DWCook
Activist Member
I haven't posted in a long time and figure I post my experience while I was open carrying down in West Port. Now I was down there for the food trucks and looking for a friend of mine who needed a ride home, not to cause any kind of a issue. Anyways as thinking it's been sometime since folks have seen others open carry in the Missouri area I thought most would be used to it by now, or at least out of the over reactive stage. I walked around the main strip where most of the bars are located. I got some looks and people were wondering obviously why I had a firearm on me. Nobody seemed to care except for a intoxicated female who started spouting out at me questioning why I was carrying. After she said her words, her boyfriend came up to me and apologized and told me nice piece and excellent holster. He shook my hand thanking me for open carrying and pursuing it to be a norm in society. It was refreshing knowing someone was thinking logically and had an open view. It soon turned into me having a group conversation with six people outside of Kelly's bar, we were talking about which caliber we all preferred, and our views when it comes to people over reacting about seeing a sidearm holstered on someone. Now none of these folks were military or vets, just regular people who seem to keep up on the news and kept an open view.
Soon after all of us broke the group up to go our separate ways, I walked down the street towards burrito joint to get back to my car. A minute after I get a KCPD car with his lights on flashing me down and the officer got out to approach me. He first immediately asked why I was carrying and why here, I explained to him I've always carried and preferred open carrying than conceal. Told the officer I was down here for the food trucks and originally was picking up a friend who needed a ride home. I spoke with the officer that I understood why I was in the spot light as I understood some folks aren't comfortable with seeing someone not in uniform carrying a sidearm. The officer told me it is rare to see anyone down in this part of town carrying a sidearm openly. I notified him I was a prior vet in the Air Force, and I used to do Government contract work as an armed officer. After our short talk the officer became comfortable and we started talking about different holsters and such. He complimented me about my Safari Land Holster I recently purchased and said it was an excellent and secured holster for open carry. As to find out, it was the same holster that this particular officer was using too.
We joked around a bit and openly spoke about the current issue of people being uncomfortable with regulars openly carrying a loaded firearm. We also spoke about the campus carry that will be allowed starting mid next year. After a while the officer and I parted ways and he told me he notified all of the officers around the area to expect to see me carrying my sidearm on me. Now here is the excellent part, officer did not ask for my I.D. but I would have given it to him without an issue. He didn't request to hold my firearm from me and using the "officer safety" as an excuse to detain my firearm. I was wearing a nice pair of jeans, nice fitted shirt, and excellent daily walking boots as my attire, I feel my appearance with my clothes and my high and tight haircut a long with my straight forward cooperation and willing to talk made him extremely comfortable without having to be on alert or suspicious of anything.
Folks this is how any encounter should be and how you should act when anyone such as law enforcement approaches you about your firearm. No need to get up in arms and start spouting out it's my right and screaming "are you detaining me" type of rants. Sorry for the long post and most likely has some grammar errors in it without a doubt, but this encounter made me feel good about how law enforcement is becoming accustomed to seeing folks carrying openly.
Soon after all of us broke the group up to go our separate ways, I walked down the street towards burrito joint to get back to my car. A minute after I get a KCPD car with his lights on flashing me down and the officer got out to approach me. He first immediately asked why I was carrying and why here, I explained to him I've always carried and preferred open carrying than conceal. Told the officer I was down here for the food trucks and originally was picking up a friend who needed a ride home. I spoke with the officer that I understood why I was in the spot light as I understood some folks aren't comfortable with seeing someone not in uniform carrying a sidearm. The officer told me it is rare to see anyone down in this part of town carrying a sidearm openly. I notified him I was a prior vet in the Air Force, and I used to do Government contract work as an armed officer. After our short talk the officer became comfortable and we started talking about different holsters and such. He complimented me about my Safari Land Holster I recently purchased and said it was an excellent and secured holster for open carry. As to find out, it was the same holster that this particular officer was using too.
We joked around a bit and openly spoke about the current issue of people being uncomfortable with regulars openly carrying a loaded firearm. We also spoke about the campus carry that will be allowed starting mid next year. After a while the officer and I parted ways and he told me he notified all of the officers around the area to expect to see me carrying my sidearm on me. Now here is the excellent part, officer did not ask for my I.D. but I would have given it to him without an issue. He didn't request to hold my firearm from me and using the "officer safety" as an excuse to detain my firearm. I was wearing a nice pair of jeans, nice fitted shirt, and excellent daily walking boots as my attire, I feel my appearance with my clothes and my high and tight haircut a long with my straight forward cooperation and willing to talk made him extremely comfortable without having to be on alert or suspicious of anything.
Folks this is how any encounter should be and how you should act when anyone such as law enforcement approaches you about your firearm. No need to get up in arms and start spouting out it's my right and screaming "are you detaining me" type of rants. Sorry for the long post and most likely has some grammar errors in it without a doubt, but this encounter made me feel good about how law enforcement is becoming accustomed to seeing folks carrying openly.