Fear & Loading: Good Deeds in the News

Earlier this month, Derek Meyer spotted a police cruiser stopped with its lights on in Utah, but was shocked to see the officer being beaten as he drove past the scene. The concealed-carry permittee parked, drew his handgun and confronted the perpetrator, who immediately fled.

The attacker was caught later and the officer is expected to recover from his injuries—fractured eye socket and lacerations around the eye. “Had he not been in the right place at the right time, who knows what would have happened,” Cpl. Cory Waters of the Springville (UT) Police Department told Fox13. “But he definitely stopped the attack from continuing and becoming much worse. He might have even saved either one of their lives.”

Meyer told the reporter, “I carry a gun to protect me and those around me, but primarily I carry a gun to protect my family first and foremost.”

Nationwide
The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, Yamaha Motor’s effort dedicated to ensure outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations, celebrated its 10-year anniversary in January. The announcement was made during SHOT Show and, unfortunately, the $3.5 million the program has raised in funding and support was overshadowed by the premier of new guns and gear in Vegas. Here’s a look at some of the hundreds of projects it has supported so far.

“The outdoor community is remarkably diverse, yet unified by the necessity of admittance to land,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s RV marketing manager. “Yamaha is proud to be leading the way for access, and we look forward to many more years as a productive partner with those working to safeguard land available for enjoyment.”

Excise Taxes Sent to Work in Arkansas
A $2 million grant recently awarded to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission was made possible by excise taxes paid by shooters and hunters. The funds are going toward the construction of a new shooting sports complex near the city of Jonesboro.

Once completed, the range is expected to have nine trap fields, a 200-yard rifle range, 50-yard pistol range, archery and more. Total cost is estimated to be $10 million.

The money was generated through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, which collects an excise tax from manufacturers of sporting arms and ammunition. Part of the Arkansas project includes 38 acres on the corner of the property to be left undisturbed, “in perpetuity.”