Open Carry Activists Falsely Arrested 10/26/13

[brokenscout]

I would have liked to seen a citizens arrest on video,lol.

[TFOGGER]

Watched about half of the video. It seems like the protesters got what they wanted: an arrest to highlight the issue and bring attention to it. They probably could have done without the loudmouths spouting expletives and insults. Anyone that believes that they didn't think they were going to be arrested is an idiot.

[Monky]

As soon as the group started screaming at the cops.. granted it was only a few who took it waaaayy too far. I was done. There is a way you do things that garner positive attention and this is not one of them.

[Ah Pook]

Gee, and here I was about ready to drop everything and get the Hell out of CO for the freedom state.

Sounds like a bunch of internet trolls out in public. What happened from "the law is" to "what is the law"? They are on our side?

When I grew up in TX, you didn't mess with the State Troopers. Period.

[Ronin13]

Seems to me like a common theme that is expressed on this site is that wrongful arrest or even an arrest made in good faith even if a crime did not actually occur should be fought in the justice system- not on the streets with the police (asmo). Imagine how south things would have gone had the mob attempted to affect a citizen's arrest on the police upon the person being placed under arrest. I imagine it wouldn't have gone well and perhaps more officers would have been dispatched on scene and the paddy wagons would have rolled out. It's incumbent upon the populace to know the law, this mob seemed to, however, how were these officers to know that it was a replica and not an actual firearm? Judging from the description some of the people in the video gave, 1899... sorry, I'm not familiar with those weapons and would be very reluctant to handle something I didn't know exactly how to make safe or secure properly. Does everyone here know how to unload every single pistol ever made? I sure don't. I know most mainstream automatics and revolvers, but I can't claim to know how to handle every single gun out there on the street. Shoot, it wasn't until 2 years ago that I handled a Hi-Point for the first time, and I needed a quick run through on how to load/unload and use that gun. I can't entirely defend the actions of these officers, but I can't condemn them completely either. Once it was revealed that it was a non-working replica a simple apology and release may have been warranted. However, TX might have a law similar to CO where one is not allowed to display a firearm (real or not) for the purposes of alarm- not saying this guy they cuffed and stuffed did that, but we don't have all the facts with someone's iPhone video that conveniently started filming a few minutes late (isn't that how it always is?).

[asmo]

Seems to me like a common theme that is expressed on this site is that wrongful arrest or even an arrest made in good faith even if a crime did not actually occur should be fought in the justice system- not on the streets with the police (asmo).

HUh? What did I do? I didn't advocate mob violence. Just saying that the crowd could have been more productive than just screaming and looking like idiots - and by their lack of action they show that they really didn't care *that* much. Its one thing to bitch and whine - its something completely different to bet your life on what you believe in.

[Gman]

It's incumbent upon the populace to know the law, this mob seemed to, however, how were these officers to know that it was a replica and not an actual firearm? Judging from the description some of the people in the video gave, 1899... sorry, I'm not familiar with those weapons and would be very reluctant to handle something I didn't know exactly how to make safe or secure properly. Does everyone here know how to unload every single pistol ever made? I sure don't. I know most mainstream automatics and revolvers, but I can't claim to know how to handle every single gun out there on the street. Shoot, it wasn't until 2 years ago that I handled a Hi-Point for the first time, and I needed a quick run through on how to load/unload and use that gun. I can't entirely defend the actions of these officers, but I can't condemn them completely either. Once it was revealed that it was a non-working replica a simple apology and release may have been warranted. However, TX might have a law similar to CO where one is not allowed to display a firearm (real or not) for the purposes of alarm- not saying this guy they cuffed and stuffed did that, but we don't have all the facts with someone's iPhone video that conveniently started filming a few minutes late (isn't that how it always is?).

Uh...it's the officer enforcing the law's responsibility to know what law he's enforcing. It's not difficult to tell that it's not centerfire or rimfire. Do the police just act and then it's up to someone else to figure it out later? I held the Rangers in higher regard until I saw this video.

It will be interesting to see where this goes.

asmo, any action taken by the people would have escalated the situation into a really bad one.

[asmo]

asmo, any action taken by the people would have escalated the situation into a really bad one.

"bad" is subjective.. Many of marches and sit-ins for racial equality turned into bad situations -- doesn't mean they weren't effective. Those people were committed to the cause. People screaming and yelling at cops are not.

Again, not trying to incite or encourage mob violence here. In my post I said it would have been an 'interesting' turn of events if the crowd tried to citizens arrest the cops -- historically, morally, and legally interesting.

[Ronin13]

HUh? What did I do? I didn't advocate mob violence. Just saying that the crowd could have been more productive than just screaming and looking like idiots - and by their lack of action they show that they really didn't care *that* much. Its one thing to bitch and whine - its something completely different to bet your life on what you believe in.

It sounded, just by the way you presented it, that you were advocating the mob to restrict or otherwise hinder the officers from affecting the arrest... What else besides yelling and screaming would you suggest they do? What "action" would you suggest? Remember, it's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

Uh...it's the officer enforcing the law's responsibility to know what law he's enforcing. It's not difficult to tell that it's not centerfire or rimfire. Do the police just act and then it's up to someone else to figure it out later? I held the Rangers in higher regard until I saw this video.

It will be interesting to see where this goes.

Did you see the replica? I didn't, and having not seen first hand, I can't attest to weather or not it would be difficult to tell that it's not a legally defined firearm. I can say that from the reaction of the officers, it perhaps *looked* like a real, functioning firearm. I don't have a doubt in my mind these officers knew what law they were enforcing. What I do have doubts is that, on both sides, the officer affecting the arrest may not have known if it was real or not, the way it was presented, or if the arrest was in fact valid. It's not about just act and let someone else figure it out, it's about the totality of the circumstances, officer perception, and the ability to distinguish if, in fact, a criminal offense has occurred. To the perception idea, remember the story from last week about the kid in CA that had the toy AK-47 that got shot? It looked real enough then. Again, I can't say if, in this case, the gun was easily distinguishable as a replica or not. I've seen some pretty real looking replicas, and you also have to take into account that not everyone is an expert on every firearm ever made- the determination that it wasn't real sometimes can be difficult.

[asmo]

What else besides yelling and screaming would you suggest they do? What "action" would you suggest? Remember, it's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

Umm.. Reread post #20 again.. I gave multiple other actions - and that was just scratching the surface. Not like this is the first time a situation like this has happened (albeit guns, alcohol, land, race, younameit)