Philly police threaten to shoot a man open carrying

[WellHungSmurf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-vUY...mbedded#at=263

Philly Police Harass, Threaten to Shoot Man Legally Carrying Gun
by John Stossel | May 16, 2011

A story in today's Philadelphia Daily News shows why it's so important that citizens be allowed to videotape cops - it can be citizens' only way to fight back against police abuse of power.

This incident happened several weeks ago in Philadelphia to Mark Fiorino, a 25-year-old IT worker who carries a gun on his hip at all times for self defense. He got the gun after several friends were mugged.

But he didn't count on attacks by police:

On a mild February afternoon, Fiorino, 25, decided to walk to an AutoZone on Frankford Avenue in Northeast Philly with the .40-caliber Glock he legally owns holstered in plain view on his left hip. His stroll ended when someone called out from behind: "Yo, Junior, what are you doing?"

Fiorino wheeled and saw Sgt. Michael Dougherty aiming a handgun at him.

What happened next would be hard to believe, except that Fiorino audio-recorded all of it: a tense, profanity-laced, 40-minute encounter with cops who told him that what he was doing - openly carrying a gun on the city's streets - was against the law.

"Do you know you can't openly carry here in Philadelphia?" Dougherty asked, according to the YouTube clip.

"Yes, you can, if you have a license to carry firearms," Fiorino said. "It's Directive 137. It's your own internal directive."

Fiorino was right. It was perfectly legal to carry the gun. But that didn't matter to the cop:

Fiorino offered to show Dougherty his driver's and firearms licenses. The cop told him to get on his knees.

"Excuse me?" Fiorino said.

"Get down on your knees. Just obey what I'm saying," Dougherty said.

"Sir," Fiorino replied, "I'm more than happy to stand here -"

"If you make a move, I'm going to f------ shoot you," Dougherty snapped. "I'm telling you right now, you make a move, and you're going down!"

"Is this necessary?" Fiorino said.

It went on like that for a little while, until other officers responded to Dougherty's calls for backup.

Fiorino was forced to the ground and shouted at as he tried to explain that he had a firearms license and was legally allowed to openly carry his weapon.

"You f------ come here looking for f------ problems? Where do you live?" yelled one officer.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen," Fiorino said. "If I'm under arrest, I have nothing left to say."

"F------ a------, shut the f--- up!" the cop hollered.

The cops discovered his recorder as they searched his pockets, and unleashed another string of expletives.

Fiorino said he sat handcuffed in a police wagon while the officers made numerous phone calls to supervisors, trying to find out if they could lock him up.

When they learned that they were in the wrong, they let him go.

But only temporarily. Fiorino posted the audio recordings on youtube, and now they are harassing him again:

A new investigation was launched, and last month the District Attorney's Office decided to charge Fiorino with reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct because, a spokeswoman said, he refused to cooperate with police... He's scheduled for trial in July.

If one listens to the audiotapes, it's hard to imagine how a reasonable person could charge Fiorino (and not the cops) for disorderly conduct.

[Irving]

Is there such a thing as self defense against a police officer?

[josh7328]

Wow that really pisses me off. What freakin morons. These a- holes are a disgrace to all honorable LEO'S. They should all be fired immediately.

[DeusExMachina]

Just obey what I'm saying. Makes me sick.

[Bailey Guns]

Agreed. This is disgraceful.

[sneakerd]

Agree totally with Deus, that's why I would never even consider carrying openly ANYWHERE, as I would be waiting for something like that to happen. I know that several forum members do that sometimes, I don't know- just for fun or to see what happens, I've seen the posts. I'm not interested in that kind of exposure.

[Dusty Johnson]

I think the situation could have been handled better by the LEO's. On the other hand open carrying is just asking for trouble.

What if this guy in some way was making the LEO's nervous by his actions? A audio recording won't show that.

[WellHungSmurf]

Agree totally with Deus, that's why I would never even consider carrying openly ANYWHERE, as I would be waiting for something like that to happen. I know that several forum members do that sometimes, I don't know- just for fun or to see what happens, I've seen the posts. I'm not interested in that kind of exposure.

I agree 110%. I respect our law to carry openly but why not invest in a CCW and not have to deal with this. Just not worth the trouble my .02

[josh7328]

Agree totally with Deus, that's why I would never even consider carrying openly ANYWHERE, as I would be waiting for something like that to happen. I know that several forum members do that sometimes, I don't know- just for fun or to see what happens, I've seen the posts. I'm not interested in that kind of exposure.

I open carry occasionally, but only because our wonderful representatives have denied me my second amendment right because I am 20 and can't CC. I am active duty army, married, with a baby on the way... but I am OBVIOUSLY too immature to EARN my constitutional RIGHT to protect myself and my family. Forgive me for my rant.

[talon]

this is just sad, when LEO's are that oblivious to carry laws its quite frankly scary. You never know if the cop thats got you at gun point is a little too trigger happy, it just goes to show you that cops are still human just like the rest of us and aren't perfect. With that being said thanks to all of the LEO's that actually understand the laws and enforce them properly.