[ol' hoghead]

As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public.

[Lurker]

As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public.

And as a member of the public, I have the right to protect myself from you should you ever intentionally violate my rights.

See US v. Cruikshank.

Have a pleasant day, Officer.

L

[piytar]

As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public.

So it's your position that you have the right to draw down on a bank security guard just because he is carrying openly? Or a regular Joe doing the same? How about a 14 year old in a field who is deer or duck hunting?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, I REALLY hope that you aren't a police officer in Ohio, because if you are, you are a walking lawsuit and/or tragedy waiting to happen...

[thecabal]

However, the courts have ruled that you are under no obligation to protect me as a member of the public.

[Poser]

“As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public.”

True. What exactly in this article leads you to believe the officer needed to protect himself from the citizen?

[BIGLOOK]

When I was a kid in upstate NY, I hunted woodchucks for farmers in the summer and hunted game in the fall. When out and short of shells, I'd head off to the store on the highway for more. The rule was unloaded and breech open when carrying on the roadways. If a State Trooper or County Sheriff saw me on the road or at the store, he might check me out but most times they knew me and passed on by. Holstered handguns could also be worn if not concealed without drawing much attention as long as the paperwork was ok.

[Grunthor]

“As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public.”

How is a man carrying openly, not hiding his weapon, any threat to you or anyone else?

[BwanaNdege]

As members of the public do we have the right to protect ourselves from police officers?

Consider the recent instances of motorists being TASERed during a routine traffic stop, SWAT teams kicking in the wrong door in the middle of the night, etc?

(Full disclosure here: I am a “Law & Order” type of guy, USMC veteran with a totally clean police record. However, someone comes kicking down my door in the middle of the night, shouting rapid-fire, unintelligible commands then I may just react before fully identifying the speaker.)

As to the subject of this post, if it is PERFECTLY LEGAL to openly carry a firearm, then why the “Up against the wall, redneck” treatment?

[School of Rational Thought]

As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public. But if we remain focussed on what is written in this case, and if you are commenting on this situation, what suggests that the officer was threatened? If you see a car on the street, do you expect it be driven at you? Would you stop and frisk someone at a barbecue because they were holding a knife? How does the public measure an officer's fear, especially when minding one's own business?

[American_Centurion]

As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public.

Typical worried about himself above EVERYONE else, rights-be-damned, US LEO.

I'm NOT impressed, slick.

[purpleraine]

For example, you’re patrolling downtown and you see a guy with a gun in his belt. He walks out of a store and get’s in a truck and starts to back out. What action would you take to “protect yourself?”

[SampleMan]

As a police officer, we also have the right to protect ourselves from the public.

As free citizens of the United States of America, we also have the right to protect ourselves from police acting outside of the confines of the law.

Police have no right to disarm citizens before talking to them without any probable cause.