imported post
Email sent:
I wanted to inform you of a problem. Since the training advisory to the corporals quite a few months ago, I assumed that everyone knew it was legal to open carry within the department and generally would not give people attitude over it. Unfortunately there's been an incident. No arrests or anything, just a lot of bad attitude and bad information. This occurred outside of Bellevue Square a few days ago.
Below is a memorializing of the incident by the person involved. Everything in caps is NOT the person yelling.
Lt. Mcracken: Why are you carrying a gun in public?
Citizen:, BECAUSE ITS LEGAL,
Lt. McCracken: (Repeating himself) Why are you carrying a gun in public?
Citizen: BECAUSE ITS LEGAL,
Lt. McCracken: You are scaring everyone around here,
Citizen: WHO AM I SCARING,
Lt. McCracken: Bellevue is a nice place and they dont need anyone walking around with a gun out in the open scaring everyone,
Citizen: WHO AM I SCARING,
Lt. McCracken: do you have a cpl,
Citizen: YES,
Lt. McCracken: then you need to cover it up-that is what its for,
Citizen: WHY-THIS IS LEGAL
Lt. McCracken: may i see your cpl,
Citzen: YES. *hands it to the Lt.
Lt. McCracken: So-you are in the military-is this what they teach you to do,
Citizen: WHAT DOES THE MILITARY HAVE TO DO WITH THIS,
Lt. Cracken: its ok for you to where whatever you want on duty or in uniform but not out here,
Citizen: IS THAT YOUR PREFERENCE(no answer),
Lt. McCracken: if you have a cpl you need to cover it up,
Citizen: IS THAT YOUR PREFERENCE-IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING I HAVE TO DO,
Lt. McCracken: just do everyone a favor and cover it up so you dont scare anyone, SURE.
Citizen: *I walked away to the crosswalk because my car was across the street*. When I get across the street he yells(because it was still OC)
Lt. McCracken: "you just dont get it do you?"
Citizen: I replied "My car is right here".
There is tremendous things wrong with this entire incident.
First is. Lt. McCracken's demand for a concealed pistol license. As you are very well aware, a CPL is not required to open carry a handgun in a holster, and the lack of CPL cannot be used to justify a stop of this nature.
Second is Lt. McCracken's flagrant disregard for the actual legalities. Lt. McCracken is first a law enforcement officer. He enforces laws, not his opinions on what it should be. Not to mention the "scaring" part. He should keep his opinions to himself.
Third is using the citizens status as being a member of the military. This is beyond disrespectful, and Lt. McCracken's tone that was used here was him talking down to him like he was a child.
Fourth is that all Bellevue PD officers should refrain from treating people like this in this circumstance, not only because treating people like this is the wrong thing to do, but also due always the possibility of their statements being recorded.. There are some among open carriers who are carrying recorders in their possession due to incidents such as this. It is legal to do so statewide per 68 Wn. App. 802, 845 P.2d 1355, STATE v. FLORA, in which the appeals court stated: We decline the State's invitation to transform the privacy act into a sword available for use against individuals by public officers acting in their official capacity. The trial court erred in denying Flora's motion to dismiss. Flora's conviction is reversed and the case dismissed.
I do hope that this will come to an amicable conclusion.
Regards,
Lonnie Wilson