Police arrest soldier for "rudely displaying rifle."

[mikec]

Domestic terrorists.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2......on a plane.

We were practicing shooting at drones...

[Mach1]

We were practicing shooting at drones...

and politicians

[Sean88gt]

and politicians

Aim small, miss small.

The soldier needs some PT.

As do the police. And at what point do the cops run out of reasonable people to detain and catch some having a really bad day that decides it's his time to die for the 2nd? I hope he sues the department, the individual officers, their families, friends, pastors, everyone he can. Use proceeds from the lawsuit to hire PI's to follow these police, night and day. Make their lives a fucking hell.

[Forever_frost]

There could be more to the story surrounding a decorated Army veteran who was arrested after being accused of “rudely displaying” his rifle during a hike with his son, but the police aren’t willing to provide their side of it. For now, anyway.

“The charge is pending prosecution with the county attorney’s office,” the Temple Police Department said in a very short statement provided to TheBlaze on Wednesday. Temple is located in Bell County, Texas.

Police Sgt. Gary Smith told TheBlaze that they would not be releasing any other statements or commenting on the matter any further. “That’s it,” he replied after being asked if he could provide any additional details.

In case you missed our initial story, Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham, who told his story to Glenn Beck on the radio Wednesday morning, was on a hike with his son in a rural area of Temple, Texas, when he was suddenly approached by a police officer. Grisham, a concealed carry permit holder, was carrying a .45-caliber pistol on his waist and open carrying an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Texas does restrict open carry of firearms to an extent, however, the restriction does not apply to “long guns.”

Grisham told Beck that he regularly carries the rifle while on hikes in rural areas to combat rattle snakes, coyotes and hogs. It has never been a problem — until now, he said. The Army veteran was reportedly detained prior to being accused of a specific crime and later arrested and charged with resisting arrest.


He was not charged with any gun related crime.

According to local authorities, Grisham was “rudely displaying” his firearm, and “people are alarmed” when they see weapons like the AR-15. “They don’t care what the law is,” one of the officers told Grisham, referring to the individual(s) who were alarmed by the rifle. You can read TheBlaze’s full report on the incident here.

Watch the video below:



To get a better — and objective — understanding of the details in the case, TheBlaze reached out to Justin Flint, a Texas firearms attorney with Pursley McNamara & Flint, PLLC in Missouri City.

After insisting that there could be more to this case than what’s shown on the video, Flint said it doesn’t appear as if Grisham ever resisted or failed to comply with the demands of officers. The police were within their right to investigate the situation after receiving a 911 call, the attorney explained, but an officer still has to have a reasonable suspicion that a crime is being committed or could be committed at a later time before detaining a suspect in the first place.

“There are certain things that one might be advised to do when dealing with police officers and you are in possession of a firearm,” Flint told TheBlaze. “I always advise people to make an officer feel as safe and comfortable as possible. But just because that’s good advice doesn’t mean that has to be done.”


(Photo: YouTube)
In Texas, concealed carry holders are required to disclose possession of their firearm and provide identifying information as well as a valid concealed carry permit to police officers, Flint explained. He also noted that police are within their authority to disarm Texans while questioning them in order to ensure the safety of officers involved. The firearm must be returned unless they determine a crime has been committed. It’s unclear whether Grisham’s firearms have been returned to him.

But if someone in Texas is “carrying a long arm, a rifle or a shotgun, that is legal in the state of Texas… So there is no real probable cause there for a stop or for the police to detain any person for any amount of time,” the attorney added, speaking in generalities in regards to the law.

Grisham was first charged with resisting arrest, however, the charge was downgraded to interfering with a peace officer while performing a duty. Flint said if he were defending Grisham, theoretically, he would likely push for a case dismissal, based on the facts that are known at this point. He again insisted, though, that more facts may surface that could change the case dramatically.

“Based on the facts themselves, if there’s not evidence that he was resisting in any way or trying to interfere with what they are doing, then this would be a case that would be suitable for getting dismissed,” he added. “Whether based on lack of probable cause or lack of evidence to detain or arrest him.”

TheBlaze’s Erica Ritz has reported on some additional details concerning Grisham’s background:

To be sure, Grisham has his detractors. For the past several years, he and fellow prominent military blogger Michael Yon have engaged in a war of words over the Internet. The two have repeatedly questioned the integrity, valor, and and service of the other. TheBlaze will be following up on this issue in the future.
But regardless of his past, the treatment of Grisham’s son deserves to be investigated, Beck said. Police took the boy home after Grisham’s arrest. And though Grisham warned him not to answer any questions until his mom was present, police allegedly wouldn’t let the boy out of the car until he spoke.
TheBlaze will continue monitoring this developing story and add any relevant information as it becomes available.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/17/texas-police-dept-provides-statement-to-theblaze-on-vet-arrested-after-rudely-displaying-rifle-plus-a-texas-firearms-attorney-weighs-in/

[David]

Popular belief on some other forums are that he's a scam artist according to locals.

[jefehbk]

The video of the arrest.

[Forever_frost]

So, what is on video didn't happen? Hard to scam if you didn't break the law and the police state that you didn't break a law before they arrest you

[David]

So, what is on video didn't happen? Hard to scam if you didn't break the law and the police state that you didn't break a law before they arrest you

No clue, just stating what I've read on a few other forums. Guess he's had run ins with others and most say he's not trustworthy.

[FastFox]

Maybe the guy was not breaking any law. I'll give him that. But, if he had not tried to be a bad ass, the situation would have gone a lot better. I would bet that after laying down the rifle and having a conversation without going ballistic he would have been on his way. If he had done that and they still arrested him, I would say that he would own the city. I live in Temple and have all my life. There has to be some common sense here.

[Craizie]

Maybe the guy was not breaking any law. I'll give him that. But, if he had not tried to be a bad ass, the situation would have gone a lot better. I would bet that after laying down the rifle and having a conversation without going ballistic he would have been on his way. If he had done that and they still arrested him, I would say that he would own the city. I live in Temple and have all my life. There has to be some common sense here.

So its OK the let the police harrass you for no reason?

[Forever_frost]

Doesn't matter if he was dressed in Nazi dress uniform. He broke no laws and by arresting him, the police did. You have no obligation to be nice or respectful to cops but they have an obligation not to infringe on your rights. Sue the officers individually and the department as a whole.

Common sense is not submitting to authoritarian cops with chips on their shoulder. Common sense is fighting for your rights every day in every possible way.

[FastFox]

Rights have nothing to do with a little common sense. And yes, I belong to the NRA, I shoot, I own several guns, and I am to the right of Attila the Hun.

[David]

Doesn't matter if he was dressed in Nazi dress uniform. He broke no laws and by arresting him, the police did. You have no obligation to be nice or respectful to cops but they have an obligation not to infringe on your rights. Sue the officers individually and the department as a whole.

Common sense is not submitting to authoritarian cops with chips on their shoulder. Common sense is fighting for your rights every day in every possible way.

So wouldn't common sense also be showing respect? I mean if you're going to sue the department and use your video as evidence in your suit, looking like a fat prick isn't going to help.

[Forever_frost]

Rights have nothing to do with a little common sense. And yes, I belong to the NRA, I shoot, I own several guns, and I am to the right of Attila the Hun.

You're right. You can have zero common sense and still have rights. They are God given, not government given. Government was instituted to protect those rights, not to grant them. I don't belong to the NRA. They were too willing to negotiate our rights away and to just get along. Hell, Harry Reid has an A rating. I belong to the GOA which has been making news for pissing liberals and the NRA off for refusing to compromise.

I own no firearms

[Forever_frost]

So wouldn't common sense also be showing respect? I mean if you're going to sue the department and use your video as evidence in your suit, looking like a fat prick isn't going to help.

Maybe, doesn't have to be. Common sense is knowing you're not breaking the law and that they are. Looking like a fat prick has nothing to do with rights violations.