Open Carry: Self Defense Fund wants you to know your rights
FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Self Defense Fund (National Association for Legal Gun Defense) warns gun owners that dramatic increases in "Terry stops" and unfounded arrests are likely when "open carry" gun laws take effect Jan. 1, says Larry Keilberg, founder and Executive Director of the Texas-based organization.
A "Terry stop" is the detention of a person by police on suspicion of criminal activity but short of probable cause for arrest. "There is no doubt Texans will openly carry their guns because we Texans believe in the right to bear arms," said Keilberg, citing school shootings, lone gunmen wildly brandishing guns at medical clinics, entertainment venues and public spaces; gun fights in restaurants, as well as daily terroristic threats as reasons Texans are buying guns in record numbers. "They are also buying pepper spray, stun guns and other self-defense tools but they don't think about being prosecuted for using them," Keilberg said.
"Law enforcement groups actively opposed open carry when the Legislature acted," Keilberg said. "Law-abiding people must be aware of their rights. That is why organizations like the Self Defense Fund exist. We teach our members what to do and say to police should they be involved in a self defense situation."
SDF has been involved in numerous high-profile cases, in which honorable community members were arrested for carrying a long gun or black powder pistol, both of which have long been legal in Texas. In one case, a decorated Army Sergeant was carrying a rifle in a rural area. The probable cause affidavit presented in court said he was "walking on the wrong side of the road." In another, a quadriplegic Vietnam veteran was jailed for 18 hours for holding an antique black powder pistol in his lap. Because of his physical condition, he can never shoot it.
As an SDF member, you'll have access to videos and books online about how to talk with police--and stay out of jail. Normal attorney fees for misdemeanor cases usually start at $5,000; representation in more serious matters start at $25,000. As an SDF member, you pay nothing except your yearly membership fee. SDF covers up to $1 million per case, which includes appeals, something that other groups do not.
For more information, www.selfdefensefund.com.
SOURCE Self Defense Fund
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