Westmoreland County disarms courthouse deputies

Sheriff's deputies at the Westmoreland County courthouse no longer carry guns. The county's 11 judges decided last week to disarm the deputies in the aftermath of an Atlanta courthouse shooting that killed a judge, a court reporter and two law enforcement officers. The deputies will now carry Tasers or other electrical shock devices to defuse a potential courthouse problem, said Sheriff Chris Sherer. The deputies also carry steel batons and pepper spray, he said. "I'm a member of the NRA, and there's nobody in this building that's more pro-gun than I am," said county Judge Alfred Bell. "But we go to a great deal of effort to keep weapons out of these buildings." [more]