Agent 47
Regular Member
imported post
So today I took a walk, a bout a mile and a half up to my bank. Walking along the sidewalk strong side toward traffic, A Everett PD car drove by me and pulled into the parking lot in front of me. Islid my digital video camera out of my pocket as he asked me to come over to his car as he got out. I greeted him with a friendly "Hey how is it going" He asked if we could step around to the backside of his car so we would be out of the way of passing cars. He asked if he could see my ID and as I had decided to give SV's idea a try I complied while asking why he had stopped me. He asked "why are you carrying a gun like that?" I replied "I carry a gun for self protection"
Officer: No I mean why are you carrying it open on your hip like that.
Me: "It's just the way Iprefer to carry my gun"
Officer: "Have you ever thought of just getting a CPL?"
Me: "I have one but I carry open most of the time as it helps prevent crime"
Officer: "Well, no it doesn't"
Me: "I have seen that it does, If I carry concealed I am hiding my gun and trying to trick someone into attacking me so I have an excuse to use it. By open carrying I avoid that situation altogether.
The officer did not have a reply to this and simply asked if he could have my CPL to run it with my drivers licence, again following SV's advise I complied. By this time three additional cars had arrived and the other officers were standing about fifteen feet away not saying anything. While the first officer was running my info I made small talk with the other officers. all thee of the other officers were friendly and seemed a little bemused by the situation. One of them asked if open carry was becoming "kind of a movement in Everett" I told him about OCDO and said it was growing all over the state. The officer seeing my camera in my hand asked if I was "out taking pictures today" And I told him that I carry the video camera to protect myself from cops who break the law and I mentioned the incident at the library. He said "it sounds like you have really been doing your research on this" I said " I have to as so many cops are poorly educated on the subject'' He mentioned the training bulletin and I asked if he was referring to the one issued a couple years ago and he said he thinks there is a new one but they haven't started issuing it at roll call yet. (Maybe my letter to IA is doing some good) The first officer came back and handed me my DL and CPL back and gave me the usual speech about how people get scared when they see guns to which I replied that People get scared about all kinds of things that aren't illegal. He affirmed that OC is legal but said (indicating my CPL ) "These things are a gift and they can be taken away" I replied "Yes, for breaking the law" and the officer said "or for pushing it like you are, but you are going to do what you are going to do" Me: "Yes I will" I bid them goodbye and continued on my walk, Two cars drove by me and one of them the officer was on his radio as he was looking at me. I went to my bank inside the Fred Meyer's and as usual the tellers were very friendly and made no mention of my gun.
I have decided I need some additional exercise as I no longer live close enough to work to ride my bicycle so I think I will try and ride at least five miles each morning Until either I am skinny or the cops stop hassling me, whichever comes first
Oh, BTW the first officer said he stopped me because a man standing at the bus stop had flagged him over and told him he had seen me carrying a gun. I asked what he would do if someone had flagged him over and said that he had seen a man wearing a red sweater. He didn't seem to think the two situations were comparable.
So today I took a walk, a bout a mile and a half up to my bank. Walking along the sidewalk strong side toward traffic, A Everett PD car drove by me and pulled into the parking lot in front of me. Islid my digital video camera out of my pocket as he asked me to come over to his car as he got out. I greeted him with a friendly "Hey how is it going" He asked if we could step around to the backside of his car so we would be out of the way of passing cars. He asked if he could see my ID and as I had decided to give SV's idea a try I complied while asking why he had stopped me. He asked "why are you carrying a gun like that?" I replied "I carry a gun for self protection"
Officer: No I mean why are you carrying it open on your hip like that.
Me: "It's just the way Iprefer to carry my gun"
Officer: "Have you ever thought of just getting a CPL?"
Me: "I have one but I carry open most of the time as it helps prevent crime"
Officer: "Well, no it doesn't"
Me: "I have seen that it does, If I carry concealed I am hiding my gun and trying to trick someone into attacking me so I have an excuse to use it. By open carrying I avoid that situation altogether.
The officer did not have a reply to this and simply asked if he could have my CPL to run it with my drivers licence, again following SV's advise I complied. By this time three additional cars had arrived and the other officers were standing about fifteen feet away not saying anything. While the first officer was running my info I made small talk with the other officers. all thee of the other officers were friendly and seemed a little bemused by the situation. One of them asked if open carry was becoming "kind of a movement in Everett" I told him about OCDO and said it was growing all over the state. The officer seeing my camera in my hand asked if I was "out taking pictures today" And I told him that I carry the video camera to protect myself from cops who break the law and I mentioned the incident at the library. He said "it sounds like you have really been doing your research on this" I said " I have to as so many cops are poorly educated on the subject'' He mentioned the training bulletin and I asked if he was referring to the one issued a couple years ago and he said he thinks there is a new one but they haven't started issuing it at roll call yet. (Maybe my letter to IA is doing some good) The first officer came back and handed me my DL and CPL back and gave me the usual speech about how people get scared when they see guns to which I replied that People get scared about all kinds of things that aren't illegal. He affirmed that OC is legal but said (indicating my CPL ) "These things are a gift and they can be taken away" I replied "Yes, for breaking the law" and the officer said "or for pushing it like you are, but you are going to do what you are going to do" Me: "Yes I will" I bid them goodbye and continued on my walk, Two cars drove by me and one of them the officer was on his radio as he was looking at me. I went to my bank inside the Fred Meyer's and as usual the tellers were very friendly and made no mention of my gun.
I have decided I need some additional exercise as I no longer live close enough to work to ride my bicycle so I think I will try and ride at least five miles each morning Until either I am skinny or the cops stop hassling me, whichever comes first
Oh, BTW the first officer said he stopped me because a man standing at the bus stop had flagged him over and told him he had seen me carrying a gun. I asked what he would do if someone had flagged him over and said that he had seen a man wearing a red sweater. He didn't seem to think the two situations were comparable.