Tom Servo
Member
I live in the (relatively) quiet suburbs of north metro Atlanta. For the most part, the LEOs I've dealt with are great guys with alot of respect for those who own and carry arms. But tonight...arrghh...
I was in a convenience store. Another guy was carrying openly, and an officer walked in, stared for a second, then asked the guy if he was an officer. The guy said no, and the officer told him to turn around. The officer then removed the man's gun and called for backup.
Backup arrived, and they proceeded to ask him why he needed a gun, why he felt he needed to carry, and what he did for a living. When he told them he carried for protection, they rolled their eyes. When he mentioned that he was licensed and had a right to, one of the officers responded, "don't start on a civil rights lecture." At this point, I could taste the bile rising in my mouth.
They decreed that he shouldn't be carrying since he didn't do anything dangerous for a living, then they ran his ID while they held his gun. While it was empty, the officer holding it swept me with the barrel six times in twenty seconds. All I wanted to do was pay for my danish and gas, and I was stuck standing there because they wouldn't move the matter outside.
When the guy's ID came back clean, they gave him a lecture about how "just because you've got a permit doesn't mean we welcome it." When he started to answer, one of the officers threatened to arrest him because he was carrying in a place that serves alcohol (though NOT for on-site consumption), but that he'd "go easy" on the guy "this time." They then told the guy that the permit only allowed concealed, not open, carry. They also claimed that since one of his magazines was marked "law enforcement," that it was illegal (yet they returned it to him).
There are so many things wrong with this. I know alot of the officers in this area, and they're alot better and smarter about this. The only difference between me and the guy at that moment was that the officers couldn't see my gun, but I still got more than a little nervous. I'd rather not get locked up only to have to make bail and get exonerated after having to pay for a lawyer. I'm wondering who I should call on this? Sheriff? Attorney General? Mayor? Any suggestions?
I was in a convenience store. Another guy was carrying openly, and an officer walked in, stared for a second, then asked the guy if he was an officer. The guy said no, and the officer told him to turn around. The officer then removed the man's gun and called for backup.
Backup arrived, and they proceeded to ask him why he needed a gun, why he felt he needed to carry, and what he did for a living. When he told them he carried for protection, they rolled their eyes. When he mentioned that he was licensed and had a right to, one of the officers responded, "don't start on a civil rights lecture." At this point, I could taste the bile rising in my mouth.
They decreed that he shouldn't be carrying since he didn't do anything dangerous for a living, then they ran his ID while they held his gun. While it was empty, the officer holding it swept me with the barrel six times in twenty seconds. All I wanted to do was pay for my danish and gas, and I was stuck standing there because they wouldn't move the matter outside.
When the guy's ID came back clean, they gave him a lecture about how "just because you've got a permit doesn't mean we welcome it." When he started to answer, one of the officers threatened to arrest him because he was carrying in a place that serves alcohol (though NOT for on-site consumption), but that he'd "go easy" on the guy "this time." They then told the guy that the permit only allowed concealed, not open, carry. They also claimed that since one of his magazines was marked "law enforcement," that it was illegal (yet they returned it to him).
There are so many things wrong with this. I know alot of the officers in this area, and they're alot better and smarter about this. The only difference between me and the guy at that moment was that the officers couldn't see my gun, but I still got more than a little nervous. I'd rather not get locked up only to have to make bail and get exonerated after having to pay for a lawyer. I'm wondering who I should call on this? Sheriff? Attorney General? Mayor? Any suggestions?