Open carry activists planning Green Lake response(s) this weekend(WA)

Seattle Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 26 August, 2011 | Dave Workman

[marktwain]

Alarmed by an encounter involving a longtime open carry activist and Seattle police at Green Lake last weekend, some open carry activists are planning to visit Green Lake Saturday around noon, and others tell this column they may walk around Green Lake on Sunday.

Why? After a week of discussion on the Open Carry forum, one might think this controversy had run its course and that it is time to move on. It's caused a good discussion on the Defensive Carry forum.

The incident has taken on something of a life of its own. This column discussed the encounter that involved open carrier who calls himself “JSanchez” on the Open Carry forum, and three officers. In his original commentary, “Sanchez” asserted that one of the officers approached him with a drawn gun, held at “low ready.” Another officer ordered him to put his hands on his head, which he did. According to the officer’s narrative, “Sanchez” was then disarmed of both the .45-caliber pistol on his hip, and a smaller .380-caliber pistol in his pants pocket.

There was a conversation, during which “Sanchez,” by his own account, handed the police a copy of the SPD bulletin on open carry from 2007 and asserted that his civil rights were being violated. (Question: How many people carry a copy of a police department training bulletin? Will more activists do this?)

Responding to a question about his original account that was posted on the forum Thursday, “Sanchez” has now asserted that one of the officers:

“…stepped out from behind the tree and pointed his gun at me, and told me put my hands on top of my head and dont move them.”

[marktwain]

The people need to keep the police inside the box of Constitutional power.