imported post
First of all I need to warn anyone reading my account that it is very long as semi-detailed. If you wish to spend your time reading it all and feel its been wasted due to my long and windy representation, I can't be held accountable for that. It was your choice.
I OC'd in Columbia with no problems, however I did have issues during a DWI checkpoint stop and detainment on the border of Cole and Callaway counties at the Missouri River bridge that included an officer getting in my vehicle, opening a closed container and removing my loaded firearm. There was no probable cause to search a closed container and after retrieving my weapon he attempted to run the serial number to see if it was stolen.
Here is the account of my day, travels and my stop as I can best remember them. I had very little of the stop video taped with my own camera but it does show the detainment, the reason given, and then another officer entering my vehicle to move it from the road and him going into my cooler. I haven't uploaded it as it has much dead space to yet be removed.
First off, I went to Columbia with my 3 year old to spend time at the park. I didn't OC because city ordinace forbids it within city parks. My wife meets up with me and we go to each chinese atPeking Restaurant. I OC there with no problems, they were wonderful, I did overhear a table with a large group next to us talking in Chinese and the only thing I could make out was one mentioning NRA to another.
The really odd thing is thatwe eachgot a fortune cookie and my fortune read, "Get ready for a daring adventure." I put it in my wallet and I saved it, lol.
I then went to McGinty's tavern owned by friends of mine in Columbia. I had a great time meeting and talking to the middle aged people whowere there and most if not all, seemed to be very liberty orientated. I didn't OC, as its a tavern. I drank one beer and then several colas.
I then went downtown to look for Starbucks. My buddy said it was on south 9th street. I found a parking spot on Broadway, walked a couple blocks on it and then several blocks on 9th, went in Starbucks, the employee was really nice, I tipped him and then walked back to my car with my coffee. I saw two cruisers, one pulled up next to me when I was waiting at a crosswalk, no issues at all with my walk.
I went back to McGinty's, hung out a little bit after closing time to chat with my friend, and decided to go home. I also went to McDonalds in Rockbridge, OC'd and got another cup of coffee and was treated very respectfully there. I left Columbia, it was very, very late. I had one beer the entire evening and it was several hours earlier. On the way home I encountered the largest checkpoint I have ever seen, even larger than my two most recent border checkpoints. It was simply incredible what they had out there on the highway.
Now I will insert my recollection of the entire stop and detainment at the sobriety checkpoint I encountered. For the most part I will copy and paste verbatim what I blogged in the comments in the Columbia Tribune. I am a Libertarian at heart. My issues go far beyond just the 2nd amendment that we all hold in common here. I know the weapon is what's most important here but I still will include anything involved in this stop in its entirety.I am very open to and actually encourage any criticism or second guessing of me, by you. This is all a learning experience for me and in retrospect, I can see a couple of big mistakes I may have made, one of which was not getting names or badge numbers. If anyone has any questions, ridicule or comments, I'll be happy to address them politely and seriously.
Again, sorry about the length of this but it may be interesting to some people and this is just how I do things.
First of all I need to warn anyone reading my account that it is very long as semi-detailed. If you wish to spend your time reading it all and feel its been wasted due to my long and windy representation, I can't be held accountable for that. It was your choice.
I OC'd in Columbia with no problems, however I did have issues during a DWI checkpoint stop and detainment on the border of Cole and Callaway counties at the Missouri River bridge that included an officer getting in my vehicle, opening a closed container and removing my loaded firearm. There was no probable cause to search a closed container and after retrieving my weapon he attempted to run the serial number to see if it was stolen.
Here is the account of my day, travels and my stop as I can best remember them. I had very little of the stop video taped with my own camera but it does show the detainment, the reason given, and then another officer entering my vehicle to move it from the road and him going into my cooler. I haven't uploaded it as it has much dead space to yet be removed.
First off, I went to Columbia with my 3 year old to spend time at the park. I didn't OC because city ordinace forbids it within city parks. My wife meets up with me and we go to each chinese atPeking Restaurant. I OC there with no problems, they were wonderful, I did overhear a table with a large group next to us talking in Chinese and the only thing I could make out was one mentioning NRA to another.
The really odd thing is thatwe eachgot a fortune cookie and my fortune read, "Get ready for a daring adventure." I put it in my wallet and I saved it, lol.
I then went to McGinty's tavern owned by friends of mine in Columbia. I had a great time meeting and talking to the middle aged people whowere there and most if not all, seemed to be very liberty orientated. I didn't OC, as its a tavern. I drank one beer and then several colas.
I then went downtown to look for Starbucks. My buddy said it was on south 9th street. I found a parking spot on Broadway, walked a couple blocks on it and then several blocks on 9th, went in Starbucks, the employee was really nice, I tipped him and then walked back to my car with my coffee. I saw two cruisers, one pulled up next to me when I was waiting at a crosswalk, no issues at all with my walk.
I went back to McGinty's, hung out a little bit after closing time to chat with my friend, and decided to go home. I also went to McDonalds in Rockbridge, OC'd and got another cup of coffee and was treated very respectfully there. I left Columbia, it was very, very late. I had one beer the entire evening and it was several hours earlier. On the way home I encountered the largest checkpoint I have ever seen, even larger than my two most recent border checkpoints. It was simply incredible what they had out there on the highway.
Now I will insert my recollection of the entire stop and detainment at the sobriety checkpoint I encountered. For the most part I will copy and paste verbatim what I blogged in the comments in the Columbia Tribune. I am a Libertarian at heart. My issues go far beyond just the 2nd amendment that we all hold in common here. I know the weapon is what's most important here but I still will include anything involved in this stop in its entirety.I am very open to and actually encourage any criticism or second guessing of me, by you. This is all a learning experience for me and in retrospect, I can see a couple of big mistakes I may have made, one of which was not getting names or badge numbers. If anyone has any questions, ridicule or comments, I'll be happy to address them politely and seriously.
Again, sorry about the length of this but it may be interesting to some people and this is just how I do things.