Posted on 10/17/2013 1:16:18 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
The fate of a Fort Hood soldier who was arrested in March while openly carrying an AR-15 rifle down a road in Central Texas is now in the hands of a jury. The trial of Christopher Grisham has drawn the ardent interest of gun-rights advocates nationwide.
Grisham, an active-duty Army Master Sergeant, was accompanying his 15-year-old son on a 10-mile hike back in March. The hike was part of the younger Grishams Boy Scout activities.
Grisham and Christopher Grisham Jr. were walking along Airport Road in West Temple, Texas, when they were approached by police officer Steve Ermis.
The police had received a call from someone alarmed by the sight of a man walking in public carrying a military-style assault weapon.
When Ermis confronted the elder Grisham, the soldier protested. Shortly, the teenage Grisham whipped out is cell phone and recorded the incident. That video can be seen in its entirety below.
At trial, which concluded this morning, Oct. 17, Ermis testified that he did not know why Grisham was carrying the high-powered weapon and that aspects of Grishams behavior were troubling to him.
Grisham faces a misdemeanor charge of interfering with the duties of a police officer. According to court records cited in the press, the soldier resisted when the cop tried to get him to put his hands behind his back. He also refused to hand over his rifle.
It is not illegal to carry a rifle in Texas.
Gun rights advocates have taken up Grishams cause. Blue Rannefeld, lawyer for the National Association of Legal Gun Defense, gave the defenses opening statement and blasted Ermis for going above and beyond to control and intimidate Grisham.
When the younger Grisham testified on his fathers behalf, he said the rifle was for fending off feral hogs that had been spotted in the area.
He also said that Ermis drew his own gun and aimed it at the back of the senior Grishams head when the solider refused to surrender his rifle.
Sounds like he was a guy out doing legal stuff and is getting rail-roaded for it.
Interesting spin you have though.
/johnny
To catch up later
You think its legal to grab a weapon from an officers hands?
Maybe you’re right. But for sure - it’s STUPID.
5.56mm
If you're going to San Antonio for this event, some important advice
In my area of east Texas, the Sherriff’s Department doesn’t look twice at carrying a long gun. ARs are now very popular for hunting around here and seen all the time.
In our rural neighborhood many of us open carry all the time.
There was a complaint called in. You think the cops should just ignore complaints?
I guess asnwering the call of duty DOES interfere with their donut break, right?
I’m a Viet Nam vet, a former police officer and a CCL holder. That said this situation reminds me of my transition from a combat-zone to a Rear Area. I felt “naked” without my personal weapon, even though there was no real need to carry it.
I wonder how many deployments this SGT has had and how well he is re-adjusting. The policeman would have been remiss not to have at least a conversation. The SGT’s reaction may be an indicator of other issues than 2nd Amendment stances.
I believe it was the other way around.
Open Carry is not the issue here. His having an AR-15 and several bandoliers strapped accross his chest is NOT the reason he was arrested and is on trial.
It’s easy to think this is an over-reaction by donut muchers - but watch the video.
Grisham staged this. He anticipated this. He provoked this.
I wish him well.
The SGTs reaction may be an indicator of other issues than 2nd Amendment stances.
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Exactly. Other issues. He has some blog. And he would post stuff on that blog that would get him in trouble. I think there were some reassignments and stuff placed in his records, but I don’t know all the details.
Didn’t watch the video did you dumbass...
And all the cops had to do was stay within the limits of their legit authority.
Of course, we can’t have that now. People might think their Rights were worth something...
You are on the wrong forum. DU is that way... ——>
I’ve been active and involved in this case for months now. I know more about it than knee-jerk liberals like you.
First remove your head - then shove your comments up where your head is.
I watched the video. And I think he was overly hostile and confrontational.
I think the officers involved were also aggressive, and at one time state that they are exempt from the law.
But overall, I agree with Responsibility2nd’s viewpoint. This could have been, and should have been, and non-incident. Grisham wanted to provoke the action he got for his video.
Video clearly shows there are no bandoliers strapped to his chest.
You are a liar.
Sorry bro, but you've got your directions mixed up. It's that way
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