Draft PA Training Bulletin

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I created a draft bulletin. I am posting it up for vetting and seeing if there are any errors. I did my best to recreate the correct Crimes code (Chapter 61) on firearms, however the PA Crimes Code, unlike every other state in the union, does not have it online, and the only resource I have is 7 years out of date. I used HB1717 (to see if anything else was added. Cannot believe much has changed). PA should get with the times and post up the Crimes Code.

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Only major mistake I found, apart from spelling/grammatical errors, was that it refers to open carry in a holster.

See Commonwealth v. Hawkins.

Nowhere in the Uniform Firearms Act is a holster mentioned for carrying a firearm; nowhere is open carry mentioned, either. Thus, so-called "Mexican" carry (i.e., tucked into your waistband) is not illegal (and if it's not illegal, then, by default, it's legal).

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I agree with Stat's comments.

Does PA have a brandishing statute? Maybe discussion of this statue should be included to point officers to the types of gun carry related conduct deserving of investigation.

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Mike wrote:

I agree with Stat's comments.

Does PA have a brandishing statute? Maybe discussion of this statue should be included to point officers to the types of gun carry related conduct deserving of investigation.

Click to expand...

PA has no brandishing law at all. However there are other laws that could be used in its place, examples: Terroristic Threat, Assault, Disorderly Conduct, maybe more.

Each of the examples above have certain stipulations for menacing activities. Assault does not require physical contact in PA, the implied threat of endangerment is enough to warrant the charge. With a holstered or unholstered weapon(Mexican carry, etc), there would need to be need to be an actual menacing or threating act to have charges pressed.