One man was puzzled to find ATF agents at his front door, demanding to see his legally owned firearms. The agents failed to present any warrant and claimed this was just a routine check. What they forgot to take into account was the homeowner’s door camera.
Imagine the shock of a homeowner when he saw two ATF agents and a state trooper, unannounced and seemingly without a warrant, demanding to see his legally owned guns. He was alerted by motion detectors near his front door. On checking his doorbell camera, he saw three armed men wearing tactical gear, including vests, t-shirts, and jeans. Two of these men were ATF agents, and one was a Delaware State Police trooper. Interestingly, none of them wore body cameras.
Journalist Frankie Stockes from the National File revealed the video, indicating that the agents were ‘warrantless,’ shared by The Daily Caller. The agents’ reason for the visit was to ensure that no straw purchases had occurred—a term used when someone buys a gun for another person. Despite the insistence that this was a routine check, the homeowner felt rightfully concerned.
In the video footage, one ATF agent explained their purpose was to verify if the homeowner still had two recently bought firearms. Pointing to a document, the agent said, “All I’m doing is verifying that you have it, you got two different purchases. If you have them, I’m out of here. That’s how quick it is. Do you have them with you by any chance?”
The homeowner replied that the firearms were safely stored in his safe. The agents, however, persisted, asking him to unload the guns and bring them out to the foyer for a quick inspection of the serial numbers—claiming it would only take a few seconds.
A Delaware state police trooper then chimed in, explaining that increased gun violence had prompted them to take such actions. He mentioned issues with straw purchases and stated that large gun purchases often lead to this kind of verification to ensure guns were not stolen.
The first agent added, “The idea is that when you purchase more than two guns at a time it generates a multiple sales report, and it comes to us, and we have to check them out. That’s all that is. You did nothing wrong—absolutely zero.” Noticing a record of the homeowner being stopped in Philadelphia with one of his guns, the agent seemed to imply a raised level of scrutiny.
The agents continued to insist that if the homeowner showed them the newly purchased firearms and allowed them to note down the serial numbers, they would not have to return later. Reluctantly, the homeowner went inside and brought out a rifle. An agent quickly checked the serial number and, noting it, assured no further inspections were necessary for the other firearms.
Photos of the encounter saddened the homeowner as he recalled the embarrassment of being under such public scrutiny. He explained that seeing armed agents in his yard wearing police vests was confusing and made him fear unjust accusation.
Glenn Beck, a well-known radio personality, discussed the incident on his show, emphasizing that the ATF does not hold the legal authority to demand such inspections without a warrant. Beck advised the public to always ask for a warrant in such situations. Upholding our constitutional rights is essential, and this means not allowing such unwarranted intrusions.
