JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Federal agents are trying to determine why a man pulled over for speeding in Tennessee was carrying a cache of weapons including two submachine guns and 900 rounds of ammunition.
Deputies found Scott Edmisten, 43, of Johnson City, carrying a .357-caliber Magnum, a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic, a .223-caliber fully automatic assault rifle, a .308-caliber fully automatic assault rifle, more than 900 rounds of ammunition, and survival equipment, Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal said.
“Anytime you have several firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition in a vehicle, that always causes a concern,” said Michael Knight, spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Authorities still haven’t determined why Edmisten was carrying all that firepower, but they “don’t see a connection” to recent mass shootings, Knight said.
The arrest came a day after Stephen Paddock killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 in Las Vegas, firing down on a music festival crowd from a high-rise hotel suite. Some of the 23 guns in the suite were equipped with devices that enable a rifle to fire continuously, like an automatic.
“It’s not connected to any of the other national incidents, but timing obviously was a concern,” Knight said.
Graybeal asked the ATF to help investigate the source of the automatic weapons, which weren’t registered and lack serial numbers. He told The Johnson City Press that Edmisten also had modified the AR rifles to make them automatics.
Knight said investigators are tracing where Edmisten’s weapons came from.
“Our priority is reducing violent crime on the front end, so that’s the other thing we’re looking at, along with motive: Were these items going to be used for a criminal act or were they just being transported from one area to another area?”
Graybeal said Edmisten threatened his arresting officer and lunged toward investigators trying to question him. He’s jailed without bond on charges of possessing prohibited weapons, speeding, and felony evading arrest. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.
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Information from: Johnson City Press, http://www.johnsoncitypress.com
https://www.yahoo.com/news/sheriff-machine-guns-900-rounds-found-during-traffic-143903956.html
Here we go, gun grab. Good by 2nd amendment. PERIOD…….. SO much for that period at the end of the 2nd amendment!
that just looks like a fun day at the range.. and im not so sure those are fully automatic rifles either
we have no proof of any crime here, even the traffic stop seems fishy , with very little substance on how it went from a traffic stop to a gun confiscation , with charges
Convenienly enough a printed lower on the AR and calling them automatic assault weapons.
Last I knew, an AR was deemed a “sport rifle”, not an “assault rifle”.
Oh, …and what friggin’ part of “…shall NOT be infringed…” do these assholes not understand?!
We are all headed down the slippery slope toward “The Hunger Games” in which the totalitarian government holds all the weapons. An unarmed public are not citizens, they are subjects.
wasn’t anyones BUSINESS WHY HE WAS CARRYING GUNS AND AMMO…………
Here we go with the media bs hype. 900 rounds is not a lot . This is just another effort to hype up the gun grabbing and control agenda….we know their intent is to disarm everyone in order to leave us powerless and at their whim. Once that happens, the military and police will take to the streets, go door to door and start rounding people up ala nazi Germany. They will also enact a law that papers/id, will be required to be carried at all times. Meanwhile, the United States supreme Court will turn a blind eye on our rights, god given and otherwise. MARK MY WORDS.
That is a bumper stock on that bottom rifle, not full auto, again more bullshit.
“Our priority is reducing violent crime on the front end, so that’s the other thing we’re looking at, along with motive”. What violent crime, what motive? Looks like a illegal stop, illegal search, kidnapping and then theft of private property!
” including two submachine guns”
oh? Where?
That “cache” of weapons looks like what you’d find in 30% of any cars traveling in my area. What’s the big deal?
Of course, I might chastise him for having a substandard amount of ammo on hand, but he might have been on his way to get some more.
“Knight said investigators are tracing where Edmisten’s weapons came from.”
Eric Holder?