The LEO could (and
should) have handled the situation better, but in today's world people are skeptical about folks walking around with guns -
especially long guns, because most people see no practical need for one in WalMart or your local Target (regardless of what the name implies
). It's not
right, but it is the way it is. The subject had the
right to do so, and he obviously wasn't about to let common sense stop him. Unless departmental guidelines prohibit it, the dispatcher should have told the caller(s) that it was
not against the law to simply carry a gun in the open, and unless he was acting erratically there is no need to send officers. Once contacted by dispatch, the officers do not have the luxury of saying, "No thanks, we're not interested in responding to that call."
I could be wrong... it's possible... but I believe this guy was
actively looking for a confrontation. He was out for a stroll carrying a video camera (yes,
it is possible that was just coincidental), an AR and a 1911, and was dressed like a Rambo wannabe. It appears that he was not recording
anything prior to the officers arrival on-scene - not even his approach - and he went ballistic
way too early in the encounter (perhaps he was showing off for his son). Throwing a sh**fit at the LEO is not going to give the LEO a "warm-fuzzy" about you. There may not be much you can do to make the confrontation
better, but there's a lot of things you can do to make it
worse for yourself. Just my 2¢. Pax...