Encounter with Hancock county Sherriff while open carrying

[93sr20det]

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Yesturday I was out in the buffer zone north of Stennis Space Center near Picayune (a place I grew up shooting) and I was confronted by a Sherriff. I was shooting in a old gravel pit and he came around the corner with his gun drawn and ordered me to drop my weapon and walk towards him. Once he figured out I was just shooting and not some "crazed body dumping criminal from New Orleans" he was pretty cool with the whole situation. He just informed me that the land had been purchased by the Navy and was used for Seal training. He even told us places we could go shoot in the buffer zone and told us we were lucky we did not run into the seals because they are alot more assholes about being out there.

 

[mark edward marchiafava]

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That was an excellent opportunity to ask if open carry was legal.

 

[93sr20det]

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He didnt seem to mind.... of course could have been the area too..

 

[mark edward marchiafava]

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Here's what I ALWAYS do in such situations. I ASK if open carry is legal. I ASK what law am I violating. Put the ball in HIS court. Since most MS "law enforcement" don't know what their state constitution reads, you could have taught him something about the law nobody has taken the time to instruct him on.

I'd much rather depend on the written rule of law than "he didn't seem to mind."

 

[IdahoCorsair]

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Why ask? We all know LEOs generally aren't the ones to ask, since they don't know.

Also, it didn't seem the guy was anti from the story... just a bit paranoid that everyone shooting must be a "crazed body dumping criminal from New Orleans."

It seems that after his initial paranoid over-reaction that he was cool about guns (telling places to shoot).

 

[mark edward marchiafava]

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"Why ask?" You answered your own question when you stated "since they don't know." You are correct, usually they DON'T know. This presents an EXCELLENT opportunity to TEACH them. While in Mississippi, I ASK them, "do you have a copy of the Mississippi state constitution?" To date, not one of them has. So, I show them MY copy. I let them READ FOR THEMSELVES article 3 sec 12. It's always an eye-opening experience for them. While they might not AGREE with it, they do LEARN something they cannot deny. Try it yourself !!!

 

[IdahoCorsair]

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I guess I was thinking that asking implied letting them espouse their "view" on the law rather than telling you the law... as you put it... OF COURSE it's a good idea to "ask." Nice way of introducing the law to them!

 

[Pa. Patriot]

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Additionally, the confrontation was over the fact that the OP was shooting, not OC. Seems if the sherif had a problem with the OC he would have mentioned it, no?

 

[MedicineMan]

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OP was within the law as he was "engaged in legitimate shooting sport".

OC "in the woods" is not the same as OC in town.