lancers
Regular Member
I just started working a job with a high end catering company not to long ago. I was at a wedding a few days ago and just observing to make sure everything was going ok. A guy walked up and told me, "There is a table of St. Louis police officers watching you." He walked off towards the table. About 5 minutes later, another guy came up on me from behind. He said, "why do you hate us?" I told them I didn't hate them and instead said it seemed to be the other way around. Another, self-identified police officer, came up and joined the conversation. We talked about why I started with the car camera in the first place and that I am not out to get anyone, just protect myself when I exercise my rights.
The conversation quickly turned to the OC incident in Maplewood. They asked why I was open carrying and I told them I was just exercising my rights. I told them I had checked to make sure it was ok with the city and Wal-Mart prior to doing it. They said they knew. They read all about it in the memo they had all gotten. It apparently had discussed the issue of open carry and that it was legal in most places. He would not tell me much more about it or how it instructed officer to act around an OCer.
The one officer said he knew there were people OCing in KC, but did not know of anyone else that had done it in STL. I told them there were and they had even had positive dealings with the police, just like I had expected if the police ever noticed I was open carrying.
I told him there are a lot of bad people out there and they will not be open carrying. They agreed. I also said they should focus their efforts on those people instead of people like me not doing anything wrong since that is the oath they took. The one said, "They are still going to be after you though now, you know." I told them that was pretty silly and that I have taken extreme steps to protect myself from anyone that feels the need to "get me" for the lawful things I have done.
We discussed the news issue about shooting the police. I explained it to them and they seemed to understand that I am not out to harm any police officers, or anyone for that matter.
Their wives seemed pretty pissed that they even approached me since I'm sure they had discussed me at the table. They walked outside and called their husbands, which ended the 20 minute conversation.
I'm glad I got to discuss the issues with them so they could get a better understanding other than the stuff they have heard. It was still a bit concerning they could spot me out when they had no reason to suspect I was there.
I'd sure like to see a copy of the whole memo. One of the officers was with the City of St. Louis and the other would not tell me which department he worked for other than it was not the city. They would only tell me their first names, but I guess they forgot it was assigned seating at the tables and I was able to identify all of them with the seating chart.
The conversation quickly turned to the OC incident in Maplewood. They asked why I was open carrying and I told them I was just exercising my rights. I told them I had checked to make sure it was ok with the city and Wal-Mart prior to doing it. They said they knew. They read all about it in the memo they had all gotten. It apparently had discussed the issue of open carry and that it was legal in most places. He would not tell me much more about it or how it instructed officer to act around an OCer.
The one officer said he knew there were people OCing in KC, but did not know of anyone else that had done it in STL. I told them there were and they had even had positive dealings with the police, just like I had expected if the police ever noticed I was open carrying.
I told him there are a lot of bad people out there and they will not be open carrying. They agreed. I also said they should focus their efforts on those people instead of people like me not doing anything wrong since that is the oath they took. The one said, "They are still going to be after you though now, you know." I told them that was pretty silly and that I have taken extreme steps to protect myself from anyone that feels the need to "get me" for the lawful things I have done.
We discussed the news issue about shooting the police. I explained it to them and they seemed to understand that I am not out to harm any police officers, or anyone for that matter.
Their wives seemed pretty pissed that they even approached me since I'm sure they had discussed me at the table. They walked outside and called their husbands, which ended the 20 minute conversation.
I'm glad I got to discuss the issues with them so they could get a better understanding other than the stuff they have heard. It was still a bit concerning they could spot me out when they had no reason to suspect I was there.
I'd sure like to see a copy of the whole memo. One of the officers was with the City of St. Louis and the other would not tell me which department he worked for other than it was not the city. They would only tell me their first names, but I guess they forgot it was assigned seating at the tables and I was able to identify all of them with the seating chart.
