Massive police presence in Annandale tonight

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Tonight in Annandale the Fairfax County Police were engaged in a show of force exercise in my neighborhood in response to the assault and rape of a 51 year old woman down the street from where I live. We received fliers on our doors this week stating this would occur.

News Story

Police bulletin

I noticed a few bike cops and several cruisers during my 3 mile walk around the area. I was openly carrying the whole time, and I was spotted by PD about halfway through the walk. APD cruiser passed me slowly,pulled into a commercial parking lot ahead, turned my way and stopped to look at me as I walked past on the sidewalk. (red circled area East of Ossian Park) At this point I am well within 1000feet of Annandale High School (circled area with running track). I don't turn my head hisway but keep a look on him out of the corner of me eye as long as possible. I walk past that one and another comes toward me in the opposite direction and slows down as it passes. I did not see any more cops until I am at the entrance for Braddock Elementary (red area east of blue circle). At the intersection circled in blue was a stopped PD car waiting on traffic so he could turn left. He had pulled far into the crosswalk, blocking it and another PD car was behind him. I walked between them both (directly in front of the rear car) and heard a voice from the open window of the rear PD car say "He's open carrying, cool!". All I can say was I was elated! I expected to be stopped and at least ID'd for carrying so close to a school. I noticed the PD make a few more passes on me as I departed the area but nothing more.

Estimate 5-10 cops saw me open carry tonight, all of the sightings of me were within 1000 feet of schools. No problems, no stops, as it should be.

In total I saw at least 10 bicycle officers and6 individual patrol carson the walk. Not all of them noticed I was OC'ing. In fact none of the bike cops paidclose enough attention to notice. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Shouldn't the bike cops should have better situational awareness than cops in cars?

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nakedshoplifter wrote:

Tonight in Annandale the Fairfax County Police were engaged in a show of force exercise in my neighborhood in response to the assault and rape of a 51 year old woman down the street from where I live. We received fliers on our doors this week stating this would occur.

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This (pre-announced) charade is supposed to accomplish something??


ETA: At least these cops partaking on this exercize in futility know the difference between good guys and the bad guys Glad you weren't "molested"

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nakedshoplifter wrote:

...heard a voice from the open window of the rear PD car say "He's open carrying, cool!"...

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Shoulda turned and gave him a friendly wave and smile

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As I understand it, doesn't the 1000 foot law only apply when school is in session or a school function is actively taking place on the grounds? Also, there has to be some play in this law since in so many communitees, homes, sidewalks, and public highways are well within 1000 feet of school property. And then there is the concealed carry exception. You can carry a concealed weapon in your car onto school grounds, but you cannot take the weapon out of the vehicle.

LEO or others who are more familiar with these conditions.. please jump in since good people could get themselves into a legal mess without even knowing why.

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Sounds like a very effective OC walk, NSL. Good show. 5 to 10 LEOs noticing you OCing and doing nothing but observe you is a good sign.

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SouthernBoy wrote:

As I understand it, doesn't the 1000 foot law only apply when school is in session or a school function is actively taking place on the grounds? Also, there has to be some play in this law since in so many communitees, homes, sidewalks, and public highways are well within 1000 feet of school property. And then there is the concealed carry exception. You can carry a concealed weapon in your car onto school grounds, but you cannot take the weapon out of the vehicle.

LEO or others who are more familiar with these conditions.. please jump in since good people could get themselves into a legal mess without even knowing why.

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No, and no.

Please read the federal school zone ban statute at 28 USC 922(q) - ban applies out to 1000 feet, but permit holders exempt all the way to the blackboard; further, updated statute prob still unconst. under Lopez v. US.

The VA state at 18.2-308.1 is a se[parate animal - no zone, but permit holder exception for K-12 grounds only applies to concealed carry inside vehicles.

Please do some minimal research before posting rules of law on this board, thanks.

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SouthernBoy wrote:

As I understand it, doesn't the 1000 foot law only apply when school is in session or a school function is actively taking place on the grounds?

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The GFSZA is written such that it may be enforced 24/7 regardless of activity taking place at the school. In fact, at the high school there was something going on on the field, I heard speech over the loudspeakers, the field lights were on, and traffic both cars and foot was coming and going from the school. This is all irrelevant though, GFSZA applies all the time, even during the dormant summer months.

Here is the act: http://www.gunlaws.com/Gun_Free_School_Zones_Act.pdf

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Mike wrote:

SouthernBoy wrote:

As I understand it, doesn't the 1000 foot law only apply when school is in session or a school function is actively taking place on the grounds? Also, there has to be some play in this law since in so many communitees, homes, sidewalks, and public highways are well within 1000 feet of school property. And then there is the concealed carry exception. You can carry a concealed weapon in your car onto school grounds, but you cannot take the weapon out of the vehicle.

LEO or others who are more familiar with these conditions.. please jump in since good people could get themselves into a legal mess without even knowing why.

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No, and no.

Please read the federal school zone ban statute at 28 USC 922(q) - ban applies out to 1000 feet, but permit holders exempt all the way to the blackboard; further, updated statute prob still unconst. under Lopez v. US.

The VA state at 18.2-308.1 is a se[parate animal - no zone, but permit holder exception for K-12 grounds only applies to concealed carry inside vehicles.

Please do some minimal research before posting rules of law on this board, thanks.

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Number one. I have done "minimal research", albeit minimal, which is the reason for my post.

Number two. I posted no rules of law in any form of a strict sense. I asked questions for clarification. You might want to go back over the post to see this and correct your statement.

Finally, I'll post any darned thing I wish on this forum while maintaining a level of decorum, for the purpose of obtaining information and for that of relating experiences, thank you.

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After rethinking what the officer in the cruiser said, I remember him saying "Oh, cool... he's carrying" not what I wrote before. Not that it makes much difference.

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Can you decipher the lines drawn on the map for the stupid please:lol: ...lol (that'd me be)

Sounds like a good night, glad to see there are some LEOs in support of our rights,that actually stick to their sworn duty of enforcing the REAL law, not whatever 'law' they want to make up.

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When my wife and I were first married, we lived in Annandale for 6 years in the Wedgewood West Apartments on McWhorter Place. Back then (hate to say how long ago, but it was quite a bit), Annandale was a nice place to live and a fun place to be. We really liked it. Too bad to see how it's turned into a cesspool with rampant crime and other serious problems. It was really nice at one time.

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Number one. I have done "minimal research", albeit minimal, which is the reason for my post.

Number two. I posted no rules of law in any form of a strict sense. I asked questions for clarification. You might want to go back over the post to see this and correct your statement.

Finally, I'll post any darned thing I wish on this forum while maintaining a level of decorum, for the purpose of obtaining information and for that of relating experiences, thank you.

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Agreed and so you may sir.
Yata hey

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I live near this area. I often OC on my walks or bike riding. As I go down Little River Tnpk. (236) there may be up to 100 or more people sitting along the road waiting for work. At night on weekends I see many FPD.

So far I don't think I have been "made" by a LEO but sure have by the Hispanic gentlemen. They see me and move briskly in the other direction.

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Marcus wrote:

I live near this area. I often OC on my walks or bike riding. As I go down Little River Tnpk. (236) there may be up to 100 or more people sitting along the road waiting for work. At night on weekends I see many FPD.

So far I don't think I have been "made" by a LEO but sure have by the Hispanic gentlemen. They see me and move briskly in the other direction.

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What does that mean?

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DrMark wrote:

Marcus wrote:

I live near this area. I often OC on my walks or bike riding. As I go down Little River Tnpk. (236) there may be up to 100 or more people sitting along the road waiting for work. At night on weekends I see many FPD.

So far I don't think I have been "made" by a LEO but sure have by the Hispanic gentlemen. They see me and move briskly in the other direction.

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What does that mean?

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I'm assuming it's "migrant workers"

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vrwmiller wrote:

I'm assuming it's "migrant workers

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Indeed. Just check out the area around 236 and Hummer or the McDonald's. I've been mobbed by them coming up to my car at the 7-11 on weekends before. They are looking for work but see the pistol and step back real quick.

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nakedshoplifter wrote:

vrwmiller wrote:

I'm assuming it's "migrant workers

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Indeed. Just check out the area around 236 and Hummer or the McDonald's. I've been mobbed by them coming up to my car at the 7-11 on weekends before. They are looking for work but see the pistol and step back real quick.

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Oh, wow. Nothing like that around here.

No offense, but whenever I have to go to Northern Virginia, I feel like I'm in a foreign country.

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DrMark wrote:

nakedshoplifter wrote:

vrwmiller wrote:

I'm assuming it's "migrant workers

Click to expand...

Indeed. Just check out the area around 236 and Hummer or the McDonald's. I've been mobbed by them coming up to my car at the 7-11 on weekends before. They are looking for work but see the pistol and step back real quick.

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Oh, wow. Nothing like that around here.

No offense, but whenever I have to go to Northern Virginia, I feel like I'm in a foreign country.

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They all hide out in the apartments and trailer parks... and if you go to a Home Depot early in the morning you might see it, but not like NoVa is starting to see...

When I lived in Loudoun County in the 80's and early 90's the only "migrant workers"I saw were usually in beat up old cars heading back to West Virginia at the end of the day...

Back to the subject: So nakedshoplifter, are you saying you borke the law?

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No, I didn't break the law, I have a CHP. But, the PD does not know me or my CHP status. I was a man carrying a gun within 1000 feet of a school. Most likely the cops are not aware of the GFSZA, as most local PD are not very knowledgeable about federal law.

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nakedshoplifter wrote:

vrwmiller wrote:

I'm assuming it's "migrant workers

Click to expand...

Indeed. Just check out the area around 236 and Hummer or the McDonald's. I've been mobbed by them coming up to my car at the 7-11 on weekends before. They are looking for work but see the pistol and step back real quick.

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Kind of the same way in Manassas. To my knowledge, there are 2 locations in the Manassas area where migrant workers will loiter to find work. Typically, in the range of about 50 workers.

I'm interested in seeing what happens to these locations if/when Prince William County passes their anti-illegal immigration resolution next month. I also read an article today claiming that Manassas City was considering a similar resolution.