http://www.ccrkba.org/pub/rkba/press-releases/wisconsin.police.htm NEWS RELEASE Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 CCRKBA CALLS MILWAUKEE WI POLICE CHIEF’S REMARKS ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ For Immediate Release: April 22, 2009 BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today criticized Milwaukee, WI Police Chief Ed Flynn for his open defiance of the State Attorney General’s office in a controversy over open carry of firearms. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has stated that it is legal in Wisconsin for citizens to carry guns openly in a peaceful manner. However, Chief Flynn is ordering his officers to “take down” citizens, “put them on the ground” and disarm them, and “then decide whether you have a right to carry it.” The situation should alarm all Wisconsin citizens, whether they own guns or not, said CCRKBA Legislative Director Joe Waldron, because it places police officers and private citizens in a deliberately confrontational position. Also, he added, Flynn’s approach raises serious constitutional questions because of the state’s clearly defined “right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose” under Article I, Section 25 of the state constitution. “Because Wisconsin does not allow concealed carry,” Waldron said, “the only way for citizens to exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms is to carry handguns openly. Chief Flynn should not assume he or his officers have the authority to decide who can and cannot exercise that right. His attitude is outrageous. “Attorney General Van Hollen was correct in his statements about the legality of open carry,” Waldron continued, “and what does it say about a police chief when he publicly announces that he’ll do things his way and to hell with what the attorney general says?” Waldron also said a plan, announced by State Rep. Leon Young, a Milwaukee Democrat, to draft legislation that bans open carry, “is inviting court challenge.” “If you cannot carry openly, and you cannot carry concealed,” Waldron wondered, “how can law-abiding Wisconsin citizens exercise their state constitutional right to keep and bear arms? We encourage Rep. Young to address that issue to the state Supreme Court before he pushes ahead with that scheme.” With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the Internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org. -END-
Re: policy:Wisconsin opencarry to be discouraged by violenc "Chief Flynn is ordering his officers to “take down” citizens, “put them on the ground” and disarm them, and “then decide whether you have a right to carry it.” FUBAR.......
Re: policy:Wisconsin opencarry to be discouraged by violenc I don't think I'd take to kindly to being thrown to the ground and then found to be innocent of any wrong doing . I'm thinking a good lawyer could make very rich by the time we got done with the sheriff,deputy,county and the state for allowing one sheriff to do things against the state constitution . I'm sure it will happen the first time it happens to a law biding citizen.
Re: policy:Wisconsin opencarry to be discouraged by violenc Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has stated that it is legal in Wisconsin for citizens to carry guns openly in a peaceful manner. However, Chief Flynn is ordering his officers to “take down” citizens, “put them on the ground” and disarm them, and “then decide whether you have a right to carry it.” Seems the state AG has already made that decision??
Re: policy:Wisconsin opencarry to be discouraged by violenc Wow...the elected state AG says it is legal to open carry, but an appointed COP says only after we decide it's okay is it okay.
Re: policy:Wisconsin opencarry to be discouraged by violenc This tyrant should be arrested for Official Oppression by the local Sheriff. Let the fool lose his job, then that would be a good lesson for the rest. Of course, that won't happen, but maybe after a few million are lost in lawsuits he'll come around. The AG should issure an arrest warrant as he can do, but probably won't. jim
