Tennessee Firearm News & Events July 2006 | ||||
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A Good Man & Law Enforcement Officer Dies Doing What He Did All His Life, Helping Someone.
Captain Byron Motley died on July 22, 2006 after rescuing a child from drowning. He was not in uniform when the incident happened but, everyone who knew him believes he felt it was his responsibility to dive into the water to rescue the child. This was not the first time Byron found himself in a situation that required him to go into the water to rescue another person. Capt. Motley put his life on the line when he tried to rescue John Freeman from drowning at Walter Hill's recreational park in the 1960's, and in another incident in 1989, he tried to rescue pro football player Jerry Anderson who had just saved two children when he became trapped in Stones River. This was the way Capt. Byron Motley lived. He was a good man that put others before himself. Capt. Byron Motley was hired as a patrol officer in the Murfreesboro Police Department on January 12, 1978. He was promoted to Sergeant Uniformed Division on July 1, 1984. He was transferred as Sergeant of the Administrative Services Division on June 1, 1996. Capt. Motley was promoted to Lieutenant in Administrative Services Division on January 21, 2003. He was recently promoted Captain in the Administrative Services Division on March 16, 2006. One area that Capt. Motley enjoyed doing was being a firearms instructor. He took young officers under his wing as a Mentor. Some titles he held relating to his duties during his tenure with M.P.D. were: Current Driving Instructor, Current Firearms Instructor, Current General Department Instructor (G.D.I.), Current M.P.D. Training Officer, Past member of the Special Operations Unit (S.O.U.) where his duty assignment was a sniper. He was also a past Supervisor of the Field Training and Evaluation Program. Capt. Byron Motley was also a Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Justice Administration at Middle Tennessee State University. One time before the "Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act" was enacted into law, I held a special class for any police officer that wanted to obtain a Tennessee Handgun Permit. The law was changed so the officers did not have to shoot but, they needed to take the classroom training. It has now changed but, one of the requirements was that a written test be taken. When I handed out the tests, it seemed like the whole room started to ask Byron what the answers were to various questions. It was basically a gun safety test but, the only person who was asked questions was Byron Motley. At the end of the course, I said to Byron that I was surprised so many officers asked him for answers. He said that as the instructor I should have told everybody to stop asking him for the answers. When I told Byron I thought that would have been a mistake since I was the only person in the classroom without a gun, he laughed. Byron was a good man on and off the job. He will be missed by his family, everyone at M.P.D., his church, and a lot of the citizens of Rutherford County. I can visualize when Byron meets up with Saint Michael who might be carrying a big sword, Byron saying "Can you teach me how to use it." We'll miss this good family man, police officer, and hero. Condolences can be sent to the Murfreesboro Police Department, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. Gene Kennedy A Gathering of Friends This event, held in Tennessee, brings together shooting enthusiasts for a great weekend of fun. This years events also included a visit and demonstration from the leading U.S. Manufacturer of .50 caliber rifles, Barrett Manufacturing Company from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Held at Rattle Snake Ridge Training Complex in Clarksville, Tennessee, individuals come from all over the country to spend a weekend of shooting. Events this year included a three gun match, a demonstration by Chris Barrett of Barrett line of rifles [the participants were allowed to shoot the .50 caliber and only had to pay $1.50 per cartridge] , and a "open" range where any type of firearm could be shot [see photos below]. Rattle Snake Ridge Training Complex is a training complex for civilians, law enforcement personnel, and military. Owned by Ed Lowery a retired Army Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer [CW-4], this training complex has three shooting areas within 1,300 acres. If you are interested in a training course at Rattle Snake Ridge, call 931-648-8132, or visit their website at:
Getting ready to practice for the 3 gun shoot.
Phase 1 of the three gun shoot [pistol].
A walk through the "tactical" range.
Ex-military guys always seem to have some different toys.
Chris Barrett speaking to the gathering. Notice the .50 caliber on the table | ||||
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Knoxville Gun Show Continues To Grow The RK Gun Show held on July 22nd & 23rd, was another great success. When most summer shows decline in attendance, this show continues to grow. The Merchants Convention Center is a nice facility with wide aisles, good temperature, clean restrooms, ample parking and enough food courts. This show also has s good mix of vendors from ammo [including re-loading supplies and equipment], guns, military items, accessories, and apparel. It has almost everything needed. Another reason why it continues to grow is when a person pays for admission on Saturday, their hand is stamped and they are not charged another admission on Sunday. Anyone who is trying to sell a personal firearm knows that the larger the crowd, the better chance of selling the firearm. The Sunday crowd is almost as large as the Saturday crowd. Rex Kehrli is not like most promoters. He is easy to speak to even if it is a complaint. He listens and if the person is right, he makes changes or adjustments. Not too many promoters are that way. The gun show is their turf. The next RK Knoxville Gun Show is in August. Find out all the Tennessee gun show dates for RK Gun Show at: http://rkshows.com/ | ||||
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Tennessee Tactical Equipment Store Opens In Cookeville, Tennessee Don't miss out on a chance to win the new "Mustang" Pistol. Grand opening for this Tennessee retailer includes a drawing for this new handgun. You must be 21 and pass a background check but, no purchase is necessary. Tennessee Tactical Equipment sells guns and tactical supplies like Sure Fire flashlights, guns, holsters, and also does gun work on Glock pistols. If you are looking for a location that has good stock in tactical gear, this is the place. To make their "GRAND OPENING" a fun event and successful, they are holding a drawing for a Sig Sauer Pistol. You do not have to be present to win the pistol but, you must register for the drawing inside the store. Here is a link for additional information on Tennessee Tactical Equipment
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NOTE: I am aware about the "fog" of war. Who saw what, and what they saw, can be very confusing during any gun battle. However, I was called on the carpet by friends and others for not addressing this story. I know James Yeager and did not want to write anything about this controversy. However, the areas I could not refute is that the incident involves a gun battle and a firearm instructor who is a resident of Tennessee. You make up your own mind about who is telling the truth about what happened during a deadly gun battle on a bridge in Iraq. Gene Kennedy What Happened On The Bridge In Iraq? A lot of individuals from Tennessee are in Iraq with the military or private contractors. It is unfortunate that Tennessee has taken a high number of casualties and deaths in this war zone. One thing is sure about Iraq, it is a war zone. Casualties, deaths, and confusion are all things that happen during wars. It seems that confusion and the "fog" of war surround a security contractor from Tennessee. James Yeager has spent over twelve (12) years in Tennessee Law Enforcement. He is also regarded as one of the hardest working firearm trainers in the country. He has returned from Iraq where he worked as a private security contract for a European Security Firm [Edinburgh]. This assignment was not without danger and controversy. James Yeager is now being sued for $9,500,000 by his former employer. The cause of the deaths surrounding some of his comrades and Yeager's personal actions that day, are involved in this "fog" of war controversy. There are two separate accounts about what happened that day. Yeager on one side, his former security employer and some former security employees on the other side. Both sides are posting their individual accounts on the Internet. Because of the words used by both parties in the names of their websites, we are not going to post the names of either website. You can do your own searching based on the name of James Yeager. You can also make your own decision regarding what happened that day or like me, you were not there and won't make a decision. One area that I don't like and must point out, is that on the website opposing James Yeager and saying some of the events that lead to deaths were caused by Yeager, no names appear on this website. I understand that most special forces operators do not want their names to appear in print. Their names can lead a trail back to family or friends who could be harmed or threatened with harm, because of actions taken or about to be taken by the S.F. member. This is NOT regarding military personnel. It involves private security contractors and the reputation of one person who can be damaged by their allegations. If someone wants to harm a person or inject doubt about their actions, or try and make their own account of an incident look true, they can just post information on the Internet or spread rumors to cause confusion on the subject. They don't have to use their names. The little Internet spiders, spider monkeys, or whatever the hell they are called, will help them spread their message, without using names behind the accusations. In the mind of this writer, this leaves a large doubt on the accuracy and intentions behind their actions and their postings on the Internet. I am not going to give the details of what happened because I don't know what happened. I do know that some people close to James Yeager died that day on the bridge. Yeager says it was not his fault, and the other side says that his actions were a cause in their deaths. James Yeager has posted photos of the vehicles used that day showing the bullet holes and the blood of the fallen. Yeager has posted these photos to show the vehicles supplied by their employer were NOT what they were suppose to be for protecting security personnel. The other side have posted photos of what they say is Yeager not doing what he should have done that day. You make your own conclusion, if you can. The reputation of James Yeager and a lot of money are on the line regarding what happened that day. You can find all the information and the postings of each party by searching the Internet using the name James Yeager. Gene Kennedy
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© 2006
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