But, But Assault Rifles Are Only Good for "killing and wounding as many people as possible at relatively short range as quickly as possible, without the need for carefully aimed fire"!

However, the police officers of Calexico California aren't willing to give up theirs.

Calexico police fight assault rifle order

It'd be a "Mexican standoff" except, well, this is Calexico.

Openly defying a request from the interim city manager and police chief, Calexico police Officer Erik Hackett, representing 15 members of the Calexico Police Officers Association, told the City Council here Tuesday that his colleagues will not relinquish assault rifles they purchased almost two years ago.

Members of the POA bought the rifles under the assumption they would be allowed to use them during their shifts.

You know, guns that the mere peons citizens can't be trusted with.

Members of the POA supported Police Chief Mario Sanchez's ascension to the department's top post because he supported the purchase of the rifles.

A Police Chief approved of the purchase of these "bullet hoses?" What was he thinking?!?

The rifles — 15 bought by the POA and 10 paid for by the department — have never been employed in the field, however, due to alleged insurance liability issues.

Hackett has said those issues aren't the real issues keeping the rifles on a shelf.

According to a department source, one of the POA members who bought a rifle and stored it at his home was recently placed on administrative leave for biting a person and discharging the rifle without authority from the department.

I appreciate police officers and the job they do, but why some people believe that they are somehow all more responsible and law-abiding that the general public is beyond me.

Assault rifles such as those purchased by the department and the POA are banned in the state unless they are registered to a police department, as the POA rifles are.

The department source thinks the chief might be punishing the POA for one of its members' actions, which, if that's the case, the source thinks is unfair.

Sanchez has not spoken about the internal affairs matter publicly and did not speak about the matter Tuesday. Interim City Manager Luis Estrada also wouldn't answer questions on the record.

Government officials dodging questions from the press? Whoodathunkit?

And if all these guns are good for is "killing and wounding as many people as possible at relatively short range as quickly as possible, without the need for carefully aimed fire" why do so many police departments have them?

The story was originally published in the Imperial Valley Press Online on Sept. 3 by staff Writer Aaron Claverie. He can be reached at aclaverie@ivpressonline.com.