Edawn Coughman Arrested for Firearms Offense in Montreal

**AngeloV** · 05-03-2012, 09:36 PM

Don't care for guns. Everyone that carries one could go to jail for all I care. Just my opinion.

**cossack** · 05-03-2012, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by bluto

It was a restricted weapon (ie: handgun) that was neither in his home nor at his range... and it was loaded. two HUGE firearm no-nos in Canada. They will not go easy on Edawn. This really sucks.

that's a bit harsh... there's no evidence that he was up to no good (i think...) just that he was ignorant of our firearm laws which are way more restrictive than his home of Georgia where carrying a handgun is totally legal.
having said that... he was up here long enough to have found out what our rules are and was foolish to not have followed them like every gun owner i know takes great care to do.

yup. our penalties for improper transportation, possession and/or storage of firearms are very severe.

That brings up 2 other rather large issues. It means he either illegally imported a gun, or illegally obtained one here. Either way, not good. Too bad, I thought he did an admirable job filling in after the injuries at tackle last year. I figured he would be starting this season.

**bluto** · 05-03-2012, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by AngeloV

Don't care for guns. Everyone that carries one could go to jail for all I care. Just my opinion.

fortunately for you then that nobody in Ontario can carry one (other than a police officer, gov't agent, target shooter at a range or a hunter). technically the government can give out carry permits, but somebody told me once that none have been issued since 1978... so basically no private citizen can carry a firearm (which i personally disagree with, but can understand some people's misgivings with it)

Originally Posted by cossack

That brings up 2 other rather large issues. It means he either illegally imported a gun, or illegally obtained one here. Either way, not good. Too bad, I thought he did an admirable job filling in after the injuries at tackle last year. I figured he would be starting this season.

unless he became licensed in Canada and purchased the weapon here... which seems very unlikely.

**dmont** · 05-04-2012, 03:01 AM

.

Poor kid.

CFL player faces gun charges after firearm discovered in hotel room

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/lo...b=MontrealHome

Updated: Thu May. 03 2012 6:34:45 PM
ctvmontreal.ca

MONTREAL — Toronto Argonaut Edawn Coughman, 23, is facing three years in jail after a cleaning-lady found a gun on his bedside table at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal Wednesday night. A police SWAT returned to find the loaded gun hidden under the mattress.

During his bail hearing Thursday a tearful Coughman tried to explain that he bought the gun legally in his home state of Georgia and that he always carries the weapon. He said he was unaware of Canada's strict gun laws. His lawyer attributed it to a misunderstanding.

"Being from a totally different background as far as carrying a firearm goes, yes he was totally surprised," said lawyer Hugues Surprenant. There are cultural differences; of course for us Canadians there are no questions to be asked."

Coughman was in town to train alongside Edmonton Eskimo Ted Laurent at the Alouettes' training facility. "

The prosecution raised questions about how could afford to own a home in Toronto and another in Atlanta on his $44,000 CFL salary.

They worry that he will flee the country if granted bail.

"He's an American citizen, we don't know if he'll be back in Canada considering the offence," said Crown Prosecutor David Landry.

The judge will render her bail decision tomorrow. But in the meantime, the Argonauts haven't said anything about the player's future on the team.

**CptArcher** · 05-04-2012, 10:05 AM

Hearing this sad story of a young man's innocent life getting ruined by such a law makes me ashamed to be Canadian. This is equivalent to going to jail for possession of a quarter ounce of marijuana in my books. This makes me quite upset.

Did this guy hurt anyone? Nope. Sounds like didn't even know how ridiculous our gun laws are. Somebody forgot to tell him that Canadian citizens aren't actually considered equal before the law and the state has power over our very being. Albeit, in a country where land-owners do not even technically own their own property, but get a land tenure from the Crown, I suppose this is par for the course.

Disarming law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime, it encourages it. The polytechnique massacre, Norway massacre last summer, and others only happened because those mass murderers knew full well having a gun makes you untouchable in a society where the citizenry is disarmed. Having a gun makes you free to terrorize and murder in these ridiculous places. They knew it and proved it.

I am of the opinion that self defence is a basic right. This is a tyrannical law, by any historical standard, because it discriminates against free, law-abiding citizens.

It boggles my mind that free citizens get arrested just for owning a gun. He didn't even have it on him? It was in his hotel room. Sounds like the poor cleaning lady was well-meaning but really really brainwashed.

If you look at the statistics, the vast majority of the killings are perpetrated by gangsters, robbers, and even overzealous police. Like it or not, these people have guns. Law abiding citizens tend not to kill people. You cannot "un-invent" guns so why discriminate against law-abiding citizens?

I guess its if you want to have a gun and have power over a disarmed citizenry, you can be a criminal or a cop.

**Wobbler** · 05-04-2012, 10:28 AM

This is not a politics forum - these comments belong elsewhere. Please don't derail the thread.

**T-Bone** · 05-04-2012, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by CptArcher

Hearing this sad story of a young man's innocent life getting ruined by such a law makes me ashamed to be Canadian. This is equivalent to going to jail for possession of a quarter ounce of marijuana in my books. This makes me quite upset.

Did this guy hurt anyone? Nope. Sounds like didn't even know how ridiculous our gun laws are. Somebody forgot to tell him that Canadian citizens aren't actually considered equal before the law and the state has power over our very being. Albeit, in a country where land-owners do not even technically own their own property, but get a land tenure from the Crown, I suppose this is par for the course.

Disarming law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime, it encourages it. The polytechnique massacre, Norway massacre last summer, and others only happened because those mass murderers knew full well having a gun makes you untouchable in a society where the citizenry is disarmed. Having a gun makes you free to terrorize and murder in these ridiculous places. They knew it and proved it.

I am of the opinion that self defence is a basic right. This is a tyrannical law, by any historical standard, because it discriminates against free, law-abiding citizens.

It boggles my mind that free citizens get arrested just for owning a gun. He didn't even have it on him? It was in his hotel room. Sounds like the poor cleaning lady was well-meaning but really really brainwashed.

If you look at the statistics, the vast majority of the killings are perpetrated by gangsters, robbers, and even overzealous police. Like it or not, these people have guns. Law abiding citizens tend not to kill people. You cannot "un-invent" guns so why discriminate against law-abiding citizens?

I guess its if you want to have a gun and have power over a disarmed citizenry, you can be a criminal or a cop.

Regadless of your opinions of the law this isn't the Delphic Expanse where you can ignore the Prime Directive. If you want to take a firearm to another country you should do your research before doing it.

**Invader** · 05-04-2012, 10:43 AM

Well, Cpt, that has to be one of the most ridiculous posts I've ever read so I won't bother to "quote" it.

I feel sorry for Coughman but he is not "innocent". He is "ignorant". In Canada, ignorance of the law is not a valid defence. Not only did he possess an illegal loaded firearm, he admitted he smuggled it through Canada Customs, which is also a serious offence.

They might give away guns as a CrackerJack prizes in Georgia, but they are restricted in Canada and carry mandatory and punitive jail terms for their illegal possession and importation.

I agree with Canada's restrictions and penalties for illegal handgun possession. Their only use to to shoot other people. In the U.S., the vast majority of the people shot with handguns are either a family members or acquaintances of the "shooter".

**bluto** · 05-04-2012, 12:30 PM

i have no issue with CptArcher's principles and happen to share them... sadly though in this situation they aren't relevant.

-he smuggled a firearm through Customs.
-he was storing it unlocked
-he was storing it (and presumably carrying it) loaded
-he lived in this country for months and therefore should have asked someone about our laws
-he purchased the weapon in Georgia a state that has gun laws different than some of it's neighbors... so he must be aware that the laws change from jurisdiction to jurisdiction...

even with all of that considered... i'm hoping for a lenient sentence. i'd hate to see this kid's life and career ruined for this.

**KCargosfan** · 05-04-2012, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by bluto

i'm hoping for a lenient sentence. i'd hate to see this kid's life and career ruined for this.

Agreed. Just my opinion, sending someone to jail for 3 years who didn't hurt anyone or steal anything is egregiously dumb.

**T-Bone** · 05-04-2012, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by KCargosfan

Agreed. Just my opinion, sending someone to jail for 3 years who didn't hurt anyone or steal anything is egregiously dumb.

So is bringing a firearm across the boarder with out doing any research though I agree 3 years seems excessive in this case. I'm not a fan of mandatory sentencing.

**1argoholic** · 05-04-2012, 01:14 PM

The stupid thing is that he got caught. What was he doing waving the gun around? If I was packing no one would know.

**T-Bone** · 05-04-2012, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by 1argoholic

The stupid thing is that he got caught. What was he doing waving the gun around? If I was packing no one would know.

The article posted by dmont on the previous page said:

a cleaning-lady found a gun on his bedside table at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal

**cossack** · 05-04-2012, 01:48 PM

From his Twitter last November:

edawn coughman ‏ @edawncoughman
So ready to be back in US. Hate Toronto. Hate i have one more ur here

Wonder how he feels about Montreal?

**AngeloV** · 05-04-2012, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by cossack

From his Twitter last November:

edawn coughman ‏ @edawncoughman
So ready to be back in US. Hate Toronto. Hate i have one more ur here

Wonder how he feels about Montreal?

Is that real or made up?

Wow..if it is real.