Tell Us: Are You OK With Guns on the Rail Trail? (PA)

patch.com ^ | 26 June, 2012 | Josh Popichak

[marktwain]

A comment thread recently begun by an individual on the Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Association's (PAFOA) online forum focuses on a "no weapons" rule in effect along the Saucon Rail Trail.

A bench dedicated to the memory of fallen Freemansburg police officer Robert Lasso--who was shot to death by George Hitcho in August 2011--is located along the trail in Hellertown's Water Street Park.

A PAFOA user from Northampton County named Micky writes that when walking the popular trail in the borough, he stopped to read a sign that outlines rules for its use.

"Now, for once, I did not have my weapon on me, nor did my wife," Micky wrote June 13. "Part of (the sign) said 'no weapons.' Now, the trail isn't privately owned, so I was asking myself 'wtf?'"

Micky writes that he was concerned about his Second Amendment right to possess a firearm possibly being infringed upon, and subsequently called the Borough of Hellertown for more information about the posted rule.

He ultimately visited Borough Hall, where he spoke to a Hellertown police officer, acccording to the account posted online.

"(The officer) said that yes, OC (Open Carry)/CC (Concealed Carry) are legal, and that the law is aimed more at hunting rifles, because the trail goes through the woods, and they don't want hunters taking their rifles and hunting off the trail," according to Micky. "He also said, however, that if I carried a handgun, to keep it concealed. I asked why?"

The officer, Micky writes, "said that while OC (Open Carry) is legal, that if they got a call from someone saying that there is a man with a gun on the trail, they'd respond, detain me momentarily, 'take my weapon, and check to see if it's registered.'"

Micky says he was concerned about this answer, and other PAFOA members offer varying opinions about it on the lengthy comment thread that follows.

"Why take my gun? What registry are you talking about?" he asks.

[stuartcr]

OC has restrictions. It is illegal for a felon to posses a weapon unless they’ve had their rights re-enacted, even then, they must have special permits.

[Lurker]

Can you elaborate on that a little bit? I haven’t heard the story on this one.

Thank you.

[Georgia Girl 2]

You are not supposed to take weapons up on the AT either but nobody around here that I know of goes up there without one. I wouldn’t.

[Paladin2]

""George, please come out to talk with me," Henninger recalled Lasso asking Hitcho before he was shot. "Control your dogs," Lasso also told Hitcho, according to Todd Schaedel, a friend of the defendant who was charged with lying to police after the shooting, but took the stand Monday for authorities. Bruneio, the Freemansburg chief, said Lasso was trying to fend off the two snarling dogs, kicking at them while holding a Taser straight in the air in his left hand.

"Shoot 'em," Bruneio yelled before a shot rang out and Lasso fell to the ground.

Hitcho came out holding a shotgun, one hand on its pump, the other on its trigger, Bruneio said. Three times, Bruneio said, he told Hitcho to drop the weapon before he did so.

"He tried to break into my house," Hitcho told Bruneio."

The cop entered Hitcho's back yard w/o a warrant and w/o exigent circumstances. The dogs approached, while the Chief of popos arrived in the front/side of the house and told the cop to shoot the dogs. Hitcho beat him on the draw.

[Lurker]

Score one for the dog owner.