Posted: 8/23/2007 11:18:58 PM EDT
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I live in Va and its legal to open carry here. With the hot weather I like to wear a nice short sleeve polo or t-shirt tucked in and a pair of kacki pants and then my glock 19 on my side in my Blackhawk Serpa holster. The other day there was a bad accident and I stopped to help, I am an EMT, and looking back I am wondering if that was the right thing to do. I never told anyone I was a police officer and never would, but looking back on everyones reaction I think they may have thought that. Whenever I am going to open carry I always dress nicer so I am perceved as less of a threat by common-folk (ripped up jeans and an old wife beater with a gun on your hip is not the look I am going for). I am wondering what everyones opinion is on stopping at an accident to help when OCing (and leaving my gun unattended/unsecured in my car is not an option in my opinion) and then also what does everyone think of OC in general? *I do have a Concealed Permit but like to goto sit-down resturants and always wear my shirt tucked in so a lot of times I just OC. |
| I'm an EMT as well and open carry from time to time. I understand that you don't want to be perceived as a cop, but people will fall back on their "training" and in this case they have been "trained" to believe that only cops OC guns. As long as you are not wearing something like a SWAT/POLICE t-shirt, CCW badge, etc., then you're not to blame for their misconceptions. |
Yes, the infamous piece snatching ninjas of doom I hear so much about. I wonder when I will finally meet those guys. 
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I suppose if someone has let the moment get to them and they are experiencing tunnel vision that's possible, but how is carrying during a medical emergency different than any other time? There is no reason for a bystander to get worked up; it isn't their emergency. I've never seen a person that was "excitable" stay in control of a scene very long. If a person has a problem with controlling their emotions, they need to stay away from the scene. We actually did have an accident last year where an app.50yoM had rolled his truck. While we were extricating him he was on the phone to his father telling him that he had been in an accident. Long story short, the guy was stable, but the extrication was somewhat long due to the position of the vehicle. The elderly father showed up on scene, and had a heart attack after he saw his son's truck. Now remember, his son was stable and in our ambulance, but the way the truck looked after rolling several times and being cut on was horrific. Not to mention the debris that was strung out where the vehicle had rolled. It was a sad situation, but the elderly man let his emotions get the best of him, and understandably so as he only had the destroyed truck for a frame of reference. |
The people that meet them never live to tell about it. |
Dun, dun, duhhhh!!!! (<--ominous music) |
shhh.... I think I hear one now....  ps. like your sig line, by the way. all of it.  |
| Thanks everyone, I am not worried about someone grabbing it, more of just a misunderstanding by bystanders and the police when they arrive on scene. I know it is legal and there is nothing they can do but I still like to use some good judgment when I am OCing. I really like the Serpa holster. It was suggested to me by a police officer who was looking at holsters the same time I was and I have now worn it a few times without any complaints. |
| open carry is an illogical choice. the presumption is you are a bad guy because you are not showing traditional creds. besides, advertising you are armed makes you the first one shot at just not sensible. there are tons of options to carry concealed; not a good reason not to. the occasional 'flash' may be noticed; but there is no reason for you to purposefully exit your vehicle on an accident scene openly carrying. it takes 2 seconds to remove your weapon and secure in your vehicle. why make everyone on scene (civvies and responders) nervous? and yes, I am a paramedic and cop. |
Case in point regarding why I changed my mind about becoming a police officer. I remember wanting to work for AFOSI since going to Slovakia with an OSI agent while still an A1C (E-3). His line of work looked and sounded great, and when the time came for me and the AF to part ways, I did it with the full intention of returning after I completed my degree. I changed my mind in my senior year of college because of something Dave (the OSI agent) had said five years earlier. He told me, "Nick, one of the worst parts of this job is what is does to you. You'll deal with the scum of the earth and after a while some people have trouble separating the real bad guys from everyone else." |
Don't scare the "sheeple" huh? I don't think the "civilians"  or responders will be worried about a pistol on my hip if I'm doing something like helping an accident victim.If they are, they really should look into a different line of work. |
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open carry is an illogical choice. the presumption is you are a bad guy because you are not showing traditional creds. besides, advertising you are armed makes you the first one shot at just not sensible. there are tons of options to carry concealed; not a good reason not to. the occasional 'flash' may be noticed; but there is no reason for you to purposefully exit your vehicle on an accident scene openly carrying. it takes 2 seconds to remove your weapon and secure in your vehicle. why make everyone on scene (civvies and responders) nervous? and yes, I am a paramedic and cop. I do not buy that, I have on more then one occation seen Police Officers (don't know if they were detectives or what) wearing suit pants a button-up shirt tie and a gun and NO Shield. The only way I knew they were cops is overhearing them talking to someone eles and referencing thier job. So does this mean you would shoot them first since they do not display traditional police credentials? |
You can't argue with people like that. He's been trained to think anyone with a gun is the enemy since he joined. It's sad, but that's why we have LEO's rather than peace officers. No offense intended to those officers who do go to work with the intent to serve and protect. |
Yep. After the first two sentences I was guessing he was a LEO before even reading where he said he was. They are trained to be that way, can't really hold it against him until their boot is at the back of your head. |
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My g/f lived in VA for a year and I never saw anyone open carry while I was down there, same was true for the 5 years she lived in TN an the year she was in PA. I suspect there are plenty of police who will "enforce community standards" ie arrest or hassle you over legal open carry because people complain about it and probably because they personally do not want anyone open carrying whether legal or not. (I suppose 50 years ago a black man out with a white woman publicly would have been hassled by the cops for the same reasons.). Personally it was never worth it for me to open carry there as spending a couple of hours each weekend arguing with the police is a pain in the ass. However good for you if you're willing to do it. I would guess someone could make a pretty good living off false arrest suits open carrying in parts of PA and VA. If there is a "man with a gun" call a lot of cops are going to arrive extremely frightened then become angry at you when they arrive. |
I have been open carrying now for 14 days straight. The only thing someone has said to me is "nice Glock". It was a gas station attendent who had a hat on that said "Team Glock", he then whipped out his G27. I asked him what his screen name was, all I got was a   . I have gotten plenty of looks though but that is it.
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I usually conceal carry but on occasion I have opened carried and no one has said a word to me. Mostly I don't think people have noticed. When I do OC it its usually for only a short time with little exposure to the public masses. I really prefer concealed carry. |
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I understand the potential good that open carry can have as far as letting people know you fully support the 2cnd ammendment and will not back down. Of course, since I started my response that way, there is going to be a "but"..... But, I do not see an advantage to open carry versus concealed carry. I would much rather have the "bad guy" be suprised than have him expect it. I also don't like to draw attention to myself, but that is just a personal preference, and although slightly related to open carry, it just seems like more harm can come from showing off your "gat" than is worth it. QUESTION? In regards to open carry, are there rules about whether or not the weapon can be loaded? I could see them saying, yes, you can open carry, but it cannot be loaded. |
| We're not allowed to OC here in SC so I CCW, but I would argue that a) seeing someone OC is a deterrent and decreases the chances of a crime and b) the majority of folks who see someone that is clean cut, nice clothes, shirt tucked in, gun on hip will just assume that someone is an LEO and not ask. |
Don't forget, in VA, you are required to open carry whenever you are in a restaurant (at least, any that sell alcohol, which is large percentage). Dumb law, I know, but that's how it is. And, yes, people do get harassed occasionally, but the VCDL has your back, if they do harass you. |
I generally never open carry on purpose, unless my shirt accidentally gets caught on the G19. But I have always had the same worry as you, as im an EMT, and if I see an accident I always generally stop and help. The problem being is that with any kind of encounter with law enforcement I am required in OH to let them know I am carrying. So if im actively working on a patient and LE shows up do I have to stop everything, tell them im a CHL, show them my card and the whole shebang? Hasnt happened yet but I know eventually it will. |
*shrug* "Officer, I have a CHL, I'll show it to you know if you like, but I'd prefer to wait until the patient is taken care of." Of course, I live in the South, I've stopped at an accident and had a small-town police chief tell me to go direct traffic for him. |
Yeah, thats what I figure, but im new to the whole CCW thing. |