Josh Harris lost his right to own guns after 2003 felony. Here’s how he got it restored
Pierce County Council candidate Josh Harris, who says he shot at a car theft suspect earlier this week, lost his firearm rights following a 2003 felony theft conviction but legally possessed the gun he fired due to a successful court petition in 2013, court documents show.
Prior to the shooting, police say Harris called 911 late Monday afternoon to report he’d located stolen property near a homeless encampment.
Harris told The News Tribune on Thursday he fired his gun in self defense as the car theft suspect drove at him at high speeds. He said the car crashed into a cement block outside the encampment near Cheney Stadium after he opened fire, then fled in the other direction.
Harris previously made headlines for paying $300,000 to bail out three Tacoma police officers involved in the death of Manuel Ellis.
Harris is running on a law-and-order platform, and The Seattle Times reported that he’s not embarrassed about the felony case that lost him his gun rights.
“I did no jail time. I did no prison time,” he told The Seattle Times in a phone interview last month.
Criminal Record
Harris’ 2003 felony conviction stemmed from allegations he altered checks for maintenance work he performed, according to Pierce County Superior Court documents. He was also convicted of theft in 1993 and two felony counts of possessing stolen property in 1992.
Harris was again charged with felony theft in 2008 in connection to two jet skis that he reported missing but police later located on a family member’s property. Harris, who collected insurance payments in the meantime, told The Seattle Times he had found the jet skis and “simply forgot to call my insurance company.”
He eventually pleaded guilty to gross misdemeanor charges connected to false claims and concealing property, according to court documents.
Firearms Rights Petition
Due to his felony conviction, Harris had to spend five consecutive years outside jail without a criminal conviction to petition to restore his firearm rights under state law.
People who have their gun rights taken away due to criminal charges but weren’t convicted of a felony are able to file a petition after three years. People convicted of a class A felony, such as murder, first-degree assault and vehicular homicide, are not eligible to have their gun rights restored.
Harris filed his petition with the Pierce County Superior Court in 2013. A judge restored his firearm rights about two weeks later.
State law does not require petitioners to prove they are not a danger to the community.
With his petition granted, Harris said he obtained a concealed pistol license. Officers who talked to Harris after the shooting confirmed his license was valid, according to a news release. Officers collected the gun as evidence.
This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
