A Benton, Washington Sheriff, was moved to action after seeing the shocking viral video of the ATF attempting a warrantless inspection of someone’s recently purchased firearms.
For those who live under a rock or the intellectuals who avoid the internet, a recent viral video showed ATF agents and local law enforcement engaging in a warrantless inspection of firearms at someone’s residence. The ATF agents had flagged the homeowner as a potential straw purchaser and wanted to check to see if the recently purchased guns were still in his possession.
These agents asked him to present the firearms they suspected he had purchased for later illegitimate sale but were not in possession of a warrant at the time. The homeowner was not technically required to do anything in this situation because the agents did not have a warrant. Still, the homeowner presented the firearms as he had them on hand.
The entire event was captured on a doorbell security camera and was shared online by the homeowner. You can watch the video below from Legally Armed America:
Benton, Washington Sheriff Tom Croskrey is upset about this situation as many gun owners across the nation are. In his righteous indignation, Croskrey offered his county residents a little advice on what to do if the ATF showed up on their doorstep. “Call me!” is essentially what that advice boiled down to. But as with everything, it is a little deeper than that.
If the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms, and Explosives showed up on your doorstep and refused to leave, call the sheriff’s department, and we will set them straight, Sheriff Tom Croskrey had to say.
“It is my duty as the sheriff of Benton County to defend the citizens and their constitutional rights,” Croskrey said. He continued by saying, “Your Second Amendment right to bear arms will not be infringed upon, and any action taken by the federal government that is incongruent with those rights will not be enforced by my office.”
Croskrey’s response to the viral video was prompted by locals demanding that he make an official statement regarding what residents should do if something similar occurs in their neck of the woods.
The Biden administration has expanded the ATF’s range of operations and has ramped up its efforts to stop straw purchasing in recent months. The incident that inspired all that outrage resulted from Biden’s current efforts to halt straw purchasing.
