Canton Ohio City Council President Allen Schulman Rails Against Concealed Carry

[Kennah]

http://www.ohioccw.org/201107264959/allen-schulman-idiot-of-the-day.html
http://youtu.be/vBfpBxY2J00
http://www.cantonohio.gov/council/?pg=president

So, a police officer threatens to execute someone, but the problem isn't a rogue cop or a systemic problem within the Canton Ohio PD, and he's not going to discuss it.

Instead, the problem is blood in the streets because of concealed carry. WTF?

[Kennah]

1. I sent him a "hi there how's it going" Email

Dear Mr. Schulman,

I heard your comments on AM 640 WHLO in which you failed to address the behavior of Patrolman Harless. Thankfully, I have read that Chief McKimm has described Patrolman Harless' behavior as "wholly unacceptable", and for that I suspect the right thing will happen regarding Patrolman Harless' future employment as a police officer with the City of Canton.

With any luck, a civil lawsuit will ensue, and the settlement the City of Canton will be forced to reach should serve as a good lesson in the future regarding abusive police behavior. If there is justice, the FBI will open an investigation into whether Patrolman Harless should be tried federally for violation of civil rights under color of authority.

You may not get it, sir, but many people around the country do get it. The King County Sheriff's Office, just one county north of me, has been showing the video of Patrolman Harless' outrageous behavior to King County Sheriff's Deputies. Perhaps they have labeled this a training exercise in what NOT to do during a traffic stop.

You might be an attorney, but you seem to have little grasp of reality surrounding the law, particularly concealed carry laws throughout the nation. There are now 41 states with right to carry laws. You might not be aware of it, but Ohio has been a right to carry state since 2004. That's seven years. There is absolutely nothing new about this, and your obvious irrational hatred of gunowners doesn't change the legal and civil implications for Patrolman Harless and the City of Canton.

An estimated 5 million people are now legally carrying concealed firearms for protection in 41 states, and still the violent crime rates continues to fall. Here in Washington state, we have one of the highest concentrations of concealed carriers--higher than in Texas or Florida. The existing law dates back to 1961. That's 50 years, and we don't have blood running in our streets. In fact, our statewide violent crime rates are below the national average in almost all areas.

I've taken about 100 hours worth of advanced firearms training, including stuff that would probably only be attempted by SWAT teams. There have been police officers in almost every class I've taken, and I've yet to find one who had a problem with private citizens carrying guns for protection. Most of my instructors were police officers.

Twice in last 12 years I've been stopped by police officers for minor traffic infractions while I was carrying a gun, and I notified the officer that I was carrying. Here in Washington state, we're not required to notify police officers that we are carrying. It's a personal choice, but anymore I choose not to tell the officer. I'll answer honestly if asked a direct question, but the dangers of irrational officers like Patrolman Harless lead me to think it's better that I engage in a policy of don't ask, don't tell.

In neither case when I told the officer that I was carrying did the officer respond or react in an unprofessional, profane, or threatening manner. I suspect that Patrolman Harless would not remain employed for long as a police officer anywhere in Washington state.

If the problems in Canton are representative of how police officers treat people in Ohio, then you have a much larger problem than is commonly known, my friend. I wish you well in sorting out this mess of yours.

[Euromutt]

3. I doubt he'll read it, but hope springs eternal

If he thought the amount of correspondence he was getting before was bad, he's not seen anything yet. I certainly hope the citizens of Canton, OH recognize at the next election that Mr. Schulman does not represent their interests and vote accordingly. Better yet, I hope the local chapter of the Democratic party tell him that they don't want the "affiliation" of a guy who tries to deflect the blame for a cop's thuggish behavior onto the voters.

[Euromutt]

2. Sweet Jesus, what a load of bollocks

I can understand being unwilling to discuss the incident because it is or soon will be sub judice, and you don't want to say anything that will prejudice the case one way or another. But if you're going to keep your mouth, keep your mouth shut; just say that a full investigation is in progress concerning Officer Harless's behavior, and that the matter will be treated with the utmost seriousness. Do not try to deflect the blame for the obvious misbehavior of one of your cops onto CCW permit holders in general, and the CCW permit holder involved in the incident in particular, because you've watched the fucking video, Mr. Council Member ("member" in every sense of the word), and you can observe for yourself that permit holder/driver's actions were not even a mitigating factor for Harless's taking a massive shit on the trust placed in him as an agent of the state.

[Dr_Scholl]

4. What a douche.

n/t

[Hoyt]

5. Agree 100% with City Council Prez's comments in 2nd link. Glad to hear some leaders getting ticked

at gun proliferation. Hope citizens listen to what he says.

And no I'm not condoning policeman's actions, nor those of guy toting while looking for prostitute and/or drugs.

[Blown330]

8. Talking out the side of your neck again.

The citizens apparently listened and dismissed his worthless ranting for what it was. Also, cite proof that the victim in this altercation was looking for prostitutes and/or drugs.

[spin]

9. While I don't advocate or support looking for prostitutes or drugs at any time, night or day... ...

I disagree with the councilman's comments on concealed carry.

Why is it unacceptable for an honest citizen who happens to be in a crime ridden part of town at 1:30 am to have a licensed concealed weapon on his person? If anything that makes good commonsense.

There have been times when I have been in bad neighborhoods late at night for perfectly legitimate reasons. For example, my grandsons had a young black friend who lived in the bad section of town and rather than have him walk home after dark, my daughter or I would drive them home. Just the other day, one of our black friend's car broke down and my son in law drove out to get him and his family home. It was after 12 am.

The councilman goes on to warn other cities that they will be next and suffer violence because concealed carry laws allow citizens "to carry weapons under the worst of circumstances and in the worst situations there are deaths waiting to happen."

He goes on the say, "Believe me, if you allow the kind of carry concealed weapons laws that are in existence in Ohio, and they are all over the United States, you are going to have the same problem over and over again and deaths will result.

In Florida we have had "shall issue" concealed carry since 1987 and have not seen a terrible rise in violence caused by licensed concealed carry.

Also, I would point out this map that show just how many states have laws similar to Ohio. (Note that this map is out of date and Wisconsin has passed "shall issue" concealed carry.)



I'm not surprised that you agree with the councilman's statement, but in my opinion you both are incorrect. It is fairly obvious that if concealed carry as exists in Ohio did cause major problems, at least a couple of states that allow it would have revoked the law by now.

Explain to me why, if both of you are right, this hasn't happened?

I am glad to see that you do not agree with the policeman's actions. These remarks were totally unprofessional as was the fact that one officer was possibly illegally searching the back seat of the car while a potentially dangerous individual was still sitting in the driver's seat without being checked for weapons.

[SteveM]

10. Never an opportunity missed to smear gun-owners...

Please be advised that I picked up a prostitute on the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, TX. some 30 years ago when midway across the Colorado, she was cornered and backed up to the railing by two angry men. When I honked and hit the brakes, da punks threatening her took off. She ran to the car and got in. I took her across the bridge and let her out. Heavens knows what might have happened if I had been stopped by some hot-head cop.

[Hoyt]

12. That clearly was not case here. Besides, see how easy such situations can be handled without guns.

Well, unless you are saying you wouldn't have done anything without a gun or two in your car or tucked away on your person.

[beevul]

13. Clearly "guy toting while looking for prostitute and/or drugs" was not the case either hoyt.

And yet you keep asserting it is.

[Hoyt]

14. Look at video. If you can't see what is going on, I'm not sure you could assess a "situation."

[beevul]

15. You're the one that can not assess the situation.

See many "prostitutes" dressed like that do you? LOL

Looked into the background of the Person in question, have you? LOL


Whats clear here, is you're implying anything you can, in order to make the victim of officer fuckwits roidrage look less like the innocent victim that he is.


You don't care a whit as to what actually DID happen.


All you care about is what ways you might try to stigmatize and paint the innocent victim here in a bad light.


Nothing more, nothing less.

[Kennah]

17. If they thought he was soliciting for drugs or prostitution, then charge him.

Since they didn't, it's a non-issue.

Maybe you should listen to the audio again. Schulman was lashing out because people around the country have been Emailing and calling him asking WTF. It's why the PD took down their own FB page. They were getting slammed with people asking WTF.

[friendly_iconoclast]

18. Nice bit of xenophobia on Schulmans' part here:

http://www.cantonrep.com/stark/canton/x410262827/Schulman-defends-Cantons-reputation-after-police-video-backlash

...Emails were sent by “people who do not live in this community, who do not know our police ... (and) who know nothing about the city of Canton,” said Schulman, visibly angry.

“I take very strong exception ... to out-of-towners making (derogatory) comments about our city,” he added at Monday’s meeting...

Such sentiments used to be accompanied by the phrase "outside agitators"...

[GreenStormCloud]

6. Link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFO1CnusQEQ

[GreenStormCloud]

7. I've been traffic stopped before while carrying.

I had my driver's license and CHL card displayed and hands where he could see them as he walked up to the car. I politely and quickly said, "Officer, state law requires me to tell you that I am armed."

The rest of the stop was routine. Got off with a warning.

[NewMoonTherian]

11. In my CCW class...

the instructor told me how much officers appreciate your promptly telling them about the CCW and gun, and they usually even let you off with a warning. I've run into plenty of cops who seems to appreciate it, but I always get a ticket...

[Kennah]

16. Twice while carrying, I was stopped by police and told that I was carrying

We aren't required under law to tell, and I've since concluded that if the law doesn't demand it, I won't automatically tell.

Both times, it was a non-issue. "Just keep your hands away from it" was the extent of any issue with it.

First time, I ran a red light and didn't get a ticket.

Second time, I was speeding and did get a ticket.

I've concluded there's no benefit in avoiding a ticket by telling.