARM WAS BUILT
BEFORE 1986, INVESTIGATORS SAY
NEITHER ONE OF THOSE
CONDITIONS APPLY IN THIS CASE.
>> JUST 2 WEEKS AFTER 23
YEAR-OLD BENJAMIN BOWIE WAS
ARRESTED IN JACKSONVILLE ON
DRUG CHARGES. HE WAS PULLED
OVER IN FLAGLER COUNTY FOR A
TRAFFIC VIOLATION THAT LED TO
HIM BEING ARRESTED ON A
WARRANT OUT OF GEORGIA FOR
GRAND THEFT AUTO. WHEN THE
ARRESTING DEPUTY’S SEARCH BOYS
VEHICLE, HE FOUND MARIJUANA
ALONG WITH MULTIPLE FIREARMS,
MULTIPLE FIREARM MAGAZINES,
AMMUNITION OR RUBBER SKELETON
MASK AND A SKI MASK. THE GUNS
WERE SENT TO THE FDLE CRIME
LAB WHERE INVESTIGATORS
DISCOVERED ONE OF THE GUNS, A
GLOCK 17 HAVE BEEN ILLEGALLY
CONVERTED INTO A FULLY
AUTOMATIC HANDGUN. ANY FARM
THAT IS USED.
>> NO OR ALTERATIONS TO MAKE
IT PERFORM OUTSIDE OF THE WAY
IT WAS INTENDED, OBVIOUSLY
CREATES OF IRIS TO LAST YEAR’S
AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A FULLY
AUTOMATIC GLOCK 17 LOOKS LIKE.
ONE FIRE.
>> THAT WAS MORE THAN 20
ROUNDS FIRED AND A 3 SECONDS
NEWS, 4 JAX CRIME AND SAFETY
EXPERT KEN JEFFERSON SAYS A
CONCEALED AUTOMATIC WEAPON
THIS MALL IN THE HANDS OF
CRIMINALS ON THE STREETS NOT
ONLY POSE A DANGER FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT, BUT ALSO THE
GENERAL PUBLIC BECAUSE OF ALL
OF THE POWER THAT IS WEAPONS
HAVE.
>> AND KEEP THAT UNLESS YOU
ARE FOR FISHING, AND ANNOYING.
WHAT? BUT THE KEY IS GOING TO
BE YOU CAN GET OUT OF CONTROL
AND THAT COULD A LOT OF
INNOCENT PEOPLE. CHIEF WALKER
SAYS WHILE LAW ENFORCEMENT IS
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS KIND OF
WEAPON ON THE STREETS, THERE
ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE
INDIVIDUAL IN POSSESSION OF IT
ON THE THINGS THAT THEY’RE
LOOKING TO DO, THAT’S REALLY
WHERE THE FOCUS AND THEN
THERE’S ANOTHER QUESTION STILL
LOOMING, HOW MANY OF THESE
CONVERTED HANDGUNS ARE
CURRENTLY ON THE STREETS IN
THE WRONG HANDS ONE PERSON
KNOWS HOW TO CONVERT, LEADER
THERE. MORE.
>> MORE THAN THOSE COVERED AS
WELL. JUST HAVEN’T COME ACROSS
THEM.
>> THE STATE CHARGES AGAINST
BO. WE ARE JUST THE LEAST OF
HIS CONCERNS BECAUSE
INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY PLAN TO
GET THE ATF INVOLVED TO SEE IF
FEDERAL CHARGES COULD BE FILED
AGAINST COMING UP AT 11,
YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR WHY A
LOCAL GUN RIGHTS ATTORNEY SAYS
EVERY LAW ABIDING CITIZEN WHO
WAS ALLOWED TO HAVE A SHOULD
BE ALLOWED TO OWN THAT FULLY
AUTOMATIC HANDGUN REPORTING
LIVE. ERIK AVANIER CHANNEL 4,
THE LOCAL STATION.
>>MARY BAER: SO ERICK, IF
CONVICTED, WHAT KIND OF TIME
IS BOWING FACING BEHIND BARS?
>> WE’LL GET THIS AT THE STATE
STATE CHARGES. HE’S LOOKING AT
UP TO 15 YEARS IN STATE
PRISON. NOW IF HE IS CONVICTED
ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, HE IS
LOOKING AT A MANDATORY MINIMUM
OF AT LEAST 10 YEARS IN PRISON
IF CONVICTED ON BOTH LEVELS.
HE WOULD IT WIND UP FACING
OBVIOUSLY IN JAIL AND IN THE
STATE PRISON LEVEL AND THEN
TRANSFERRED EVENTUALLY AFTER
FINISHING THAT SENTENCE TO THE
FEDERAL PRISON. ALSO, DON’T
FORGET THAT HE HAS CRIMINAL
CASES BOTH HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE. ALSO GEORGIA
THAT ARE FELONY CASES THAT
HAVE YET TO BE ADJUDICATED. SO
THAT ALSO PLAYS A ROLE IN
SENTENCING IF CONVICTED. MARY.