''Solo open-carry in Ohio - a 3-cop encounter''

The following note has been posted to the GlockTalk.com discussion list. The writer experienced the following in Northeast Ohio:

Took the dog for a walk again today [while openly carrying a loaded firearm, per Supreme Court ruling & current Ohio law]. Was about 150 ft. from the end of the walk at the car lot next to my parents house when a police car with lights on pulls up in front of me. I knew instantly what it was about.

As I approached, he asked why I had a gun. I said because I can open carry
in Ohio. He said no, that it wasn't legal in Ohio. I insisted that it was and referenced Klein vs. Leis and that the Supreme Court ruled I can. He asked to take possession of the weapon and I allowed him to so he would relax.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Within about a minute two other cars arrived boxing me and the dog in. The third officer to arrive knew about the court case. After a minute talking and citing the case and that it basically let me carry and that it wasn't inducing panic. He said he was just waiting until someone tested it out locally. They ran my ID and the serial number on the Glock. While I was talking to the third officer the first was looking real closely at my carry ammo.

When all my info came back clean they had a little pow-wow. I talked to a kid that was doing a ride along with the first officer. They came back, handed me back my gun and ammo, the first officer suggested I practice my civil rights in a different way, which I quickly dismissed and told them that if they thought is was necessary I would carry the gun more conspicously. They had suggested that it was possible that my jacket might blow over my gun and then it would be concealed. I reloaded the gun and placed it back in the holster.

The third officer said it was becoming more common and that he knew about the walk in Cincy, and that there was going to be one in Youngstown. I then told them goodby and to have a safe day. The third officer said " good job, that took balls man". I again said goodby and went home.

The second officer didn't say much at all. He was a township cop and seemed to just be backing up the other two.

The only thing I found wierd is that the first officer never patted me down. He took my gun and then they all proceded to turn their backs on me and talk. If I was a threat I would have thought he would pat me down.

They asked me if I was going home so that they wouldn't get any more calls. I stayed really calm the whole time and the dog seemed to be pretty relaxed too - he usually tries to jump up on people but he really just laid down when I told him too.

My family got a good laugh that people were calling the cops because an armed man was walking a little dog around town.