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Press Rel. from Students for Concealed Carry - Ohio

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AAllen:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 5, 2012

CONTACT:
Josiah Ryan
JRyan@leadershipinstitute.org

***NEWS RELEASE***
** Campus Police Detain and Draw Weapons on Student Activist for Wearing Empty Holster to Trayvon Martin Vigil **

Student now faces possible charges of academic misconduct

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio State University Police detained and drew their weapons on student-activist Mike Newbern for demonstrating his support for gun rights by wearing an empty holster to a candlelight vigil for Trayvon Martin on Wednesday.

Newbern, the president of Buckeyes for Concealed Carry, was taken forcibly into police custody just after 8:30 p.m., while he was standing at the front of the crowd wearing an empty holster, which was clearly visible on his belt, and with his hands crossed in front of his chest.

A police report released on Thursday indicates two officers drew their firearms before approaching Newbern and removing him from the vigil. They searched and questioned Newbern and confiscated his personal belongings, including his empty holster and camera case, before placing him handcuffed in the back of a cruiser for 30 minutes. Newbern was released at 9:07 p.m. but was informed by police that the field investigation would be forwarded to the university’s Committee of Academic Misconduct where he could be charged with disorderly conduct.

Newbern, who is a certified firearms safety instructor, said on Thursday he decided to attend the vigil to exercise his First Amendment right to demonstrate in favor of Ohio’s concealed carry laws. He said he suspects’ campus police and students harassed him because he is the leader of Buckeyes for Concealed Carry, a group Ohio State University President Gordon Gee has publically described as “vigilante.”

On Tuesday, for example, President Gee expressed his continued opposition to the right for students to conceal carry on the Ohio State University Campus.

“You and I can debate that all day long and you have clear arguments,” Gee said, addressing his remarks to Newbern. “But, I am in charge and we are not going to do it.”

“We are very vocal in our struggle and I have become the face of our cause,” Newbern said. “By invoking the most violent and most vivid imagery possible, they attempt to paint our progress towards self-defense as anything other than the natural rights that they are. And in this instance, the administration’s toxic dialogue ran to its natural conclusion, which could have been prevented through more civil discourse.”

NENick:
We definitely have an uphill battle fighting for 2A. I haven't really decided if there are benefits to actions like this person took other than drawing attention to the subject.

metaldoc:
Good grief... an EMPTY holster for crying out loud?  And the police approach him with weapons drawn?  For quietly standing there?     

Folks, we've got a problem and it's getting worse.  We are in the very same beginning stages Germany was in as Hiltler took power.

sparky:
Sadly, this is something I could see happening in Omaha or Lincoln.  Lots of work to be done..

DanClrk51:

--- Quote from: NENick on April 06, 2012, 10:03:58 AM ---We definitely have an uphill battle fighting for 2A. I haven't really decided if there are benefits to actions like this person took other than drawing attention to the subject.

--- End quote ---

That is irrelevant here. He had no weapon on him and the empty holster is a non weapon personal item. He was exercising his 1st Amendment right to free speech. I see a big lawsuit in the works here and the University of Ohio will get their behind handed to them. Perhaps if they hadn't charged him with disorderly conduct they could get away with it. But seeing they have charged him with a crime for doing nothing more than attending a vigil peacefully and making a statement (by wearing the empty holster) this isn't going to hold up in court for them. They made a wrong and illegal move. I would fight this all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court.

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