Larry Pratt, the executive director emeritus of Gun Owners of America, responded to the recent riots in Milwaukee following a police shooting by saying that armed vigilantes should be able to shoot people looting businesses if the police are unable to keep the situation under control.
Pratt had the following exchange with conservative radio host Rusty Humphries on his “Trending Today USA” program yesterday:
Transcript via USA Radio, emphases are ours:
HUMPHRIES: Is it working though? I mean they still shut the city down. Communist groups are now going to Milwaukee to help the revolution.
PRATT: Well, hopefully, there has been a minimum of property destruction. It’s one thing that people can’t drive around, it’s another thing if they started torching people’s businesses.
HUMPHRIES: Mm well what is this from, from the Gun Owners of America? What is your position on this?
PRATT: Well, we think that the authorities definitely should do their job, should keep cities safe, and if need be they should make massive arrests and take…
HUMPHRIES: Your gun you’re gun group shouldn’t just be around there shooting folk.
PRATT: Right. Well, I’ll tell you who should be getting shot – if the cops can’t contain the looters, the looters should be shot.
HUMPHRIES: So are you calling for that we should be out there hunting down looters?
PRATT: I’m calling for the cops to be given free rein to keep things under control so that people don’t have to defend themselves by shooting the looters.
