The president of the Cleveland Police Union has called on Ohio Gov. John Kasich to suspend open carry during the Republican National Convention. Ohio is a legal open carry state and one person showed up yesterday near the scene, carrying a long rifle, which sent the media into a frenzy of anti-gun hysteria. Carrying a gun openly is not uncommon in this country, as 44 states have laws that honor this aspect of Second Amendment rights (via Hill):
Police union president Steve Loomis said the state’s law allowing open carry of weapons makes it “significantly more difficult” to ensure security at the convention.
Calls on Ohio Gov. John Kasich to declare a state of emergency in lithe of the deadly police-involved shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Someone has to do something,” Loomis said Sunday. “What we have now is completely irresponsible.”
Ohio law allows the open carry of firearms, and firearms will be allowed in the event area surrounding the convention — but the Secret Service will be prohibited from carrying them in the immediate vicinity.
Reminder: 44 states allow open carry. Ohio is in the mainstream, not an exception, as many reporters will suggest this week
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) July 17, 2016
Governor Kasich, knowing he cannot simply suspend constitutional rights, said he will not temporarily suspend the law arbitrarily (via Fox News):
Law enforcement is a noble, imperative calling, and we are all saddened that we have once again seen attacks on officers. Ohio governors do not have the authority to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws, as has been suggested,” Kasich spokeswoman Emmalee Kalmbach said. “The bonds between our communities and our police must be reset and rebuilt — as we are doing in Ohio — so that our communities and officers can be safe. Everyone has a role to play in that renewal.”
Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams he said CBS released a statement saying that carrying weapons outside of immediate safety areas will be allowed.
“Of course, we’ve upped it a little bit in terms of our technique and tactics to deal with them. But in this state, everybody has the right to bear arms. And we want to make sure people do it safely,” he said.
