Posted on 02/22/2010 10:06:56 AM PST by marktwain
Today I was eating lunch at China Wok in Sussex (arrived ~11:15). When I parked my car, I noticed a state trooper and thought it was strange he was there as I have never seen state police in the town. I went to my trunk to grab my firearm, placed the case on top of the trunk, put the magazine in my XD45, put the XD in my holster and proceeded into the restaurant. I had ordered my food, sat down, finished my meal by 11:30. Almost as soon as I finished, two LEOs had walked in and a third about 10 seconds later. He had looked at my holstered firearm with a strange face, told me not to touch it, asked the lady working there if they allowed guns in the store. Originally she said no and the one LEO told me they do not allow guns in the restaurant. I told him I was unaware of that and I had been there several times before. He then sort of backed of and asked the lady again, to which she did not want to answer.
I am glad I had my video camera with me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZVz0V-bek0
One thing that really perturbed me was one the LEO that was parked there said to me I should notify them when I plan on taking my gun out.
I assume they are located at the station in Waukesha, so I will be writing a letter to their captain.
(Excerpt) Read more at opencarry.mywowbb.com ...
I guess my question for LEO’s is have you ever arrested a felon who was open carring except while they were commiting a felony? Of all your felony arrest in which the preparator was armed what presentage were open carrying?
officer discretion and common sense?...fuggetaboutit.
Precentage! To much coffee?
Too not “to”. Maybe not enough coffee?
OOPS! WOW not a good record so far this morning!
The cop seemed to be reasonable enough,IMO.If state law does,in fact,allow a storekeeper to ban firearms from his/her establishment then,IMO,the only legitimate recourse you have is to try to get the law changed.
As for the cop saying that you "should notify them"...did he specifically say that you were required by law so to do? If not then there's not necessarily a big problem there either.And if you *are* required,by law,to notify you could,I suppose,have a Constitutional question on your hands....somewhat akin to "Heller".
An officer says that he they should be informed before you exercise your individual Constitutional right, and that doesn't seem unreasonable to you?
“The cop seemed to be reasonable enough,IMO.If state law does,in fact,allow a storekeeper to ban firearms from his/her establishment then,IMO,the only legitimate recourse you have is to try to get the law changed.”
Protias had open carried in the restaurant several times before without incident. There was no sign that prohibited people carrying firearms. It can be quite unreasonable for an officer who is opposed to the exercise of open carry to approach the person in the store and ask if they allow open carry, when there is no sign in evidence. It could easily be intimidating.
“...have you ever arrested a felon who was open carring except while they were commiting a felony?”
Nope.
“Of all your felony arrest in which the preparator was armed what presentage were open carrying?”
That’s perpetrator.
Zero.
.
“As for the cop saying that you “should notify them”...”
If true, it’s totally, absolutely ridiculous.
A private business should have that right. I know in some areas, if carry is legal (concealed or open), the business has to notify the customers if they don't allow guns by posting it - some states even get specific on how it must be posted (can't just say "no guns")
asked the lady working there if they allowed guns in the store.”
Is this part of their job?
“I had ordered my food, sat down, finished my meal by 11:30”
Looks like pure harassment to me.
BFL
At the rally, China Wok, where the incident occurred, had no problem with serving the armed protesters. It seems clear that the manager in the incident was intimidated by the State Trooper.
The cop clearly did not like someone with a gun, so he went and solicited (forced) a comment from the manager that would be consistent with what the cop wanted. The cop was being a pig.
This kind of harassment takes place because law enforcement officers DO NOT trust us with guns and DO NOT consider us “the good guys” who are trying — like them — to keep the criminal element at bay.
Cops have the biggest “Us Versus Them” mind block on the planet. They see all people around them as (a) brother officers, who are good, (b) civilians, who are sheep, or (c) scumbags. There is no fourth alternative.
I’m old enough to remember when cops wore white shirts in the summer and walked the block, getting to know the people on his beat. His job was more peacekeeping than crime fighting, and diplomacy was a key job skill.
Now, the police all dress in black and they can’t wait to dress up in their SWAT outfits and kick in some doors.
Personally, SWAT teams scare the hell out of me. Can you say “paramilitary” storm troopers?
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