http://www.startribune.com/local/15763067.html

Woman bicycling in St. Cloud with shotgun strapped to her back is arrested

By TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune

February 19, 2008

It was a sight that would catch anyone's attention, a woman riding a bicycle around St. Cloud Monday night in bitter cold. Turns out there was another reason a citizen took notice: The cyclist was carrying a gun.

Police caught up to the bicyclist a few minutes after a call came in around 11:15 p.m. They found her near 14th Avenue N. and St. Germain Street with a shotgun strapped to her back, said Sgt. Joe Kraayenbrink.

Turns out the 22-year-old suspect is a felon and had a warrant out for her arrest, police said.

She was arrested and faces charges of a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm in a public place, as well as her outstanding warrant, Kraayenbrink said.

© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

The Strib as usual just printed the AP story. Remember the supposed tenets of newspaper story writing, "Who, What , Where, When & Why"? The AP story scores about 2.5 out of 5. Don't they think folks might want to know, for example, who it was? Or if she had a felony record for violent robbery or homicide or for, say, check forgery? Or what her story was? The St. Cloud Times story is much more informative.

Yup, felony check forgery and terminal stupidity...what do you want to bet that alcohol was involved.

"She was heading to the store to buy some shotgun shells and wanted to fire off some shells into the air because she was frustrated from the argument, he said."

http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 90033/1009

Latest: Police arrest woman riding bike with shotgun
By David Unze dunze@stcloudtimes.com

February 19, 2008

Heather Marie Christensen

St. Cloud police arrested a woman late Monday after they said she had put a slightly different spin on the phrase “riding shotgun.”

Police arrested Heather Marie Christensen, 22, after they found her riding a bicycle with a shotgun strapped to her back. Christensen was arrested at about 11:15 p.m. near 14th Avenue North and St. Germain Street, said Sgt. Joe Kraayenbrink.

Christensen had a warrant out for her arrest and also faces possible charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and for carrying an uncased firearm.

Christensen told police that she had gotten into an argument with her boyfriend and had taken the shotgun from his apartment, said Sgt. Jerry Edblad. She was heading to the store to buy some shotgun shells and wanted to fire off some shells into the air because she was frustrated from the argument, he said.

Police were originally called to Third Street North and 16th Avenue on a report that a person had a gun in their lap while they were biking, he said. Christensen was arrested without incident, and no injuries were reported.

Christensen has a felony conviction in Stearns County for check forgery, according to court records.

Looked like it from the photo!

Is there Wal-Mart there? 'Cause where else can you buy ammo at 11:30 at night?

Once upon a time that was a good neighboorhood - now its turned into 'da hood'.

I grew up about 10 blocks away and Grandparents less then 4 blocks away. Sad...

There is no Walmart in that area - whole lotta drug dealers and recent 'immigrents' along with the problems. But there is a BRAND
Spanking new Library being built just a block or so away! Your tax dollars at work!

Mostly-

Now, if one of us had been doing the very same thing, with a loaded and uncased shotgun slung over our shoulder whilst bike riding...

We would have been fine right? I mean, that is legal, correct? Her hangups were two things: no permit, and a felon.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here?

Technically, yes.

And of course, the police will only enforce the laws on the books, not the laws they'd like to have on the books.

I suspect that even if she hadn't been a felon, and had a permit, that she would have been over .04% alcohol!

You can't fix stupid!

I got a call from a guy, once, who'd been stopped by the police while walking down the road to some state land where he'd planned to do some small-game hunting, with a unloaded slung rifle over his shoulder.

He said omeone saw him, called the police, who picked him up, detained him for a couple of hours, then drove him home with an admonishment "I hope you've learned your lesson".

What, exactly, that lesson was supposed to be, I'm unclear on.

Minn. Stat. 624.7181 outlaws the carry of long guns in a public place, with a number of exceptions, one of which is: "the carrying of a BB gun, rifle, or shotgun to, from, or at a place ... where hunting, target shooting, or other lawful activity involving firearms occurs ...". And, for that matter, "public place does not include: ... the woods, fields, or waters of this state where the person is present lawfully for the purpose of hunting or target shooting or other lawful activity involving firearms."

It's not at all clear to me that carrying a rifle down a rural road is illegal.

Not the brightest bulb on the tree.

Terminally stupid.

#1 If you are going to break the law, you might as well saw that "gauge" down and tuck it under your coat.

#2 If her story was true, just how frickin far are you gonna get walking into a store with a shotgun slung over your shoulder asking for some shells? Or maybe she was going to leave it hanging from the handlebars out in the bike rack?