imported post
pkbites and I had an exchange in another forum that I would like to present for comment. I challenged anyone to provide evidence of an instance where a person was cited/arrested/etc. for disorderly conduct or anything else simply for openly carrying. While pkbites has some recollection of such an incident, he was not directly involved and thus could not provide any specifics. So I repeat the challenge here. A lot of folks have heard stories or are sure about the issue -- but nobody can provide any proof that it has happened - even once. All I am looking for is a court record, a newspaper article or other evidence from a reasonably authoritative and independent source. Any such arrest would be problematic and actionable. Consider:
An old lady sees a man openly carrying on her street. She is very frightened because her sister was once attacked by a man openly carrying. She calls 911 and police are dispatched. After a short investigation, the man openly carrying is found to have no bad intentions and is simply walking to his home. Nonetheless, he is arrested for disorderly conduct because the old lady was scared to see a man openly carrying on her street.
Is this reasonable?
Well substitute the phrase "a dreadlocked black man with tatoos" for a "man openly carrying" and see how silly it is to use another person's irrational fears as a basis for a disorderly conduct charge. An arrest in either case is equally objectionable.
pkbites and I had an exchange in another forum that I would like to present for comment. I challenged anyone to provide evidence of an instance where a person was cited/arrested/etc. for disorderly conduct or anything else simply for openly carrying. While pkbites has some recollection of such an incident, he was not directly involved and thus could not provide any specifics. So I repeat the challenge here. A lot of folks have heard stories or are sure about the issue -- but nobody can provide any proof that it has happened - even once. All I am looking for is a court record, a newspaper article or other evidence from a reasonably authoritative and independent source. Any such arrest would be problematic and actionable. Consider:
An old lady sees a man openly carrying on her street. She is very frightened because her sister was once attacked by a man openly carrying. She calls 911 and police are dispatched. After a short investigation, the man openly carrying is found to have no bad intentions and is simply walking to his home. Nonetheless, he is arrested for disorderly conduct because the old lady was scared to see a man openly carrying on her street.
Is this reasonable?
Well substitute the phrase "a dreadlocked black man with tatoos" for a "man openly carrying" and see how silly it is to use another person's irrational fears as a basis for a disorderly conduct charge. An arrest in either case is equally objectionable.