5 February 2012, 10:08 am
My neighbor across the street is crazy and old. He claims that it's illegal to discharge an Airsoft gun in the city of Seattle, Washington. I thought this was funny, because I searched it up and found out it is perfectly legal to shoot an airsoft gun. Only when it is on public property or the bb reaches public property it is illegal. I am shooting in a fenced backyard facing away from the street. Beyond the fence is my other neighbor's shed. So basically this is what happened: My son and I were shooting some targets with my airsoft gun to test it out. My old-ass neighbor from across the street came over and said, "What did I tell you about discharging an Airsoft gun in Seattle?" (referring to an incident that happened years ago that we resolved) I said, "What did you tell me?" Then he proceeded to swear at my 13 year old son calling him a "Dumbfuck" and threatened to call the cops. "Put your gun away or I'm calling the police. Put it away," he said. "Go ahead, call the cops!" My son and I responded. Soon later the cops showed up and even the cop disagreed with me, saying that airsoft guns are illegal to discharge in seattle. I showed the officer a forum saying that it was perfectly legal to shoot in your backyard and he claimed that I needed the "Seattle Municipal Code" as actual evidence and he threatened to take my replica away from my son. I know and my son knows that the cop is wrong, because the other 3 cops didn't say anything. My son asked him for the code where it says Airsoft guns are illegal. The cop called my son a smart-ass. In the end, the cops left and the neighbor refused to apologize to my son for swearing at him. In the end, I printed the code out here: RCW 9.41.230 states that, "(1) For conduct not amounting to a violation of chapter 9A.36 RCW, any person who: (a) Aims any firearm, whether loaded or not, at or towards any human being; (b) Willfully discharges any firearm, air gun, or other weapon, or throws any deadly missile in a public place, or in any place where any person might be endangered thereby. A public place shall not include any location at which firearms are authorized to be lawfully discharged; or (c) Except as provided in RCW 9.41.185, sets a so-called trap, spring pistol, rifle, or other dangerous weapon, although no injury results, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW. (2) If an injury results from a violation of subsection (1) of this section, the person violating subsection (1) of this section shall be subject to the applicable provisions of chapters 9A.32 and 9A.36 RCW." And here which is Seattle's code: SMC 12A.14.083 Weapons in public places states that, "A. It is unlawful to knowingly carry or shoot any spring gun, air gun, sling or slingshot in, upon or onto any public place. B. For purposes of this section, "public place" means an area generally open to the public, regardless of whether it is privately owned, and includes, but is not limited to, streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, parking lots, transit stations, transit vehicles and buildings." So in the end I would like to clear up things with my neighbor and try to get him to apologize to me and my son for being such a dumbass and trespassing onto my property. He must think my son is some sort of punk. He's not. He had taught himself gun safety without me and never gets in trouble with the law. What would be the best way to contact him without getting into trouble: Should I talk to him in person or should I send a rage letter? Or is there another solution to this problem? To all the people that are responding: I am shooting on private property and like I said beyond my fence is a shed so the possibility of a bb being thrown to hit somebody is out of the equation. Also to that one guy that said stop shooting your gun in a dangerous manner, you have to understand that the neighbor that is complaining is not the one where the shed is. He is the one 100 feet across the street. The neighbor whose house is next to mine is totally cool with me shooting my airsoft gun at his shed by accident. The only person who's been complaining the past 3 years was that asshole across the street. And shooting in a dangerous matter. How am I shooting in a dangerous manner. Maybe I have not said this question clear enough. Would you people like to see pictures to see what I am shooting at, the backstop, and where the neighbor that complains are? So I will try to draw the picture. The Neighbor who's complaining = N Other Neighbors around me who don't care = / My property/ property lines = | _ - Street = | | Shed = + Let's say each space is equivalent to 20 feet. That's about right. / | | / / | | / /| | / /| ________+_ N| Me____|__| The box represents my yard with fence that is 7 feet tall. North is where I'm | | / shooting at. My neighbor hears the shots and came from west to east onto My yard. He's just a nosy SOB as you can see. Everybody else is alright with me shooting. He's the only one that complains. Plus my street is residential and the nearest main street is at least 500 feet away from my property.... Read More »
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