What I just saw....

Micten2 · #1

Alright, to start off, I didn't witness a crime taking place. What I did see was two people with guns, and I want to know if it was legal. I was walking in D'town Fort Worth on my lunch break. Across the street, I saw 2 people, 1 male, 1 female, exiting a restaurant. As I got closer I saw both were open carrying at 3 o'clock. The puzzling thing to me was that both were carrying what appeared to be XD's in leather OWB holsters, not standard LEO holsters. Next to their guns were badges, but I couldn't see what kind they were. For all I know, they could be the cheesy CHL badges. Neither of the two were in a uniform of any kind, simply blue jeans and golf shirts with no LEO insignia to be seen. Because both were in civilian clothes, they could be off duty LEO, but even then, open carry isn't legal, is it? I'm just curious to see if I just witnessed two people illegally carrying, or if there is a type of LEO that dresses in civilian clothes and open carries?

RCP · #2

Sure there are plenty. Might of even been Texas Rangers.

Micten2 · #3

Alright, that's what I figured, but I wasn't sure. I guess I was expecting to see some sort of logo or insignia. Thanks.

jbirds1210 · #4

You are one up on most people!

I would bet that a large percentage of the people standing there did not take the time to observe the person next to them with a gun.

Snake Doctor · #5

I'd say I see these types once per week at least. Just like you described, too. Not always jeans an polos, but street clothes that made them look just like me... minus the gun and badge.

seamusTX · #6

I see that all the time around the Galveston County Courthouse. LEOs come in plain clothes to do paperwork or something. I've never observed any of the horrified reactions that are supposed to happen when "sheeple" see a "naked gun."

Peace officers are not required to conceal their handguns:

PC Â§46.15. NONAPPLICABILITY. (a) Sections 46.02 and 46.03 do
not apply to:
(1) peace officers or special investigators under Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure, and neither section prohibits a peace officer or special investigator from carrying a weapon in this state, including in an establishment in this state serving the public, regardless of whether the peace officer or special investigator is engaged in the actual discharge of the officer's or investigator's duties while carrying the weapon;

- Jim

txinvestigator · #7

There are no restrictions on Peace Officer carry in Texas regarding open/concealed, in uniform/no uniform, on/off duty.

Question for Micten2; what is a standard LEO holster?

Micten2 · #8

txinvestigator wrote:There are no restrictions on Peace Officer carry in Texas regarding open/concealed, in uniform/no uniform, on/off duty.

Question for Micten2; what is a standard LEO holster?

I guess when I said 'standard LEO holster', I expect to see a black holster with some sort of retention device. Thinking about it now, it doesn't make much sense to me either. I just associate LEO holsters with the black one's that police officers usually wear. Wrong on my part, but I just didn't consider all the possibilities.

stevie_d_64 · #9

There are ladies in the ranks of the Texas Rangers??? Did I miss a memo or something???

Velocity · #10

txinvestigator wrote:There are no restrictions on Peace Officer carry in Texas regarding open/concealed, in uniform/no uniform, on/off duty.

Question for Micten2; what is a standard LEO holster?

I've seen LEOs in plainclothes open carrying fairly often, but they almost always have a badge clipped to the belt (usually near the holster).

While it's legal for a LEO to open carry out of uniform, I'd expect most would have some form of ID (like a badge) visable as well.

NcongruNt · #11

stevie_d_64 wrote:There are ladies in the ranks of the Texas Rangers??? Did I miss a memo or something???

Yes.

http://www.texasranger.org/today/companyD.htm

AEA · #12

Velocity wrote: I've seen LEOs in plainclothes open carrying fairly often, but they almost always have a badge clipped to the belt (usually near the holster).

That's where I clip mine.......

Just Kidding. I only have this as a Novelty in my Safe!
But......I don't think it's "Cheesey" at all!

waltherone · #13

Haha, I've got one on you on that. This has no relevance to your question, but it's still fun to imagine seeing this one particular guy.

We went to the China Bear restaurant on the north side of Houston (REALLY nice buffet btw, really elegant place inside, ENORMOUS buffet... they had snow crab on the buffet line for crying out loud... but I digress..). We next to a table of about 5 people, 4 guys and a woman. Immediately I notice (far before anyone I was with) that they were all armed, all sigs or glocks that I saw. One of them was just in plain clothes, but I suspected he was probably carrying concealed given the company he was with ;) Anyways, one of them though, was by all definitions of the phrase, armed to the teeth. Most of them had badges in pouches hanging from their necks. This guy had no visible badge, was just wearing a black polo shirt and black cargo-style pants. His armaments? Good lord, had some model Sig on small of back for his right hand, had some other model Sig at 3 o'clock OWB, and had TWO of the following on his left leg, one above the other. His left leg had two or three mag carriers(I don't recall) strapped to it that were held on by a strap that went around his leg and also connected to a harness that was either a part of his belt, or just attached to it. Then another of that same thing, two or three mags, in the same style harness that attached to the one above it. He had a BIG knife mounted down near his ankle, right about the top of his bootline. Had what was either a pepper spray or possibly a flashbang-type of thing (I've never seen one of those, or a smoke grenade, etc, in person, so I can't say) mounted on his left front, about 10:30 position. That was fully enclosed though in a carrier so I'm assuming probably pepper spray.

As you can tell from the description, I studied this guy up and down. Having just come from a water park, and still wearing my swimsuit, I wasn't carrying. I didn't feel unsafe though, more worried that I couldn't control myself from going over and asking him "what are you???"

I'd never seen anyone that heavily armed in public before. Maybe he was SWAT or similar? Out to lunch with a bunch of what appeared to be detectives. I dunno, but I found it amusing that only after about 15 minutes did anyone in my party say anything about everyone on the table next to us having guns.

Snake Doctor · #14

AEA wrote:
Velocity wrote: I've seen LEOs in plainclothes open carrying fairly often, but they almost always have a badge clipped to the belt (usually near the holster).
That's where I clip mine.......

Just Kidding. I only have this as a Novelty in my Safe!
But......I don't think it's "Cheesey" at all!

Tell me you don't really have one of these...

Renegade · #15

HB 1815 does not require the handgun be concealed when going directly en route to a motor vehicle that is owned by the person or under the person's control.