Here are links to previous articles and discussion about this case.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2594739/posts?page=2
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2594740/posts
If the law allows open carry, why did this individual take it upon himself to call the police if those who were carrying were not causing any problems?
Just because he was “disturbed”?
Just asking.
Open carry is legal and is NOT “probable cause”!
No “obstruction” occurred!
There was no reason for the cops to appear at the restaurant and certainly no reason for citations.
I hate lawyers, so the city should just turn over all of their budget to these guys and close up.
It disturbs me to have to shop on a budget and wait in line behind someone paying for a boatload of groceries with food stamps.
Until that logic is broken the Police, collectively and individually, will not change their attitude. As i have recommended before I think each police officer, including desk pounders, need to have a personal bond to pay for their over reactions. The bonding process would cover something like this plus dog shootings but not cases brought by felons.
Kinda tosses out any hope of a DC charge sticking.
It is going to be a process to educate both the police and the public about both open carry and concealed carry. The assumption should be for ignorance, not malevolence.
For this reason, I heartily recommend to those out in public with guns, both open carry and concealed carry, that instead of fretting about being offended by the police or their fellow citizen, they be prepared to act as an ambassador of the right and polite use of firearms in public.
For example, it’s important to present a friendly, cooperative, and open countenance to police if it is at all possible. While this may not immediately defuse a situation with an uninformed officer, it will likely buy time so that you can persuade him that what you are doing is legal and upstanding.
The best way of doing this is to carry a professional looking document that shows the appropriate laws. It is extra convincing if the document is in good condition, especially if it is laminated. And it is extra-extra good if it is from a responsible public organization, so the officer knows it “isn’t just you.”
As far as the general public, I’m a big believer in playing card sized mini pamphlets, that can be handed out both to ordinary folks, and to small business owners and their employees. All you need is a printer and blank paper. Probably two pamphlets per page. Carry a few with you for hand outs.
Handing out just a few of these can insulate an entire neighborhood from gun fear, for months or years. It recruits other people to spread the good word.
All in all, it is better to be an ambassador than ticked off at people who just don’t know better.
What I have a problem with, with the audio, is the name, phone number and address of the caller not being edited out.
seriously, I would sue them for MILLIONS! make them pay so much that they NEVER do this again anywhere.
Upon injecting themselves into the scene and demanding ID from the men who were doing nothing illegal, the PD arrests the men and charges them with "obstruction of Justice"?!?!?
What justice? There was no crime, except for the crime that the men were being harrassed by the PD who demanded their papers.
Didn't we learn this spring, from our president and the other political foes of the Arizona illegal immigration law that "demanding papers" is a big no-no?
Seems to me the only justice obstructed in this incident was the Madison 5's right "to be secure in their persons..."; and the obstructors were the PD.
I think a lawsuit is in order.
also found this on a local forum. Still not sure on how much truth there is to it but if it is this chick is focked
“A member of the Wisconsin Carry sent an email to a member of Madison city council and this was her response.”
“Have a good time staying at home. While legal, it’s inappropriate and
aggressive to pack your little pistols in public places. We won’t miss
you or the childish displays of constitutional freedoms.
Lauren Cnare”
Why would anyone want to own Madison, WI?
DO NOT EVER call 911 to ask a question.
911 will always trigger an armed response and in most cases must result in an arrest, as in domestic disturbance.
So who do you call. We are so conditioned to use 911 that nobody has a clue of any other number to call.
There are many times that cell phone calls to 911 can not even get an live person on the phone, only an automated GPS directed police action (to the geographic coordinates the cell towers triangulate).
Unless someone’s life is in immediate and imminent danger, avoid 911.
The most disturbing part starts at 3:47.
So yet another case of cop thugary...cops probably less qualified to carry arms than the men they are harassing...I say it again, we need fewer cops and more armed citizens.
The problem is, the politicians who direct the police response get off Scot-free while the taxpayer gets punished.
There is a problem anytime the police are involved now.
At one time long ago, the police were the law abiding citizen’s friend. This is no longer the case in most places. There are some exceptions.
Now the police consider everyone they come in contact with as either criminals or potential criminals. i.e. Those that have committed a crime or those that might commit a crime in the future.
I guess it's safe to say that these men were not Hispanic. Otherwise asking for ID would have been a civil rights violation.