Demonstrators behind a Ku Klux Klan banner, some wearing what looked to be Klan robes, rallied without hoods in North Carolina on Saturday. Now, police say they’ve obtained warrants for weapons violations at the demonstration.
Simple explanation why the police didn’t see the guns. They thought the protesters were just other cops.
Happy (and, I admit it, a little surprised) to see the police move on this. I’m also a bit surprised that North Carolina has such a law. Apparently, the law applies to both demonstrators and onlookers. It’s actually a good idea to reduce the chances of violence.
“Prior to this notification, no officer from either agency observed anyone in possession of a weapon.”
Curly: “I can’t see! I can’t see!”
Moe: “What’sa matta?”
Curly: “I got my eyes closed.”
Gotta love the sheriffs name; Orange County Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood.
Orange County Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood said in a statement Monday. “Prior to this notification, no officer from either agency observed anyone in possession of a weapon.”
So, these police would be wholly unqualified to be a bank lobby guard.
“He had a gun?! Right there in his waistband?! And everyone saw it but me?!?! WTF?!”
I think the post-rally warrants are a smart tactic. No need to intervene at the time and risk escalating the level of danger the officers and public were already in. After the fact warrants will do to serve justice and discourage future unlawful behavior.
$10 that it’s a holdover from not wanting people of a certain color to be able to carry.
No tactic at all. The Sheriff declared that no guns had been seen, they only moved when the photos of the armed men appeared. The Sheriff and the looking the other way cops are nothing but a bunch of Klan sympathizers.
The Officers on-scene were too busy laughing at the Klansman wearing Crocs to notice his pistol.
Klansman: “Ma, goin’ to the rally.” Ma: “OK, son, just remember to wear some shoes.”
One thing that I noticed is that guns these guys were carrying are the type og guns you buy in a pawn shop or inherit from your grandfather… not a lot of prosperity in Klan-land… they musta tired of winning.
“As protestors and counter protesters dispersed, onlookers told law enforcement that some of the protestors were openly carrying firearms,” Orange County Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood said in a statement Monday. “Prior to this notification, no officer from either agency observed anyone in possession of a weapon.”
Wearing blinders, you can’t expect the cop to arrest his brother-in-law.
100% agree. These nudniks should have been pinched as they dispersed back to their pickup trucks. I’d love to know if there was a verbal “do not arrest” order for this march by local PD. Only until media reports started to surface did the Sheriff do anything.
"Dorothy, you’re not in Mayberry RFD anymore!"
May have been.
Or they saw relatives.
So one suspect lives in another country? Then how did he get his hands on a gun? Was he just holding for a friend?
Consider the long list of things, real and imaginary, that police have really, really, truly, sincerely thought were guns when they were dealing with a black male.
County. NC has 100 of them, so you don’t have to go far to cross a county line.
I suspect there is a simple principle that local law enforcement follows.
They can’t see guns that white folks are carrying.
They can see guns that black men aren’t carrying.
They react accordingly.