VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state man who fired a shotgun in the air to scare off car prowlers has refused a plea deal and says he’s sticking with what’s become known as the “Joe Biden defense.”
Jeffrey C. Barton of Vancouver told The Columbian he will not admit any wrongdoing for the incident last July because he was protecting his family, within his Second Amendment right, and following advice from the vice president.
In response to a question about home defense, Biden told an interviewer in February Americans don’t need semi-automatic weapons because a couple of blasts from a shotgun will scare off intruders.
The 52-year-old was at the Clark County Courthouse on Tuesday and had his trial set for March 26 on a misdemeanor charge of illegally discharging a firearm.
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Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com
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