imported post
doublewide wrote:
I also had an interesting discussion today with a FORMER LEO who basically said I was a fool looking for trouble if I open carry. His take was that if I open carry eventually I WILL have officers with weapons pointed at me. I realize that they don't know what I might be doing but I don't see how they can just draw down on me, assuming I'm complying with their requests and there hasn't been a crime committed, I am not in the process of committing a crime and there is no indication that I am about to commit a crime. I guess they can pretty much do anything to protect themselves but I'd be really pi$$ed.
First off, this post is not meant to shed a bad light on LEO or discourage OC. I'm simply stating some of the experience I've come across:
The sad reality of OC and LEO is that often an officer is responding to a 'Man With A Gun' call and does not know the details until he or she arrives on the scene, at which point, upon arrival, you are viewed as an immediate threat to LEO and anyone else in the surrounding area.
Often times, as with the majority of LEO who have been on the job for a while, LEO will develop a "jaded" perception of society. It's sad that since they have to deal with "perps, drug dealers, gang members," etc, on such frequency that it gives the rest of us folks a disadvantage. Whether you want to realize it or not, the second LEO spots you, you've already been profiled against all the other encounters that particular officer has had with persons with a gun. Most of the time it is not a friendly or positive image that comes to their mind.
So, although you may have a constitutional right to open carry and be within every legal boundary to do so in your location, any encounter with LEO has the potential to turn "ugly." Unfortunately, we are guilty until proven innocent (another way to look at it is that you are a threat until proven otherwise). Always be courteous, respectful, and cooperative in any encounter.
I urge all fellow OCers to OC with extreme caution, know the law well, and always carry some kind of recording device. Happy OCing!