Tennessee Gun Permit Revocations Up 316 Percent From 2010

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Over the last ten years, Tennessee legislators have passed numerous laws expanding where gun permit holders can carry loaded guns, including bars, parks, playgrounds, festivals, college campuses, and public transportation. Legislators supporting these laws say that we should implicitly trust permit holders as they are more law abiding than police officers.

It is certainly true that permit holders overall are law abiding, however the number of gun permit revocations has gone up dramatically over the last ten years. In fact, while the total number of permits issued has gone up around 112 percent (102,879 in 2010 to 218,536 in 2017), the number of revocations has gone up 316 percent (108 in 2010 to 449 in 2017).

 

In 2017, there were 449 revocations and 1803 suspensions, indicating that over 2200 permit holders committed some type of offense. Based on Senator Nicely’s tweet, we should believe that members of Tennessee law enforcement were responsible for more than 2200 crimes last year. He offers no proof of this claim.

Although the Department of Safety publishes an annual report that details the total number of permits issued, denied, suspended, and revoked as well as other details, a law passed in 2013 requires all permit holder information to be kept confidential. So, unless law enforcement happens to disclose the permit status to the media, there is no way to know if a person who has used a gun to threaten, intimidate, injure or kill someone is a permit holder. Or, if the negligently stored gun used by a child to injure or kill themselves or someone else belonged to a permit holder. This of course makes it easy for lawmakers and the NRA to claim that all permit holders are responsible and law abiding and should be allowed to carry loaded firearms everywhere.

About Tennessee gun permits: Tennessee is a “shall-issue” or “right to carry” state, meaning the state must issue a gun permit to any applicant who is an adult, has no significant criminal record, has not been adjudicated mentally ill, and has successfully complete a basic 8 hour course in firearms safety training. In states that are “may issue,” issuance of a concealed carry permit is at the discretion of local authorities and the issuing authority “may” issue a permit if the citizen meets certain criteria (usually, demonstrating a need). Tennessee gun permits allow for both open and conceal carry of handguns. Many states only issue conceal carry permts. Shall-issue laws are associated with significantly higher rates of total, firearm-related, and handgun-related homicide. For more information on Tennessee gun permits, click here.

Below are a number of instances where permit holders were neither responsible nor law abiding. These are only the incidents that were reported in the media and include only fatal shootings, not incidents that result in injuries or instances of brandishing a gun to threaten. Many came from a report produced by the Violence Policy Center. Considering the vast majority of revocation and suspensions are the result of felony arrests, court orders, and misdemeanor convictions, it is safe to assume that there are many more incidents that did not make the news.

Permit Holder: Bobby Jackson
Date: September 11, 2017
City: Clarksville
County: Montgomery
People Killed: 1
Unintentional
On September 11, 2017, handgun permit holder Bobby Jackson, 70, entered a local diner and started to sit down. He dropped a cloth bag on the floor. A witness then reported hearing a pop, “like a firecracker going off,” the report said. Atkinson said he’d been shot and asked for an ambulance. He sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was taken to the hospital. The investigation uncovered there was a Chiappa .22-caliber revolver inside a cloth bag, strapped into a holster with the hammer forward. When the bag was dropped, the hammer of the revolver struck the floor, causing it to discharge. On September 16th, five days after the unintentional shooting, Jackson succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
Source: https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2017/09/28/man-dies-after-accidental-gunshot-rudys-diner-clarksville/712151001/

Permit Holder: Jason Nasca
Date: December 7, 2016
City: Knoxville
County: Knox
People Killed: 2 (including shooter)
Murder-suicide
On December 7, 2016, handgun permit holder Jason Nasca, 41, shot and killed Nicholas Strange, 23, before turning the gun on himself in the parking lot of a Weigel’s convenience store in Knoxville. According to the sheriff’s office, the shooting occurred after a verbal altercation between the two men, who did not know each other.
Source: https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/kcso-argument-between-strangers-ends-in-murder-suicide/51-365550265

Permit Holder: Ricky Swafford
Date: September 23, 2016
City: Athens
County: McMinn
People Killed: 3 (including shooter)
Murder-suicide
On September 23, 2016, handgun permit holder Ricky Swafford, 45, shot and killed James Zotter, 44, and Sandra Cooley, 68, before turning the gun on himself. On the morning of the shooting, Swafford was meeting with his supervisors at the Thomas & Betts Corporation plant where he worked, when he reportedly became upset and left the building. Swafford returned a short time later and fatally shot Zotter and Cooley. Swafford was later found dead in a bathroom at the factory from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Swafford had worked at the factory for 15 years. In 2013, Tennessee enacted a law allowing workers with a concealed handgun permit to store firearms in vehicles parked at work regardless of employers’ weapons policies.
Source: http://www.wkrn.com/news/police-release-details-after-employee-kills-2-supervisors/1057658964

Permit Holder: William Clinton Robbins
Date: December 31, 2015
City: Hunstville
County: Scott County
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On December 31, 2015, handgun permit holder William Clinton Robbins, 44, allegedly shot and killed Nickie Benjamin Brumitte, 20. Early that morning, Brumitte and a group of friends arrived at Robbins’ house to retrieve a Dodge Ram pickup truck that was owned by Robbins’ niece and was allegedly part of a contentious divorce dispute (his niece’s husband, Josh Turner, was one of the men accompanying Brumitte). As Brumitte attempted to flee in the vehicle, Robbins emerged from his house and allegedly began firing at the truck, emptying 17 rounds from his Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and striking Brumitte in the head. Robbins told investigators that he was attempting to shoot the engine block of the pickup, but a special agent from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation testified that the location and trajectory of the bullets that struck the vehicle did not support his claim. He testified that three bullets entered the windshield of the vehicle, two struck at or near its passenger side door, and single bullets hit the bumper, tire, and grill. Robbins was charged with criminal homicide.
Source: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2017/10/19/jury-deliberating-fate-scott-county-man-use-deadly-force-case/778289001/

UPDATE: On October 19, 2017, William Clinton Robbins was convicted of reckless homicide in the death of Nickie Benjamin Brumitte. Robbins faces up to two years in prison.

Permit Holder: Dewey “Butch” C. Abbott III
Date: July 22, 2015
City: Lascassas
County: Rutherford
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On July 22, 2015, concealed handgun permit holder Dewey “Butch” C. Abbott III, 60, shot and killed Jesse Sliepenbeek, 40, at Kings Crossing Apartments. Abbott, Sliepenbeek, and witness Lisa McClean had been drinking and eating together on the night of the shooting. After dinner, according to Abbott, Sliepenbeek assaulted McClean before Abbott asked the other man to leave the apartment. A few hours later, Sliepenbeek returned to the apartment to look for his wallet, which he had left there. According to Abbott, Sliepenbeek entered the apartment “ranting and raving.” In the course of searching for his wallet he eventually came out of a bedroom with blankets slung over his shoulder, lowered his shoulder at Abbott, said “I ain’t scared,” and lunged at the older man. Abbott shot Sliepenbeek three times, including once in the back. Abbott was convicted of second-degree murder and faces 15 to 20 years in jail with no parole.
Source: https://www.dnj.com/story/news/crime/2016/12/09/abbott-found-guilty/95198088/

Permit Holder: Michael Little
Date: August 15, 2015
City: Knoxville
County: Knox
People Killed: 2 (including shooter)
Homicide
On August 15, 2014, gun permit holder Michael Little, 21, shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend Ashley Womack, 18, and Womack’s mother Rhonda, and shot and killed family friend Travis Wegener, before Ashley’s older brother Joshua shot and killed Little. According to news reports, Little, a Tennessee police cadet, went to Ashley’s home to speak with her two weeks after they had split up. As he walked toward his car in the driveway, Little pulled out a 45 caliber handgun and shot Rhonda Womack and Travis Wegener, before going to the back of the house and shooting Ashley. Ashley’s brother Joshua then retrieved a rifle and shot and killed Little.
Source: http://www.wvlt.tv/home/headlines/One-killed-two-injured-after-shooting-in-north-Knoxville-271482921.html
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/aug/18/knoxville-police-cadet-fatal-shooting-had-handgun-/264752/

Permit Holder: James “Tony” McKenzie
Date: June 4, 2014
City: Decatur
County: Meigs
People Killed: 1
Unintentional - self-inflicted
On June 4, 2014, handgun permit holder James “Tony” McKenzie, 48, unintentionally shot and killed himself while he was driving his car. Police say the gun went off and shot him in the upper leg. According to news reports, McKenzie’s family said he “always kept a gun on him.”
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/25706284/man-accidentally-shoots-and-kills-himself-while-driving

Permit Holder: Ryan Frederick
Date: December 15, 2013
City: Columbia
County: Maury
People Killed: 1
Unintentional - friend
On December 15, 2013, handgun permit holder Ryan Frederick, 24, unintentionally shot and killed 19-year-old James Tyler Wisdom while showing off his new handgun. Frederick was in his bedroom showing his handgun to a friend when it discharged, with the bullet traveling through the floor boards and striking Wisdom who was in the kitchen of the house. Frederick told a local TV station, “It was an accident, but it shouldn’t have happened and I’m going to miss him.” Frederick was not charged in the shooting.
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/teen-killed-friend-gun-discharges-floorboards-cops-article-1.1549611

Permit Holder: Chris Ferrell
Date: November 23, 2013
City: Nashville
County: Davidson
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On November 23, 2013, handgun permit holder Chris Ferrell allegedly shot and killed Wayne Mills, 44, in the bar that Ferrell owned, the Pit and Barrel. Mills was a singer and leader of the outlaw-country Wayne Mills Band. According to news reports, an altercation began about 5:00 AM after Mills began smoking in a non-smoking area of the bar. The two began to argue as the other patrons left the bar. Gunshots were then heard and the police were called. Upon arrival, they found Mills with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The two men had been friends and had returned to the bar after attending a George Jones Tribute earlier. Ferrell’s bar had been scheduled to be on the Spike TV show Bar Rescue the next day. Ferrell was charged with second degree murder.
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/24058411/tv-show-pulled-as-investigation-continunes-into-wayne-mills-shooting-death

UPDATE: On March 6, 2015, Chris Ferrell was found guilty of second degree murder in the death of Wayne Mills. On April 24, 2015, Ferrell was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2015/04/24/man-gets-years-musicians-murder/26307571/

Permit Holder: Gregory Morris Booton
Date: October 17, 2012
City: Winchester
County: Franklin
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On October 17, 2012, handgun permit holder Gregory Morris Booton, 49, shot John Franklin Tucker, 46, multiple times outside of Tucker’s residence. Tucker was pronounced dead the following morning. According to police, the two men had been involved in a verbal altercation over a female friend prior to the shooting. Booton was charged with first degree murder.
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/19855431/winchester-man-charged-with-first-degree-murder

UPDATE: On March 11, 2014, Gregory Morris Booton pled guilty to second degree murder in the death of John Franklin Tucker. On April 29, 2014, Booton was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
http://www.heraldchronicle.com/booton-sentenced-to-23-years-on-murder-charge/

Paul Clifford Moore Jr.
Date: May 21, 2012
City: Knoxville
County: Knox
People Killed: 3
Triple homicide
On May 21, 2012, handgun permit holder Paul Clifford Moore Jr., 53, shot and killed his wife, Christina Moore, 39, her twin sister, Bridgette Stagnolia, 39, and his wife’s lover, Amber Snellings, 24. Moore had learned two months earlier that his wife was having an affair with Snellings and reportedly bought a gun and threatened to kill Snellings. On the day of the murder, Moore shot Snellings three times in a bedroom in his apartment and then shot both his wife and Stagnolia twice: once in the forehead and once in the back of the head. Moore was charged with three counts of first degree murder. The prosecutor called the killings “the most unmerciful conduct this court has ever seen.” In January 2014, Moore was convicted of three counts of second degree murder and in March 2014, Moore was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Source: http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/powell-slayings-suspects-brother-says-he-expected-death-ep-360812725-356994351.html/

Permit Holder: Johnny Swack
Date: September 7, 2011
City: Lafayette
County: Macon
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On September 7, 2011, handgun permit holder Johnny Swack, 52, allegedly shot his former wife, Reinalda Ann Dupont England, 36, in the face with a pistol as she slept, killing her. After the shooting, Swack called 911 and reported the shooting as an accident. He was later arrested for her murder. According to his sister Susan Swack, Johnny Swack had mental problems that were evident months prior to the shooting: “He thought people were poisoning him. He thought people were following him. He had been trying to turn himself in at police stations and he wasn’t wanted for anything so they couldn’t keep him.” Susan Swack told reporters that she had called police and asked them to take her brother’s two handguns, but he had a legal permit. Johnny Swack had been treated at a mental institution weeks before the killing, where he was diagnosed with bipolarism, medicated, and then released. Said Susan Swack, “They refused to talk to the family at the mental place. I said, ‘he’s paranoid schizophrenic. He has guns and y’all need to do something about him.’ And they released him a few days later.”
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/15499057/sister-of-accused-murderer-speaks-out

UPDATE: In July 2012, Johnny Swack was found mentally ill and committed to judicial hospitalization under involuntary commitment. According to the deputy clerk, Swack will be evaluated every six months to determine if he is capable of standing trial. According to the judge’s ruling, the case has not been dismissed, but is on hold until Swack can be deemed mentally fit.
https://www.maconcountychronicle.com/news/3120-accused-killer-johnny-swack-committed?showall=1&limitstart=

Permit Holder: Shannon Scott Paul
Date: June 20, 2011
City: Ashland City
County: Cheatham
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On June 20, 2011, handgun permit holder Shannon Scott Paul was shot and killed during an argument in a shopping center parking lot. According to investigators, Paul and Ryan Dickens got into an argument while driving in separate vehicles. Both men then drove into the parking lot of the Owen Place Shopping Center, got out of their vehicles, and continued their argument. Paul, who was a concealed carry permit holder, then shot Dickens. According to police, Dickens then wrestled the gun away from Paul and shot him. Paul died from his injuries. Dickens was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/14944359/one-killed-one-injured-in-shopping-center-shooting

Permit Holder: Randolph Sims
Date: February 2011
City: Knoxville
County: Knox
People Killed: 1
Unintentional - girlfriend
In February 2011, handgun permit holder Randolph Sims, 34, shot and killed his girlfriend, Adrianne Watson, 35, as she walked into his apartment. According to news reports, Sims was “knocking back drinks and unloading his shotgun” when it went off, hitting Watson in the stomach as she was entering Sims’ apartment. “It was an accident,” Sims stated at his trial, “I pumped it, and it went off.” At the time of the shooting, Sims’ blood alcohol level was 0.21, almost three times the legal limit for measuring intoxication. At his trial, the Assistant District Attorney stated that Sims had been schooled on gun safety and should have known better than to handle the weapon while drinking. Immediately after the shooting, Sims told police that he had thought Watson was an intruder, a story he abandoned during his trial, stating, “That’s what I said…I’d been drinking. I was scared the police were going to charge me because I’d been drinking.” Sims was convicted of reckless homicide in July 2012
Source: http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/suspect-in-fatal-shooting-it-was-an-accident-ep-360412172-356864441.html/

Permit Holder: Michael Joe Hood
Date: March 27, 2010
City: Ashland City
County: Cheatham
People Killed: 3
Triple Homicide
On March 27, 2010, gun permit holder Michael Joe Hood, 49, shot and killed his sister Susan Hood Binkley, 44, her ex-husband Dale Binkley, 42, and their 13-year-old son Jackson Binkley. All four shared a house in Cheatham County. Sheriff John Holder told reporters that police were looking at two motives for the mass shooting. The first was a possible disagreement over recycling aluminum cans: Hood had placed a sign on the family’s refrigerator to collect the cans, but it had been removed. The second possible scenario was an argument over the family dog. Family members said Hood had a history of mental illness. Dale Binkley’s sister Pamela told reporters, “I don’t understand why someone who has a history of mental illness can have a legal permit to carry a gun….The police and the authorities are telling me he had permits to carry the guns that killed my loved ones. And he was on medicine, medication for mental illness. You tell me how, how does this happen?” Hood was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/14790541/triple-murder-suspect-undergoes-mental-evaluation-3-27-2010

Permit Holder: Frank Graham
Date: February 12, 2010
City: Memphis
County: Shelby
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On February 12, 2010, 34-year-old firefighter, Frank Graham, shot his 35-year-old ex-girlfriend, Taffi Crawford, three times in the parking lot of Delta Medical Center. Graham had a history of domestic violence against his ex-wife and Crawford. The Memphis Fire Department terminated Graham after he had been charged with first degree murder. Graham held a handgun carry permit.
Source: http://wreg.com/2016/04/28/loopholes-give-domestic-abusers-easy-access-to-guns/
http://themississippilink.com/2010/02/22/firefighter-that-shot-and-killed-ex-had-history-of-violence/

UPDATE: On January 16, 2012, Frank Graham was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Taffi Crawford. Graham argued the shooting was unintentional, claiming he just wanted to scare Crawford, but tripped and accidentally shot her. Prosecutors argued that Crawford was shot three times and that forensic analysis showed that two of the shots were fired while she was on the ground. Graham was sentenced to life in prison and may be eligible for parole after 51 years.
http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/12265838/judge-upholds-first-degree-murder-charge-against-former-firefighter

Permit Holder: Troy D. Whiteside
City: Knoxville
County: Knox
Date: August 22, 2009
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On August 22, 2009, Troy D. Whiteside, 41, allegedly shot and killed Reginald Stacy Sudderth, 43, in a parking lot outside a clothing goods store in East Knoxville. According to news reports, neighborhood residents said the two, who had known each other for years and had competing businesses, “couldn’t stand to be around each other.” There were also allegations of arson. In the parking lot, Whiteside allegedly shot at Sudderth more than 10 times with a 9mm pistol. Sudderth was hit several times and died. Whiteside’s attorney claimed that in the lot Sudderth threatened his client and acted as though he were reaching for a weapon. The attorney representing Sudderth’s family stated that Sudderth, who was barred from possessing firearms because of a felony drug conviction, “was unarmed as he is always unarmed and known in the community not to carry weapons.” Whiteside, who was issued a handgun permit on October 19, 2007, was charged with second degree murder and faces a three million dollar wrongful death suit filed by Sudderth’s family.
Source: http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/murder-charge-upgraded-for-knoxville-man-accused-in-2009-killing-ep-404139424-357759321.html/

Permit Holder: Thomas Pate
Date: April 30, 2009
City: Bartlett
County: Shelby
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On April 30, 2009, Thomas Pate reported his wife missing to police, telling them that she had failed to return home after going for a run. Pate eventually gave investigators information that led them to his wife’s body. Police found her body the night of May 1 near the Loosahatchie River about five miles from the couple’s home. Pate told police he had shot his wife in the head and then threw the pistol in the river. His lawyer claimed the shooting was accidental and occurred when Micah Pate walked in front of Thomas Pate as they were target shooting. Pate had a handgun permit that was issued on November 27, 2006. Pate’s wife also had a handgun permit. He was initially charged with second degree murder. The charge was later upgraded to premeditated first-degree murder.
Source: https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21863154.html

Permit Holder: Austin Agee
Date: March 2009
City: Memphis
County: Shelby
People Killed: 2 (including shooter)
Homicide, delayed suicide
In March 2009, Austin Agee shot and killed Lisa Davis and dumped her body in a field where he used to ride four-wheelers. On March 7, 2009, Agee, Davis, and three other acquaintances partied together in the Beale Street entertainment district in Memphis. The group dropped Davis off at her residence early Sunday morning, but Agee is believed to have returned to the house. Friends reported Davis missing on Sunday when she failed to show up for work at Bumpus Harley-Davidson. On Tuesday, March 10, 2009, Agee fatally shot himself after detectives arrived at his residence to question him as a “person of interest” in the Davis disappearance. A note found at his residence quoted Agee as being sorry for what he had done and revealed where the body could be found. Agee had a gun permit which was issued on November 10, 2008.
Source: “http://memphismagazine.com/features/absence-of-motive/

Permit Holder: Harry Raymond Coleman
Date: February 6, 2009
City: Memphis
County: Shelby
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On February 6, 2009, Harry Raymond Coleman, 60, shot and killed Robert “Dutch” Schwerin, 52, during an argument over how close their SUVs were parked. The shooting occurred outside the Villa Castrioti restaurant where Schwerin and a woman identified as Coleman’s wife were arguing over how close his GMC Yukon Denali was parked to her Hummer. Coleman retrieved his 45 caliber pistol from the Hummer and shot Schwerin in the chest. Coleman, who received a handgun permit in June 2006, was charged with second-degree murder.
Source: https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/07/17/coleman-convicted-of-memphis-murder

UPDATE: In July 2010, Coleman was convicted of second degree murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of assault. Coleman faces up to 25 years in prison without parole. After the verdict, Coleman tried to ingest a mouthful of prescription pills. During the trial, prosecutors told jurors that Coleman and his wife were not fearful that night, only angry, adding, “Poor Harry Coleman. He had to kill a man. He wants to be the first man in history to stick a gun in the mouth of an unarmed man, to stick it in the chest of an unarmed man and then to shoot him to death in front of his children and then call himself a victim.”

Permit Holder: Martino Johnson
Date: February 23, 2009
City: Memphis
County: Shelby
People Killed: 1
Homicide
On February 23, 2009, gun permit holder Martino Johnson, 34, allegedly shot and killed Terrelle Beasley with a 40 caliber pistol following a car accident in Memphis. The shooting occurred after Beasley accidently sideswiped Johnson’s Ford Taurus with his Honda Civic. Both men jumped out of their cars and began arguing. Police said Johnson pulled out his gun and shot Beasley three times. He died half an hour later. Beasley’s mother, Estella Beasley, told reporters, “If you ask me what type of person [Johnson] is, he’s a coward. He’s a coward because you don’t take nobody’s life, for no reason. Why should a real man carry a gun? What do you need one for?” Johnson, also reportedly threatened to kill an eyewitness who was trying to call 911. Johnson’s gun permit was issued on January 24, 2007. He was charged with second degree murder and aggravated assault.
Source: http://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-commercial-appeal/20090226/281775625063454

UPDATE: On December 6, 2010, Martino Johnson pleaded guilty to second degree murder and aggravated assault in the death of Terrelle Beasley. Johnson was sentenced to 15 years in prison on the murder charge and three years for aggravated assault.

Permit Holder: Demetria Nance
Date: December 2008
City: Knoxville
County: Knox
People Killed: 1
Homicide
In December 2008, Demetria Nance shot and killed her on-again, off-again boyfriend Aaron Benton III, firing four shots from a 9mm pistol. Nance testified that after Benton decided to end their relationship she was emotionally confused and that after Benton shoved her and turned away she drew her pistol and fired—intending to hit him in the leg. Nance’s lawyer said that she had not planned in advance to shoot Benton, but that after having been robbed “it was her habit to carry the gun with her at all times in her purse.” Nance, who had a handgun permit, was convicted of second degree murder in November 2009.
Source: http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/woman-convicted-of-2nd-degree-murder-ep-409355407-359096961.html/

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