VA-ALERT: Richmond PD expels gun owner unlawfully

[zephyp]

I'm continually baffled by issues like this. How can LE be LE if they don't know the law? Obviously a rhetorical question.

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VCDL was contacted by a gun owner, Aubrey Weese, and told that he had been kicked out of Belle Island park in Richmond earlier in the week because he was open carrying.

Two officers on bicycles responded to a phone call by a woman who was concerned about the gun owner open carrying, even though he was minding his own business.

The officers insisted that there was an ordinance that prohibited the carry of firearms in City parks.

After telling the officers that they were wrong, Aubrey complied by leaving the park and promptly contacted VCDL (the smart way to handle such situations).

I called Richmond PD and was directed to a Lt. Williams.

I left a voice message for Lt. Williams explaining what had happened and reminding him that Richmond had no such ordinance and that even if it did have such an ordinance on the books, it couldn't enforce it.

The next morning Lt. Williams called and left me a message indicating that his research showed that I was correct . He said he would see to it that the officers who patrol the parks are brought up to speed.

Aubrey later returned to the Belle Island open carrying and ran into one of the two officers that had kicked him out of the park a few days earlier. Aubrey had brought a copy of state preemption code, 15.2-915, with him and showed it to the officer.

Aubrey said that his open carry was uneventful that day.

If any of you open carry in Belle Island or any of the other Richmond parks in the next week or two, let me know if you have any problems. If you do have a problem, you might suggest the officer contact Lt. Williams.

We are overdue for a VCDL membership meeting in the Richmond area - perhaps we should have one in the City this time. I will advise.

FInally, Glenn Beck will be at the Richmond Coliseum this Saturday and many of you are going to attend. I look forward to hearing if any of you who decide to carry have any problems. I'm going to see if we can get somebody there to handout "Gun Save Lives" stickers.


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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org

[Bobtail1911]

I am not a member, but..

I am going to see Glen Beck. I would love to open carry, but my wife would kill me...I know Whipped.

I am hoping to educate her with Glen Beck. Maybe after the show she would let me?

[OakRidgeStars]

Always good to hear that the Richmond PD is on the right page now

[SgtBill]

Not everyone in law enforcement is versed in all the law's and or ordenances that are out there for this state and or their own citie's. As it was Lt. Williams had to research the issue and he did in fact get back with an appropiate answer. If he followed up as he seem's to have by informing the park patrol of his finding's then he is doing his job.

Let us not forget that the female in the park may have been from a state like N.J. where their is no such thing as open carry and it may have scared her half to death to see someone walking around with a hogleg straped on. In N.J. with the same situation the guy would have been surrounded with law enforcement and down on the ground with cuffs on.

I know we have the right to open carry in this state but I do think that if you have a C.C. permit then it would not be a bad idea to conceal carry while being in a city park where you will run into visitor's that don't know about our state law's.

Just my opinion
Bill

[Bobtail1911]

Maybe we could put that on the signs welcoming folks as they drive into the Commonwealth of VA:

Open Carry of Fire Arms Is the Law, Buckle Up!

[allingeneral]

Or maybe all the states should take the 2nd Amendment at face value and allow OC so that there is no ambiguity. It is legal everywhere as the Constitution intended!

We need some Federal Preemption laws on the books! Oh wait - we already have that - it's called the CONSTITUTION!

[VBshooter]

Open Carry of Fire Arms Is the Law, Buckle Up!

Now that is a State motto we can live with!!!

[OakRidgeStars]

I'd like to see a modified version of this sign at the border. Let the criminals know what they're up against.



How about "Virginia Citizens May be Armed"

[zephyp]

Hmmm. A little part of my "snake brain" (if I even have one of those) says not to tell them at all... bad guys.