Another Email Answer
Hey I got an answer from sheriff Jack Strain Overall I'm Pleased that he took the time to actually Look Into it I going to try and Call him and set up a meeting in person but i'm going to email him back.
Dear Steven,
Thank you for your note concerning your recent experience in the RaceTrac convenience store on Hwy. 190 in Covington . I have spoken with our patrol commanders about this incident and would like to offer you my thoughts on the matter.
First, and most importantly, you and I completely agree about citizens’ right to bear arms. I have always been a very vocal supporter of our 2nd amendment rights and will continue to vigorously defend them, along with all other parts of our constitution. I appreciate your being involved in gun-ownership-rights issues, and I hope you will continue these efforts in the future.
As indicated, I have had several conversations with our patrol commanders about your encounter with one of our deputies. Without disregarding your point of view of this incident, I would ask you to consider there were several individuals in the store that evening, and each one’s perspective of the matter is a bit different.
From our deputies’ perspective, he was in a closed environment (the interior of a business located just off the interstate), there were other citizens in the store (the cashiers), it was late at night and, lastly, a customer walked in with an unsecured and cocked handgun attached to his side. Given this scenario, he had no way of knowing whether or not you were a threat to the citizens in the store.
In a matter of seconds, the deputy had to make a decision about whether this scenario presented a threat to the safety of the other citizens in the store, his partner, and himself. Police officers are constantly presented with unique situations, each requiring an evaluation of all possible outcomes. Giving each deputy the discretion to make his or her own decisions on the basis of their experience and training is absolutely crucial to ensuring the public’s safety. In this situation, the deputy decided, in the interest of the public good, the best course of action was to ready his weapon and remove your weapon from the store, while still allowing you access to the store. Based on a review of our dispatch data, the entire incident lasted less than five minutes, including the time for you to make your purchase.
I believe another important consideration is that at no time did the deputy run your name or your weapon’s serial number through any law enforcement databases. That he did not pursue the matter with you beyond placing your weapon in your car is a clear indication to me that his focus was not just on you, but was on ensuring the environment was secure.
I hope this helps you understand our deputy’s actions in the store that evening. If you would like further clarification of any of the points above, I would be happy to meet with you personally. Please feel free to contact me directly at 985-809-8201.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Jack Strain , Jr.
