Michigan Open Carry, Inc.
Open Carry Specific => OC Experiences => Topic started by: TheElk on July 04, 2010, 08:29:51 AM
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My wife and I decide to go to Kollen Park in Holland for the “Celebration Freedom Festival” they are having. My wife is pregnant and we take our two girls, which are 1.5 and 2.5 years along with us. I’m open carrying a HK USP .40 in a Blackhawk Serpa CQC holster. After walking around for about a half an hour and letting the kids do some activities we sit down to listen to a band play on the steel drums. We pull the wagon with our girls in it off of the path and sit down in the grass. Once I get settled I notice two Holland PD lieutenants walking down the path. I notice they are walking towards me while pretending to be walking past me. That is when I greet them. They take a step past me in order to see my side and then start talking to me.
This is the first time I OC’d with my wife along and she was really embarrassed; almost to the point of crying and wanting to leave. Some “Celebration Freedom Festival”!
Me: How ya’ doin?
Cop 1: Do you have an ID for carrying.
Me: I do. I have an ID.
Cop 1: Ok, may I see it?
Me: No.
Cop 1: Why not?
Me: What do you need to see my ID for?
Cop 1: Because we have a lot of people around here, you’re carrying a gun and they’re worried about it.
Me: That’s fine.
Me: It’s not illegal.
Cop 1: Well I need to see a permit.
Me: Permit for what?
Cop 1: Carry.
Me: For open carrying?
Cop 1: Yeah.
Me: There is no permits for open carrying.
*Cops pause*
Me: There is no permits for open carrying.
Cop 1: Do you think it’s cool scaring people or, what?
Me: It’s not cool.
Cop 1: Ok well.
Me: It’s my right. (Not sure if I actually got *right* out of my mouth)
Cop 2: We just wanna see a CCW permit. (I think this is what he said, he said something about CCW but I didn't catch it so I ignored him and continued talking to Cop 1)
Me: You have, you have a firearm.
Cop 1: Ya.
Me: Are people scared of your firearm?
*Pause*
Cop 1: Ok.
Me: Am I doing anything illegal?
*Pause*
Me: *shaking head* No. <with emphasis>
Cop 1: No... not right now.
Me: Ok, thanks. *I turn my head away from him to signify that we're done talking*
*Cops stand there for a moment and then turn and leave*
Me-> to my daughter: Want to blow some bubbles?
This transcript is pretty accurate. I listened to the recording but the steel drums were playing in the background and made it difficult in a few spots.
Here is the YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvhT7tW-NW0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvhT7tW-NW0)
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Great job! you didn't let them rattle your cage. You stayed on point and held the high ground, and did it politely. I'm still laughing over here.
Mike
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Thank you for sharing and thank you for standing up in a polite and assertive manner.
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The carnival music in the background, I had to chuckle... Great job!
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Thanks guys! Maybe next year we should have a group of us go! :)
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Fantastic...excellent...and respectful...great job staying on point and focus...