Panel To Look At Concealed Carry Restrictions

A federal appeals court in San Francisco announced Thursday that a special 11-judge panel will reconsider whether counties can restrict the carrying of concealed weapons by law-abiding citizens.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the expanded panel will review two decisions in which a three-judge panel of the court last year struck down concealed-carry restrictions in San Diego and Yolo counties.

The court said the 11-judge panel will hear arguments on the two cases during the week of June 15, on a date to be announced later.

A California law requires gun owners to show “good cause” in order to obtain a permit to carry a concealed gun. Counties have the authority to set their own policies interpreting the state law.

In San Diego and Yolo counties, the sheriffs required individuals to prove they were in exceptional danger to obtain a permit. The rules were challenged in civil rights lawsuits by gun rights advocates.

In February 2014, an appeals court panel struck down the San Diego restrictions by a 2-1 vote, saying that the policy violated the constitutional Second Amendment right to bear arms.

In March 2014, the same panel unanimously overturned the Yolo County rule. The panel said it was bound by the previous decision in the San Diego County case.

The expanded panel will be made up of Chief Circuit Judge Sidney Thomas, who cast the dissenting vote in the San Diego County decision, and 10 other randomly chosen judges from the 29-member court. The names of the remaining judges will be announced at a later date.

Investigators Trying to Find Out Whether Fatal Camper Fire was Arson

Investigators are still determining the cause of a camper van fire in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood Thursday and whether someone set the fire intentionally, police and fire department officials said today.

After firefighters extinguished the fire, police found a body inside. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office identified the body as that of 38-year-old San Francisco resident Konata Perkins.

Police discovered the fire at 6:46 a.m. at Ingalls Street and Van Dyke Avenue, police Officer and spokesman Albie Esparza said.

Police Investigating Vehicle Vs. Pedestrian Collisions In Mission, FiDi

San Francisco police are investigating two separate collisions in which pedestrians were seriously injured when they were struck by vehicles Thursday evening and early this morning.

A 57-year-old man was struck by a vehicle on Thursday evening in San Francisco’s Financial District and a 38-year-old man was struck by a vehicle early this morning in the Mission District. Both victims remain hospitalized and the collisions remain under investigation, police said.

According to San Francisco police, officers received a report at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday regarding a 57-year-old man who was struck by a van while crossing the street at the intersection of Washington and Montgomery streets, near the Transamerica building.

The victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with a life-threatening head injury, police said.

San Francisco police said no arrests have been made in connection with the collision and that the incident is not being investigated as a hit-and-run collision.

Police received a report of another collision at about 2 a.m. this morning, in which a large gray vehicle struck a 38-year-old pedestrian in the 1900 block of Mission Street.

According to police, the victim suffered a cut to his scalp and a possible skull fracture. He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

The victim told police that he was walking on the sidewalk between 15th and 16th streets when the suspect vehicle crossed the sidewalk and pulled into the driveway, striking him.

Police said the victim said he saw the suspect park in the parking area, but officers were unable to locate a vehicle matching the description.
The incident is being investigated as a hit-and-run collision. No arrests have been made, according to police.

Anyone with information about either incident is urged to contact police anonymously at (415) 552-4558 or may text a tip to 847411 with “SFPD” followed by the message.