[Update: The News & Record's Ryan Seals confirms the reported disposition of the charges.]
(Greensboro, NC) In October of 2009, James Ronald Penn Jr.video taped an anti-abortion demonstration with a gun on his hip. That inspired the attention of the police and, as subsequently reported by Ryan Seals in the News & Record, a search of his home and criminal charges of failure to store a firearm to protect a minor, resisting a public officer and possession of a firearm at a parade or demonstration.
A pseudonymous commenter at the post on this blog reporting the charges says that the first two charges were dismissed and that Penn has been found not guilty of the firearm at a demonstration charge. I have emailed Seals to ask if he can confirm and if the N&R is going to follow up.
Here is the video Penn recorded:
Seems like Mr. Penn lacks respect for our lovely police force or his own life. Sad for him being a father. Dead ones don't parent all that well.
ReplyDeleteLiv is wrong. Mr. Penn did the right thing by standing up for his rights. If nobody ever stood up for their rights then Liv would never have been allowed to post her opinion.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the man has a right to open carry. Roch and I have discussed whether or not the man is legally compelled to show i.d. while carrying. Even if he is supposed to show id, the charges don't reflect the offense.
ReplyDeleteThe search of his home seems uncalled for with regard to a misdemeanor. In fact I think it could be argued that it is harassment. How many potheads get caught with a little weed and then get their homes searched?
If I were the man, I probably would have left the handgun on the dashboard of my vehicle or in the trunk while participating in the "peaceful assembly".
The resisting an officer charge seems kind of ridiculous since it appears that the officer left the scene. If the man was truly resisting then I believe backup would have been called.
Oh yeah, that's me (Brandon Burgess). Thought I was logged in to Blogger.
ReplyDeletePeople are leaping to the conclusion that I was "participating in a protest with them".
ReplyDeleteI had met the men one time a few weeks prior. We had no affiliation and simply knew each others name. I preach on the street (or wherever I am) and we had crossed paths once.
When I saw them that day, I saw a cop jump out of his car and into one of their faces then I approached.
Again Mr. Penn, I am a big fan of open carry. On the other hand, I probably would not have approached the officer while he was doing his job and I would have had no problem producing id. That's just me and I know many others that would have a problem with that.
ReplyDeleteI do think that your house being searched over a misdemeanor (and a trumped up charge at that) is bordering on harassment. There may be more to this story and I may be very wrong about all of this.
Congratulations on beating the case and best of luck in the future Mr. Penn.