Doubting Thomas
New member
I am an open-carry advocate in North Carolina. I was downtown with my girlfriend, and a brawl broke out across the street at the bar. In the event that anyone involved had a weapon, I walked over with my revolver secured openly on my hip, where it remained as I tried to sense-talk and mediate. When police arrived, the men who were fighting were led off to the side for questioning, but an officer noticed my revolver and asked what my involvement was. I informed him that I was a sober bystander who knew no one involved in the fight, and merely wished to do my civic duty in the event of an escalation of force. He told me that he was going to remove my firearm and put it in his trunk while he asked me some questions. I said, "With all due respect, I'd rather retain my property, thank you." His reply was, "You can 'rather' all you want, but I'm taking this until we get this all settled and worked out." Not knowing whether the law was on my side past this point, I conceded. Eventually, my revolver was handed back to me, separate from my ammunition, and I was told "not to reload until you're at least about a block from here."
I stealthily recorded the entire exchange (paranoid as I am from O.C. harassment in the past ~_^). Does an officer in this situation have higher authority than usual, due to the volatile nature of the situation? I realize that this isn't just a few questions while I was minding my own business, but rather an active interference in a conflict. I realize that he doesn't know who I am, my involvement to anyone present, or my intentions, and I don't wish to make his job difficult. However, at the same time, I don't wish to compromise my own rights, and so I'd like to know if anyone knows what their protocol is, in this case.
I stealthily recorded the entire exchange (paranoid as I am from O.C. harassment in the past ~_^). Does an officer in this situation have higher authority than usual, due to the volatile nature of the situation? I realize that this isn't just a few questions while I was minding my own business, but rather an active interference in a conflict. I realize that he doesn't know who I am, my involvement to anyone present, or my intentions, and I don't wish to make his job difficult. However, at the same time, I don't wish to compromise my own rights, and so I'd like to know if anyone knows what their protocol is, in this case.