REMEMBER, ONLY POLICE CAN BE TRUSTED WITH GUNS: Beaver County sheriff held on accusations of threats against blogger, campaign volunteer.

Both alleged victims testified at length today. Mr. Fleischman, a county jail guard, said that when he went to shake the sheriff’s hand at a campaign event, the sheriff called him a profane name and threatened to cut off his hands and eat them. He said he didn’t report the incident to anyone because he feared for his job and the sheriff is president of the county prison board.

Mr. Vranesevich, who operates the website The Beaver Countian, testified through tears that the sheriff pulled his gun and waved it around during a meeting he had with the sheriff in the presence of two deputies, Thomas Ochs and Michael Tibolet.

Mr. Vranesevich was researching a story for his blog about a uniform contract for the sheriff’s department. He said Sheriff David, upset at the reporting on his office by J.D. Prose of the Beaver County Times, drew the gun in anger and warned that Mr. Vranesevich had better not report negatively on his office as he said Mr. Prose had. At one point, he said, the sheriff threatened to kill Mr. Prose.

“If you start reporting [expletive] like this, I’m going to to blow your [expletive] brains out, too,” Mr. Vranesevich said the sheriff screamed.

Mr. Vranesevich said the majority of the two hours he was in Sheriff David’s office were spent listening in shock as the sheriff alternately ranted against his various enemies and then calmed down again.

“I was witness to the ravings of a madman,” he said. “He was not in control of himself.”

Because they’re responsible, not like ordinary gunowners.