Gunned Down in Vegas: What Really Happened to Erik Scott?
First, let me be clear about two things. Based upon the account presented here, which admittedly is the only one I’ve read:
(a) Costco employees and their management overreacted out of ignorance, and thus bear a portion of culpability in this man’s death.
(b) Metro police murdered this man in an act of professional negligence.
That said, I’ve taken two CCW classed in Ohio, at two different locations, five years apart. Both instructors emphasized two aspects of responsible CCW:
(1) Never, ever, ever let the shape of your concealed weapon print through clothes… much less be exposed via a raised shirt. One instructor even gave the specific, now presciently chilling example: “If you are in a grocery store and you reach for an item on the top shelf, and the hem of your shirt lifts to reveal your weapon, is it concealed? No.” Students are warned that display, whether it be intentional or unintentional, of a weapon by a legal CCW can induce panic among the non-carrying community, which can have serious consequences.
(2) Never, ever, ever touch — or even reach for — your firearm in the presence of a law enforcement officer. One instructor said not to do so even if told, and give the officer permission to remove it from you. Five years later, the second instructor advised notify the officer his order is unlawful and dangerous, and (again) encourage the officer to remove the loaded weapon himself.
Do either of these mistakes justify the murder of Mr. Scott? Absolutely not, and those culpable should be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law.
However, those who practice CCW should read the account of Mr Scott’s murder with caution, and keep in mind never to expose or reach for your firearm in the view of the public, much less the police.
