Man arrested for (legally) open carrying AK47, scaring people.

[BigRobT]

Too bad the other thread denigrated into some name calling and stuff. As I see it, I'd MAYBE call the cops and have him checked out or even ask him myself. It kind of depends on what I observe. If a person is within the law, I see no wrong. Stupid?? Possibly. It's quite obvious that the cops are really grasping at straws with this incident.

We can open carry here in MN, but yet, many people still call our permits to carry a "concealed carry license". It's blatantly obvious that many of these people are ignorant of the law, even some of the LEOS up here. We even had an incident a month or so ago where one of our permit holders openly carried into a liquor store (within MN law) and got the cops called on him. They checked him out and then sent him on his way. I don't think it's a really bad thing for the cops to stop and question an individual. However, once it's determined that the individual is within the law, then that should be that.

 

[Ron James]

Folks, if I saw someone walking down my neighborhood street carrying a AK Type rifle, you're darn tooting I'm on the phone to police. Remember, he wasn't taking it to his car, he wasn't walking to a shooting range, what was he doing? Who knows, maybe he Just shot his wife. This has noting to do with rights.

 

[Kentak]

Not me. I would shout, "Nice AK!"

If you're not joking, then that's displaying the same lack of situational awareness and indecisiveness you've related in your "knock on the door" thread.

Maybe your neck of Ohio is different than mine. People don't go walking around with assault rifles in my neighborhood. If I see someone doing that, I'm not going to wait and see if he's a nutjob wanting to shoot me. I'm going to get inside and keep an eye on the guy. Yeah, probably call the cops, too. See, I'd feel really bad if I didn't and he ended up unloading in the park at the end of the street. It has nothing to do with constitutional rights, everything to do with survival and not being a blissninny. And *assuming* a guy walking the street with an AR is harmless is being a blissninny. NOT because AK47s are bad, but because the behavior is odd and out of place for the context.

K

 

[Andrewsky]

Be advised, open carry in Minnesota is not legal with long arms.

 

[Andrewsky]

How can you judge him if you don't know what situation he was in?

Maybe his life was being threatened and he doesn't have a handgun.

Maybe he was walking a large amount of cash to the bank.

Maybe he had to transport it but didn't have a case.

Maybe he figured a bunch of sheeple wouldn't be scared over nothing considering he broke NO LAW.

Maybe none of these situations are true, but don't judge him if you don't know the background.

 

[Frog48]

Its not the defendant's fault that some wimpy neighbors are easily frightened.

If all it takes is someone to be frightened, even thought an act is within the law, in theory i could get arrested for "disorderly conduct" while I'm out walking my dog, if someone decided that I somehow appear scary.

The whole situation is ridiculous.

 

[Andrewsky]

I don't see why anyone would want to own a gun, unless they're trying to intimidate someone.

I'm an avid hunter and I support the Second Amendment 100%, but I just don't see why anyone needs to carry a gun. We have to be reasonable here and arrest people who do it + confiscate their weapon. Sure there is no law against it but you need to use your head.
:banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

[Well Regulated]

A person's body is a vehicle or mode of transport under most law. The car or truck has only been widely used for the last 70 years. What did people do before that? They walked mostly or they rode a horse. To say that someone can't carry a firearm while walking is historically inacurate and says that people who choose to not own a car ( Can't afford the insurrance or are poor) have no rights because they don't own a car or prefer to walk just won't fly legally. It defies that humans walked first, then developed driving. Driving is a privilege, walking is a natural right.

 

[Frog48]

I'm an avid hunter and I support the Second Amendment 100%, but I just don't see why anyone needs to carry a gun. We have to be reasonable here and arrest people who do it + confiscate their weapon.

Is this some sort of joke? I this is, on your part, a failed attempt at sarcasm...

 

[tmajors]

I don't see why anyone would want to own a gun, unless they're trying to intimidate someone.

I'm an avid hunter and I support the Second Amendment 100%, but I just don't see why anyone needs to carry a gun. We have to be reasonable here and arrest people who do it + confiscate their weapon. Sure there is no law against it but you need to use your head.

Oh boy I hope you got an asbestos suit somewhere in that pack of ignorance

 

[Andrewsky]

Did you not see the headbashing icons and my previous posts? Obviously I was being sarcastic.

 

[tmajors]

Oh okay then. Wasn't sure if the head banging was denoting sarcasm or something else. Carry on.

 

[Dgindlesperger]

although it is legal, it's not smart. If I saw some walking down my street with a AK, I would find out why and be locked and loaded doing it. I do think it would not be as big of a deal if he was just carrying a side arm.

 

[Andrewsky]

I might have called the police too. But it's insane to say that he had absolutely no reason to be doing that and that he should be arrested and his weapon confiscated.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

anyone know yet what the guys side of the story is?

 

[tmajors]

As I stated in the other thread is was not 20 years ago that I carried around my .22 rifle slung on my back and nobody every said a thing about it.

 

[meef]

If I saw some walking down my street with a AK, I would find out why and be locked and loaded doing it.

Oh really?

And you plan to do what with your cocked and locked as you decide to play the people's protector?

 

[Andrewsky]

Some of you treat guns like a sixteen-year-old treats his pornography.

This country has a history of carrying firearms around openly. Anyone who criticizes how a person carries a firearm is no better than the British in 1775 at Lexington and Concord.

 

[crazed_ss]

Really, in all of my 27 years, I've never seen a person walking around the city with a rifle slung over his shoulder. Not once. Like I said, maybe it's because I'm a Californian city slicker, but someone strolling down a city street with an AK raises flags with me.. it is totally out of the ordinary.

There's a time an place for everything. If I'm at the range or here at work (I work on a Navy base) and I see people with rifles, I dont think much of it. If I see a guy at the bus stop with a AR-15, you can be sure I will not be getting on his bus.

 

[HiroProX]

Guess I live in bizarroland. That's quite a common occurance here. Hell, when I've been up for a walk, my friend and I have walked out to go shooting, him with his Garand slung, me with my SKS-M slung. No questions. Though I did hear how a "man with a gun" call got answered once.

Nervous Nellie: Hello, there's a man going down my street with a gun.
Dispatch: What type of gun ma'am?
Nervous Nellie: A rifle, he's headed south on John's
Dispatch: Okay. He's probably just headed up to Old Freezeout to go shooting.
Nervous Nellie: But he's carrying a gun!
Dispatch: Ma'am, open carrying of firearms is legal in Idaho, he's doing nothing wrong.
Nervous Nellie: He's scaring me because he has a gun!
Dispatch: Ma'am, that's not my problem. I'll have a car drive down John's, but aside from that he's well within the law.
Nervous Nellie: Well! I'd say your department is highly unprofessional! In california they'd have him on the ground and headed to jail!
Dispatch: Ma'am, this isn't california, and I thank God it isn't. Have a nice day.

I love this state. ^_^

 

[Shifty]

i've never seen a stranger walking through my neighborhood with a loaded rifle slung on his back. ever.

calling the police to report something out of the ordinary, even if it is legal, is not the issue. i've notified the police over shady looking vehicles/characters cruising back and forth through my neighborhood before.

it is up to the police and the courts to decide if any laws were broken.


having said that, if the guy was just walking and was totally innocent, the charges should be dropped, an apology should be given, and the officers educated.

 

[.cheese.]

so does this mean if I open carry a handgun on my own property, and my neighbor sees it and freaks out, I can be arrested?

How about if I'm open carrying in my house and two Jehovah's Witnesses ring the doorbell, and when I answer the door they see the gun and run away screaming..... can I be arrested for that?

 

[crazed_ss]

Guess I live in bizarroland. That's quite a common occurance here. Hell, when I've been up for a walk, my friend and I have walked out to go shooting, him with his Garand slung, me with my SKS-M slung. No questions. Though I did hear how a "man with a gun" call got answered once.

Where is here? e may all live in the United States but not every place in this country has the same social norms. In your area, it may be perfectly normal for people to walk around with slung rifles. Apparently, in the area where Ak-47 guy lives, it's something that isnt normal.

 

[Andrewsky]

Ummm, in California OF COURSE you're not going to see anyone open carrying a rifle, because it's illegal. :banghead:

Since when does everyone have to be "normal" and politically correct?

50% of the people in this country probably think people with "assault weapons" are not normal.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

My dad said something once which has always stuck with me. He said, "I am responsible for what I DO. I am not responsible for how people FEEL about what I do. They are responsible for how they feel." (My dad's a pretty wise guy.)

And I firmly agree with that. I would probably do something similar to Dgindlesperger, walk over and engage the guy in a friendly conversation w/ the Glock loose in the holster. If he seems on the up and up, ask him where he got the AK and if it was a good price. If he starts talking about the voices in his head, then maybe a few phone calls need to be made.

It's smart to be aware of your surroundings, but this guy was perfectly within his rights. Non conformism is not a crime...yet. Though all kinds of neat things do fall under the ubiquitous "disorderly conduct" offense.