Lakeland, FL –-(Ammoland.com)- A 32-year-old Lakeland, FL woman was arrested by the Lakeland Police Department for burglary of a dwelling and grand theft of a firearm.
While Joseph Irby was in jail for a domestic battery charge against his estranged wife, Courtney Irby, broke into his apartment and stole all of his firearms. She brought the guns to the Lakeland Police Department to turn into the police.
Irby, 32, admitted to stealing the firearms to police. According to an affidavit in the case, she said her husband tried to run her over and knew he was not going to turn in his handgun and AR-15, so she decided to break into his apartment to steal them. She told police that she feared for her life.
“So you’re telling me you committed an armed burglary?” the officer asked her.
“Yes, I am, but he wasn’t going to turn them in, so I am doing it,” the officer said she responded.
Irby broke into the apartment through a locked door. Police verified that she didn’t have permission to be there. According to the police affidavit, Ms. Irby never had been to the apartment until the break-in incident.
Police made contact with Joseph Irby, incarcerated at the Polk County Jail, to see if wanted to press charges against soon to be ex-wife. He decided to file charges against Courtney Irby. She was arrested on the spot.
According to the police affidavit on June 14th, 2019, the Irbys got into an argument after a divorce hearing. When the parties were leaving the court, Joseph Irby, allegedly rear-ended his wife several times. While she was on the phone with 911, Irby then tried to run his wife off the road. Police would arrest him for domestic battery and grant Courtney Irby an emergency restraining order against her husband.
Local politicians have championed Irby’s case. Democrat Rep. Anna V. Eskamani Tweeted that by prosecuting Ms. Irby that it would set a “scary precedent.” She called for Polk County State Attorney Brian Haas to drop the charges against the woman.
In Eskamanis letter, she claims that law enforcement does not have the tools to enforce federal laws that prevent domestic abusers from having guns. She claims that women are five times more likely to be murdered if the abuser owns a firearm.
We just sent a letter to Polk County State Attorney Brian Haas to not move forward with the prosecution of Ms. Irby.
?Prosecuting Ms. Irby sets a scary precedent that if someone seeks help to escape abuse, they will be punished for it. We refuse to accept that standard. pic.twitter.com/gEnT5TYTBN
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani ?? (@AnnaForFlorida) June 24, 2019
Andrew Warren, State Attorney in Hillsborough County, said his county disarms domestic abusers. He states that domestic abusers have legally given up their gun rights. He claims that Hillsborough County would not prosecute Ms. Irby because they “stand with victims.”
Lakeland Police Chief Ruben Garcia pushed back against criticisms of his department to WFLA.
“We have to safeguard every citizen’s rights,” Garcia said. “When a case is brought to us, we have to look at all sides of the cases and come to the fairest conclusion we can for everyone involved.”
Polk County Sheriff’s Office explained that his department would not seize firearms unless the owner turns them over, or if there is a court order. In the case of Joseph Irby, there was not a court order.
According to Joseph Irby, His wife also stole a third gun that she did not turn into police. There is no information on the recovery efforts of the third firearm.
Courtney Irby spent four days in jail before posting a $7000 bond.
About John Crump
John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot-News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement, including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.
A follow up if anyone cares. It was more of a rseems to be more revenge burglary then victim.
https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/07/04/us/florida-courtney-irby-joseph-irby/index.html
I have a massive issue with this case. It’s all accusations and lacks any conviction. Once convicted, I would agree the man lose his 2A right’s. But not till the full case was heard and compelling EVIDENCES produced. None of that was the case. It says he tried to run her over, and run her off the road? So his vehicle must have damage and witnesses been present for the I assume, two different incidences? You can’t get away from the sounds of smashing steel, screaming individual’s and today’s endless youtubing by bystanders not to forget the high speed chase… Read more »
Agreed. CNN did a follow up and prosecutors believe this was a revenge burglary and nothing more. She took other stuff, and only report the guns because her friend advised her to do so. Possibly explains why one of the guns is missing.
So why isn’t this article being used to sell gun safes? Seems to me that enterprising free market types with a hard to sell product should be pasting this story up as part of their advertising efforts everywhere.
*** Estranged soon-to-be ex-wife breaks in and finds she can neither open nor move that massive steel safe with all of your goodies inside. Goes away empty handed. Problem solved! Buy Our Brand X Wonder Safe Now! ***
If I’m off point I apologize in advance. “Prosecuting Ms. Irby sets a scary precedent”, NOT prosecuting Ms. Irby sets a scarier precedent. Rep. Anna V. Eskamani should stick to state issues not pressure County State Attorneys.
I’ve never been able to turn a gun into police. I can remotely imagine turning a gun in to police, though.
I’m willing to bet she lied about the trying to run her off the road to.If she had him locked up then steals his guns they need to look into her story.
She needs to argue necessity knows no law. Let jury decide if she did wrong stealing guns or if she ws at such risk she was only doing what she had to do to survive.
Wrong, she should have worked to get a court order. Even though I disagree with the red flag laws, this is in Florida which has just that. She is a thief, pure and simple. She had the option to place a restraining order.
2 wrongs don’t make it right.
These two idiots really deserve each other.
As to those that denigrate marriage, I was married for 42 years to the same woman. I am now a widower. My late wife and I had our differences, but we never resorted to these kinds of stupidity. I would be married again, but there are issues beyond the control of myself and my fiancee that are preventing us being married.
Phil in TX
He went after her using a vehicle as a weapon. Doesn’t that in and of itself make the point that stealing his guns pre-conviction whether done by the wife, the state, or any other party is not only unjust but also ineffective ?!?!?!?! I mean if he really wants to kill her he already proved he don’t need a gun to do it. So you lock him up rather then try to lock up all the infinite number of options of things he could use to go after her again. Simple logic!
She would have been smarter to call ATF they would have confiscated because of his domestic violence record, problem solved. Anti gunners are always spouting about people taking the law into their own hands, except when it serves the liberal narrative.
Where do the libtards get the idea that they can do anything that they want or break any law and not be convicted if their actions are laudable according to their own notions of virtue?
Because Obama and Hilliary did.
Exactly correct.
Lets have a “RED FLAG” law on Vehicles, they are already Registered and Tagged
This case proves that our gun-grabbing lunatic libtarded loudmouth politicians, along with their parakeets in the Caliphate media, have completely numbed the minds of a high percentage of the public.
I hope she rots in jail, to send a message to every gun grabbing piece of trash to keep their hands off the guns.
She committed the crime now she can pay the time. He in jail those gun can’t operate themselves. Throw the book at her.
I concur with other posters the guy should have kept his cool and not resorted to violence. The issue is the husband hadn’t been convicted of anything and wasn’t required to turn in the weapons since under Florida law it all hinges on a conviction first (Due process) before the weapons have to be surrendered to LE. The wife should have kept her cool and not have committed a B&E that turned into an armed burglary and grand theft once she had stolen the firearms. IMOA they were both wrong and both should be prosecuted equally.
the husband was a moron and did not maintain self-control. now he has the state controlling him. the Hillsborough county state attorney with his virtue signaling, should be recalled from office if he does not prosecute the wife who committed several felonies and who offered a confession of the crimes to the police. the wife, what a mess, just stay away from her.
The worst thing any man can do is get married!! Your life will be much more rewarding if you just stay single. Don’t do it!!
Yeah, I’ve had several buddies (now divorced) who say that they married “psycho bitch”! “But she was so nice when we were dating, once she got that ring on her finger, she went from being nice and sweet to a mean, argumentative, critical, psycho bitch”.
Of course women also claim that they are “the victim”!
No shit! Man do I know the psycho bitch syndrome.
If he can be jailed for his crime, than she can be also. Justice is to be blind. No pass for anyone. She is still holding onto a gun. Until she hands it over, no bail.
He said there were 3 guns, but he hasn’t been home yet, to see if she did steal the third one. Once he gets home, ifthe third one is missing, then press charges for it as well.
When he made the decision to possibly try to kill her with his vehicle he gave away his rights to own firearms, that’s the law and if you don’t like it ask Congress to change it.
Which law is it that states that? He wasn’t convicted.
Since you either didn’t read the article or didn’t comprehend it: “Polk County Sheriff’s Office explained that his department would not seize firearms unless the owner turns them over, or if there is a court order. In the case of Joseph Irby, there was not a court order.”
So what law states he gave away his rights before being convicted or a court order being issued?
Bitch had no right to break the law!
@Bob Biggs, I’m sure that it is only an oversight on your part, but we do not know that “… he made the decision to possibly try to kill her with his vehicle…” The article states ” … According to an affidavit in the case, she said her husband tried to run her over… “. She had plenty of motive to lie. It is a classic swearing match. Its tough to get a conviction for which Civil Rights are lost on that kind of say so.
See Bob, you keep messing around with the law and all hell breaks loose! He was in jail, law enforcement had him under control. Only a fucken moron would slightly suggest it is ok to break into anywhere to steal firearms.
Bob, so much for the cornerstone of our Republic, innocent until proven guilty. I notice also you are now silent in providing that phantom law which purportedly supports your rhetoric. Maybe why you were named Bob, when you screw they up too and get it backwards, it is still Bob!
If you don’t go MGTOW, you’re asking for a woman to destroy your life. Make no mistake, the court system is entirely in their corner.
Spot on. Women dont want equal treatment (which they have), they want, and have, special treatment. The law has made them all bitches. Most people or groups who claim to want some injustice, either real or percieved stopped dont want the ill treatment to end, they just want their turn at administering the same thing upon those who either perpetrated it on them or who ever they perceived to ha e been the perpetrators . In other words, Now, it’s our turn.
He was charged, arrested, & jailed. But not convicted. That is for the court to decide.
Until or unless he is convicted and sentenced he should, IMHO, be able to retain possession of his firearms.
To confiscate them barks, speaks, yells of “Red Flags”
Absolutely!