From The Citizens Voice:
A simmering issue over the right to openly bear arms in public made its way to Wilkes-Barre this weekend.
Police stopped a New Jersey man with a gun in a holster on his hip around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Sherman and South streets.
Upon questioning the man, police seized his gun and took it to headquarters. He was then free to go and wasn’t charged.
Officers took the gun because initial reports were the man had the gun in his hand and “proper ownership of the weapon could not be established,” the city said in a press release Tuesday. The gun will remain in police custody until ownership is established, the release said.
A dozen members of a gun rights group brought this “open carry” issue to the forefront last month by openly carrying their guns into dinner at a Dickson City restaurant. The group is criticizing Wilkes-Barre police’s actions.
“They had no lawful right to seize his property. There is no more reason to establish ownership of a handgun than it is for your cell phone,” said Mike Stollenwerk, co-founder of OpenCarry.org. “We now have two instances in the same region of Pennsylvania in which police think they could confiscate guns under this color of proving ownership.”
In the aftermath of the Dickson City case, Lackawanna County District Attorney Andy Jarbola said, in general, people have a right to openly carry a weapon without having to show identification or a permit.
Police officials and attorneys at the time noted police could not confiscate someone’s gun to check ownership without reasonable suspicion.
The “open carry” movement is apparently gaining popularity nationwide. The Los Angeles Times last week published a comprehensive story about the growing movement, noting it is legal, but often frowned upon by police.
The owner of this humble blog open carries his handgun every time he leaves his house unless a specific situation demands the more discreet concealed carry.
bear arms, Wilkes-Barre, gun, open carry
