Great police response to 'open carry' activist

policeone.com ^ | July 25, 2011 | Doug Wyllie

[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.”

[Trailerpark Badass]

No amount of common sense can shake their perception that ALL cops are thugs.

Nope.

All cops are POTENTIAL thugs, much in the same manner as cops see all "civilians" as potential "perps."

It's a prudent self-defense strategy when dealing with those who can legally kill you.

[Trailerpark Badass]

LOL, stop with the gotcha race card.

Strange people walk by my house armed, I ain't calling the cops. Why would I? I shoot better than any I see at the range.

[takenoprisoner]

Of course Officer Matt Lyons is a Marine. Marines are self-disciplined.

Marines, after taking the oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, to go to thru the process to become a Marine, then to serve 22 years has Officer Lyons did, have a tendency to take that oath seriously.