Gut check time - this is a absloute must read for anyone who has not open carried

I just had the most reassuring positive encounter I have ever had sense I started open carrying a few years ago. I was walking into central market to get something to eat after dinner. As I parked I noticed a three cop cars out front, this is nothing unusual as they often will eat upstairs after hours this time of night. As I got out of my car and started walking towards the doors I noticed tonight they where not eating upstairs but they where actually eating at the outside tables just outside the main doors. Walking up to the doors I saw four cops all sitting at a table. My stomach dropped and my heart started racing I know I was not doing anything illegal but sense I started open carrying I have never had to walk strong side past a group of cops, and I have never had to walk so close to a cop while carrying, only a few feet away. This was my gut check time as I was walking up I had the thought of quickly throwing my shirt over my XD to cover it up to obtain a feeling of safely but decided I had to be able to push my self and my comfort zone if I had any business open carrying. I tried to calm, take deep breaths and walked right past them and into the store while I thought to my self "this is it"

As I started for the door I smiled at them and they smiled back, I know they saw my gun because they kept there eyes on me the entire time, one of them turned there head to follow me as I walked by. I finished my shopping and checked out. Again I was nervous about going back out into the parking lot and again had the thought of covering my gun. As I walked back out the cops where still there at there table this time they all smiled and waved at me. One of them asked me how my night was going when I replied "I'm finally off work" they all laughed. The same officer started a simple conversation with me, we where a few feet away and I was starting to feel like we where yelling back and forth so I walked closer now with in a arms reach making a effort not to cover my gun at all.

One officer had his eyes fixed on my gun at first but after a few minutes seemed to have deemed me safe because after a few minutes he made great eye contact never again looking down. All four of the police where very friendly and very professional. We had a very relaxed conversation about no one thing in particular before I wished them all a safe shift and walked away. They all told me good night and smiled as I walked away. Walking back to my car I could here there own conversation start back up I did not look behind me but I could detect no level of anxiety in there voice. As I started to pull away in my car they all smiled and waved one more time. The word gun never came up once the entire time I spent with them

This was a great encounter with the Police and a great personal moment for me. I have always felt if open carrying makes you uncomfortable then you have no business doing it. This was the first time in the almost five years I've been open carrying I have felt intimidated by the police and felt I had to cover up to protect myself. I am glad to have pushed myself and very proud of myself for holding my ground and not taking the easy road. I would also like to thank the Kitsap County Sheriff Deputy's for there level of professionalism

Good post! Glad you didn't cover up and took the steps to openly exercise your rights. Not only was it a good step for you, but you made it easier for future OC'ers those police might encounter.

I reread my post and noticed a few spelling errors and odd word placement sorry everyone this night shift worker has not been to bed yet and needs to. I wanted to get my story out right after it happened I'll touch it up a little latter

Excellent!!!!!!

Stories like this make me believe that someday we will all be able to exercise the special rights that make the USA exceptional. Good, good job.

Love this post. Thank you for the good read.

Awesome

Thats exactly the kind of interaction we want with to have with people, LEO or not. I love to hear this stuff too. Thanks for an encouraging post.

:banana: Good Job.

Excellent!

Nice job Fire Suppressor! A great interaction and great courage and determination by you!

It's a great day when you go about your business, carrying your firearm, and nothing happens.

I'll wager that appearance and attitude had a lot to do with the pleasant nature of your encounter.

A note, it's probably a good idea that you didn't attempt to cover. To some that might raise suspicion that you had something to hide.

Thanks for sharing that, handling the situation the way you did, and congratulations on pushing yourself.

I agree this encounter has a lot of positives associated with it which are good for everyone involved.

Fire, I know it is all mental...but if you feel guilty, you act guilty, if you act guilty, you invite suspicion. As Martin Luther back in the 1500's; said: "if you are going to sin, sin boldly"

I have been OC since 1970 (when I became a US Citizen). I CC very rarely, and then only in the winter when it is covered by a coat because it is cold. (yes, I do have a CPL) I have never been hasseled, and have had only 1 face to face incidence...which ended up with two words. Chalen CO. Sheriff's deputy "Hunting?" me: "Yep", Sheriff's Deputy, more to himself than anyone: "now I need to go find that person that called" That was outside a grocery store in Manson.

If you act like the OC weapon is part of you, no-one notices, and if someone does, they generally see your confidence as an open expression of your knowledge that you are not doing anything illegal or something to be ashamed of. That is why some people will ask you if you are a LEO. They see the confidence, and assume you carry for a reason.

Do Not ever act like you are trying to get away with something, or that you are weak in your confidence.

Sounds like you got your first big dose of confidence...good thing. Keep it up.

BTW: I do not know anything about Kitsap Co. but I do know Chelan and Okanogan CO.'s well. You will never be hasseled over here unless you are doing something really stupid or illegal. The Sheriffs over here know what is and is not legal and do not try to make up their own rules.

Good job pushing it past your comfort zone. It is easy to have some doubt especially if you've been hassled before. I was pretty damn nervous myself a few weeks ago when I OC'ed at the same event I had been kicked out of a year ago for OC'ing. The easy thing for us to do would be to just CC and avoid any hassles, but as the motto of this forum goes, a right unexercised is a right lost. And good job pushing yourself.

Congratulations!

Now you know how it's supposed to feel when you OC - like it feels when you do anything else that is not illegal, immoral or fattening.

As others have stated, you feel better abvout OCing, the cops feel better about folks OCing, and all of you will go about the rest of your lives with that memory influencing everything else that happens.

stay safe.

It's always nice to have a positive law enforcement encounter. There are a few police officers out there that know the law regarding OC.