Posted on 07/28/2011 5:54:16 AM PDT by brent13a
In California, where I live and work, there has been an increasing movement among a segment of legally-armed citizens to carry unloaded sidearms in plain view. This trend is happening elsewhere, but there seems to just be more “activity” around the movement here in the Golden State perhaps because it seems so much more difficult to get a CCW here than in most other states.
In my humble estimation, the video of Officer Matthew Lyons of the Oceanside (Calif.) PD could be a training video for any agency that has to deal with “open carry citizens.” In fact, the video of video below in which Officer Lyons encounters one of those individuals stands in stark contrast to another we posted to PoliceOne last week.
There has been quite a lot of traffic to the video of Canton (Ohio) Patrolman Harless not just here on PoliceOne, but all over the Internet — and his less-than-stellar response to a legally-armed citizen in his sector. I’m told that Harless has been — or soon will be — relieved of his badge. Well, regardless of the outcome of that particular case, there are myriad examples out there of officers encountering an open-carry citizen, and I point to this one with Officer Lyons as a compelling example of “doing it the right way.”
Officer Lyons has been hailed by a handful of bloggers, including one for CBS News which bears repeating here:
“Officer Matt Lyons with the Oceanside Police Department definitely deserves a shout out for this almost 3-minute encounter. Officer Lyons, we salute you, not only for your incredible professionalism, sense of humor, and great on camera demeanor, but also your dedicated 22 years of service in the United States Marine Corps.”
(Excerpt) Read more at policeone.com ...
That’s true, but the only opinion you’ve offered is name calling.
There was no content to your posts. You talk in rhetoric and say I hide behind my badge.
You people keep posting one-sided, agenda driven articles about the worst of the worst cops. And if we, the good cops, don't immediately agree with every aspect of your anti-cop rants, we are labeled Nazis.
So you tell me. How is someone like me supposed to deal with it? I have to either reject my chosen profession because some idiot cop in Ohio has a temper, or I get called a Nazi. That's kind of a lose-lose, IMHO.
Did you hear about how Ohio finally got concealed carry licensing? It was through citizen activism much like this, both organized and ad hoc.
In the opening seconds of the video, the officer stated that he got a lot of calls about citizen walking down highway. After asking about the gun and if it was an "Airsoft", which citizen said it wasn't, he says "Is it loaded? I'm going to check it for MY safety before we go any further, ok?" That certainly doesn't sound like a "confiscation" to me like someone else implied
With that being said, if any finger pointing is to be done, it's at the folks who called the cops, Officer Lyon was just doing his job in responding to those calls...and a damn good one too.
Yeah but did Officer Lyon remove the magazine and rounds from his own weapon for the safety of the citizen.
You’re still doing it.
I have asked several rhetorical questions which would not be rhetorical if I weren’t for the fact they accurately reflect the systemic duplicity practiced by law enforcement.
Rather than challenge the premise of each question, you have chosen to ignore it and accuse me of personality issues that are no where in evidence here.
What are you supposed to do? Report professional misconduct and malfeasence whenever you see it. Don’t inflate charges just because you were inconvenienced or aggravated. Don’t lie or manipulate people to “help” with prosecution. Recognize every time a citizen deals with you, it’s the same for them as if someone were pointing a gun at you, and act accordingly.
But most of all, recognize if you can’t do these things without it meaning professional suicide, you have chosen an inherently corrupt occupation, and people who are not corrupt are going to disdain you.
I didn't see that at all. BTW I thought the officer was great.
if my mother sides with an oppressive government then she deserves the title...
the LEO took the gun and magazine and checked it for a round in the chamber and did not “return it” until after he completed the questioning of a “law abiding citizen” as how i perceived the tape. asking and acting like he was all supportive but putting the “law abiding citizen” in a position of defensiveness, then saying he was supportive of the right to bear arms.
here’s how it should have went. cop drives by. sees a citizen carrying a weapon in a holster. drives on. that’s it. “shall not be infringed.”
sorry you took offense, but a childish little prick i may be, but i am right and consistent in my second amendment beliefs and not a toady.
teeman
he didn’t do anything wrong... he doesn’t have to identify himself to anyone... this is america.
If that were even remotely true he would have asked him questions about where he had been and what he had done. He did absolutely nothing to investigate that. I'm afraid that explanation doesn't hold a drop of water.
“Is it loaded? I’m going to check it for MY safety before we go any further, ok?” That certainly doesn’t sound like a “confiscation” to me like someone else implied...
did the officer take the gun... yes he did... i don’t care if it was to “check it for his safety” he took... confiscated.. the weapon for the time of his interview. he also wrote down jeremy’s name and i bet his description and was intimidating while being friendly...
the incident should have been... officer sees citizen carrying a holstered weapon. no crime. leaves.
SO NO, I’m not going to be ashamed if his badge gets him off a ticket for going 62 in a 55 mile zone on a road nobody else was driving on at the time.
So take your piety and stuff it!
It was in the first 10 seconds of the video if you had taken the time to listen.....And FWIW, the guy was walking along a four lane major highway, not in a suburban neighborhood so the calls obviously were made by drivers passing him during his stroll.
I don't know how you interpreted that but nobody here is saying he did.........The officer performed his job as he should have.......
I will agree with you, that's how it would of went based on your own perception. Unfortunately you too failed to listen to the first 10 seconds of the video which explained why the officer was on the scene of that four lane highway.........
But as was just pointed out to you, the officer was there for a reason........
Did we watch the same video ? Aggressive is not a word I would use.
The thought of the video camera was a damper on would have, could have situation. His cop buddy didn't look too happy though.
to quote what i could make out from the first 10 seconds of video...
“we got a lot of calls about you walking down the street, keep your hands away from the gun...
it is not illegal to carry. shall not be infringed with the hearsay of scared sheeple.
teeman
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.