Posted on 09/13/2013 5:17:26 AM PDT by rellimpank
Two men heading to Appleton's downtown farmers market with AR-15 rifles slung over their shoulders and handguns in holsters swiftly attracted the attention of police officers last weekend.
Now, they're attracting attention across the Internet, with some gun rights advocates expressing outrage that the pair were held at gunpoint and handcuffed, while others voice frustration at what they consider a foolish and dangerous stunt.
The men, Charles Branstrom, 27, and Ross Bauman, 22, ultimately were released without tickets or charges.
Branstrom recorded the confrontation with Appleton Police. About six minutes into the recording, one officer sees Branstrom's camera, confiscates it and attempts to turn it off — but stops only the video. The device continues recording audio for about 45 minutes.
Gun rights advocates think the police acted inappropriately.
"I would never blame police for following up on 'man with a gun' calls, but they still have to behave within the limits of the law and abide by people's constitutional rights," said Nik Clark, president of Wisconsin Carry, Inc., a gun rights group. "I believe the police were acting outside of their legal authority when they pointed guns at the individuals and involuntarily detained them."
Milwaukee's police chief ridiculed the pair.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
They held them for 46 trying to come up with charges. They double and treble checked their status and their firearms trying to come up with something illegal.
The officer went way beyond making sure what they were doing.
Deal with it. Stupidity can be had if they absolutely insist upon it, but it comes at a dear price, and it doesn't live long.
One reason Our Founders left us Our Guns is so we can resist Gummint encroaching on our rights. Another is so we can effectively rid society of mouth-breathing malcontents. Yet another is so we can annhialate any force that might try to rise up against us... like some boobs who don't know the Law, or when to keep their "Obamas" in their pants.
One last word... I'll be aiming for their groins. Those who survive will truly wish they hadn't.
Suck on THAT one, me Teddy-bill boyo.
Aaaaarrrrggghhhhhhh!
;-\
Didn’t the Wisconsin rule that open carry of firearms was constitutional?
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.
“This ain’t going on on YouTube!”
How wrong he was. LOL!
/johnny
I just wonder how much he is getting the pariah treatment by his buddies for bumbling it!
It was good knowing you, gargantuan.
Is your future-widow provided for?
“I’m only going to say this once... if, while legally carrying my loaded sidearm, anyone threw down on me with a drawn piece—and I do mean anyone, including poorly trained, statutorily-ignorant Lawficers responding to some hormonal public outcry—well, they’d be stacked down at the Coroner’s like so much cordwood come morning, their lifeless coconuts bouncing off the sidewalks before they even finish clearing leather.”
Yeah, get back to us on that...because you would be the first to make it happen.
This appears to be an emotional issue with you, but speaking on “poorly trained”, you should know that the person behind the eight ball on “drawing” is usually the one that gets shot down.
You want to go down in a hail of bullets, and be called a fool at the same time, keep living the fantasy for as long as you can.
So, assuming you’re acting in a completely lawful manner, you would have no objections if a police officer cuffed you and/or drew and pointed his service weapon at you?
Rifles at Farmer’s Market ping
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list
“answered questions, stood on solid ground, were not disrespectful”
I only listened to the first few minutes of the video but also noticed their cool, calm demeanor...not an ounce of sarcasm, anger or derision towards the cops. Very low-key. Good for them.
Ping for later viewing.
I also have a problem with the cops confiscating the camera. It’s not illegal to have a camera. They shouldn’t touch it.
Only an idiot would be against these two patriots, it’s people like them that keep us free. What should happen next it 10,000 armed citizens should go to that same market this weekend....
Turning off the recording device = “we’re going to do something we know is wrong”.
No other interpretation, LEOs. If you’re not violating rights, you have nothing to fear from a video camera.
I vote foolish and dangerous stunt, given the mass killings of recent years.
If I'm a police officer and I'm responding to a call about a man with a gun then I'm going to pull on you until I can be sure you're not a threat to me. And why should anyone expect the police to act otherwise?
Foolish and dangerous to lawfully exersize one's rights... ok.
/johnny
“Scary times we live in. 30 years ago, where I grew up, two men carrying guns wouldn’t have been given a second look. Unless the cop wanted to admire what they were carrying.”
I remember trucks in my high school parking lot with rifles in the gun rack.
Yeah, foolish to make a spectacle and cause folks in public places to fear you. But then you wouldn’t think of that, would you?
I think it is kind of neat that these two acted like men. It’s good to see that - twentysomethings acting like adults.
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