Michigan joined 20 other states, plus the District of Columbia, to enact an Extreme Protection Order law, this week. It’s also known as a red flag law.
If a person is found to be at risk of harm to themselves or others with a gun, a red flag law can help disarm that person.
April Zeoli is the policy co-director for the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at University of Michigan.
“In Michigan, family members, intimate partners, and health care providers are also authorized to petition for an extreme risk protection order,” Zeoli said. “The judge will look at those petitions just like they would law enforcement.”
Zeoli says a judge or magistrate would need to step in before a firearm can be temporarily taken away.
Supporters of red flag laws say they won’t affect gun owners who are not in danger of harming themselves and others.
Several Michigan counties have passed resolutions to be second amendment sanctuaries.
