A (not so) brief summary of my OC experiences in the Portland area
Long time reader, first time poster!
Moved to Portland in September after graduating from up north last May. Sorry that this won't be a short post.
Places that I frequently OC:
Cabela's - Zero issues
Rite-Aid Forest Ave - No issues, and a number of positive conversations with the bulk of their employees. A few of them even notice when I'm not carrying and ask what's up (usually it's after I've had a couple and am in search of more beer).
Shaws on Congress St - Zero issues
Hannaford on Forest - Zero issues
Regular walks around the Upper Forest Ave area - some issues, details to follow.
Bangor Savings Bank - Questions about it once, but otherwise, zero issues
Gas Station in Scarborough - received praise from the cashier about supporting my right to carry.
RSVP - No Issues, and one lengthy, very positive conversation with a gentleman who worked in the redemption center
Have had two encounters with the Portland PD while OCing. The second one was fairly positive. Someone called me in as I was on my way to Photo Mart. Once I was in the store, and talking with the owner, an officer came through the door, followed shortly by another. He came right up to me, introduced himself, explained that someone had called me in, and that they just wanted to look into it. As his partner was running my ID (yes I just handed it over, I really was not looking to cause a scene by refusing to without just cause, etc etc) we had a really good talk about OC, where we grew up in Maine, and the like. During this time a 3rd officer came and in the officer i was talking with looks at the new guy, and back at me and says "oh, wow, sorry. you can tell it's a real busy day!" we both chuckled. After I came back clean, he shook my hand, gave me his card and off they went, and I went back to my conversation with the shop owner.
My first encounter...oh how it was not that pleasant. The following is what I sent to PPD immediately following the incident:
At approximately *time and date removed* I was walking (I would like to stress walking) up Forest Avenue with my girlfriend and our dog, opposite a single car accident at the corner of Forest and Vannah that had one cruiser on scene. As we walked by, heading for our apartment I was summoned across the street by the male officer who was seated in the cruiser when he said “Hey. Hey you. Come over here.” After confirming that he was referring to me in such a nonchalant way, I crossed the street as he exited the vehicle. I was asked why I was openly carrying a sidearm, which I replied “for personal protection.” The officer then proceeded to tell me it was “illegal to carry in a public place,” that I “had to have a permit to carry,” that I “needed to cover my weapon” and that I shouldn’t be open carrying because people will become extremely alarmed and worried, and that he was worried when he saw me “running down the street, gun flapping around all over the place”.
As I stated and stressed earlier, I was walking, not running, and my sidearm (Springfield XD-9 4” carried in a Blackhawk SERPA Level 2 Holster on my right hip) was very firmly affixed to my person, with absolutely no movement of any kind; so there was no way the officer saw my gun “flapping around” . After cutting me off numerous times with statements such as “what do you think people are going to think when they see a guy with a ******* gun on his hip” as I politely tried to inform him that open carry is not illegal, nor did the community around me have a problem with me openly carrying, he asked for my ID, told me to put my hands on the hood of his cruiser, and proceeded to remove my gun from the holster and clear it (there was a full magazine and a round in the chamber). I was left standing there for multiple minutes as he called in to dispatch, looked around the cab of the cruiser with his flashlight for something and continued talking to dispatch before a second officer (female) arrived, asking if he had “patted me down yet,” which he had not. The female officer was very polite, asking my name, and actually talking to me about why I chose to carry, and that yes, this was bound to happen at some point, the politics of the state on guns, and other such things, seemingly very understanding, while she patted me down and removed my pocket knife and multi-tool (she seemed appreciative that I informed her of these and their location before she came to them).
After what seemed to be a number of minutes of talking with dispatch on the radio and what appeared to be by cell phone (all the while my hand hands were still, per his instructions, on the hood, exposed to the cold), he returned to the female officer and myself, and began lecturing me on how, and (I’m paraphrasing now) that by legally and in no way threateningly carrying a holstered firearm on my hip while out in public I would be causing panic and alarm in “people on the streets, stores, hair salons”, that, and this I quote “one day, you’re going to be out and we’re going to ******* come in, lights and sirens, lay you out face down on the ground and you won’t even know why, because someone called and told us there was a guy with a gun.” Again I politely tried to inform him that I frequently patronize numerous local businesses while openly carrying and that never once has there been any issue, but I was repeatedly cut off and he appeared genuinely disinterested in hearing anything come out of my mouth.
Eventually I was allowed to re-holster my firearm, place my ammunition in my left jacket pocket, and the female officer, after handing me back my ID, placed my multi-tool and knife into my right pocket. After confirming with both officers that I was not incorrect about open carry being within my right as a law abiding Maine citizen, I was allowed to return my apartment.
While I fully understand his (and any police officers’ for that matter) duty/desire to inquire with an individual as to why they are carrying a weapon in public, I am in no way impressed with how the male officer handled this situation. His clearly false statement about how I was carrying, his uneducated and very false statement of it being illegal to open carry, his blatant disregard and disrespect for what I had to say and his extremely unnecessary use of profanity while talking with me showed, in my opinion as an upstanding, educated member of this community, a great lack of professionalism. I know that not all police officers act in this way, as exemplified by the female officers understanding of where I was coming from, and the professional manner in which she handled the situation.
Thank you for taking time to read this, for taking corrective actions where you see they should be, and for commending the exemplary service, polite attitude, and professional manner of the second officer. I would greatly appreciate a response of any nature on this matter. Thank you again and have a good evening.
I didn't have high hopes of hearing anything back, so much to my surprise, I received an email followed by a phone call from a Lt. at the station. We talked for nearly half an hour about what happened and what would be happening on their end (we decided at the minimum there would be mandatory education for that officer about how to deal with OC and how to deal with the pubic, and if the chief felt it necessary, more serious consequences). I felt quite good about our talk and was happy they took my complaint seriously.
So. That's the (not so brief) story of my OC time here in Portland. Will keep folks updated with any new stories in the future!
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