Concealed weapons permit issued to someone convicted of domestic violence

John Pennington Jr our Snohomish County Dept of Emergency Management was convicted of Domestic Violence/Harassment in 2007. At which time his concealed weapons permit & right to own a gun was revoked.

Yet the Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick gave him a gun permit even after the Redmond police had to make several trips out to his residence to take his guns because he tried hiding a few of them.

The law states that even if he is requesting a replacement card a background check must still be run

RCW 9.41.070 Concealed pistol license
(1) The chief of police of a municipality or the sheriff of a county shall within thirty days after the filing of an application of any person… The applicant’s constitutional right to bear arms shall not be denied, unless:
(a) He or she is ineligible to possess a firearm under the provisions of RCW 9.41.040 or 9.41.045, or is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law;
(b) The applicant’s concealed pistol license is in a revoked status;
(d) He or she is subject to a court order or injunction regarding firearms
(g) He or she has been ordered to forfeit a firearm under RCW 9.41.098(1)(e) within one year before filing an application to carry a pistol concealed on his or her person.
(2)(a) The issuing authority shall conduct a check through the national instant criminal background check system, the Washington state patrol electronic database, the department of social and health services electronic database, and with other agencies or resources as appropriate, to determine whether the applicant is ineligible under RCW 9.41.040 or 9.41.045 to possess a firearm, or is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law, and therefore ineligible for a concealed pistol license.
(b) The issuing authority shall deny a permit to anyone who is found to be prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal or state law.
(c) This subsection applies whether the applicant is applying for a new concealed pistol license or to renew a concealed pistol license.

John Pennington CWP

The first one says the license expires in 2010, so that means it was issued in 2005 well before the domestic violence but then he loses it & has to get a replacement. Lovick issues the second one, no questions asked, & obviously no background check.

This is state & federal law regarding anyone convicted of a Domestic Violence offense

RCW 9.41.040 Unlawful possession of firearms
(b) Unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree is a class B felony punishable according to chapter 9A.20 RCW.
(i) After having previously been convicted or found not guilty by reason of insanity in this state or elsewhere of any felony not specifically listed as prohibiting firearm possession under subsection (1) of this section, or any of the following crimes when committed by one family or household member against another, committed on or after July 1, 1993: Assault in the fourth degree, coercion, stalking, reckless endangerment, criminal trespass in the first degree, or violation of the provisions of a protection order or no-contact order restraining the person or excluding the person from a residence

Still think Lovick is the right guy for the job?

He either didn’t run a  background check that is required by law or he just overlooked it. Either way his actions may have very well endangered the public. So how many other felons & abusers are walking around with guns?

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