A Restraining Order is Only a Piece of Paper

It is not a suit of armor. Man fatally shot at midtown apartment after confronting his ex, who had filed protective order.

She had filed for and received a restraining order that was supposed to keep him away. It didn't keep him away. It is not clear to me whether he had been officially served the document or not.

A man whose ex-girlfriend recently filed a protective order against him was fatally shot early Thursday after police say he kicked in her door and confronted her current boyfriend.

It was the last thing he did.

I am not saying that you should not get a restraining order. It will make the aftermath of this shooting much simpler for the defender in this case.

According to online court records, a judge had granted the woman’s protective order and ordered Holdman remain at least 100 yards from her and her home. Holdman also was ordered to surrender all firearms to authorities, according to the Feb. 1 record.

There should be a law about violating a restraining order. And maybe a law about people subject to restraining orders being disallowed from possessing firearms. Oh, and while we're at it we should make murder and attempted murder illegal too. Wait a minute...

Violent people will not stop being violent because of a piece of paper, not even if it was signed by a judge. You should plan accordingly.

Hat tip to Bearing Arms, and The Daley Gator: Stalker walks through “restraining order” but not through bullets…, who notes:

Why some people, usually men cannot accept “it is over” is beyond me. Do they really think they convince their ex to get back together by being creepy and threatening? Anyway, this case had a happy ending

Self-defense is a human-right.