According to various studies, statistics, and polls, about two-thirds of law enforcement officers support the idea that "the right of the people, to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Today, I ran into two officers who apparently come from the minority camp, who treated me as poorly as they could without actually placing me under arrest. The Brazos County Courthouse was upgraded to a high-security facility for the trial of the infamous "Jasper dragging" murderers (who got off easy with the death sentence, in my opinion), and for some reason, security has been high there ever since. It's one of the only places in town, other than the airport, with a metal detector at the door, and it has the "30.06" lettering, regarding concealed weapons, in huge lettering on all the doors. Anyway, these "officers" got me pretty steamed, so I wrote a letter. Maybe you can use it if you're ever exposed to this sort of treatment yourself.
Deputy Sheriff Mann,
This afternoon, I received incredibly poor treatment from the officers in charge of security at the main entrance of the County Courthouse. I am licensed to carry a concealed handgun, and I am very cautious about where I leave my weapon—I have a four-year-old son at home who is very interested in “daddy’s gun,” and that alone keeps me on my toes. I recently purchased a mini-SUV that does not (yet) offer a secure storage location for my firearm, so I have reservations about leaving my handgun in this vehicle. On the rare occasions when I have had business to conduct at the Courthouse, I have carried my handgun (concealed) up to the building, motioned for assistance from one of the officers on duty, and requested permission to check my handgun with them before entering the building. On at least two previous occasions, this was allowed, and there was no indication that this practice was against policy or illegal in any way. I am a law-abiding citizen, and my intention in doing this was purely out of a concern about leaving my handgun in an insecure location; had I any notion that I was creating a problem for the officers, legally or otherwise, I would not have done it.
Today, however, I went to the Courthouse at about 2:45 PM to file some paperwork with the County Clerk, and when I requested permission (from outside the building) to check my handgun, the officer on duty—a young man, dark haired, with a mustache—frowned and commanded, “Leave it in your car.” I did so, without asking any questions; I recognized that he was alone at the scanner, and assumed that he didn’t want to leave his post.
When I returned, the officer on duty began to berate me about bringing my handgun up to the building, telling me that “I should know better” and that I could lose my CHL because of it. I reminded him that I had been allowed to check my handgun in the past, and that I had assumed that he would rather have control over my handgun rather than having it out in the parking lot, and that I had broken no laws. None of this seemed to matter to him, and he continued to lecture me. When he finally had to turn his attention to another citizen who was entering the building, I presumed he was finished with me, and so I went on about my business with the County Clerk.
On my way out of the Courthouse, the officer had been joined by an older officer, who blocked my path and demanded to see my CHL. I produced it for him. He handed my CHL to the younger officer, and while the younger officer wrote down my information, the older officer began to berate me in much the same fashion as the other officer had earlier. I made the same comments to him that I had made to the other officer, but he was apparently determined to teach me a lesson of some sort (though I can hardly imagine what), and threatened to “call the licensing office” if he ever saw me at the front door again. By this time, I was fairly upset myself, having been treated like a criminal and berated by two men who doubtless know the law better than I, and thus knew that I had committed no crime! I informed the officer that he was welcome to contact the licensing office, because I had broken no law. He became even more agitated, and (thankfully) walked away, muttering under his breath. Once the other officer returned my CHL to me, I left the premises.
Mr. Mann, I truly do appreciate the unique challenges of the law enforcement profession; I count among my close friends members of almost every local law enforcement agency, including yours. I realize that the men guarding the Courthouse door are doing a difficult job that is most likely boring at best, perhaps even demeaning at times, and they’re doing their best to maintain a secure environment for the County personnel and citizenry within the building. However, this afternoon I was harassed and intimidated, seemingly at the personal whim of these officers. I can only assume that it has something to do with the fact that I carry a handgun. Good people can certainly differ in their opinions about an armed citizenry, but those opinions should never carry over into a law enforcement officer’s official duties. If I was breaking the law, then they were derelict in their duties for not arresting me. If I was not breaking the law, then they had no business treating me as they did. I hope and pray that no other citizen will ever have to experience the fear, humiliation, and agitation that I endured today at the hands of these officers.
Respectfully,
Jon
(Update: I received a very friendly letter of response from the Deputy Sheriff, informing me that he too was distressed by the treatment I had endured, that the Sheriff was a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, and that the officers at the main entrance were not, in fact, supposed to hold weapons for anyone. I still maintain that if the County is going to disarm people at the entrance, then they should provide some sort of accommodation for securing weapons, but that is another battle for another day. Feel free to take it up yourself.)
Posted by jon at May 7, 2003 06:01 PM