Cops: Man with weapons preparing for 'Armageddon'

From the People's Democratic Commonwealth of Massachusetts, via the Boston Globe, comes this story:

A Manchester-by-the-Sea man who allegedly had a cache of weapons in his home told police he was preparing for Armageddon, authorities said.

Gregory D. Girard, 45, was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly storing several tear gas grenades and explosive pepper ball projectiles. He was also charged with the illegal possession of four police batons.

Just before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Manchester-by-the Sea police executed a search warrant at 23 Bridge St., police said in a statement. Girard faces four counts of possession of an infernal device and four counts of possession of a dangerous weapon. Additional charges are pending, police said.

"He indicated to police that he anticipated some form of Armageddon to take place shortly and he was getting prepared," Police Chief Glenn McKiel said.

In addition to the grenade-type devices, police found approximately 20 weapons, including high-powered rifles, shotguns, and handguns. All of the firearms were purchased and registered legally within the past 10 months, McKiel said.

...

Police also found a large collection of camouflage clothing, knives, bulletproof vests, helmets, and eight pairs of handcuffs in Girard’s home. They also discovered stockpiles of medicine and non-perishable foods. An illegal indoor shooting range was also found in the attic, police said.

Police seized all the weapons and ammunition and revoked Girard’s license to carry firearms. ...

Article here. The Boston Herald also has an article here. Oh, the horror! Four counts of possession of those evil "illegal" police batons! Were they "assault batons"? And the police "discovered stockpiles of medicine and non-perishable foods." The article notes that the judge ordered him held without bail after his arraignment.

Over at LewRockwell.com, William Grigg's gives us his take on the situation:

“We feel our community is safer having this kind of weaponry off the street,” intoned a spokesman for the Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts police department

Granted, the invocation of that cliche is part of the familiar gun-grabber liturgy, but it doesn’t apply here, since the “weaponry” referred to was never on the “street” to begin with. It consisted of several firearms legally purchased by 45-year-old Gregory D. Girard, a computer consultant whose wife — was her maiden name Morozov, perchance? — told the authorities about her husband’s supposedly alarming view that martial law is imminent.

Since it is unacceptable for people to believe that government agents will carry out paramilitary raids to confiscate firearms, a paramilitary force was sent to Girard’s home to confiscate his firearms. ...

Mr. Girard's primary mistake appears to have been ... living in Massachusetts.