This story originally ran on KTBS 3 in Shreveport as “Gun Grabbing Mayor” and was posted in streaming video on their website. Apparently, they have taken it down. Now, they could remove videos and stories after a certain period of time (which is stupid and not necessary), but it sure is close to the mayoral elections.

I requested a copy from KTBS 3 last year after it ran. Ron Thoma sent me a copy pulled from KPXJ 21 (sister station). I’ve posted it to Youtube – and if I get a take-down notice there, I will just post it directly on my site.

As a side note, KTBS did NOT try to contact Baillio nor me – even though they showcased my site. Robert would have certainly spoken to the news about the situation.

One thing most people overlook is that this whole story is not really about the weapon seizure. It’s about HOW the weapon was taken. The officer searched the vehicle with no probable cause and no warrant. The weapon itself is irrelevant. Then you add Mayor Cedric Glover’s comments: Your rights are suspended – and you have a complete breakdown in common sense, law, and rights.

click for larger version

Let me make this clear from the outset. I fully support police officers and law enforcement in the their lawful duties. However, I do not “trust” them just because they are cops. As a matter of fact, that is exactly why I trust them less.

I am big into self-responsibility. In the event of trouble (break-in, etc), my first reaction is not to call 911. That takes too long. My responsibility is to take care of my family, self, and property – in that order.

Does that mean that I won’t call 911? Of course, I might call 911 in a medical emergency or a situation which does not warrant an immediate threat to my or my family’s safety.  As an example, if my neighbor’s music is too loud after a reasonable hour, or if people are speeding down our street.

All too often cops become immersed in a mentality that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. As a direct example, it is none of a cop’s business where I’ve been or where I’m going if I’m stopped for a traffic violation. His or her business (and job) is to check license, registration, insurance, and write me a ticket if needed. My tax dollars are not spent for the fishing expeditions of law enforcement – I do not fall for the “if you are innocent you have nothing to worry about” mentality.

Since I’m not a concealed carry permit holder, it is also NONE of a cop’s business whether I have a weapon in the vehicle – at least not in the state of Louisiana. I am not obligated to inform the officer of that. If a cop starts fishing, then I will simply fish right along with him or her – no answers – just questions such as “why did you stop me officer?”

I don’t want to sound too harsh since I know that cops have to deal with all sorts of human nature, and I know that they typically deal with the bad side. However, there is also the bad side of law enforcement too – and that is why I don’t trust them just because they have a badge. The only “powers” they have above the average citizen are certain arrest powers – and they can go armed anywhere.

Let’s look at some examples.

(1) The New Orleans Gun Grab – New Orleans is under a permanent injunction from Judge Carl J. Barbier of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana – to “cease and desist” from seizing lawful weapons, and they must aggressively attempt to return all illegally seized weapons. The city admitted the firearm confiscations carried out by Nagin and Riley were unconstitutional and illegal.

(2) Shreveport Mayor Cedric “Your Rights are Suspended” Glover – No mayor, those are God-given rights and neither you nor your cops can suspend them. Learn the law. Learn the US Constitution and the Louisiana Constitution.

(3) Don’t think cops are abusive? Ask Angela Garbarino if you want to know about Shreveport. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is requesting Federal help to straighten out their corruption – heightened during the Katrina shootings of civilians. Ask Robbie Tolan if they are abusive – a typo cause the cops to attempt to arrest him for theft of his own car. After shoving his mother against the garage, Tolan told the cop not to it again – and was shot.

(4) Don’t just start rattling off answers to police questions. As a matter of fact, be polite and say as little as possible. What you say can and likely may be distorted against you. The courts are supposed to presume innocence first – but the cops can and do presume guilt.

A spokesman for the D.C. police, who had not seen the film, said the rules are good rules to follow. “However,” he said, “if you have nothing to hide and police are doing some kind of investigation, you should tell them whatever they need to know. Police are there to protect the society and the community in which we work.”

Still think the cops are out to help you? Well, watch these interviews from an attorney and a cop. Order the full DVD – and no I don’t have any financial gain if you do.

Of course, this took place in 2005; however, I think a lot of people go around thinking that the government wouldn’t actually “come get your guns.” This is a reminder of what can happen when you have a very stupid governor, such as Kathleen Blanco, a absolute whining moron for a city mayor (Ray Nagin), and a police chief just as dumb (Eddie Compass).

Remember, Blanco made the following statement on national news: “These troops know how to shoot and kill and they are more than willing to do so if necessary and I expect they will.” Yet, they confiscated law abiding citizens’ guns.

Even local tourists were shot at – by the police.

Barack Obama

Q: Is the D.C. law prohibiting ownership of handguns consistent with an individual’s right to bear arms?

A: As a general principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can’t constrain the exercise of that right, in the same way that we have a right to private property but local governments can establish zoning ordinances that determine how you can use it.

Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary Apr 16, 2008

“And we should — then every community in the country could then start doing major weapon sweeps and then destroying the weapons, not selling them.” Bill Clinton, President

“When we got organized as a country and we wrote a fairly radical Constitution with a radical Bill of Rights, giving a radical amount of individual freedom to Americans …And so a lot of people say there’s too much personal freedom. When personal freedom’s being abused, you have to move to limit it. That’s what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on the public housing projects, about how we’re going to have weapon sweeps and more things like that to try to make people safer in their communities.” President Bill Clinton, 3-22-94, MTV’s “Enough is Enough”

“Waiting periods are only a step. Registration is only a step. The prohibition of private firearms is the goal.” Attorney General Janet Reno

Want my stance? If some breaks into my home with guns drawn, they had better hope I don’t get to mine. There will be shots fired. Period. Principles are everything.

EDIT: The Vitter Admendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2006, expressly prohibits the seizure of lawful weapons during a crisis.

Denver Gangs targeting white people

Ok – so let’s address the typical first questions that I am asked: (1) Why I am concerning myself with open carry?  (2) Am I a crazy gun-toting right-winger? (3) Why not Concealed Carry?

To answer the first question involves a bit of background on me. I consider myself a Conservative, and as such I am very much into personal responsibility. I do not believe it is the job of the police or any government agency to protect me and my family. I believe that job ultimately falls upon me.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Does that mean that I don’t believe in the police or our Armed forces? Of course not – I certainly support my tax dollars spent on one of the primary functions of the Federal government and the local government. After all, it is clearly stated in the Preamble to the US Constitution. However, if someone threatens me or my family or my property (or even my neighbors), then my first thought is not going to be calling the police. My first thought is using whatever force necessary for protection, and that certainly means lethal force. No warning shots, no opportunity to run – lethal force.

shreveport current crime

What are the chances of someone trying to assault me or my family? Probably slim, but not zero. Just take a look at the racially motivated gangs in Denver or the current crime in Shreveport. Bossier City certainly has it’s own share of crime, including my own neighborhood.

Let me put it simply. At my core I believe in God, family, and country (no I am not a Marine). Don’t jack with my stuff, and I certainly won’t jack with yours. If you do jack with my stuff, you will suffer the consequences.

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. — Thomas Jefferson

Now – let’s answer the 2nd question. No, I am not crazy. No, I am not a “right-winger” by the popular definition. Yes, I am gun-toting. Simple enough to answer, right?

Louisiana may be known for a lot of bad things (corruption, etc); however, it does have 2 very good things going for it – awesome hunting and outdoors AND fully supporting its citizens’ rights to protect themselves.

Louisiana Constitution - Article 1 Section 11

To answer the 3rd question, it’s simple. I just haven’t applied for my Louisiana Concealed Carry yet. However, there are some very interesting stats since the 1996 Legislature amended and re-enacted R.S. 40:1379.3 allowing for concealed carry again. Also, here are links to the reciprocal states and the FAQ’s on concealed carry in Louisiana.

You will also hear a lot of “urban legend” concerning the rights of Louisiana citizens when it comes to use of force in defending themselves or their property. Now, I am not an attorney, but the Revised Statues of Louisiana make it abundantly clear. A citizen can defend with deadly force against attacks of their property, home, or even if in a vehicle.

LS RS 14:19 Use of Force

Now, granted IANAL (i am not a lawyer), but I encourage all responsible citizens to review your own state and local laws. Take responsibility for yourselves and your families. Part of the reason violence and crime spread in neighborhoods (of all races) is due to inaction by citizens.

Shreveport Municipal Code

Bossier City Municipal Code

Louisiana Criminal Law
http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?folder=88

Louisiana Attorney General, Opinion No. 78 795, June 19, 1978
State v. Fluker 311 So. 2d 863, a 1975 case which discusses the determination of concealment of a firearm

Credit to Louisiana Carry for excellent links (below):

RS 9:2800.19 Limitation of liability for use of force in defense of certain crimes
RS 9:2800.60 Liability of manufacturers and sellers of firearms
RS 14:3 Interpretation of Criminal Laws
RS 14:16 Mistake of fact
RS 14:17 Mistake of law
RS 14:18 Justification; general provisions
RS 14:19 Use of force or violence in defense
RS 14:20 Justifiable homicide
RS 14:21 Aggressor cannot claim self defense
RS 14:22 Defense of others
RS 14:91 Unlawful sales of weapons to minors
RS 14:94 Illegal use of weapons or dangerous  instrumentalities
RS 14:95 Illegal carrying of weapons
RS 14:95.1 Possession of firearm or carrying concealed weapon by a person convicted of certain felonies
RS 14:95.1.1 Illegally supplying a felon with a firearm
RS 14:95.2 Carrying a firearm, or dangerous weapon, by a student or nonstudent on school property, at school-sponsored functions or firearm-free zone
RS 14:95.4 Consent to search; alcoholic beverage outlet
RS 14:95.5 Possession of firearm on premises of alcoholic beverage outlet
RS 14:95.6 Firearm-free zone; notice; signs; crime; penalties
RS 14:95.7 Possession of or dealing in firearms with obliterated number or mark
RS 14:95.8 Illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile
RS 14:103 Disturbing the peace
RS 14:329.2 Inciting to riot
RS 32:292.1 Transportation and storage of firearms in privately owned motor vehicles
RS 33:120 Zoning of heavily populated areas from hunting and shooting of firearms
RS 33:4879 Purpose; firearms buyback program; authorization
RS 28:183 Furnishing weapons [to a mental health patient]
RS 40:1379.1 Special officers; powers and duties; concealed handgun permit
RS 40:1379.3.1 Concealed Handgun Permit Fund; assessment and disposition of fees
RS 40:1379.3 Statewide permits for concealed handguns; application procedures; definitions
RS 40:1382 Negligent carrying of a concealed handgun
RS 40:1796 Preemption of state law
RS 33:1236 Powers of parish governing authorities –  (37)  To regulate the use of air rifles within the limits of the parish

CCRP Art. 214 Arrest by private person; when lawful
CCRP 215.1 – Temporary questioning of persons in public places; frisk and search for weapons

This continues to roll on, and Glover keeps putting his foot further in his mouth.

Video Link – Click Here

KSLA Channel 12 covered the story (finally after I emailed them), and Glover contends he is “proud” of the statements he made. Now how does that square with his statement to KTBS 3 that he was “taken out of context”? Which is it Cedric Glover – are you proud or out of context?

KSLA also spun it as a “knock on the next great city of south”. Right. This is a knock on Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover. I bet the reporter got that quote right out of Glover’s mouth. Great job on originality and in-depth reporting.

And one more thing – what is the deal with both KTBS and KSLA claiming they tried to contact Robert, and he didn’t return the calls? I just spoke to Robert and neither station has tried to call him at home, work, or mobile. Come on guys.

Also, it is funny that Glover is trying to spin this as a negative to the Shreveport Police Department. It doesn’t take an attorney or Constitutional scholar to figure out this statement:

To be absolutely clear: This issue is about the SPD Policies and about your erroneous statements, Mayor Cedric Glover.

KSLA got it partially right that you are not allowed to keep a weapon on your person or in close proximity; however, as the video clearly shows, Robert was not in close proximity to the weapon at all. Again, the officer allowed Robert to return to his vehicle and travel on to Nan-King Restaurant. If the officer was interested in his safety, why would he let Robert back in the vehicle where there possibly could have been another weapon? Again – those are red herrings to distract from the bigger picture which Glover made crystal clear.

As a matter of fact, I would argue that it is stupid for an officer to even ask the question. If I’m an armed criminal, I’m not going to be willing to divulge that information. I’m going to keep the gun hidden and out of sight. That’s as dumb as the “Gun Free Zone” stickers on schools. Think armed criminals are going to follow those stickers?

Well the situation with Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover’s comments about “your rights are suspended” has continued from a simmer to a slow boil. There are several blogs and forums that have now caught on, and it was even on the Moon Griffon Radio Show (about 1 hr 5 mins into mp3).

KTBS Channel 3 ran a story on it including a sort-of retraction from Mayor Glover. The funny thing is that Glover tries to say he was taken out of context. That’s absurd! You can read the full text and watch the full conversation for yourself.

One of the problems is that Shreveport Mayor Glover assumes that Robert Baillio’s weapon was on his person. We all know what happens when we “assume” something right?

Glover: I also know that my right to continue to holster my pistol or otherwise have it within my reach and control has been suspended in the interest of my safety, the officers and the public.

Source: http://www.votetherecord.com/?p=1577

If you read Glover’s response to Matt with VoteTheRecord.com, you can see that Mayor Cedric Glover is also very arrogant. “Flair for the dramatic…”? Give me a break. That is borderline elitism.

As you can see in the police video, the officer went to Robert’s truck, performed an illegal search and seizure and confiscated a weapon that was not easily within Robert’s reach nor on his person. The officer’s politeness and demeanor are not the issue, although his handling of discharging live ammo on the street should be. The issue is the Shreveport Mayor’s policy – one that Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover states repeatedly is explained to each and every officer.

I was in Academy Sports a few days ago buying some .223 ammo and started discussing the issue with one of the gun counter guys. We had a nice discussion, but this guy stated “I’m kinda comfortable with seizing weapons in the interest of getting the drug dealers.” I almost went into shock. Do what? That is a very dangerous path to travel!

Many of the posts and comments on this issue are missing the bigger point – INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS and ILLEGAL SEARCH AND SEIZURE.

As a glaring example, you can see in this highlight of the Shreveport Police Procedure SPD 602.03 – officers are required to “Immediately identify yourself and advise the driver of the reason for the stop.”

The officer clearly did not do this as the video shows. He first asked about weapons, for no apparent reason other than some pro-gun bumper stickers, then approached the truck, and illegally searched and seized the weapon. As much as I hate to say it, sounds like Robert needs to contact the ACLU on this one.

In the end, Glover is starting to get a lot of heat on this issue, and I hope it continues to increase. We simply cannot have a mayor of any city whose line of thinking is so flawed, and he won’t admit his mistake.

The next Shreveport Mayoral Election is in 2010. Time to make Cedric Glover a one-term mayor. Time for citizens to stand up for our rights.

WATCH THE VIDEO —– Watch/listen to this first!

Police Video of Weapon Seizure

GunTalk Magazine Podcast - Robert’s 1st Interview

What Happened – by Robert Baillio

KTBS Channel 3 Story – Video

Full Text of the Glover Interview – Corresponds to the Video

MP3 File – Glover Interview (same audio track as video – corresponds to full text)

YouTube Video – Part 1 (for iPhone users)
YouTube Video – Part 2 (for iPhone users)

This situation almost defies sanity. Fortunately, we have audio to go along with this post and a transcript of the audio. Please read on and then listen to the audio at the end. You just won’t believe what is said by the Mayor of a major southern U.S. city.

According to Mayor Cedric Glover of Shreveport, LA, when you are stopped by the police department, your “rights are suspended.” That’s right – even if the stop is a traffic violation – your rights as a citizen have been suspended. Huh?

Recently, a friend of mine was stopped for allegedly failing to use a turn signal. Sounds simple enough. Here is where it gets interesting.

One of the first things out of the officer’s mouth: “Do you have any weapons in your vehicle?”

He did not initially ask for a name, registration, or proof of insurance. He asked if Robert Baillio was armed. If that isn’t a case of profiling, then I don’t know what is. The picture clearly shows the bumper stickers on Robert’s truck windows. Failure to use a turn signal? Sure it was.

Robert was trying to be polite and cooperative and responded, “sure I do.”

Then the officer marched over Robert’s truck, removed the weapon, unloaded it, and temporarily seized it.

This just smacks of both profiling and unreasonable search and seizure. It is debatable whether Robert actually used his turn signal or not which is a traffic violation at worst. There was zero probable cause for a search and seizure. There was zero indication that Robert Baillio had been involved in any sort of crime. It is legal in the state of Louisiana to carry a loaded weapon in a vehicle. Robert’s gun is registered. He has a concealed weapons permit. Robert made no attempt to hide anything, and was courteous to the officer.

The officer asked Robert if he was a member of the NRA.

Do what? What does that have to do with a failure to use a turn signal violation? Why would a Shreveport Police Officer need to know that?

The officer never issued Robert a ticket. As a matter of fact, he even followed Robert to travel 2 blocks to Nan King Chinese Restaurant so Robert’s could get his take-out Chinese food before they closed. The officer followed him there and finished the traffic stop in the parking lot!

If Robert was so much a threat with his weapon, why was he even allowed to get back into his vehicle?

See the point?

——————-
It’s Glover’s Policy – and it needs to be rejected by citizens
——————

Here is where it gets more interesting. This problem is a systemic one that starts at the highest level of the Shreveport city government. No, I’m not a tin-foil hat conspiracy theorist either. Mayor Cedric Glover states very clearly and repeatedly that the policy is in place.

Mayor Cedric Glover: Your rights have been suspended.

He stated that fact 11 times in the 19 minute phone conversation. This was not a slip of the tongue, and he did not mis-speak. Mayor Cedric Glover meant what he said.

———————-
Anti-Gun Group
———————-

Did you know that Glover is a member of the “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” group – headed by Michael Bloomberg from New York? Can someone define exactly what an illegal gun looks like? Maybe a true fully-automatic weapon is illegal as defined by law; however this group is obviously against any gun.

The polarizing rhetoric of gun politics on all sides only obscures the tragic reality we see every day on our streets: violent criminals with easy access to firearms.

Well if they can see the violent criminals, why aren’t they arresting them? It is all semantics – the guns aren’t illegal at all. The “violent criminals” who use them are acting illegally. If these mayors think they can find the guns, then they can certainly find the owners – the violent criminals.

Read Part 2 Here

**Edited 6-15-09:
Removed text transcript -  made thread to long
Full Text of the Glover Interview – Corresponds to the Video

http://mybossier.blogspot.com/2009/06/shreveport-mayor-says-that-when-police.html

http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/2009/06/totalitarianism-in-one-city-shreveports.html

http://nationalgunrights.org/blog/?p=95&cpage=3#comment-422

http://www.talk540.com/shows/moon/moonwed.mp3