carried in Janesville kicked out of menards

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I had some shopping to do today and wanted to price out meterials for a tile job at home. Went to walmart, farm and fleet, and target with no problems and not even any weird looks really.
Then I headed over to menards. I was in for awhile and covered pretty much the whole store getting prices. I talked to a couple workers without incident and then stopped and looked through a tile book. I was just headin for the door when a guy from "menards loss prevention" comes up to me half out of breath and lookin like he really did not want to approach me comes up. He mumbles something about it being against policy to carry in the store. I responded that it was not posted at the door and needs to be if that is their policy. He then says I need to removed it from the store for "the comfort of our customers". I say ok and start heading for the door. He asks why I am carrying and I simply respond that the constitution of the wi and the us assure me the right to carry and that wi requires open carry by law if exercizing carry. He asks if I'm law enforcement and I respond with no, and that was about the end of it. He followed me out the door and thanked me for being cooperative as if i t was unnexpected that I would be. I heard something about "it's not illegal" or something to that nature from someone as I was walking but really was't wanting to get stuck in a debate so kept on my way.

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Wow just got a call from 911 dispatch. They have officers at my house and are sending them to culvers to talk to me. This should be interesting

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Wow just got a call from 911 dispatch. They have officers at my house and are sending them to culvers to talk to me. This should be interesting

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kawisixer01 wrote:

Wow just got a call from 911 dispatch. They have officers at my house and are sending them to culvers to talk to me. This should be interesting

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wow why Do you have a recording device record them if you can for your own protection

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I am not qualified to offer legal advice,but if it was me, I would NOT speak to the police.

I would worry that I would give them information that they would try to use against me.

Document everything, we are here to help, contact me today if you need to:

Wisconsin Carry has legal resources at our disposal to help you.

nik@wisconsincarry.org

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Do not speak to the pigs. They are not your friends. Remember, you have us here to help you out if the need arises.

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Kawai, if there is any chance of an admission against your interest in your OP then delete it ASAP.

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Yea so dispatch calls me on my celly, and says they need me to answer the door and that i'm not in trouble they just wanna talk. I tell her i'd love to but I'm not home, I'm eating lunch at culvers. So she says stay there they'll come to you. 15 minutes later or so four cop cars pull up to culvers. I meet them outside and everyone seemed calm. I just asked why the calvary they said that they were being cautious. lol. Apparently the menards dude had clear enough camera access to read my plate but not to see me unload and case my piece. The cops claimed that he told them I walked up to my truck and got straight in. They asked where the gun was and if it was loaded. I told them it was on my back seat and was properly cased and unloaded. They wanted to verify, I was apprehensive and responded that I did not legally have to show them anything or even really need to be speaking with them for that matter, to which they aknlowledged. they wren'tbeing too obtusesoi said I would give them permission to go ahead and check it. Then of course they wanted to run the numbers which I said was fine too. Basically I told them I was well aware of the weapons laws in regards to vehicles and other carry laws and go out of my way to not break any or come across in any way offensive when i am carrying. They gave their typical shpiel about how they know it's legal to carry and that I "just need to be careful" becuase if someone were offended they could take it to a disorderly ticket. Then they were trying to push on me about trouble i got into 13 years ago when i was 16 years old. (I was a felon but the charges were re-opened, vacated, and dropped to a misdomenor...I was a dumb kid what can i say) They were seemingly trying to get me on anything they could. Then I guess they had seen enough. The one guy just said he didn't agree with people carrying to which I gave him a funny look and pointed at his gun and said I guess you picked the wrong ocupation then huh? Then said "well i guess we can agree to disagree, everyone has different political views" They shook my hand andall bugged out after that.

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You shouldn't have let them look in your vehicle. Just my opinion.

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Oh WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 What a great stop. Four cop cars, a detention and a seizure that ends with a handshake.

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becuase if someone were offended they could take it to a disorderly ticket

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They can...

The police can write a ticket for ANYTHING they want.

Of course come monday morning when the prosecuting attorney gets in the office and has to look at the LAW and decide if charges are actually applicable and could be proven, its a whole different story.

Glad this worked out for you but DUDE you really made me nervous consenting to a search of your vehicle with an officer who does not have your best interest in mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc

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Never let them look in your vehicle to verify that you are obeying the law.

Never let them run the numbers on your gun.

Be very careful what you say to them. You don't need to be a "nice guy" and let them do these things, since you are giving them the go-ahead to trample your rights.

You have nothing to gain by allowing them to do any of this. They could have planted contraband in your car, or simply loaded your gun and said that your weapon was loaded in your car! And you would be helpless before a judge. They had a witness who said you just got into your car. And then they could have loaded your gun in your car. Sounds like you could have had a real problem on your hands by being such a nice guy.

RESPECT the cops, but don't be a nice guy to them and allow them to do whatever they want.

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So now the ?DoMenards have a no gun policy.

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If I was at Culver's, I'd would have had the firearm in my holster on my hip, not in my car.

It is also your call, but I'd file a complaint with corporate Menard's asking them if it is customary for the store employees to call 911 on customers who are law abiding citizens.

Lastly, and this is just me, the only way any officer will ever touch my firearm is after I am arrested.

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I just got off the phone with Bill Worley, the assistant store manager at Menards in Janesville.

The staff at the Janesville store was unaware Open-Carry was legal in Wisconsin.

Menards DOES NOT have a policy against open-carry by law-abiding citizens so long a they are not behaving otherwise inappropriately and abiding within the law.

Mr. Worley advised me that kawisixer01 was doing nothing wrong and behaving completely appropriately.

The store management called Janesville police and Janesville police verified for the store management that Open-carry is LEGAL.

Mr. Worley advised me that we are welcome to carry in their store in the future (of course respecting all laws and behaving appropriately)

Menards is a Wisconsin based corporation and I'm happy to say that we are welcome to continue to patronize their store. Kawisixer, you are welcome to open-carry when you shop at Menards in Janesville in the future.

Carry On

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Im glad it went alright but you should be more diligent with your rights the police are not there to help you when they send four cops they are spending money doing it and there looking for a reason to justify the expence and with a whitness in their pocket just having it on your seat coud of had ended with some uneducated police officer putting you in the back of a squad and even if they dont end up charging you with it would make for a bad day just my opionion.

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Wisconsin Carry, Inc. - Chairman wrote:

I just got off the phone with Bill Worley, the assistant store manager at Menards in Janesville.

The staff at the Janesville store was unaware Open-Carry was legal in Wisconsin.

Menards DOES NOT have a policy against open-carry by law-abiding citizens so long a they are not behaving otherwise inappropriately and abiding within the law.

Mr. Worley advised me that kawisixer01 was doing nothing wrong and behaving completely appropriately.

The store management called Janesville police and Janesville police verified for the store management that Open-carry is LEGAL.

Mr. Worley advised me that we are welcome to carry in their store in the future (of course respecting all laws and behaving appropriately)

Menards is a Wisconsin based corporation and I'm happy to say that we are welcome to continue to patronize their store. Kawisixer, you are welcome to open-carry when you shop at Menards in Janesville in the future.

Carry On

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I want to thank Wisconsin Carry for their prompt attention to this issue Im proud to be part of this great group Thanks for protecting our rights.:celebrate:monkey

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I think this is a great example that we still have SO much education to do in Wisconsin and there is NO better way to advance rights than to exercise them.

Over a year since the AG memo and people still don't know OC is legal.

If Kawisixer01 wouldn't have OC'd today, the management at that particular store would still be unaware of the legality. Now they are. Probably at least a dozen people including management at that store educated in that one interaction.

EVERYONE who OC's when they can on a regular or periodic basis is making marked advancement of right to carry in Wisconsin.

Even if you never have interaction with anyone while you do so, assuredly, people are being educated.

Carry On

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time for a letter from wisconsin carry, for educational purposes ofcourse.

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McX wrote:

time for a letter from wisconsin carry, for educational purposes ofcourse.

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The discussion I had with store management was very pleasant and there is a good understanding of the law at that store now.

Having said that, I already placed a thank-you card along with my WCI business card. in the mail to the manager I spoke with thanking him for his time and attention to the issue and that we are all eager to continue to patronize Menards in the future and of course we will all likely be OC'ing as we have in the past.