Source: https://excoplawstudent.wordpress.com/tag/tim-brown/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 14:05:02+00:00

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Here we go again, with Texas cops not knowing the law. This time it is out of Corpus Christi and not only one, but two lieutenants are involved. Here are the four videos of the incident.
Here the user shows that he is videotaping from his own property and that he is openly carrying a holstered pistol. Texas is not an open carry state, but the statute that covers this is Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon, Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 46.02. This law states that: “A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun, illegal knife, or club if the person is not on the person’s own premises or premises under the person’s control….” Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 46.02 (Vernon). At about 5:00 in part 1, the two officers approach and the user (Gloc361) advises them not to enter his property. The officers then try to tell him that he can’t openly carry a pistol (at 5:26). This is flat out incorrect. See Johnson v. State, 269 S.W.2d 406 (Tex. Crim. App. 1954) (“Appellant had the lawful right to carry a pistol on his own premises and this right extended to every part thereof.”); Mireles v. State, 192 S.W. 241, 243 (Tex. Crim. App. 1917) (“Clearly, under the law and evidence, he was not guilty of violating the law in carrying said [weapon] on either the forty acres of tillable land that he had rented from Mr. Roberts nor in Mr. Roberts’ pasture, where he kept his team, and had the right to go to get them as a part of his rented premises….”). A person can openly carry a handgun on his own property.
It appears that at about 1:00-05 in the second video that the officer makes a comment about notifying Child Protective Services, although the audio is not clear enough for me to be absolutely positive on this. If she did mention that, then it is wrong on so many levels. First, the lawful presence of firearms does not pose a danger to the child. Second, using CPS as a threat for compliance is just vile. At about 1:45 a third officer tries to tell him that he can wear the gun inside his house, but not outside. Case law clearly doesn’t support that. Mireles, 192 S.W. at 243. In addition, “premises” is not limited to inside of a building. See Tex. Atty. Gen. Op. No. H-185 (1973) (“The term ‘premises’ has attached to it various meanings, owing to the connection in which it is used, but, generally speaking, the term includes not only buildings, but the lot or land upon which the same are situated.”, citing Merch. & Mfgs.’ Lloyds’ Ins. Exch. et al. v. S. Trading Co. of Texas, 205 S.W. 352 (Tex. Civ. App.–Fort Worth, 1918)).
This is only 15 seconds, and really doesn’t cover much.
Here he talks to two different lieutenants. The individual asks the lieutenant if he is violating the law. The first lieutenant to talk to him will flat out not answer his question, but repeats what the other officer stated, that he could not be outside with a sidearm. When pressed, the lieutenant states that it just “looks odd.” Last time I checked, “looking odd” was not a violation of the penal statutes of the State of Texas.
Although the State maintains the fact that someone called the police is sufficient to show the gun was displayed in a way calculated to cause alarm, we cannot agree. The mere fact that the police were called is not evidence of the way in which the gun was displayed.
Grieve v. State, 05-07-00156-CR, 2008 WL 2152890 (Tex. App.—Dallas May 22, 2008, no pet.). See also Bedford v. State, 69 S.W. 158 (Tex. Crim. App. 1902) (if pistol was displayed in a threatening manner, calculated to alarm, it is an offense);Jones v. State, 01-98-00645-CR, 1999 WL 517135 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] July 22, 1999, no pet.) (when subject grabbed victim and held her for a time, told her she was his and that she belonged to him, then pulled a knife from his pocket and opened it, he displayed it in a manner calculated to alarm); Biggerstaff v. State, 2 S.W.2d 256 (Tex. Crim. App. 1927) (speaking of the exhibition of deadly weapons or the semblance thereof in an angry and threatening manner calculated to alarm).Lt. Brown, without some evidence of a threatening display of the pistol, you can not show the elements of Disorderly Conduct. Lt. Brown then compounds the error by demanding identification, and stating that he has the right to know who he is talking to on a police contact. In fact, he doesn’t. We discussed this in more depth at this post and this post, but unless he is arrested, he is under absolutely no obligation to identify himself to police.
The District is commanded by Capt. David Blackmon (DavidBl@cctexas.com) and the Chief is Chief Floyd Simpson (FloydS@cctexas.com). Note that Corpus Christi is one of the few police departments in Texas that have a union contract, and they also have a unique rank structure of Officer, Sr. Officer, Lieutenant, Captain, Commander, Asst. Chief, and Chief. There are no Sergeants.

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