The Rifle In The Hop Field

A man who had been drinking announced at a small-town post office that he would kill a farm worker, saying the worker had been bothering his wife and the authorities would do nothing about it. That afternoon he walked into a hop field carrying a loaded .22 rifle. The field's owner, who was also the local constable, stood about 250 to 300 yards away, with the worker some 30 yards beyond him. The man walked toward them for about 100 yards, stopped, and appeared to load the rifle. He never raised or aimed it. The worker ran off, and the constable walked up and took the loaded gun without resistance. Prosecutors said the threat plus the armed approach amounted to an attempt to kill. The defence said it was, at most, preparation.