The Alamo Heights City Council voted unanimously Wednesday morning to repeal an ordinance that prohibited civilians from carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun in public.
“[The repeal is] not a statement as to how Council, or citizens, or staff feel about the open carry,” Mayor Bobby Rosenthal told the Rivard Report after the meeting. “Some may be for, some may be against, but there’s no choice in it” because it conflicts with state law.
The decision to repeal the ordinance in the enclave municipality of more than 8,000, located just north of downtown San Antonio, follows a parallel decision made last week by Olmos Park’s City Council after gun-rights proponents highlighted the issue.
Olmos Park police arrested Christopher “CJ” Grisham, founder and president of Open Carry Texas, on March 27 while he and others openly carried rifles on McCullough Avenue. Grisham, who faces three criminal charges including felony assault on a police officer, and his supporters argue that police violated state and federal laws protecting the open carry of rifles and shotguns. A video of Grisham’s arrest was posted on YouTube and has garnered more then 30,000 views.
Alamo Heights Police Chief Richard Pruitt told the municipality’s City Council and citizens Wednesday that the repeal would not stop police from investigating reports of people openly carrying firearms within city limits.
“We will investigate all cases of openly displayed rifles and shotguns,” Pruitt said. “We’re going to observe the behaviors out there because it’s not possession or the display of the weapon, it’s the conduct of the individual that’s going to initiate police action.”
Grisham’s arrest, and those of several others, prompted Open Carry Texas to announce an open-carry rally in Olmos Park, scheduled for Saturday, April 7. The event has drawn the interest of more than 900 people, according to its Facebook event page.
“Honestly, we don’t want any demonstrations in our city, and so [repealing the ordinance] was the best means to avoid it,” Rosenthal said. “Hopefully they’ll move on to the next town and see if they can incite another city to act improperly.”
The Alamo Heights ordinance restricting the open carry of rifles and shotguns dates back to 1964, before several state, federal, and Supreme Court court rulings conflicted with its legality, according to information provided by the City Council. The Texas Constitution allows the open carry of rifles and shotguns, and the Texas Legislature recently passed a law which allows the open and concealed carry of handguns with a permit.
Brandon Burkhart, vice president of This is Texas Freedom Force, attended and livestreamed Wednesday’s meeting. He said afterwards that the decision constituted “another small victory.”
“This right here kind of helps out and stops any more officers from being able to act rogue like the Olmos police chief and his officers did,” Burkhart told reporters after the meeting. He said about 125 of his organization’s members would participate in the rally Saturday, and continue to pressure Olmos Park to initiate criminal charges against Police Chief Rene Valenciano for his involvement in Grisham’s arrest.
Some of the demonstrators who openly carried rifles and shotguns in Olmos Park refer to themselves as “auditors,” whereby they observe, and often record, the responses and reactions of law enforcement officers to people carrying firearms. Jack Miller, one such “auditor” who also faces criminal charges in Olmos Park, previously told the Rivard Report that the only way to know whether law enforcement respects open carry laws is to test them.
No one signed up to address the Alamo Heights City Council at the meeting, and the deliberations before the vote lasted little more than four minutes.
The City of San Antonio currently has an ordinance similar to those repealed by both Olmos Park and Alamo Heights.
The Alamo Heights Police Department is fair, friendly, professional, and ahould be used as a model for other departments to follow. It has been for years. Great leadership and great force in pretty much everything they do.
Poorest leadership I have witnessed! To not follow the constitution is a travesty! The Police Chief is corrupt and should be arrested. Entrapment is very serious! And should he get away with this kind of behavior every citizen that steps foot in that town risk being arrested on false charges
Kimberly, I was referring to AHPD being good. It’s OPPD that’s bad.
The video and audios of all the police actions says otherwise. Make sure you have ALL the facts before you open your mouth. They acted like thugs. And if it acts like a thug and cusses, disparages others like a thug then it’s a thug.
If you’re saying the police action in Olmos Park was justified, you really need to remove your cranial appendage from your rectal orifice.
The two OCT members were illegally assaulted by the chief and his tribe of miscreants. The OCT members gave no resistance at all and were assaulted while they were cuffed and on the ground.
The chief violated multiple state and federal laws as well as violating rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
After CJ is exonerated from the trumped up fake charges, the city of Olmos Park and the Chief and his department will be bankrupt.
Bankruptcy is not justice. Violating civil rights is a felony so why doesn’t the DoJ take this up? Or are they corrupt too?
“Honestly, we don’t want any demonstrations in our city, and so [repealing the ordinance] was the best means to avoid it,” Rosenthal said.
This does not smell like great leadership.
Mayor =/= Chief of Police
I just don’t understand the appeal these Rambo-wannabes see in being able to carry loaded weapons down the street. In public. Where kids play.
What is the point? Are they afraid we’re going to be invaded at any minute by the commies?
This Brandon Burkhart guy looks as if he has some sort of military fetish. He looks ridiculous in that getup. He is not the “American Sniper”. And the alt-right companion in that picture looks as if she were the epitome of a white-supremacist.
You’re referring to the wrong person…..funny how that works when you “assume.” Mr. Burkhart is the gentleman with the service dog.
Whomever the clown is all suited up, does his mommy know he’s out playing army? He looks like a complete idiot (perhaps because he is), along with all his other buffoon friends.
but when there is a situation such as an active shooter and your sitting thier yelling at the shooter to stop…….you will beg for this “clown” to save you. and he will.
Robert Phelan – do you judge much??? you are going to judge someone by there appearance?
You know it is a god given right to open or concealed carry personally I open carry because I do not believe in hiding it. carrying a gun cuts out crime because no one is going to something stupid around a armed person. 2nd part of this statement who do you think you are, do you think you are God, or the President or the Governor. I protected your rights and freedoms for 8 years, I was good enough to carry then but not good enough now? What makes you think that your feeling supersedes the constitution, the supreme law in which this country was founded on? please go crawl back in your hole u troll.
Glad Alamo Heights followed Olmos Park. Other municipalities need to follow suit.
Now … we Texans can still get together to discuss sensible weapons-carry (e.g. need to review the “open sword” carry The Lege recently passed … Rambos and Samurai Jacks Unite!), such as:
1. No Open Carry, except, for example, active and reserve peace officers and qualified-carry National and Texas State Guardsmen and state militias.
2. Registered, but not heavily-regulated, state militias. Yup, your legal names would be in another database, but there would be a two-way relationship with a publicly accountable State Militia Coordinating Office (i.e. get used to another database, don’t be paranoid but you can still be vigilant within a publicly transparent framework and we-the-Texas-People can even provide some expedited due process and insurance in case one of your members goes rogue)
—> Just re-read this #2, and regulation of you and yours is key but maybe, somehow, we can get to lightly-regulated. Or not, we can think this through together.
So much we can talk about, without resorting to name-calling (but, yes, I’m sure emotions will spike sometimes. I am presuming, though, we can still discuss yours and my rights in a civilized, mature manner, with you legally strapped for action … that’ll be my burden that’s up for compromise)
Jonathan Robertson you are trying to tell me that a officer of the law that took a 6 month tech school program know more about ROE, and gun discipline the a soldier that was in a combat MOS for 8 years?
sir I do not know what rock you crawled out from under. Me personally I would be behind a Veteran way before i support a police office, I run for city council was primarily because of the police brutality in the town I live in Friendswood Texas.
I appreciate the poise of your proposal- it lacked the name calling and prejudice so often displayed by the more bigoted types who propose the same “sensible restrictions”.
Having reviewed your proposals, I must respectfully decline. I’ve no wish to enlist with ant Militia and would be quite offended if my registration were made a condition of my free exercise of my civil rights. Thus, you may safely consider me to be a Non-Compliant if those unconstitutional restrictions were to be made into law… furthermore I may even politely suggest that anyone wishing to enforce such infringements upon my civil rights can go piss up a rope.
“…the only way to know whether law enforcement respects open carry laws is to test them” seems like a horrible way to live.
Color me shocked that the facebook event page has turned into a Confederate flags and guns party page. My eyes just rolled out of my head and onto the street. Shout out to all the cops that have to be “audited” by this merry band of wannabe commandos this weekend.
Gun trash. Neither the police nor sane, reasonable people are comfortable with overweight, unbalanced Rambo wannabes strutting down our streets in their camo costumes with fully loaded assault weapons. All it takes is for one of these pathetic individuals to go off his rails and start shooting before fathers, mothers or children are killed. Enough is enough. These fringe groups are a public nuisance and danger.
Go off their rails? In all the time this group has been active, that has never happened. Not once has anyone in this group hurt or attempted to hurt anyone. If you look at your so called mass shooters, they have not been members of a group like this, or the NRA (I’m not either) or any other gun rights group. They were either mentally ill persons, or persons that did so because of their religious beliefs, (ie; muslims). Most of the people that shoot at others are criminals engaged in criminal behavior. In point of fact on a per capita basis, Texans with a license to carry, commit fewer crimes than police officers do. Look it up…the Dept. of Public Safety has been mandated by law ever since the LTC went into effect, to keep a record of crimes committed by LTC holders.
You need to read the 2Nd amendment to the constitution. Maybe you will under stand why it was written. It is to protect us from tyranny and our own government abuse. These folks are protecting your rights not dressing up for Halloween.
The dudes walking around with weapons and yapping about Confederate flags (on the facebook event page) are protecting me from NOTHING. I keep my guns locked up and know how to use them if necessary.
I feel no need to play dress up and preen around a neighborhood I don’t live in just to make a point.
Do you not get that you are able to keep your guns locked up and have them if you need them because people like him are out there demanding that the government cease attempts to attack our rights?
if the men and women like him didn’t do this no one that so chooses to do so would be able to have that firearm in their safe if they need it.
i do not understand the thought process of people with your attitude towards this subject, not trying to be mean or condescending in any way i honestly want to know how far you thought into the current problem that you have concluded that sitting at home and not stopping what is happening is better than fighting for your rights and you children’s rights.
its not dress up its an exercise of his rights the same rights you have!
have you ever though that what is the way we dress every day? You dont march to make a point because you are a SHEEP, probably old and on medicare and collecting a SS check. you have never done anything to be proud of to stand up for in your life.
Denise you have no life you are a sheep that like to give all your control over to the government because you dont have the back bone to stand for you rights
This fringe group is doing nothing more than intimidating residents and antagonizing police. And the fact that they are trying to legitimize what they are doing with the term “audit” is laughable.
All TITFF and other gun owners and organizations are law abiding citizens and have respect for life not like those kids that causing massive shootings. A well regulated militia, [as stated in US and State Constitution] is necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed by domestic or foreign treat as stated in the 2nd amendment.
If cities and towns keep making laws that are against the 2nd A, then they are against the U S Constitution. The people (taxpayers) are now fed up being regarded and labelled as terrorist in their own towns and cities if they practice this God given right to keep and bear arms. This, United States of America, has long been under assault by socialist progressives and cultural marxists in positions of power whose aim is to disarm Americans so they can have their One World Communist Order aka New World Order . Remember those cryptic words of HW Bush in Sept 11, 1991… ten yrs before 9/11…
https://www.facebook.com/RepMarkWalker/videos/930678490425237/
The two dementional thinking is amazing in this country. I should have this ready to paste every time. When we got this country, the one we came from wanted us to be under there control. Remember? They didn’t listen. It took guns to stop it. There were 3000 killed at Pearl Harbor pushing us into a fight we didn’t want. It was take the fight to them or risk our borders. It took guns to end it. NOW THINK BEFORE YOU SAY SOMETHING ELSE STUPID, if we had not have stopped it. You might not be here!! I’ve protected this country in service, and protected YOUR! Right to live! So , you leave my second amendment rights to protect you alone and you will still be able to complain about the government because of your first amendment rights.. or maybe the whole bunch of you should try reading the constitution for the first time! Apparently when you were in school the last time it didn’t take..
It’s so easy to tell who actually lives here and who doesn’t…
So many Snow Flakes, so little time
If you are still asleep and in cognitive dissonance (denial) of whats going on, then its time to wake up from slumber…
8 steps to topple a nation and create a socialist marxist state of utopia…
1) Healthcare — Control healthcare and you control the people
2) Poverty — Increase the Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
3) Debt — Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.
4) Gun Control — Remove the ability to defend themselves from the Government. That way you are able to create a police state.
5) Welfare — Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
6) Education — Take control of what people read and listen to — take control of what children learn in school.
7) Religion — Remove the belief in the God from the Government and schools.
8) Class Warfare — Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take (Tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.
These 8 steps that you have listed are the same ones that are in the communist manifesto. This is the bible of the left wing party who now calls themselves the democratic party but are actually people who believe in One World Order. Does this sound familiar to anyone. I.E. Adolph Hitler
The global socialist and international marxist plan called Agenda 2030 Sustainable Devt is a multi faceted approach to achieve this One World Communist Order aka New World Order aka Nazi World Order.. Its all done by obfuscation and subliminal programming right under our noses.. Its time to wake up bec they are coming to take our guns, freedom of thought and speech, right to privacy, property rights and assets, freedom of religion, etc…
http://yournewswire.com/un-agenda-2030-revealed-they-want-a-one-world-government/
We ve been warned of this coming Police Surveillance State a long long time ago . And its here , thanks to GW Bush’s 9/11 paving for the criminalization of Americans just bec they exercise their First and Second Amendment rights….
George Orwell once said: “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stomping on the human face, forever”.
Military Industrial Complex was created to fight perpetual wars in foreign lands to advance world govt aka Nazi World Order (NWO) in the guise of world peace and stability (international police action).
Police Industrial Complex was created to enforce tyrannical laws on the American people under the guise of law and order. In the process, trampling down on the constitutional rights of the We the People
Recognizing the agents of Olmos Park “misbehaved” is a good sign that Alamo Heights may have its agents under control and compliant with the constitution, still, as Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” Alamo Heights and every jurisdiction that fancies itself part of the United States should be able to withstand regular audits without any “misbehavior” by their agents.
Alamo Heights PD officers were audited and the video is on youtube I think you’ll find it if you search for “Alamo Heights” open carry audit. Alamo Heights PD is good to it’s residents and all who travel through AH. They are actually good officers and nothing at all like Olmos Park.