“I don’t agree that people should be allowed to carry a weapon openly. I have instructed my officers to challenge anyone they see carrying a weapon openly to make sure that they have the right to carry a weapon. Some people, like felons, cannot carry a weapon. They (people carrying weapons) will be treated with respect and dignity but they will be challenged.” – Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson
How many felons do you see OCing a gun in an OWB or hip holster? thats right NONE ZERO ZIP NIL!!!!!!!! Basically this guy is saying, if you open carry we are going to harass you needlessly and treat you like an armed felon.
Basically, yes. I wish law enforcement would go back to “enforcing” existing laws and not try to do the job of the courts in interpreting the law.
I just don’t see the probable cause here. You need a “special licence” to drive a car but they can’t just stop a car for no reason and ask to see your DL. Both ARE deadly weapons to boot…where is the ACLU when you need them
Actually it is even worse than that. Alabama requires a license to carry a concealed handgun, the law does not require a license to open carry.
wtf?? I see a law suit coming out of this as soon as his officers “challenge” a law abiding citizen.
Ummmm… Probably Cause?
Alternate Headline: Papers please!
“I have instructed my officers to harass anyone they see carrying a weapon openly to make sure that they don’t feel they the right to carry a weapon.”
More (openly) honest.
Many LE chieftains and the political elites perceive civilians owning and carrying guns as an emotional challenge to their sensitive elitist egos and all that goes along with that bs. It is unsettling that so many people in powerful positions are so dysfunctional, insecure, and incompetent.
I find it unsettling that we keep voting these people into power and allowing them to stay there.
If they said that in my town, I’d convert to 100% OC and let them bring it on!
Guilty until proven innocent.
One of the foundation principles of constitutional law is that exercising a right can never be a crime. This police chief is violating that principle and is creating liability for himself, his officers and his employer. I wonder what the county sheriff has to say since the police chief’s power is delegated from the sheriff.
Fortunately, in Virginia, citizens have the right to defend themselves with lethal force against police officers who are acting beyond their authority. Pointing weapons at a citizen openly carrying who has committed no crime is acting beyond police authority. Furthermore, and most importantly, the police have NO authority to stop a citizen and lecture them about open carry. If the officers threaten force, a citizen may fight back. This was reaffirmed in a 2008 decision. I wonder if Alabama has similar provisions.
“If the officers threaten force, a citizen may fight back. This was reaffirmed in a 2008 decision. I wonder if Alabama has similar provisions.”
I thought that was a Federal Supreme Court decision that said it’s OK for citizens to kill a cop / federal agent / other government employed thug if they citizen hadn’t broken a law and was being attacked by said thug?
The Chief might want to make sure his goons know the rules and rights about open carry when they go about challenging people exercising their rights.
I’m glad Tuscaloosa is so overflowing with budget surplus that they can afford to pay for all the §1983 lawsuits [fourth amendment, among other things] and local lawsuits. I wonder if the local DA or other attorney approved this statement, which is almost a prima facie admission of guilt – now the presumption will be that there was no justification for a stop and search aside from the bias of the police chief. No more “Terry stop” justification.
Suggestion: if Tuscaloosa has any municipal bonds outstanding, sell short.
I never OC, but if I was in this jackbooted thug’s jurisdiction, I’d OC until one of his henchmen stopped me for no reason then make it my duty to file a lawsuit and get him fired. Despicable tyrants like this have no business being cops or Americans.
It makes more sense for citizens to be challenging every cop they see.
I agree that this needs to be challenged, soon and frequently. But better find someone with deep pockets or a lawyer looking to make a name for hisself to carry the ball once the po po plays his hand.
Another KEY to challenging this edict from the oligarchs is to make it a MASS OC event and overload the response system. Doing the ‘Lone Ranger’ bit is a recipe for getting ones-self carried off to the pokey and run through the ringer.
It really doesn’t matter what Chief Anderson agrees or disagrees with. The law is the law, and he has sworn an oath to enforce the law, not make up his own.
Yup, guilty until proven innocent, and then maybe!
These examples are a great reminder to remain armed at all times, 24/7/365.
When the “summer of rage” begins this year, I hope all of you who read this will be prepared for the armed crackdown by TSA, Viper teams, Interpol, and the foreign troops that are already here on our shores & training for the massive round-ups of citizens for internment into their local FEMA camps until they can all be processed into an ash/cement mix to help build more camps.
Obamma already has his “private army” that he told us back in 08 that he was going to build. Now with TSA agents in every state of the union all that is left for him to do is to issue his troops their pretty brown-shirts and jackboots so they can be identified as the new leaders of the crackdown and martial law.
I’ve had this exact conversation with mr Anderson and got the exact same response. I really didn’t care for his views on The 2nd amendment.
I asked him a few pressing questions, such as how many people who are not allowed to own firearms, much less carry (such as felons, or people about to commit a crime), his officers have confronted open carrying. He dodged like a champ.
P.S. his daughter lives in my apt complex, and is a student at UA.
Time to start on the politicians. Don’t bother going after the Chief, go after the people who hired him and can fire him. The guy’s probably a political appointee, not elected, so you work on the politicians who appointed him.
Congratulations, Chief Anderson. You have become what you once despised — an authoritarian pig.
As a resident of Tuscaloosa, and an OC’er, I’ve never been contacted by TPD when open carrying. I really hope that continues to be the case, as TPD has plenty of other things to worry about. It’s a waste of time for the officers and the citizens.
I hope you don’t get stopped but If you do contact the Second Amendment Foundation and the NRA as both should be willing and able to help you with legal costs.
You should contact GeorgiaCarry.Org first. They have more experience with OC harassment law suits, than SAF or the NRA.
Wow that must be one extremely safe city if their biggest issue is one or two felons OCing.
“I don’t agree.”
I would like to ask these idiot cops who “disagree” with open carrying how many criminals they have caught who were carrying a gun openly. I’m betting “exactly zero” nationwide unless they stumbled onto a crime in progress.
I would guess that they have caught just as many criminals that way as terrorists have been caught by the TSA.