Another incedent with Open Carry..

[cobra_matt]

he should of just done what the cops said and there wouldn't of been a problem. then when what they justify as cause for a stop becomes the norm, they can up the ante and then we can just accept that too. then when it gets to cops arresting you for whatever reason they want, we'll just accept that as well.

x1000000.

More people are killed from cars than guns every year. What if I called in and reported a guy driving a car? Not a suspicious guy driving a car; just me being a concerned citizen. Should I expect the police to stop the man for no cause other than me being concerned? Makes no sense. The problem is the mentality of people these days when they see a gun. They should be more scared of the cars around them than some law abiding citizen carrying a super scary evil gun.

 

[mr2cam]

Most counties here are "shall" issue CCW permits. It's easy for those that want it to apply, qualify, and carry. If people don't want to jump through the hoops, that's on them.

Look at how many CCW permits are granted in California compared to other States..

 

[rotor_powerd]

the police have every right to ID the person due to it being called in where it now has become a public safety concern.

No, they don't, and no, it's not.

From what is said in the video, the guy was not doing anything suspicious, he wasn't brandishing - he wasn't doing anything other than walking down the street with a holstered gun on his hip. There's no reason that he should have ever been stopped.

 

[2KBlackGT]

You should petition to change the laws you don't agree with.

Honest question for you, can businesses in open carry states refuse to let people open carring into their place of business if they wanted?

 

[UnleashedBeast]

Agree with both parts.

I give him credit on having knowledge of the force (refrain from Star Wars joke). However he was also being a flat out dick. The cop was just trying to prevent a potential threat. He could have simply handed his ID and off he would go no questions asked.

I feel the same way. It's not a big deal to prove you are legally carrying a firearm. This was done for publicity.

 

[rotor_powerd]

Honest question for you, can businesses in open carry states refuse to let people open carring into their place of business if they wanted?

Yes. A simple "No Firearms" sign posted out front will do the trick.

 

[SFlaCobra]

The idiot is already filming the whole event. Whats wrong with giving him your I.D.

If anything is wrong........YOU HAVE THE VIDEO PROOF. This guy was just being a dick. Maine needs to pass a law to freely slap a bitch.

 

[61mmstang94]

That's a completely different scenario (As you acknowledged by saying "What if"), and not what happened here. The officer even stated "You're walking down XXXX street carrying a gun, and people are calling," and that the only reason they stopped him was because he was carrying. There was no mention of suspicious activity.

Well from the officers point of view if someone called in to complain about the guy walking down the street he should respond to it because obviously somebody in the general public was suspicious of the guy. And when he got there he wasn't trying to tell the guy he can't open carry and didn't give the guy a hard time. At that point he was just going to check his ID.

Also, I'd like to point out that the guy was clearly out to instigate. Had his phone ready for the recording, had his little lines from google searches memorized, and was antagonizing the officers. What sense does it make to go around doing stuff like that? As someone else said already, he thinks he's some rights hero but he's only making people who do carry guns look worse. Officers deal with the scum of society every day and anytime they do come upon somebody their lives are in danger and the point of carrying isnt to cause a stir and alarm people like this guys doing. People like him who carry for that purpose should be on the list of those who cant carry since he lacks intelligence and maturity. What a moron.

This guy was just being a dick. Maine needs to pass a law to freely slap a bitch.

Well said. I agree.

 

[OHTHREESVT]

He made that whole situation into a big deal. that could have been a wam bam thank you mam 5 minute thing...

 

[Jdaniel]

AWESOME! Glad to see someone stand up for their rights.

Agree with him 100%.

Perhaps the police and citizens of Maine need to educate themselves.

I agree 100% also. People in this country have forgotten their unalienable rights and the majority of the citizens of this country cant tell you what half their rights are. I stay well within the law but if its an open carry state and the cops decide to harrass me because im expressing my rights then I would take it a step further just like this guy did.

I understand the police and their purpose but stopping this guy for open carry in an open carry state wasted everyones time.

 

[98SVTContour98]

Honest question for you, can businesses in open carry states refuse to let people open carring into their place of business if they wanted?

Yes, by either posting a no weapons sign or asking the customer to leave.

 

[Driver500]

Educated citizen making his point against an uneducated cop who's not used to having his power trip checked. Other than speaking quickly because he was nervous the guy stated his case and backed his decisions.

+1 educated citizen

If more people were educated about their rights then more cops wouldn't infringe on them.

 

[cotchnobra]

x1000000.

More people are killed from cars than guns every year. What if I called in and reported a guy driving a car? Not a suspicious guy driving a car; just me being a concerned citizen. Should I expect the police to stop the man for no cause other than me being concerned? Makes no sense. The problem is the mentality of people these days when they see a gun. They should be more scared of the cars around them than some law abiding citizen carrying a super scary evil gun.

This hits the nail on the head. Perfect analogy. Give an inch they will take a mile and sooner or later you will have no more Rights.

 

[10thSVT_03]

This guys an idiot just looking to cause a problem. Officer should have taken him into custody for suspicious activity. Didn't even make him prove he was lawfully able to carry. The call came in for a suspicious person openly carrying. There is your reason for stopping him. Investigating a citizens call.

 

[ibepressin]

The fact that he is open carrying is his only suspicious activity. If you are going to leave that judgement (what is suspicious) up to the general public you have way more faith in the public than I do. This guy was confrontational but he had EVERY right to be. Cops were busting his chops for doing something that one of the general public was concerned by. OH MY GAWD THAT'S A GUN CALL 911

 

[Cuyahoga Kid]

I am sick of this. Anybody who "open carries" a weapon should be arrested on sight. I don't care what the law says. It should be 100% illegal. This is not the wild west. People DO need to be able to bear arms and protect themselves, but not fuggin Wyatt Earp style. How can you NOT expect people to freak out when they see some asshat walking around town with a hand cannon hanging off of their belt for all to see. For God sakes - get a concealed carry license and CONCEAL your weapon. I have mine, and I carry all the time. Nobody ever messes with me. I haven't been on youtube not one time. Idiots.

 

[61mmstang94]

This hits the nail on the head. Perfect analogy. Give an inch they will take a mile and sooner or later you will have no more Rights.

Actually, the analogy only shows your lack of intelligence. Perfect analogy?

I can point out many flaws, but the major flaw is that guns and cars are entirely different. Cars have peaceful purposes, they are used for transportation. Guns have only a single purpose. To seriously injure or kill another human being. So in that sense alone, if an alarmed citizen calls the police because they're suspicious or worried about a man walking around with a gun then it's more of a cause for concern than someone driving a car.

Btw, I'm not against carrying weapons. I think people should if they want to and their laws permit such carry. But don't be a jackass. The guy was obviously instigating shit and wanting someone to become worried about the gun he was carrying for the police to be called. He was entirely prepared and had it planned out to do exactly what he did. I'd say an officer simply responding to a call and asking for an ID and nothing more wasn't absurd as some are implying.

If the officer was looking for the trouble and trying to make a point then I'd say some of you have valid points. But that wasn't the case at all. The officer was actually pretty cool about it and just wanted some ID to make sure it was legal for him to carry and everybody could've moved along with their day.

But we'll always have the police haters who so loudly voice their opinion over the Internet, but will call the police the first time they feel they need some protection or assistance. Gotta love the Internet.

 

[VenomousDSG]

People like that are just scumbags who just going around looking to cause trouble with a video camera.

Quit hassling the guys who are out there for your protection. Give the guy your ID and be on your way. Don't like being stopped because you look like an idiot with a gun? Tough. Maybe conceal it a little better and don't look and conduct yourself like moron.

For safety reason, why would one not just avoid all of that and just conceal carry? Why do you want people knowing you have a gun on your person?...

 

[usmcrebel]

I am sick of this. Anybody who "open carries" a weapon should be arrested on sight. I don't care what the law says. It should be 100% illegal. This is not the wild west. People DO need to be able to bear arms and protect themselves, but not fuggin Wyatt Earp style. How can you NOT expect people to freak out when they see some asshat walking around town with a hand cannon hanging off of their belt for all to see. For God sakes - get a concealed carry license and CONCEAL your weapon. I have mine, and I carry all the time. Nobody ever messes with me. I haven't been on youtube not one time. Idiots.

You are a retard....I OC and CC often both at the same time.... there is no "right to not freak people out" I don't think you should be able to conceal carry, because you might want to hide your gun sneak it in to work and murder everyone, CC tard only want to feel "tacticool"......see how retarded that sounds think before you type.:nonono:

 

[rotor_powerd]

Well from the officers point of view if someone called in to complain about the guy walking down the street he should respond to it because obviously somebody in the general public was suspicious of the guy. And when he got there he wasn't trying to tell the guy he can't open carry and didn't give the guy a hard time. At that point he was just going to check his ID.

Also, I'd like to point out that the guy was clearly out to instigate. Had his phone ready for the recording, had his little lines from google searches memorized, and was antagonizing the officers. What sense does it make to go around doing stuff like that? As someone else said already, he thinks he's some rights hero but he's only making people who do carry guns look worse. Officers deal with the scum of society every day and anytime they do come upon somebody their lives are in danger and the point of carrying isnt to cause a stir and alarm people like this guys doing. People like him who carry for that purpose should be on the list of those who cant carry since he lacks intelligence and maturity. What a moron.

As I stated in my first post, I completely agree - the guy is clearly out looking for this situation to occur for no other reason than so that he can film it and "Stick it to the man" on YouTube. HOWEVER - that doesn't mean that doesn't have the right to lawfully open carry a firearm.

This guys an idiot just looking to cause a problem. Officer should have taken him into custody for suspicious activity. Didn't even make him prove he was lawfully able to carry. The call came in for a suspicious person openly carrying. There is your reason for stopping him. Investigating a citizens call.

The call did not come in for "suspicious" anything. The call was for someone carrying a gun, it is not legal to stop someone and demand their ID just because they are carrying. :bored:

The officer was actually pretty cool about it and just wanted some ID to make sure it was legal for him to carry and everybody could've moved along with their day.

Police officers can't just stop anyone with a firearm and ask for their ID to "make sure it's legal" for them to be carrying.

I am sick of this. Anybody who "open carries" a weapon should be arrested on sight. I don't care what the law says. It should be 100% illegal. This is not the wild west. People DO need to be able to bear arms and protect themselves, but not fuggin Wyatt Earp style. How can you NOT expect people to freak out when they see some asshat walking around town with a hand cannon hanging off of their belt for all to see. For God sakes - get a concealed carry license and CONCEAL your weapon. I have mine, and I carry all the time. Nobody ever messes with me. I haven't been on youtube not one time. Idiots.

Why would people freak out? Why would anyone who was going to commit a crime carry a gun openly? That sounds pretty stupid to me. Seems to me that if you're planning on committing a crime with a firearm, you are going to hide that firearm, whether or not you legally own it or even have a permit to be carrying a firearm. FYI - criminals do not obey the law.


Moving on - there are times when it appropriate to open carry, and times when it isn't. In most cases, I would say you are better off not open carrying. Advertising "Hey, I have a firearm!" is not the best idea. But at the same time, in some states, it is a citizens RIGHT to lawfully open carry, so if you want to walk around with a gun on your hip - you should be able to do so without being harassed.