Hoosierdood
Grandmaster
I decided to start a new thread since the other one obviously got a little side-tracked.
I just got off the phone with Chief Deputy Ron Babcock. He said that he went to the Sheriff and discussed matters with him, and they both agreed that I was in the right, and the Reserve officer way completely out of line. I think we all knew this, but it was good to see that he took an unbiased stand rather than just siding with the LEO. He said that the sheriff would be doing 2 things as a result of this encounter.
1. He would be implementing training for the Reserve Officers that would keep them updated on current laws. He said that the Reserves are part time, and basically "free labor" for the Sheriff's Dept., but if they were going to be out there at all, the Sheriff's Dept needs to make sure they know the law.
2. The Sheriff will be going to the Marshall County Fair Board and speaking with them about this incident. They have no policy on firearms, and they need to be made aware of what their security is enforcing. If they desire to make a policy on firearms, they need to know what the law says, and make their policy clear to the public.
After discussing the incident, he asked what I carry, and what my line of work was. We continued a very informal and friendly chat, and parted amicably.
I have to say that I am satisfied with the response from the Marshall County Sheriff's Department. It's not that I am completely enthusiastic about the response, but I feel that it was handled adequately. I am not one to demand a "pound of flesh" when I am wronged. I see it like this: There was a problem because the officer was either misinformed or just chose to assert his opinion. The Sheriff's Dept was not aware that this officer was taking this action, and by my complaint, it has been brought to their attention. Once brought to their attention, they have implemented training to guard against this behavior happening again.
Others may have done things differently, but at the end of the day, I think we are all in a better position if the officers are trained properly. And that's what I was going for all along.
I would also like to insert here a big +1 to Chief Babcock. He seems like a very pro-gun and pro-rights guy, and I am fairly certain that he will make sure that no more officers are guilty of this type of behavior. As for the Reserve Officer, I am not sure what happened to him. But I am sure that he is now aware that we citizens will not tuck our tails between our legs and cower to an officer of the law who abuses his authority. Feel free to critique me and/or disagree with me, but it was my situation, and that's how I handled it.
*Note- I searched high and low, and it seems that the Fair Board is in fact a private organization, and it would be very difficult to prove that they are a political subdivision, so suing is out of the question. Besides that, I never wanted to "punish" anyone, but I was seeking to correct an improper action.
I just got off the phone with Chief Deputy Ron Babcock. He said that he went to the Sheriff and discussed matters with him, and they both agreed that I was in the right, and the Reserve officer way completely out of line. I think we all knew this, but it was good to see that he took an unbiased stand rather than just siding with the LEO. He said that the sheriff would be doing 2 things as a result of this encounter.
1. He would be implementing training for the Reserve Officers that would keep them updated on current laws. He said that the Reserves are part time, and basically "free labor" for the Sheriff's Dept., but if they were going to be out there at all, the Sheriff's Dept needs to make sure they know the law.
2. The Sheriff will be going to the Marshall County Fair Board and speaking with them about this incident. They have no policy on firearms, and they need to be made aware of what their security is enforcing. If they desire to make a policy on firearms, they need to know what the law says, and make their policy clear to the public.
After discussing the incident, he asked what I carry, and what my line of work was. We continued a very informal and friendly chat, and parted amicably.
I have to say that I am satisfied with the response from the Marshall County Sheriff's Department. It's not that I am completely enthusiastic about the response, but I feel that it was handled adequately. I am not one to demand a "pound of flesh" when I am wronged. I see it like this: There was a problem because the officer was either misinformed or just chose to assert his opinion. The Sheriff's Dept was not aware that this officer was taking this action, and by my complaint, it has been brought to their attention. Once brought to their attention, they have implemented training to guard against this behavior happening again.
Others may have done things differently, but at the end of the day, I think we are all in a better position if the officers are trained properly. And that's what I was going for all along.
I would also like to insert here a big +1 to Chief Babcock. He seems like a very pro-gun and pro-rights guy, and I am fairly certain that he will make sure that no more officers are guilty of this type of behavior. As for the Reserve Officer, I am not sure what happened to him. But I am sure that he is now aware that we citizens will not tuck our tails between our legs and cower to an officer of the law who abuses his authority. Feel free to critique me and/or disagree with me, but it was my situation, and that's how I handled it.
*Note- I searched high and low, and it seems that the Fair Board is in fact a private organization, and it would be very difficult to prove that they are a political subdivision, so suing is out of the question. Besides that, I never wanted to "punish" anyone, but I was seeking to correct an improper action.
