Milwaukee Police Chief refuses to except open carry ruling

[ericire12]

http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/opencarry_ruling_triggers_gun_debate_4800679.html

Open-carry ruling triggers gun debate
Kenosha sheriff, police chief weigh in
BY BILL GUIDA
bguida@kenoshanews.com

While the state’s top attorney says it is legal for residents to carry unconcealed firearms in public, Milwaukee authorities say they won’t stand for it.

“My message to my troops is if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we’ll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it,” Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said.

“Maybe I’ll end up with a protest of cowboys. In the meantime, I’ve got serious offenders with access to handguns. It’s irresponsible to send a message to them that if they just carry it openly no one can bother them.”

Meanwhile, Kenosha County’s top cops said how their officers and deputies will respond to openly armed citizens won’t be automatic and aggressive, depending on a number of factors, including the setting and behavior of the citizen involved.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued a memo saying the law allows carrying unconcealed weapons without a permit, as long as it’s done peacefully and within specified restrictions, such as not taking guns into schools.

Van Hollen’s memo concluded that citizens have a constitutional right to openly carry firearms and doing so cannot alone warrant arrests for disorderly conduct.

Morrissey and Beth said they agree with Van Hollen’s interpretation of the law but said how their personnel will respond on scene will be dictated by circumstances.

Morrissey said his main hope is that those who exercise their right to carry a weapon openly understand fellow citizens might react adversely, triggering calls to police.

“And we are going to respond to those calls,” Morrissey said. “I don’t know that we’re going to take them down.

“If it’s an individual just walking down the street carrying a gun, we may just stop them and talk to them. Someone cutting their grass with a push mower, openly wearing a gun — for whatever reason somebody might want to do that — we’re not going to take him down.”

Like Morrissey, Beth cited nuanced police responses based on what deputies observe. He noted the difference between, for example, spotting someone toting a shotgun in a farm field in a rural area where hunting is common versus carrying the same weapon on a city street or in downtown Paddock Lake.

“If I’m in the city, I’ll probably react just like Chief Flynn says in Milwaukee,” Beth said. “In an urban area, that isn’t the norm.

“What creates a disturbance is someone’s perception of what’s going on,” Beth added. “If our officers see someone walking with a shotgun in the city of Kenosha, we’re going to order him down, take it away from him and ask questions afterward.”

Morrissey cited a recent situation at a Kenosha grocery store where a customer entered the store wearing a holstered sidearm outside his jacket.

“That created a terrible stir. Other customers and the store manager wanted him to leave the store,” Morrissey said.

When police arrived, the man willingly gave up his handgun, and police returned it to him after he exited the store. Morrissey said the man never acted aggressively and obeyed all police orders. Had he done otherwise, he could have faced disorderly conduct charges or more serious charges, Morrissey said.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, however, echoed Flynn’s response.

“How we approach a person with a gun, I can tell you right now, isn’t going to change. As far as a law enforcement person is concerned, you just don’t walk up to a person with a gun and say ‘Excuse me, sir,”’ Clarke said. “On the ground, give up. Get that gun under control and then we’ll figure out what we got here.”

Wisconsin is one of 29 states that allow people to openly carry a firearm without a permit. It’s one of two states that bans concealed weapons.

Flynn’s comments came as gun control advocates and state lawmakers derided Van Hollen’s ruling.

“The idea of people ... openly carrying guns strikes me as somewhere between bonkers and totally ridiculous and stupid,” said state Rep. Josh Zepnick, D-Milwaukee.

[Hazcat]

Looks like ya got a couple of renegade, power hungry, jack booted thugs as sheriffs that need to be 'taken down'!

They should be sued every time a citizen gets 'taken down'.  After all open carry IS legal.  The person carrying was not causing the disturbance.  The disturbance will be caused by the Deputies over reacting to a complaint.  The complaint should be handled by explaining to the bed wetting anti that called it in that the gun owner is NOT breaking any laws and is in fact perfectly legal.  If deputy dawg harasses the law abiding gun owner instead then HE (deputy) is causing the disturbance by breaking the law.

Could be a lucrative business for some enterprising lawyer.

[wisconsin]

And I work in Milwaukee

[Texas_Bryan]

And I work in Milwaukee

Does the air smell of corrupt power hungry cops that don't work for the people, or is it just this one unpleasant fellow?

[wisconsin]

Not sure. He has been doing a good job on crime or so the local newspaper says . Doing live street roll calls in sh$t areas. But I don't really make judgements calls on Police Chiefs because they tend to be political. I use to work for them in a support capacity (civilian) back in the 80's. If you want to make an informed decision on his remarks or him in general /what he's made of. I would always listen to the guys and gals that patrol the streets or the rank and file if you will.

[Sponsor]

[Texas_Bryan]

But I don't really make judgements calls on Police Chiefs because they tend to be political.

Anyone above street cop, his supervisor, and his supervisor is politician.  Employee, manager, his manager, then policy makers.

[Rob10ring]

Looks like ya got a couple of renegade, power hungry, jack booted thugs as sheriffs that need to be 'taken down'!

They should be sued every time a citizen gets 'taken down'.  After all open carry IS legal.  The person carrying was not causing the disturbance.  The disturbance will be caused by the Deputies over reacting to a complaint.  The complaint should be handled by explaining to the bed wetting anti that called it in that the gun owner is NOT breaking any laws and is in fact perfectly legal.  If deputy dawg harasses the law abiding gun owner instead then HE (deputy) is causing the disturbance by breaking the law.

Could be a lucrative business for some enterprising lawyer.

I wonder how many lawsuits until he either changes his mind or loses his job.

[twyacht]

Can't the Sheriff be re-called, or held in contempt of a court order?

Sounds like a schmuck.....

[TAB]

Can't the Sheriff be re-called, or held in contempt of a court order?

Sounds like a schmuck.....

recalling a elected offical is extremly hard to do.  They have to really mess up bad in the eyes of the voters.  The contempt of court deal, almost never happens.  Judges are political as well.  its not good to go around having police cheifs arrested, unless they do something very bad.

[ismram]

recalling a elected offical is extremly hard to do.  They have to really mess up bad in the eyes of the voters.  The contempt of court deal, almost never happens.  Judges are political as well.  its not good to go around having police cheifs arrested, unless they do something very bad.

Very Bad! Or cost the city alot of money in lawsuits!