December 31, 2003
A Few Facts About Bullets From The Portland Police Bureau
"Most people have seen the broadcasts, usually originating from other countries, where people are, for some reason, firing weapons into the air," reads the press release. "Ever wonder what happens to the bullets fired from those weapons?"
With that comma-heavy opening sentence begins a press release issued today by the Portland Police Bureau. The release is entitled, "The Danger Of Firing Weapons Into The Air... Remember, What Goes Up Will Come Down!"
"While those broadcasts of people firing into the air may seem a world away," the release continues, "cities across the United States are dealing with the problems created when citizens, unaware of the dangers involved, decide to celebrate an occasion by discharging firearms into the air."
It goes on to provide several facts about bullets: A bullet fired straight up can reach an altitude of up to two (2) miles; as a bullet falls to earth, it can reach a speed of 300 to 700 feet per second; a projectile, traveling at 200 feet per second, can penetrate the human skull; the "danger zone" of a falling bullet is a circle with a radius of 1 3/4 mile; and discharging a firearm into the air is not only dangerous, it is also against the law.
Helpfully, the release expands upon this last fact.
"The charges for discharging a firearm," it explains, "can range from Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm (Portland City Ordinance) up to the State of Oregon charge of Manslaughter if someone is killed."
No word on whether or not last year's policy allowing firearms at the New Year's Eve party in Pioneer Courthouse Square as long as you have a concealed-weapons permit remains in effect this year.