Man who fired 40 rounds into traffic on I-90 near Idaho-Washington border last winter will not serve prison time

[Mysterian]

Source: KREM

The man convicted of shooting at cars on I-90 near the Idaho-Washington border last December will not serve prison time.

23-year-old Wyatt Armstrong pleaded guilty to charges including a felony charge of unlawful discharge of a weapon, DUI and disturbing the peace.

Read more: https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/idaho/man-convicted-shooting-i-90-idaho-washington-border-no-prison-time/293-1df8ceca-e467-4c6f-b7ae-7d76f7713b63

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[Grins]

1. We are too stupid to survive as a nation. NM

[AZ8theist]

3. Unfortunately, I think you're correct.

[Permanut]

6. Or wait, ..

I've heard it's three out of five are as stupid as the other three.

[RazorbackExpat]

2. In Dumbfuckistan, it's OK to commit felonies

as long as you bend the knee to Dear Leader

[PufPuf23]

4. Better disturbing the peace and DUI

than self-defense for discharging a gun into Interstate traffic 40 times.?

What a bizzarro world.

[Woodycall]

5. God Bless America!

(Do you think I need a "sarc" thingy??)

[BWdem4life]

7. Well

I have a slightly different take, being a recovering alcoholic... No, I would never have done anything like that while drunk. But, if nobody was injured and only two vehicles struck including his own, considering that he has no priors, gets a 5-year suspended sentence, and has to complete 3 years probation which I assume would include alcohol treatment for the DUI....



I side with the courts on this one, give the young man a second chance.

But for gods sake we need sensible gun laws like the civilized countries do.

[C Moon]

10. 40 shots at innocent people? Hmmm. I hope he's being watched 24/7.

[Hope22]

12. Did he lose the privilege of owning firearms?

That would seem the minimum here. It is just dumb luck that he didn’t kill someone. Sounds like we aren’t going to convict male and I assume white drunk drivers anymore. I give up!

[lark]

19. You completely ignore shooting 40 shots - I hope you don't condone that or ever did that!

Otherwise you defense doesn't hold water.

[BWdem4life]

22. Nope

It was, as the court said, reckless endangerment.

Had he and the people he shot at been less lucky, I'd be singing a different tune.

[Mysterian]

24. Reckless endangerment is a serious felony and deserves jail time

This is an unreasonable miscarriage of justice.

[BWdem4life]

25. And yet

I often see OPs on DU praising the criminal justice systems of other countries which are less focused on punitive measures and more focused on rehabilitation of the criminal.

If they had thrown the book at him, would it really have made it less likely that a similar crime would be later committed by someone else? Does NOT throwing the book at him make it MORE likely that someone else will commit the same crime? Is it likely that this particular individual will commit the same crime again in the future, having dodged a prison sentence this time but been given a chance to rehabilitate himself? I seem to recall reading about studies that show punitive measures don't really prevent crime, only create hardened criminals.

This "hard time for hard crime" stuff is really more of a conservative than liberal viewpoint, although I recognize there are exceptions to every rule. But I envision a society where people are more often given the chance to reform, rather than one where more are incarcerated here than in most other countries.

I think a lot of DUers and I will just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Again, had he actually injured or killed someone, I'd probably be saying he needs to serve some time.

[Mysterian]

28. The motherfucker was shooting at cars

Liberals believe in justice. Not allowing dangerous felons to go unpunished.

[BWdem4life]

29. I believe in what I believe in. And I am a liberal. nt

[LudwigPastorius]

8. You just lost your precious boomsticks, dumbass.

As a convicted felon, you've got to give up your toys...even in Idaho!

[C Moon]

9. Let me guess: white, a well-to-do family.

I googled it, he is white. Apparently into sports.

[BWdem4life]

11. Doesn't always help, but doesn't ever hurt.

And the planet spins on...

[Hope22]

13. If you want consideration at all ya better be white!

Try shooting drunk while black or brown. Dead in a heartbeat.

[Paladin]

14. What's he get instead---a fucking marksmanship trophy? (nt)

[3Hotdogs]

15. The judge was going to hand him a cookie for being a good boy and not wasting the court's time with a trial.

Unfortunately, the price of Walker's shortbreads went up due to Anal Fistula's tariff and the clerk didn't know if she should still be buying them.

[Paladin]

16. I'm amazed that ANYTHING surprises me anymore... (nt)

[travelingthrulife]

21. Maybe Trump will hire him for his next phony assassination attempt.

Taking 40 shots at traffic and misses them all?

[twodogsbarking]

17. In Guns We Trust. Let's all bow down and prey.

[lark]

18. It's already started - a 2 tier legal system where rw's are free to do anything and liberals get jail for same thing.

That's what the fuckers that voted for him wanted. They don't care one bit for a United States where all are free to survive and even thrive. They want to see us get fucked, until it touches one of them or someone they care about - then it's all crocodile tears.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. Why? Is he related to the judge?

[maxsolomon]

23. .13 isn't THAT drunk.

he needed to see the inside of a prison, if even for a month.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. Someday he will be elected to Congress

Great name, and now 2A pedigree!

[RockRaven]

27. Oh, look at that, I have finally discovered a crime for which I'd be fine with mandatory minimums existing.

[oasis]

30. Tap-on-the-wrist penalty for the well connected.