LEO stops for OC in CA

[aray]

Saw these on another gun forum. Two videos of LEO stops of civilians OC. OC is legal in California as long as the gun is unloaded.

Gotta say I was mighty impressed with the reaction of the LEO. Very professional.

Have to admit I was less impressed with the gun owners. Yeah, I know it is their right, but I think courtesy and understanding go a long way. Anyone who OCs has got to realize that 911 is going to get "man with gun" calls from an uninformed public and the police have to respond. Most times I also have to believe the end result of that call is not good news. So I think the gun owners ought to have a bit of sympathy for how the LEO have to respond.

I support OC but even if it were allowed in my home state (it isn't) I'd still chose to CCW. (Can't even do that in Maryland but that's another story). But I especially don't think someone who does chose to OC should do so trying to "make a point".

Anyway, kudos to the responding officers in my book. They have a tough job to do and they handled these two calls well in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMMPV4D6cs0

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rasQ0ktGiyM

What do ya'll think?

[knkali]

I cannot see what the guy is trying to prove. I think the LEO's were excellent in doing their duty. I wish that the guy causing the ruckus understands that he is keeping patrols from handling other calls while he is doing "his thing". While he is not breaking the law, he is causing a strong concern with those around him. I understand why people are concerned too. In short I do not like what I saw from the OC guy but he is following the law and he said, in a convoluted way, if you search him he will not resist. I do not think he is helping to foster approval for loaded OC carry laws in the future.

[ltxi]

What do I think....

Cop in the first video is the patrol guy I would most aspire to be. I admire him. Great professional sanity.

I only watched the second one into about a minute and a half. Figured any more would be a waste of my time. The cops have obviously had contact with the perp (and I don't use the term lightly) before. Guy was trying, apparently as usual, to provoke them. A head case. We don't need his kind.

Especially having lived much of my life there, I perhaps understand Californian's frustrated attempts to assert what's left of their gun rights. But wrt the second dude in particular, I don't understand the point.

[Dietrich]

Open carry is legal in my state but I don`t actually do it in public.I`ll open carry in the woods just in case a snake feels the need to commit suicide but I don`t OC in town.There is a small but vocal group of guys that are meeting in public places and open carrying just because they can.It makes a lot of people nervous and, in my opinion,does more harm than good.John Q. Public just isn`t used to seeing anyone other than LEOs with a gun strapped to their waist.I do not have a solution for this particular situation.I`m glad we have the right to OC because that takes a lot of the heat off if your legally concealed gun is accidently uncovered.The main reason I don`t open carry is that I don`t like to draw attention to myself.The general public is easy enough to throw into a panic without me contributing to the confusion.

[JFootin]

+1 Dietrich. Up here, people still don't lock their doors. It is not a dangerous place. But all my adult life, I have been aware that there is a very thin veneer of civility covering our society. Let something bad enough happen - where store shelves become barren, gas pumps empty, dollars so worthless you could use them for toilet paper, and even church going men will turn into home invaders and murderers. Anarchy would be popping up like wild fires. Civil war in the not so distant future seems inevitable as we watch the continuing insanity in Washington, and in the voting booth.

The time to arm oneself whenever out in public is already here for a lot of us who live in large cities, and even in rural areas within 100 miles of the Mexican border. Many of the rest of us do not, as yet, see a compelling reason to do so. But we are gun owners, and shooters, and holster buyers, and gun forum members in order to ready ourselves for that eventuality. JMHO.

[LaP]

I watched the first vid. The second one would not load.

That first cop was what I hope is the norm.
He was calm, professional, completely in charge, and familiar with the law. Excellent.

He gets bonus points for having a sense of humor:
"This should look good on YOUTUBE, I don't have a problem with that, just spell my name correctly"
"I'm a Marine too. Have a good day. God bless America."

It don't get no better than that.

[TheTman]

I don't get the point of openly carrying an unloaded gun around just because you can. Hell yes people are going to freak and call the cops. In Kansas we can open carry while hunting or fishing, on our own property, and in our own business or while working for someone that permits you to carry. I can see the point in that, with snakes and feral dogs and other varmints running loose, particularly if all you have to defend yourself is a fishin pole. When I lived on the farm, I often went around with a pistol on my hip because of people dumping dogs out near my house. I had a run in with a pair of wild rottweilers and was very glad I had a gun handy, they took off with a warning shot into the ground. Probably should have dispatched them so they didn't maul some kid, but I was scared and not thinking about anything but saving my hide from a couple wild hungry big dogs. It was also awful hot to be digging holes to bury them.
But parading around in public with an unloaded gun on your hip just seems stupid to me, particularly if you have no way to load it if you were to need it, I gather having ammunition on you while open carrying is prohibited, so what is the point? That first cop was a super great guy, the 2nd one I didn't watch much of, but he seemed pretty professional too. All these open carry guys are doing is causing people to freak out, waste cops time, and generally being a ********, just so they can excercise a right that doesn't doesn't accomplish a damn thing. I might open carry a loaded gun if I ran a quick mart or liqour store or other frequent target of robberies, but would rather have it out of sight with quick access for the element of surprise to the robber. When I'm out doing stuff, I sure don't want anyone other than the people I am with to know I am armed, so they can get out of my way if an incident happens, or take shelter behind me or whatever. I don't see the need to make myself a target if robbery takes place while I am present. If someone has a good reason to openly carry an unloaded gun, with no ammo available, I'd sure like to hear it. I think all they are going to accomplish is getting the right to open carry banned. I saw a video of some nitwit trying to explain it, but it still makes no sense to me.

[OldLincoln]

I have tried to understand the point of open unloaded carry but all I see is a big chip on a few causing disturbance in society that is leading to more gun legislation that will make it difficult for everybody. The Brady Bunch probably cheers every time this stuff makes the news and alarms the lambs so they call for more sheep dogs.

If the purpose is simply to carry an unloaded gun in a holster why the hostility and provocation? Why not be friendly and encourage the LEO to ensure it is unloaded as they perform their sworn public safety responsibilities.

The cracks about why don't they go after crooks instead of people carrying guns in plain sight is lost on my dense skull. I suppose the open carry groups will next petition for special group status and stops should be considered profiling.

Having said all this, I know others disagree and I don't take issue with it. Just as they have their right to speak and act in favor I have mine as stated above. I agree with their right to open carry, I just wish they wouldn't. It's like having the right to bark at the moon but you won't make friends doing that either.

[LaP]

I just watched most of the second vid. I agree with OldLincoln's post. It seems this open carry guy was just provoking the police. They were being very professional and courteous....if not downright friendly. The civilian was extremely defensive and a little obnoxious. That will only make his life harder and it reflects poorly on all of us gunowners in in general.
I'm not implying that all police react in such a calm and professional manner. I know that some encounters do not go as well as this one. But, please, if you're going to open carry, be as polite as the officer is. Don't give them a reason to escalate their actions. At least present yourself as a responsible citizen. Then at least you can say you did your part correctly.

My $.02

[Longitude Zero]

With OC unfortunatley I have seen more "zealots" than true OC people. They OC in a manner meant to draw the maximum attention and then scream when they get it. They are NOT helpful and need to stop their idiotic behavior before another restricion is dropped on the rest of us.

[Agent Smith]

^ This. Many open carriers in Ca are immature 20-something attention whores. They're not helping as the two consecutive bills introduced banning OC in Ca have shown. There are lots of people here, gun owners among them, who'll be glad when it happens.

[muggsy]

What I think these OC advocates are trying to do in their own misguided way is to reestablish our second amendment right. The second amendment states in part that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. If that's the case then why is it illegal for a law abiding citizen to openly carry a loaded firearm? While I don't agree with OC advocates methods I do agree with their position. All law abiding citizens have the right to keep and bear arms.

[getsome]

I'll agree that OC should be a legal gun owners right but I'll also agree that I don't think its very smart and in the end causes problems for CCW folks too...Last month California Governor and head clown Jerry Brown signed into law a bill making OC illegal in the state and (here is the part that hurts CCW) A provision of the same law made all new CCW licenses "May Issue" and not "Shall Issue" meaning that it the local Sheriff doesn't like you or is just a hard a$$ he or she doesn't have to issue a permit even if the person applying for it is perfectly legal....Shall issue means just that, if you are legal then the powers to be must issue the permit...

In the end I think some people that OC cause all gun owners problems and from what I have seen just want attention and to cause incidents with Law Enforcement they can put on U-Tube to show all their friends what a big man they think they are...Just my 2 cents

[Longitude Zero]

In the end I think some people that OC cause all gun owners problems and from what I have seen just want attention and to cause incidents with Law Enforcement they can put on U-Tube to show all their friends what a big man they think they are...Just my 2 cents

I know you have hit the nail on the head. Just because something is legal does not make it a good idea. It seems that the vast majority of the OC vids are of people that IMHO are trying to "provoke" an LEO issue/comfrontation then they cry about their rights. Puhleeze.

For us that CCW the OC'ers are actually a help for us. The OC folks will be the first ones popped by the bad guy and that gives us CCW'rs the advantage of notice and we react instead of getting shot first. The term Cannon Fodder comes to mind.

[getsome]

Yep +1 on that....The last thing I want the BG to see is my gun coming up on his face and the last words I want to hear from him is OH F$%k!!!!.....:86: