ArtP said:
Sounds interesting. Aren't you going to give us the rest of the story?
I was eating dinner at dinner time in a restaurant. Someone noticed my gun and called the police. Officer asks me to step outside, so I go with him (mistake #1). Officer asks me what agency I am with. I say none. He says I am scaring people. I say, by eating dinner?
He asks if I have a CPL. I say yes. He wants to see it. I said a license is only required to conceal a firearm and I am not concealing a firearm. He says the law says you have to show it to me. (Mistake #2), carrying the license when not required, so I did have to show it to him, that is the law.
He asks, do you have ID. (Mistake #3), I show him my military ID card which showed I was a military officer. Now two other cop cars pull up. He says, I would expect better behavior from a Navy officer. I said what do you mean? He said you are scaring people. I said, by eating dinner?!?
He said, you should cover up your gun. I said, it's not required by law. He holds my CPL in front of my face and says, this can be revoked, you know. I said FOR WHAT?!?! Eating dinner? Now I am getting pissed.
I said, Look. I'm not doing anything illegal. If you think I am doing something illegal then just write me the ticket. Otherwise, I am going back into the restaurant and finish my dinner, choice is yours. He hands me back my ID card and CPL and tells me to go back inside.
I sit down at my table to the remainder of my now cold dinner. Cop follows me in. Then he comes to my table, with a waitress walking behind him who isn't even old enough to serve beer. Cop tells me, you have to leave, you can get a to go box. I said, no bother, I'm done anyway. I give the waitress $20 which made about a $4 tip because the service was good and left, still open carrying, get in my car and drive away.
The next day, I hand deliver a letter to the management of the restaurant, stating my reason for carrying a gun is only for self protection and the service and food were great and I wish they would honor customer's rights to self protection.
Before I even got home, there was a message on my voicemail. The owner of the restaurant called and said the absolutely supported our rights to carry guns, they did not call the cops, another customer did, please come back, bring your friends, your family and your guns. The cop had removed a paying customer from a privately owned business against the owner's desires. He strong armed the <18 year waitress into following him when he unlawfully removed me from private property.
So, I sent an email to the chief of police informing him of his officer's illegal actions. I also informed him that a group of openly armed people would be having lunch at the same restaurant the following Sunday, by invitation of the owner of the restaurant and that he and any of his officers were welcome to join us socially. I also stated in the email that any attempt to remove us as invited guests of the restaurant would result in a lawsuit being filed. About 10 of us carrying guns and another 6 friends family had lunch at the restaurant. No cops showed up and I've never been approached by any police in this town for carrying a firearm.
They have an annual event in the city park where all the LEO agencies and EMT services set up tents and the community comes out for a get together. It's called the "National Night Out". I've open carried there twice now, even though there is an illegal city ordinance banning firearms in the park. No problems at all from any of the cops there after my one incident.
