Open carry in Sylva NC Confronation At Walmart

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So today, I am back up at WCU and I decided that I would Open Carry in Sylva NC. I go to Wal-Mart to get some groceries and head to the sporting goods department where I encounter a store employee, Named Ron,
I ask him for 9mm hydra shocks they don’t have any but he says you can try such and such.
He then notices my SA XD 9mm and says you know you could get into a lot of trouble if someone were to complain about that.
Me:- are you talking about going armed to the terror of the public.
Him:- yep that’s the one, I was told by Sylva Police Chief who works here at Wal-Mart with me in Sporting goods that you would be arrested for Open Carrying in town.
Me:- Well you can’t be charged with that because you need to meet four requirements to even be charged with the 20 year old law. So I don’t see how I would be charged for just OC.
Him:- Well I’m just going by what the Chief said to me. Looks like a good way to get arrested

So I walk out put my gun in the safe in my car walk back in do my shopping.

I made it home and decide I’m going to Call down to Sylva PD
Lady on the phone-Sylva Pd how can I direct your call
Me:- I just have a question- Could I be arrested or considered breaking the law for just openly carrying a firearm In say Wal-Mart or Wendy’s something that isn’t posted for no guns or isn’t Government Property.
Lady- Well sir if you’re planning on OC in Sylva you can just as long as you stay off Gov Property or out of businesses that say no Firearms. Other than that you’re not breaking the law at all.
Me:- Well I was told that the Chief of Police would have me arrested for just OC and I really don’t want to go to jail for a wrongful arrest. I told her that I figured that it was just someone stating there personal opinion.
Lady:- I don’t know where you heard that nonsense from but the Chief of Police will not have you arrested for OC.
Me:- Well, sounds good to me. I hope you have a nice day.
So I decided that I would email the CLEO and ask him personally quoting all the laws I knew and still keeping a respectful tone. I am still awaiting response however from him.

Found out that he is working tonight and Im going to pay him a Vist at the local walmart

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TheSPD chiefdirectly told me that he would arrest me if he ever saw me OC'ing. I used to work at the Wal-Mart with him in sporting goods this summer. I don't have the time or money to fight a charge so I just cover up my gun and excercise my priviledge when I should be excercising my right to openly bear arms.

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Alright so I went to Wal-Mart with plans of confronting the CLEO/ Sporting goods guy. Damn I thought I was going to show that I knew my stuff.

Well I asked him did he know about OC in Sylva, and told him I had heard that it was looked down upon.
He told me no its perfectly legal But its one of those things ya know most people are sheep don’t want to see it ect. But your not breaking the law unless your being a complete moron.
I asked him so you ever see people OC in Wal-Mart
He said yep guy comes in here with a full size .45 all the time

So I wanted to make sure he ment what he said. So I asked him what I would have to worry about.
He brought up the GATTTOTP- I told him that yeah I knew about that one but you would have to meet 4 basic requirements. But acting stupid could get you into trouble too.

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Got an email from the Chief of police

Dear Mr. *********

Regarding your question concerning open carry of firearms, there are no ordinances or statutes prohibiting this activity but is an activity that we do not encourage for obvious reasons but it is legal to do so.

Jeff Jamison, Chief

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Well done.

Nice follow up on that.

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I now carry this letter with me just in case one of his officers needs to be informed over all I was impressed with him, he is honestly a regular ole guy.

Today I went to OC and man was it beautifull. No one said a word no one acted funny. I enjoy this small rural town much more. I will say that people sure do treat you with respect and they are always polite when you OC. Its a nice change.

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So far i have OC at walmart several times. Not one single problem and managers and several employes have noticed but obviously were not concernd, infact one of them helped my find a product.

I also had a lady ask me did I work at walmart while i was carrying. Once she noticed my firearm she said, "I guess not with that thing." I told her that on the next isle an employee was stocking a shelf, she said thanks.

I have had one guy from the north stop me and ask did I need a permit to carry and i told him not openly. He was amazed that we could do that and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I think I got a kick out of him. I told him as long as he was in NC he could OC his gun pretty much where ever he wanted except for what state laws mandated.

Ive found more and more that people for the most part are intrigued and not really affraid.

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The mountains of NC are nice.

You can carry and rarely do folks freak out

Of course more and more people are moving in from out of state and from states where OC is illegal

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I know several of uswhen I was at WCU (graduated in '07)would OCin Sylva, usually whenw'd get back from Moss Knob after a nice day of shooting. We never had a problem from anyone. Most people in the area never seemed to have a problem unless, like was said earlier, you're being a moron about it.

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burninsteeda04 wrote:

Got an email from the Chief of police

Dear Mr. *********

Regarding your question concerning open carry of firearms, there are no ordinances or statutes prohibiting this activity but is an activity that we do not encourage for obvious reasons but it is legal to do so.

Jeff Jamison, Chief

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I think that is a fine response. He confirmed the law. VERY briefly stated an opinion that it is not encouraged but assumes that you are an intelligent person and can figure out the "obvious reasons" and again confirms the law. Nothing demeaning, no lecturing, no "I prefer you don't", no threats as we have seen from other PDs, just that it is not encouraged. Sounds like a straight forward, pragmatic kind of guy.

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burninsteeda04 wrote:

Me:- Well you can’t be charged with that because you need to meet four requirements to even be charged with the 20 year old law. So I don’t see how I would be charged for just OC.

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Not to nit-pick (in fact you did a great job), but it's a bit older than 20 yrs. State v. Robert S. Huntley (1843) I believe is where it originated from.
http://www.guncite.com/court/state/25nc418.html