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Gun Lobby Questions Why SF Sheriff Who Fought NRA Owns 3 Pistols

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Although San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was a strong advocate of gun control while on the Board of Supervisors, he surrendered 3 handguns when police recently booked him on misdemeanor domestic violence charges.

Mirkarimi apparently owned them while sponsoring legislation last summer to bolster San Francisco gun control laws against a lawsuit by the National Rifle Association.

Attorney Chuck Michel, who represented the NRA in that suit, said Mirkarimi's gun control advocacy smacked of hypocrisy.

"There should not be a special exception for politicians. There should not be double standard. That's why this is so hypocritical," he said.

Mirkarimi would not comment about any aspect of his gun ownership, where he kept the weapons or in what manner the firearms were stored.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:

At the time, Mirkarimi described the proliferation of guns on city streets as a major public health problem. "These laws have become all the more important because we have seen escalating gun violence in San Francisco."

Mirkarimi will not have access to his weapons while he is tried on one count each of domestic battery, child endangerment and dissuading a witness.

If convicted, the sheriff would not be allowed to own a firearm.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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