Ventura County – The holidays are a time when families traditionally come together and geographically separated relatives have an opportunity to share festivities. This is also the time of year when long-festering family resentments and disputes bubble to the surface, frequently with unpleasant outcomes.
This phenomenon may have been at the root of events preceding a 911 Emergency call received by the Ventura Police Department Command Center on the afternoon of January 4th.
According to the VPD Watch Commander’s report to the media, that call informed police that Fred Norris, a 57-year-old Texas resident, had inflicted injuries upon his wife inside a local area home they were visiting and had then driven away with her in his car.
Responding VPD patrol officers, working with a description of Norris’ vehicle, observed it traveling through the City of Ventura and promptly conducted a traffic stop. As Norris was being identified by the officers, they “determined the female was injured as a result of domestic violence.”
During the ensuing field investigation and search of Norris’ vehicle, “two concealed and loaded firearms” were discovered.
With evidence of his wife’s injuries—despite her refusal to accept medical attention on the scene—and with the loaded guns in hand, Norris quickly learned that unlike Texas, possession of a loaded gun is a serious criminal violation.
He was immediately taken into custody, placed under arrest, and transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charges of possession of a loaded firearm and domestic violence.
