ROBERT DICKEN’S STORY

Here is a summary of the event that Robert sent me:

On 10/15/14 at about 5:30 pm,  I stopped at a 7-11 for some coffee in the skyline area of Fairfax.

Like every other day when I'm off work, I had hopped on my motorcycle for a short ride . Being an open carry proponent, I didn't think twice about putting on my every-day-carry pistol.

After leaving the 7-11, I went to the Verizon store for some quick shopping. Both stores are within five miles of my home. Chores done, I decided to go for a nice ride around the block.

What's that Fairfax County officer looking at me like that for? Damn he's going to pull me over! Yep… Lights, boop boop. Sigh.  

Now I'm thinking that I've got my pistol on me and I’m asking myself how I would feel if I were an officer pulling over someone who was armed?  [PVC:  That is called “empathy,” something that normal, law-abiding people have, but violent criminals lack.]

Ok, turn the bike off, straddle the bike, interlock your hands on your head, and be calm.  [PVC:  Doing these steps calmly and slowly probably helped send a clear signal to the SIX responding officers in FOUR patrol cars that Robert was not a threat.]

As the officer gets out of his car, three other cars show up.

Wow, what did I do?

I let the first officer know that I have a firearm on my side. He says, "I know.”  I did not move an inch!

To my surprise not one of the at least six police officers have a weapon pointed at me.  [PVC:  Hats off to FCPD for their professional handling of this situation!  Robert’s life was not unnecessarily endangered during the stop by the police pointing their guns at him.]

The officer walks up behind me and asks if he can take the weapon from my holster.  “Yes, sir,” I replied.    

"Do you have any other weapons on you, sir?”

“Yes, sir, a knife in my pocket.”

"Ok I'm going to hold onto that also.”

“Yes, sir.  Why did you stop me?”

"I will get to that in a minute.”  [PVC:  Robert wisely decides to temporarily let the issue drop at this point.]

As I’m being frisked, I’m still not moving and am keeping my hands on my head.

"Sir, can I put my hands down now?,” I asked when the frisking was concluded.

“Yes, you can stand at ease.”

At this point I ask the officer what is going on.

“Well, we had a person call from 7-11 and they stated that a white guy on a motorcycle robbed the place.”

I laughed nervously and told the officer that I left a 7-11 30 minutes ago, but that I didn't rob the place!  [PVC:  This is where an attorney might advise the client to stop talking to the police for fear of saying something innocent that ends up getting misinterpreted.  To do so properly, you must verbally indicate you are invoking the Fifth Amendment and stop talking.  In this case it’s hard to argue with success, but one should be very, very cautious.]

I'm getting kind of angry now. I've heard of anti-gun people saying that they will call the police if they see an open carrier and make up some story to get the police to respond in a forceful manner.  

Wow, I could have been killed!  

Ten minutes later I'm on my way. With the police "checking the sanity of the caller.”

I put a call into the police station the following Monday and sent a email thanking FCPD for being very professional.


VCDL GETS INVOLVED

After learning of the event during a phone call from Robert, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request with Fairfax County and quickly got a copy of the 911 recording.  The name and phone number of the person who called were redacted from the recording.

I also talked to a Lieutenant with the Fairfax County Police Department about  the incident.  During the conversation I emphasized that VCDL takes SWATTING against a gun owner extremely seriously, especially where false claims that the gun owner committed a violent crime could lead to the gun owner being seriously hurt or even killed by responding officers.

The Lieutenant said he shared VCDL's concerns about SWATTING and said that FCPD takes such things seriously and would prosecute someone who FCPD can show did it maliciously.

The problem, I was told, is that the particular person who made the call is familiar to FCPD, as he has made other false calls before.  But he has never done them against a citizen, he said.  (I don’t know who the previous false calls were against.  Perhaps against some police officers?)  FCPD is concerned that he has mental health issues, and, if so, they won’t be able to prove intent.


ZERO TOLERANCE FOR MALICE

When malicious intent is there, VCDL will encourage the police to prosecute the offender to the full extent of the law and we will encourage the victim to go after the offender civilly as well.  It will be OUR turn to do some “swatting” of our own in court.


911 RECORDING

Here is a link to the 911 recording.  Somebody with a loose screw?  On drugs or alcohol?  A malicious anti, as he firmly states at one point that Robert took all the cash from the register?  Or just delusional? http://tinyurl.com/lso8nlt

I think it should be shared with those who aren't on the mailing list.

Quoted:
If the caller really is nuts/crazy/whatever, he may have actually believed the place had been robbed. No one is going to waste time trying to prosecute something like that.

Quoted:


No joke, the guy really did walk into the 7-11.  



But he was open carrying.  And got swatted.  You guys see that VCDL blast?  I couldn't make it to the meeting.



Part of the story I found odd was the cops pulled him over on his motorcycle and the FIRST thing he does is "put both hands on his helmet and interlock his fingers"?  Seriously?  Like a common criminal?  I'd simply keep my hands on the handle bars and wait further instructions.  I'm not a crook and won't pretend to act like one in advance.



I won't let anything dissuade me from doing anything I want that is within the law (open carry), but I'm starting to think I should just concealed carry and get the jump on the perps, as Hawaii 5-0 would say.  I don't need this kind of headache.  And before you say "this is how the anti's win", I'm just stating my opinion that *I* don't need this kind of headache.



Discuss.

Quoted:

Perhaps he didn't want to give off the impression that he was going to try and take off on his motorcycle?  Maybe if that was his though process he could have just removed his helmet.

Quoted:


The guy calling-in sounds more like he does not know what he is talking about.  All he called in to report was a robbery and the 911 operator practically fed him everything else.



Did he point the gun at the clerk...yep!

You saw him take the cash out of the register...yea he took everything!



He should have been asked generically as to how he knew it was a robbery as well as how  he knew it was a 9mm.

Quoted:
Good info there. Since we're not in GD, I guess we can have a rational conversation here?

I feel bad for police on this issue. On the one hand, they know they have to respect the rights of firearms owners/carriers. VCDL, from what I can tell, has made a point of being very vocal and pro-active.

On the other hand, can you imagine the shit storm if they simply ignored reports of a robbery or "guy walking around with a gun," and it turned out to be something heinous?

Also, the way the guy handled being stopped by the police is a good example to follow. It might be hard, but you have to keep a calm head on you and simply comply.

Quoted:
On the other hand, can you imagine the shit storm if they simply ignored reports of a robbery or "guy walking around with a gun,"

Quoted:
My thought too.  I'd bet the dispatcher told the cops "caller sounds like a nut bag." Still, cops are sorta obligated to check, and seemed to handle the whole thing well.