
Gun Theft At Washington Cabela’s Triggers Second Prosecution Under Background Check Law
In 2014, Washington voters approved Initiative 594 to require background checks for person-to-person gun sales. But the law has only resulted in two prosecutions.
The first prosecution, last October in Island County, involved a gun that was later used in a murder.
The second case is also from last year, but it’s just now coming to light.
It involves the alleged theft of a .22 rifle from a Cabela’s outdoor store in Lacey, Washington by a man named Terry Lee Hadley, Jr.
According to charging documents, Hadley then either sold or traded the rifle to another man. That’s what triggered the charge under Washington’s expanded background check law.
“In this particular case, the perpetrator, Mr. Hadley, admitted that he transferred this firearm to the other person who happened to be a drug dealer in this case,” said Jeff Lippert with the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office. “And so when someone admits to something like that it makes it very easy to prove.”
In addition to unlawful transfer of a firearm, Hadley is charged with theft, trafficking in stolen property and drug possession.
Lippert said he expects the case will end with a plea agreement. Hadley’s attorney did not immediately return a phone call.
According to the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, there have been nearly 27,000 background checks on private gun sales since the law took effect in December 2014. In addition, the Alliance says the law prevented 201 private gun sales between December 2014 and April 2017.
Opponents were before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this week in an attempt to revive a lawsuit that challenges key provisions in the law. They say it puts law-abiding gun owners at risk for prosecution.
A violation of the background check law is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. A second offense becomes a felony.
Related Stories:

The Nez Perce Tribe Resumes Annual Powwows After Pandemic Hiatus
Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit Oregon Public Broadcasting. Transcript : DANIEL ESTRIN, HOST: The Nez Perce tribe has long been working… Continue Reading The Nez Perce Tribe Resumes Annual Powwows After Pandemic Hiatus

Shakespeare In The Park: As You Like It
Listen (Runtime 1:06) Read The long tradition of watching The Bard’s tales in the outdoors returns in August to two locations in Eastern Washington. Shakespeare… Continue Reading Shakespeare In The Park: As You Like It

DOH Updates School, Childcare COVID-19 Guidelines
Image courtesy Pixabay Listen (Runtime 1:00) Read The Washington Department of Health released updated guidelines for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in K-12 schools and… Continue Reading DOH Updates School, Childcare COVID-19 Guidelines