Posted on 08/01/2012 4:34:10 AM PDT by marktwain
COOKEVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
Despite a sign prohibiting weapons, police said three people had brought guns into a movie theater Friday night where the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" was showing.
According to the Herald Citizen, all of the gun carriers had permits.
Police said the movie was stopped briefly and officers entered the Carmike Highland Cinemas on South Jefferson Avenue around 9 p.m.
According to investigators, a theater employee called police after seeing a man with a holstered pistol walk into the theater.
Police found the gun carriers after making an announcement in the theater.
The officers explained the policy prohibiting weapons and asked the men to return their guns to their vehicles, which police said they did.
Police said the theater sign showing that weapons are prohibited was not large enough to be seen easily, so officers advised that it should be made more visible.
You know what they say.
Sometimes its better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
Wouldn't it have been funny if a lunatic walked in after that and started murdering people?
But good thing they made it a 'gun-free' zone (like the theatre in Auburn)
Carrying to protect ones self and other is responsible - but also liable. I have a lifetime CC permit - and I carry everywhere! But it’s concealed. That’s the purpose - no one knows. The guy who walked in and everyone saw it - open carry - is just going to alarm everyone that doesn’t know this guy - or have any knowledge that he is competent in shooting a shooter during a gun fight without hitting others. That’s the liable part of it. If it’s prohibited, it would be hard to argue that the one “protecting” ended up shooting others while defending himself or family or others - but the stress of the situation wouldn’t be omitted and actually be used against the self-appointed protector. At the end, each person is going to have to weigh the consequences of going out into public venues at this point to carry concealed and take the chance of liability - or not to carry and become a victim of a shooting. Then again, nothing may happen.
Business are going to loose customers like MarkTwain said - and in this economy - that’s not good. Maybe the Med Student wanted to hasten the bad economy to even worst — and started his own little revolution in a movie theater - or was just evil!
A suprisingly calm ending to this story with no botched raid or dead dog.
I know many FReepers know this, but this always reminds me of the Luby’s massacre, when a Texas woman and her parents went into a gunfree Luby’s cafeteria in TX. They had to leave their guns in the car because of the rules.
Unfortunately, for some reason that was the place a mass murderer decided to have a killing spree. Probably one of the few places in TX where it was a target range for that. And the woman lost both her parents. Susannah Hupp was the reason many of us have CC today.
I would say arguably right this moment somebody, possibly more than just one single person are cruising the web for information about no carry businesses looking for an easy in, easy out killing zone.
Nobody can convince me they are NOT out ther, and these truly evil people grow more bolder when they see places of weakness.
I don’t care who the business is, if its policy is the advertise against open carry its on my no visit list.
I guess the signs being too small in the theater in Colorado was the REAL problem. (Smacks forehead.) Yep; that’s all it was.
A Texas sunset beats any skyline.
Why not carry concealed and nobody is the wiser? They still had to secure their weapons in their car, and there are at least some in that theater who are now less supporting of carrying firearms.
The idea is to protect yourself and loved ones, not cause a scene.
Tennessee, being an open carry gun friendly state, is very calm in the presence of guns in most towns. Places like Memphis, not so much. You notice that nobody was arrested or shot and none of the movie goers panicked at the sight of the guns?
I think the three people wanted to make a statement or they would have concealed them even though they weren’t required to. Half of the patrons probably were carrying but they were concealed. LOL Even though we are open carry, you can bet that most people around you here are carrying concealed.
My husband was stopped for speeding once in Chattanooga and had his 9mm on the truck seat. He told the cop it was there and the cop said “it’s not the legal gun owners I’m worried about, you are fine”.
If open carry were just as prevalent now as it was then, people would likewise be much more safe. Why wouldn't we want that to happen? I carry concealed because it's easier than having some idiot soccer mom from Massholechussets calling 911 on me because they all come to NH to shop and have no idea how more civilized people behave.
My thought as well. Kudos to the responding officers for a reasoned, calm and lucid response to what could have been easily turned into a bad situation.
44 States have legal open carry. The word is getting out that illegally arresting someone for open carry results in cash settlements and bad publicity. It is not good for a police career. Those who open carry are exercising their rights.
We are winning.
Rifle-Toting Troy Teen Open Carries for First Time Since Trial (MI)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2912857/posts
I don’t know about that. The Texas I love has some pretty impressive skylines.
What is the source for your 44 state figure? Last I knew, California, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, Illinois, and New York don’t allow open carry in public. That only leaves 42 states and doesn’t include those states that allow but severely restrict open carry.
I have always thought open carry is more likely to stop a crime before it happens than concealed carry. Just my opinion. If the “joker” Holmes had seen three or four people walk in ahead of him armed, he may have turned around and went home. Even body armor won’t stop a head shot.
I’m on the fence. I have firearms, but no CC license. I thought of getting one, but when I saw all the information they wanted about me, I balked. It seems like a good idea to carry, but on another level it feels like wearing a parachute on the airliner on the off chance it might crash - a huge disruption to cover the probability of a very rare event. But, I shure would feel like doo-doo if it ever happened and I was disarmed, like the folks at Luby’s.
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