Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

I've had to draw my weapon, or grasp it and let 'them' know I was drawing many, many times in Blackwell, and elsewhere in Va.
Once, after some incident at my shop, a few cops and I were outside when shots were fired about a block away. WIthout thinking, I drew as I shifted behind the 'C' pillar of one of the cop cars. As we realized nobody was being shot at, I went to reholster and noticed some of the cops were doing the same thing, but some were slack jawed looking at me.
One finally asked "Where'd that come from?" pointing at my S&W. I just lifted my shirt and showed my SOB holster and they all just shook their heads, but a couple were grinning.
Kinda awkward moment.

Anybody else have one of those weird moments?

I took a buddy of mine to the range last year... it was his first time going to a range, and was expecting to shoot some riffles.

We walked into the shooting stall and I drew my pistol from concealment. He was astonished. He said "Holy SH*T!, where did that come from?" I just started laughing... asking "You didn't know I carry?"

He was pretty surprised to hear I carry everyday, everywhere.

My question to you is... WTF is going on in Blackwell that you go for your weapon so often?

In my 26 years of owning firearms, I have only had two self-defense situations that justified either, placing my hand on my weapon in one case and actually drawing my weapon in another. Bother were attempted robberies in Hoodbridge, sadly enough.

MarcSpaz wrote: My question to you is... WTF is going on in Blackwell that you go for your weapon so often?

and why do you stay and/or keep going back?

He's a roofer, and roofers go where the leaks are... sometimes that puts you in some sketchy neighborhoods.

http://vagunforum.net/post175976.html?h ... ll#p175976

third post down

I'm guessing, Tinner, that you feel right comfortable around your local PD, and that they are comfortable are you. I'm not sure that I'd feel comfortable drawing in the presence of officers.

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Blackwell is where my shop is. Rent is low.
Blackwell is also home of the Newtown Gang, MS13, Hillside Gang, Porter Street Gang, etc. Owner two doors down was shot with a shotgun after giving the money. Next door, they stabbed him, chopped him with a hatchet, and cut his head off. A very busy area.

Any of you are welcome, but please come armed!

Once, two guys were near my door when the wife and I arrived. I drew and held my pistol behind me and asked who they were while she called PD.
One said "None of your business!"SHe moved to their 9 oclock while I had their attention.
I said it was and was told to bug off. I said I wanted to knwo who they were again and one suddenly reached under his jacket and said we're PD!. I said to Freeze! I'm armed! I brought my pistol aroud, but didn't point it.

They looked and each other and kinda spoke with their eyes and I said Don't do it, You're covered and nodded at her. She had phone at her ear and waggled her pistol! Sheesh! It got real quiet!
Guy said "we really are PD!" I said that since I didn't trust anybody, to very slowly, one at a time open their jackets, show badges and give me ID.
They were PD.
We reholstered and apologized, They were going over the night's latest rape and abduction at my place.
I've had many legit attacks there too. Most thwarted by grasping and lossening my pistol without drawing.
To be honest, after 18 years of that, the quiet there now is boring.

Brookland Park, ChurchHill, Jackson Ward, etc are some of my AO.
Once, at Essex VIllage, a punk drew and approached two LEOs from behind during an arrest wife and I assisted with. He stepped out of a crowd of about 150. I drew and hollered "Police!" which stopped him. He looked at my muzzle, the LEO's turning and took off through the crowd. Range was about 10', but my backstop was about 30 people. I decided to holler instead of just shoot.
LEO walked over and asked what he had seen. i told him and he said it's what he saw, but didn't trust his eyes that that was really happening like that. It was very close.

Man, tuff area. Not good to say the least.

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MarcSpaz wrote:Man, tuff area. Not good to say the least.

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Not really, In the 90's, I found a body a week as a rule. Now, nada. And most of the thugs cross the street and pass me by nowadays.
Harry, just down the street took out 9 thugs so far and they pass him by too.

My brother-in-law is a roofer - Paul Davis at Phoenix Roofing. Shop over on Carolina near RIR. You can see the bridge on Laburnum over the RR tracks from his lot. Got to come up through a pretty rough neighborhood to get there. There's this little park, completely fenced, sign inside says, "No Drugs in Park." But drugs outside the park are okay? Don't know where that is in relation to those places you are, but yours sound worse. Be safe.

Swampman wrote:My brother-in-law is a roofer - Paul Davis at Phoenix Roofing. Shop over on Carolina near RIR. You can see the bridge on Laburnum over the RR tracks from his lot. Got to come up through a pretty rough neighborhood to get there. There's this little park, completely fenced, sign inside says, "No Drugs in Park." But drugs outside the park are okay? Don't know where that is in relation to those places you are, but yours sound worse. Be safe.

Right over that bridge, by Gate 1 of the fairgrounds is Essex Village, behind that shopping center.

He's close. He's been talking about getting geared up. I'm trying to convince him he should.

The only awkward moment I have is when a friend of mine who decided to become a cop, she hugs me to make sure I'm carrying because as she puts it, "Back up is a radio call away, but you're here right now!"

The awkward moment is the looks people give you when a cop hugs you... People sometimes forget, they're just people.