Miguel Beat me too it. I have an excuse, I was changing poopy pants!
Portland police warned the public Friday about a man they found walking near Woodfords Corner wearing body armor and carrying an assault rifle and 120 rounds of ammunition, who later said he was preparing for a military training mission and welcomed confrontations with police….Police stopped Reed at 1 a.m. on Sept. 27 after a resident reported a man walking with an assault rifle on Vannah Avenue near Forest Avenue. The caller told police later that the armed man didn’t threaten him or anyone else he saw.
Police saw Reed walking along Forest Avenue with his rifle in a “low ready” position, with the barrel near his left leg, pointed at the ground.
Officer Kevin Murphy drew his service weapon and ordered Reed to put down the rifle. Reed complied, and followed orders to step away and then lie down on the sidewalk, according to a police report.
While I don’t open carry, I’m very friendly to the practice, and to the political movement. My “Big Tent” philosophy is that we are ALL open carriers. Just because you conceal your piece doesn’t mean your gun might not get uncovered as you go through your day-to-day. Also just like my objection to Wisconsin’s recently overturned ban on concealed carry, and to Texas and Florida’s ban on open carry, some climates dictate certain modes of carry. It is damn near impossible to safely and effectively open carry a handgun on a cold Wisconsin February…just as it is inconvenient to conceal all but the smallest handguns on a humid Florida or Texas August.
Also many people simply assume NOBODY is carrying a gun around them simply because they can’t see it. I’ve had people make statement against carrying guns to my face while I was carrying a gun.
Still when I carry I carry a handgun. Not because I’m opposed to rifles, but because I’m carrying to protect myself WHILE I go about doing life’s little chores. A rifle gets in the way. Further a pistol carried on the hip is NOT the same as a rifle carried at low ready. IMHO a rifle at low ready is the same as a pistol at low ready. If there is a sling involved it changes nothing.
Further the fact that this guy also seems to have some problems with illegal drugs does nothing to help the movement.
Thankfully unlike the clowns at “Occupy #city” the open carry movement DOES have central leadership, and this guy is acting outside of it.
Also interesting how that a man was open carrying a rifle in low ready, had drugs and restricted paraphernalia in his car, and all he’s getting is misdemeanor charges. Keeping us safe!
H/T To Dad who brought down the Press Herald this weekend
