In Washington, the conversation between Milwaukee’s police chief and a U.S. Senator gets heated.
Milwaukee’s Police Chief Ed Flynn urges U.S. Senators to approve a nationwide ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Senate Judiciary Committee member Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says he’s frustrated that people who fail a background check aren’t being prosecuted. “In the real world we do absolutely nothing to enforce the laws on the books.” Flynn interrupts to set the record straight “from (his) point of view.” The two go back and forth. Flynn says, “I wanna stop 76,000 people from buying guns illegally. That’s what a background check does. If you think we’re gonna do paperwork prosecutions, you’re wrong.”
AUDIO: Flynn and Graham partial exchange courtesy of C-Span (2:18)
Flynn tells committee members that seven of his officers were shot with semi-automatic and assault weapons over the last three years.
Opponents of the bill say the previous ban didn’t work to prevent gun violence. Republicans believe more should be done to enforce current laws. Graham continues questioning Flynn. “How many cases have you made for somebody violating a background check?” Flynn responds by saying they have priorities. “We make 2,000 gun cases a year, Senator. That’s our priority. We’re not into paper chasing. We’re trying to prevent the wrong people (from) buying guns … if you think I’m gonna do a paper chase, then you think I’m going to misuse my resources.”
Flynn says officers don’t chase paper, they chase armed criminals. He repeats his earlier statement that the daily violence in Milwaukee represents “a slow-motion mass murder.”
The measure would also require standardized background checks for all types of gun purchases.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:46