# Idiot ( open carry )
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037
**Category:** PittSpeed Off Topic
**Created:** [June 21, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037 "2009-06-21T00:00:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Shaggy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shaggy)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/1 "2009-06-21T00:00:39Z")
**Moon Township man says police stop over gun was unjust**
```
By Tom Fontaine, Times Staff
Published: Saturday, June 20, 2009 11:32 PM EDT
MOON TWP. — A Moon Township man feels he was unjustly stopped by Moon police for openly carrying a holstered 9mm handgun on his hip while walking in the township Monday night.
```
“I open-carry almost everywhere I go, and I’ve never had this problem before, not once. The thing is, open-carrying isn’t a crime in and of itself,” said 21-year-old Eric McElearney.
McElearney is right, according to Moon Police Chief Leo McCarthy. Aside from a few exceptions, it’s legal to openly carry a registered firearm in Pennsylvania and no special permit is required to do so, as one is to carry a concealed weapon.
But McCarthy said McElearney’s account of what happened when police stopped and questioned him Monday night, which he posted on the message-board Web site Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association, was “grossly inaccurate, and I take exception to it.”
**McELEARNEY’S ACCOUNT**
According to the Web posting, which had generated 40 pages of comments as of Friday afternoon, McElearney was openly carrying a handgun while out for a walk around 10 p.m. Monday when “all of the sudden I have headlights blazing all around me.”
McElearney said he was surrounded by a dozen officers in six police cars, and eight officers pointed their guns at him after he was ordered to place his hands against a nearby tree. He said officers then disarmed him, frisked him and ran his name through a police database before ultimately returning his weapon and letting him go on his way.
When contacted Thursday, McElearney, who wasn’t cited in the incident, said he shouldn’t have been stopped by police because he “wasn’t doing anything wrong.” He would not say whether he intended to file a complaint against the department or sue.
**DEPARTMENT’S ACCOUNT**
McCarthy agreed that McElearney didn’t break the law, but he did not agree with McElearney’s story.
McCarthy said only five officers were working Monday night; two of them handled the McElearney stop, and the three others drove up to the scene as McElearney was walking away. He also said Moon officers travel alone in their cruisers, so there couldn’t have been a dozen officers in six cruisers.
“He’s got a real math problem or a real observation problem,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy also felt the stop was justified.
According to the report by officer Jonathan Fry, police received a call about a man carrying a gun in the area of Riders Way. When Fry saw McElearney, he was walking along Beaver Grade Road, near Lozer Road.
“As my headlights illuminated him further, I could clearly see a firearm holstered to the right side of his waistband area. Upon seeing me, (McElearney’s) pace quickened and he made an immediate left onto Lozer Drive, shielding his right side from my vision,” the report said.
“I shined my patrol car’s spotlight on him in order to see him clearly. (McElearney) did not turn around or react in any way … other than to increase his walking speed even more,” the report said.
Police said a quick background check showed McElearney’s gun was registered to him and he had a valid concealed-weapons permit. McElearney said he prefers to openly carry his gun “because of comfort and ease of access if I ever needed to access it.”
McCarthy said McElearney’s “furtive movements,” and the time of night, prompted police to stop him.
“You know what kind of society we live in these days. Almost every single week in Moon Township, we take illegal firearms off individuals. Moon Township is a great place, but it’s not Mayberry. We don’t know who we’re dealing with. I think we responded prudently. … we only briefly took his weapon off him,” McCarthy said.
“Did (McElearney) commit a crime? No. Could he sue and win? Yes, he could. But I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by six. We didn’t mean this man any harm, and I don’t have any problem with people exercising their rights. But I’d like to see them exercise some common sense and honesty, too,” McCarthy said.
Tom Fontaine can be reached online at [tfontaine@timesonline.com](mailto:tfontaine@timesonline.com).
**OPEN-CARRY LAW**
In Pennsylvania, people 18 and older who aren’t prohibited from owning firearms are allowed to openly carry a handgun without a concealed-weapons permit except in vehicles, first-class cities and where prohibited specifically by law, such as court facilities, federal buildings, schools and airport terminals. Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s only first-class city.
Private property owners or businesses have the right to prohibit open carrying of guns.
First person I’d shoot is the open carry guy 🤣 :rolleyes:
---
### Author:  [@Lazylaser](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Lazylaser)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/2 "2009-06-21T00:05:42Z")
I’ve read worse, Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association is a good source for info, but some of those guys have a good imagination and not much better to do.
Nothing wrong with open carry but you best believe that you will be questioned.
---
### Author:  [@Shaggy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shaggy)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/3 "2009-06-21T00:31:20Z")
He got attention, now pissed. Dumbass looking for trouble.
He will learn some place gets robbed, he will be the victim.
---
### Author:  [@BigMack\_Srt8](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BigMack_Srt8)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/4 "2009-06-21T04:31:56Z")
im friends with a couple policemen and if you ask them about open carry they all get squeamish. Police don’t like it so why bring attention to yourself by doing it? Yes its legal, but so is your right to freedom of speech . Your not going to repeatedly yell out the “N” word in compton when your as white as this dude.
---
### Author:  [@Shaggy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shaggy)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 5:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/5 "2009-06-21T05:57:39Z")
Well will never know what a officer 100% thinks of this BS. Until put on the belt/badge/boots/uniform.
the guy is a attention whore. who the hell wants to be noticed carrying a gun :rolleyes:
seems like a easy target
---
### Author:  [@green](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/green)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/6 "2009-06-21T07:09:51Z")
If I do carry which isn’t very often anymore I always keep it concealed. Why advertise? in a hold up or robbery your more likely to get shot or have your gun taken from you if its open carry
Ohhhh Im 21 I can carry a gun ohhhhh what a dipshit
---
### Author:  [@Sinner6.0L](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sinner6.0L)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/7 "2009-06-21T18:39:58Z")
i don’t disagree with open carry but i also choose not to do it for several reasons…primarily because of what started this whole situation.
someone called the cops on someone else legally carrying a gun. the media has gotten a large number of individuals to believe that guns = crime.
---
### Author:  [@4doors5gears](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/4doors5gears)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/8 "2009-06-21T22:47:35Z")
---
### Author:  [@Lazylaser](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Lazylaser)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/9 "2009-06-22T02:29:46Z")
[ame=“[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC03hmS1Brk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC03hmS1Brk)”]YouTube - I Kill People[/ame]
---
### Author:  [@thebaron](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/thebaron)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 6:25am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/10 "2009-06-22T06:25:03Z")
I would not be surprised if cops from other areas responded and they are not included in the cops report, since they love a donut party!
---
### Author:  [@Darkstar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Darkstar)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 6:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/11 "2009-06-22T06:33:12Z")
This is a shitty situation. Most of the times this shit happens over open carry, someone calls in about it, cops get the call as a “man with a gun”. So they have to respond, even though the man with the gun is committing no crime. The 2nd amendment wackos (not the reasonable, logical proponents of it) then get all pissy for even having the cops say something to them about it.
IF you want to open carry, you’re going to have to expect some attention. The moral of the story is the cops showed up, investigated, determined all was well and then left him to go on his way…
---
### Author:  [@77rednecktruck](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/77rednecktruck)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 8:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/12 "2009-06-22T08:22:45Z")
> [@STI Humpers Unite!](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sti-humpers-unite/38852/44):
>
> This is a shitty situation. Most of the times this shit happens over open carry, someone calls in about it, cops get the call as a “man with a gun”. So they have to respond, even though the man with the gun is committing no crime. The 2nd amendment wackos (not the reasonable, logical proponents of it) then get all pissy for even having the cops say something to them about it.
>
> IF you want to open carry, you’re going to have to expect some attention. The moral of the story is the cops showed up, investigated, determined all was well and then left him to go on his way…
x2
no harm no foul
If the cops pressed charges or something else then it would be an issue.
---
### Author:  [@kilmer420](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/kilmer420)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 8:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/13 "2009-06-22T08:42:31Z")
[quote=]
no harm no foul
If the cops rodney kinged him or something else then it would be an issue.[/quote]
---
### Author:  [@BeastMode](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BeastMode)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/14 "2009-06-22T09:15:05Z")
God this kid has been so fuckin emo for as long as I can remember
---
### Author:  [@Swarzkopf](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Swarzkopf)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/15 "2009-06-22T13:22:02Z")
> This is a shitty situation. Most of the times this shit happens over open carry, someone calls in about it, cops get the call as a “man with a gun”. So they have to respond, even though the man with the gun is committing no crime. The 2nd amendment wackos (not the reasonable, logical proponents of it) then get all pissy for even having the cops say something to them about it.
>
> IF you want to open carry, you’re going to have to expect some attention. The moral of the story is the cops showed up, investigated, determined all was well and then left him to go on his way…
Good post.
---
### Author:  [@PurpleMongoose](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PurpleMongoose)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/16 "2009-06-22T21:03:40Z")
Legal? Yes.
Smart? No.
Why bring attention to yourself, unless you’re seeking attention?
---
### Author:  [@forealfreal2001](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/forealfreal2001)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/17 "2009-06-23T17:39:17Z")
as a ltcf holder i totally agree with all of the above said. its legal but you call attention to yourself. Ive OC’d a couple of times and ive gotten looks and asked if i was a cop or not. But in all seriousness just keep it covered up until the SHTF and you wont have an issue.
---
### Author:  [@NDA8001](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/NDA8001)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/18 "2009-06-23T19:40:38Z")
I have a permit in p.a. and in Utah which is good in 33 other states and you will never know if I’ll armed until it’s too late. The forst rule of carrying is don’t show it unless you are goning to use it and shoot to kill dead men can’t sue your ass.
---
### Author:  [@OLDS\_ROCKETMAN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/OLDS_ROCKETMAN)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/19 "2009-06-23T20:17:13Z")
i drive a black gbody with black windows, chrome wheels and a stereo… i know what the police are gonna think… if they pull me my stuff always comes back on the up and up and i go on my way. is it right, no but i understand.
---
### Author:  [@fmfkid250](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fmfkid250)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037/20 "2009-06-23T20:28:13Z")
Ehh…
The police can charge you with insiting a riot or some shit if you open carry.
I am all for an open carry.
[Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/idiot-open-carry/203037.md?page=2)