Best Buy and CCW
I found this amusing and thought it might be worth posting here:
http://www.packing.org/community/le.../listview/5489/"An unarmed contract security guard at Best Buy thought I was sneaking off with merchandise after I printed my Glock 22 under my shirt when my jacket came back while carrying merchandise to the check out and walked past the security monitors at the exit.
The guard asked me to step aside and asked me, quite nicely in fact, if he could ascertain what I had under my shirt. I verbalized that it was my sidearm, put my packages down, discreetly turned to the side as to allow him to see my weapon, but not the rest of the store.
Then this jerk tries something I never thought he would do....tried to take my weapon from the holster.
I immediately recovered by stepping back and placed my hand over the grip to secure the firearm. He then informed me that I was being detained for shoplifting and that I would need to surrender my weapon to him. Yeah, right.
Note: Indiana statutory criminal law allows store owners and agents of same to "detain" (not to be confused with a citizen's arrest) persons suspected of such crimes as shoplifting, pending arrival of law enforcement.
He wanted to escort me back to the loss prevention office. I refused. He informed me that I didn't surrender my weapon, he would have to take it from me. I made a statement that I would use it on him before that would happen. He took that statement as a threat, I meant it as a fact.
However, I did inform him that I would wait at the front doors for the police, so long as the store manager would join us. The store's asst. manager joined us and we waited together. A conversation ensued with the asst. manager in which he informed me that firearms were not allowed within the store. I merely shrugged and told him I wasn't aware of any such store policy.
The police arrived and I surrendered my weapon to him, along with my ID and LTC. He patted me down and looked into my bag to find the only merchandise I had was what I had purchased.
The store manager told the officer that I would be welcome back to the store, if I left my weapon elsewhere. The security guard told the officer that I had threatened him with the use of deadly force.
I told the officer that this unarmed security guard only detained me after I wouldn't allow him to take my weapon, nor surrender it to him. The fact that I may have threatened an unarmed security guard was to protect myself, as I had no idea even if he was permitted to hold a firearm, much less trained to safely possess one.
In the end, the guard was reprimanded by the officer for exceeding whatever authority he perceived that he had, that and opening his company, the client and him personally for a civil action.
I returned my merchandise to the store's assistant manager to the tune of $1,500, for the insult to my person and have written to Best Buy's corporate office. I'd rather pay more money than to be violated again.
I also telephoned this security guard's office and spoke to his supervisor. I asked him why an unarmed guard would think he could seize a lawfully possessed and concealed firearm. He took my information and stated he would get back to me on Monday.
I'll speak to an attorney on Monday as well and see if its worth pursuing further."
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Talk amongst yourselves
