Cottrell, 40, said he was working at Wawa on June 14 when he got a call from his wife around 9:30 p.m. that two police officers from the New Jersey State Police’s Hamilton station were at the doorstep of his Millstone home.
The troopers, who patrol this sprawling Monmouth County township, were there, he said, because his 13-year-old son had made a comment at school about the Millstone Middle School’s security, and the officers wanted to confiscate Cottrell’s firearms as part of an investigation.
Cottrell said his wife allowed the officers to search their home, including his son’s room, but they did not locate any weapons. Still, Cottrell said police wanted to confiscate his firearms — a shotgun and pistol — despite not having a warrant to do so.
But Cottrell, who served three tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom, was having none of it.
“No one from the state was going to take my firearms without due process,” Cottrell told NJ.com.
Cottrell said the incident is related to a law New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed into law in March. The law allows police to seize guns from law abiding citizens who the state determines pose a threat to themselves or others — even without due process.
Cottrell says he questioned the officers who showed up to his house, asking if they were there because of the new law, but they “danced around the issue,” he said.
Sgt. First Class Jeff Flynn, a spokesman for the state police, declined to say whether the Cottrell incident was related to the new law. However, he told NJ.com it was determined the Cottrells did not pose a threat.
“Troopers responded to Mr. Cottrell’s residence in reference to the report of a possible school threat. Based on their investigation, it was determined that Mr. Cottrell’s weapons did not need to be seized,” Flynn said.
It's evident the two troopers went to Cottrell's residence with intent to do more than just ask questions. Based upon statements made by Cottrell's wife and Cottrell himself, it appears the troopers had every intention of not only searching the residence, but seizing firearms as well. This intention is confirmed in the statement made by SFC Flynn of the NJSP when he stated, "
...it was determined that Cottrell's weapons did not need to be seized."
Now, I'm pretty certain these two troopers didn't just decide on their own to pay Cottrell a visit. Surely, the order to do so came down from their supervisor, or perhaps even higher.
With that in mind, how is it that a supervisor would send personnel out, without a warrant, to accomplish a task which requires a warrant?
Why would two troopers set out, without a warrant, to accomplish a task which requires a warrant?
At any time in the planning of this, did anyone speak up and say, "Ya know, fellas...this isn't such a good idea. We're talking about violating basic rights of a citizen, here...it is illegal for us to do that."
One of two things is true; Personnel in the NJSP either A) do not understand the bill of rights...the LAW or B) they do not care and have no regard for the LAW.
Which is it?