Austin Police Chief: Open Carry Is ‘Open Season For Armed Criminals And Extremists’

By Aaron Spuler | April 24, 2015 |

Following passage of open carry legislation in the Texas House this week, the police chief of the nation’s 11th-most populous city is forecasting problems with ISIS, gang members, drug cartels, and outlaw motor cycle gangs.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, who has spoken out against open carry several times, took to social media Tuesday to vent his feelings on an amendment to HB 910, a bill that will likely bring the practice to the Lone Star State in coming months. The amendment would prohibit law enforcement from stopping a law-abiding citizen who is openly carrying and hasn’t broken the law.

“Yesterday’s amendment to Texas’ Open Carry Legislation is beyond belief and Aiken (sic) to open season for gang members, drug cartels, outlaw motor cycle gangs and any other criminal or extremist to defy the law with impunity, just brilliant!,” Acevedo said. “If criminals, drug cartels, and extremists had a seat at the policy writing table they couldn’t have come up with s (sic) better Amendment.”

Austin, currently ranked among the safest major cities in the country, could soon see that change in Acevedo’s view as he feels the amendment would allow otherwise prohibited firearms possessors to carry guns without worrying about police interaction.

“Here is a scenario, next time groups face off in our Capital City at the Capitol, Klan with their hoods on, Panthers with their faces covered, ISIS sympathizers with their faces covered and just about any other extremist group, armed with firearms authorized by Open-Carry, law enforcement will have absolutely no authority to ensure the people who are armed as they wish…” said Acevedo.

Read the rest of the article: http://www.guns.com/2015/04/23/austin-police-chief-open-carry-is-open-season-for-armed-criminals-and-extremists/

Posted in 2nd Amendment

1 Comments

  1. Big Bill on April 25, 2015 at 10:32 am

    Evidently, Sheriff Acevedo has no way to see outside his own locality. Other states have open carry without the murder and mayhem he predicts.
    I wonder what it is that he thinks he knows about the murderous intents of the citizens of Austin. Why would they, in contrast to those of other cities, not be able to control themselves? What is it about Austin that would attract the Klan, Panthers, ISIS, and others to Austin, and not, for example, Phoenix?