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Husky · December 3, 2002, 09:14 PM

Published in the Asbury Park Press 12/03/02

Fire alerts authorities to nearly 500 weapons

By MICHAEL CLANCY
STAFF WRITER
FAIR HAVEN -- Three dump trucks removed an arsenal of live ammunition and almost 500 weapons -- all of them apparently held legally -- which police found in a home after the fire department responded to a chimney fire and the homeowner threatened the fire chief with a rifle, authorities said yesterday.

About half of the seized arsenal occupies a holding cell at the Fair Haven Police Department.
The "tens of thousands" of rounds of live ammunition could have had a catastrophic effect if Sunday's fire had grown worse, a police official said.

When Fire Chief John Feeny ordered Arthur L. Arford to leave his smoky home in a residential area of Colonial Court about 4 p.m. to make way for firefighters, Arford told Feeny the department had no right to force him off his property, said Detective Joseph McGovern.

Arford, a 59-year-old budget analyst at Fort Monmouth, then grabbed an unloaded M-1 rifle that was leaning against his bookshelf and attempted to point it at the chief, McGovern said.

Robert Frank, a volunteer firefighter and off-duty police officer from Little Silver, grabbed Arford and the rifle before he could raise the weapon, McGovern said.

Arford, a civilian Army employee, was arrested by Patrolman John Lehnert and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, police said. Arford was being held yesterday at the Monmouth County Jail on $10,000 bail.

Police soon discovered rifles, shotguns, handguns, machetes, samurai swords and spears among weapons from different eras and parts of the world scattered through every room in the home except the kitchen and bath, McGovern said.

The live ammunition also littered the home, McGovern said.

"The ammo could have exploded and shot all over," McGovern said. "If it got hot enough and the gunpowder ignited, the rounds would have become projectiles shooting out of the home."

The State Police Bomb Unit was called to ensure that hand grenades found on the property were not live, which they were not, said McGovern. He said experts from the state police examined the cache of weapons -- bayonets, double-barrel shotguns, pump shotguns with pistol grips -- and did not find any that were illegal.

As far as could be determined, Arford's permits for the weapons appeared to be in order and the guns were purchased legally, McGovern said.

Police estimated that Arford had 220 rifles and shotguns from Russia, Spain, China and other parts of the world, 150 handguns, and an assortment of 100 knives that ranged from buck knifes to umbrellas concealing knives.

"Guns were just about everywhere you could imagine," McGovern said. "They were just scattered across the house."

About 25 percent of the handguns were loaded and a lesser proportion of the rifles and shotguns contained ammunition, said McGovern. And though the M-1 Garand rifle that Arford grabbed in front of Feeny was not loaded, he had ammunition for it at arm's length, McGovern said.

Police removed eight cases of ammunition and 18 five-gallon buckets filled with bullets, McGovern said. And though they worked all day to catalog the arsenal, Patrolmen John Koetzner and John Waltz worked through only half, and that half now fills a holding cell at the Fair Haven Police Department.

McGovern said authorities will keep the weapons until the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office determines what to do with them. If convicted of a felony, Arford could potentially lose the right to keep the weapons, police said.

The chimney fire was extinguished without further incident. The matter remains under investigation, said McGovern.

Michael Clancy: (732) 643-4076 or [email protected]

December 3, 2002, 09:14 PM	#1
Husky Junior Member Join Date: October 25, 2002 Location: Jersey shore Posts: 10	Police seize home arsenal Published in the Asbury Park Press 12/03/02 Fire alerts authorities to nearly 500 weapons By MICHAEL CLANCY STAFF WRITER FAIR HAVEN -- Three dump trucks removed an arsenal of live ammunition and almost 500 weapons -- all of them apparently held legally -- which police found in a home after the fire department responded to a chimney fire and the homeowner threatened the fire chief with a rifle, authorities said yesterday. About half of the seized arsenal occupies a holding cell at the Fair Haven Police Department. The "tens of thousands" of rounds of live ammunition could have had a catastrophic effect if Sunday's fire had grown worse, a police official said. When Fire Chief John Feeny ordered Arthur L. Arford to leave his smoky home in a residential area of Colonial Court about 4 p.m. to make way for firefighters, Arford told Feeny the department had no right to force him off his property, said Detective Joseph McGovern. Arford, a 59-year-old budget analyst at Fort Monmouth, then grabbed an unloaded M-1 rifle that was leaning against his bookshelf and attempted to point it at the chief, McGovern said. Robert Frank, a volunteer firefighter and off-duty police officer from Little Silver, grabbed Arford and the rifle before he could raise the weapon, McGovern said. Arford, a civilian Army employee, was arrested by Patrolman John Lehnert and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, police said. Arford was being held yesterday at the Monmouth County Jail on $10,000 bail. Police soon discovered rifles, shotguns, handguns, machetes, samurai swords and spears among weapons from different eras and parts of the world scattered through every room in the home except the kitchen and bath, McGovern said. The live ammunition also littered the home, McGovern said. "The ammo could have exploded and shot all over," McGovern said. "If it got hot enough and the gunpowder ignited, the rounds would have become projectiles shooting out of the home." The State Police Bomb Unit was called to ensure that hand grenades found on the property were not live, which they were not, said McGovern. He said experts from the state police examined the cache of weapons -- bayonets, double-barrel shotguns, pump shotguns with pistol grips -- and did not find any that were illegal. As far as could be determined, Arford's permits for the weapons appeared to be in order and the guns were purchased legally, McGovern said. Police estimated that Arford had 220 rifles and shotguns from Russia, Spain, China and other parts of the world, 150 handguns, and an assortment of 100 knives that ranged from buck knifes to umbrellas concealing knives. "Guns were just about everywhere you could imagine," McGovern said. "They were just scattered across the house." About 25 percent of the handguns were loaded and a lesser proportion of the rifles and shotguns contained ammunition, said McGovern. And though the M-1 Garand rifle that Arford grabbed in front of Feeny was not loaded, he had ammunition for it at arm's length, McGovern said. Police removed eight cases of ammunition and 18 five-gallon buckets filled with bullets, McGovern said. And though they worked all day to catalog the arsenal, Patrolmen John Koetzner and John Waltz worked through only half, and that half now fills a holding cell at the Fair Haven Police Department. McGovern said authorities will keep the weapons until the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office determines what to do with them. If convicted of a felony, Arford could potentially lose the right to keep the weapons, police said. The chimney fire was extinguished without further incident. The matter remains under investigation, said McGovern. Michael Clancy: (732) 643-4076 or [email protected]