California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Feuding CHP Officer Talked About Gun

A California Highway Patrol officer who shot a neighbor to death in a feud over a fence told an emergency 911 operator hours before the shooting that he had a gun and was prepared to use it, according to court testimony. “I’ve got a gun and I’m going out there,” CHP Officer Jack Thomas, 44, told a dispatcher about eight hours before the shooting, according to a transcript. Thomas made two calls to the 911 operator, authorities said. He is accused of slaying Gordon L. Chance Jr., 35. The shooting prompted controversy in Sacramento, with complaints that Thomas was treated with leniency. He was not arrested until 24 hours after the shooting because it was not immediately clear whether the killing was justified, investigators said.