Man with a Gun

Sebastian has a good post up about a situation up in Wisconsin where 5 gentlemen were openly carrying (which is the only option in that state, and constitutionally protected). A woman called 911 to report that 2 men were carrying weapons. Listening the the call (available here), it becomes obvious that no one is in danger, the caller simply doesn't know that carrying a sidearm openly is legal, and ultimately apologizes to the dispatcher that now she's set into motion actions with the police when the 2 gents were not violating the law.

But one of the comments set my mind to working (and yes, it hurt!).

I think it's time that we show, however possible, that 'man with a gun' is not an actionable thing for police to get all worked up over. It's time that dispatchers learned to ask probing questions, because 'man with a gun' isn't enough. The police need to respond to 'man trying to rob woman', or 'man beating another man', or 'man doing something illegal'. Until a man starts doing something illegal, he's just a man with a gun.

And especially in a state where open carry is the only option, and you don't need a permit, I can't see where the police have anything more to do than confirm that the suspect is behaving normally.

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