Cars stopped, shop owners stared, and bystanders recorded video of several hundred armed gun-rights activists who marched through Olmos Park on Saturday to the front door of its City Hall to submit petitions demanding the resignation of the municipality’s police chief.
Open Carry Texas, a gun-rights advocacy group, organized the rally after members of the Olmos Park police department, including Chief Rene Valenciano, used a taser during the March 27 arrest of Christopher “CJ” Grisham, the group’s president and founder, while he openly carried a firearm.
At the time of Grisham’s arrest, an Olmos Park ordinance banned the open carry of rifles and shotguns in a public place by anyone other than a law enforcement official, which conflicts with state law. Olmos Park’s City Council repealed that ordinance shortly after the arrest. However, Grisham faces other charges stemming from the encounter with police, including a felony charge of assault on a police officer.
Grisham’s supporters say that Olmos Park police, including Valenciano, used excessive force. A video of the arrest posted on YouTube, sparked outrage among gun rights supporters and prompted the petition drive, which also demands the charges against Grisham, a Temple resident, be dropped.
“Open carry of firearms is legal in Texas, and cities and police must respect our gun rights, our Constitutional rights, our civil rights, and the laws of the State of Texas,” the petition states.
“We support our police department and its leadership,” said Olmos Park resident Denise DeGeare, who watched the march from her condo near City Hall. She and her husband, Joe, said they both supported open carry and hold concealed-handgun licenses, but Denise DeGeare said that she thought the video was “sensationalized” and used by people outside Olmos Park for political purposes.
“I feel like [the police] were doing what they were instructed to do based on ordinances that were in place at the time,” she said. “So for them to demand that our police chief be out of office is ridiculous.”
Marchers carried a variety of firearms, including assault-style rifles, other semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and even musket-style weapons. Other marchers carried handguns in holsters or tucked into waistbands. Some people dressed in camouflage fatigues, helmets, and kevlar vests that had extra ammunition magazines attached to them.
Organizers estimated that at least 350 people participated in the march, which began just outside the municipality’s limits. There was little police presence visible throughout the duration of the march. San Antonio Police Department officers occasionally directed traffic, and at least one unmarked police SUV appeared to be monitoring the marchers as they traveled along McCullough Avenue.
Ohio resident Jeffry Smith said he drove to San Antonio to participate in the rally after seeing the video of Grisham’s arrest.
“If you don’t use your rights you lose them,” said Smith.
The state of Texas allows for the open carry of rifles and shotguns, and since Jan. 1, 2016, it has been legal for Texans with concealed-carry handgun licenses to openly carry handguns.
Yet Becca Defelice, one of six other mothers from Olmos Park and Alamo Heights protesting the rally, argued that the open carry of rifles violates a separate state disorderly conduct ordinance that says a person commits an offense if an individual “displays a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm.”
“In what universe does that not shock or make you feel threatened when you see 400 people open carrying long guns down a residential street?” Defelice said. “That causes alarm.”
Alamo Heights, another municipality within San Antonio, on Wednesday repealed its ordinance banning the open carry of rifles and shotguns.
Defelice said she understood why Alamo Heights had to repeal the ordinance. However, she said that she wanted to see the Texas Legislature overturn open carry in its next session or require licensing to openly carry a rifle or shotgun.
David Amad, vice president of Open Carry Texas, said that no one participating in the rally carried weapons to cause alarm, and noted that organizers instructed the marchers to carry their weapons pointed to the ground.
“All of these folks are carrying their weapons in a manner calculated to educate,” Amad said. “Calculated just to exercise their rights, not to scare anybody.”
Members of This Is Texas Freedom Force, which describes itself as a Texans’ rights group, also participated in the march. Kerrie Hillyer, a TITFF representative, said the group would continue to protest what it called illegal open carry ordinances around Bexar County. While Olmos Park, Alamo Heights, and Hollywood Park have repealed ordinances banning the open carry of rifles and shotguns in public places, she said they would examine similar ordinances in the municipalities of Live Oak and Windcrest.
The march concluded at the Olmos Park City Hall, where Amad attempted to deliver the stack of petitions. No one exited the building to take the petitions or speak with the demonstrators.
“If they think this is the last event, they’ve lost their mind,” Amad said to the crowd outside City Hall. “We’re going to come back, and come back, and keep coming back until they clean up their act, do what’s right, and start respecting the rights of the citizens of the state of Texas.”
What a giant waste of time and effort. You’ve accomplished nothing more than turning a quiet, peaceful community against your cause.
But you haven’t turned against excessive force by law enforcement against people not breaking a single law? Your priorities are backwards.
Your staged incident was an example of police obeying their directives and local laws. Your claims are phony and you know it.
Should police enforce laws they know to be illegal? Isn’t there a Nuremberg precedent?
The city law may have violated state law but until overturned it was the law of the city and everyone should conform to laws on the books. Let lawyers fix a wrong-don’t do it by brandishing weapons.
That’s ridiculous.
they were not brandishing.
The ordinance states that a rifle could not be carried with a round in the chamber. They did not break that law, even if it was an illegal one at the time.
That’s actually not what it says. How about you read the ordinance before commenting?
Sec. 24-85. – Unauthorized carrying of loaded rifle or shotgun.
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a duly authorized peace officer, to carry a loaded rifle or loaded shotgun on any public street within the city. A rifle or shotgun shall be considered loaded if it contains a shell or shells in either barrel or magazine.
I enjoyed my walk through Olmos Park with more than 500 like-minded 2A people. Your city is quaint, but could definitely use some sidewalk and road repair, as well as a new Chief of Police. Except for the tiny little group of five counter-protestors and some old couple in the condos across from the police department, every resident I met thanked me for what we were doing. I’m an Army veteran and haven’t ever been called a “patriot” as often as I was today by Olmos Park residents.
I hope our walk helps them get the police chief they deserve and who they can be proud of having represent their community.
Cute reference to second amendment.
Dress up like a nazi and parade around with a loaded AR-15 and the Olmos Park police turn their backs. However, get caught with a joint in your pocket and go to jail. How ironic.
Irony? Check your dictionary.
As a retired Texas peace officer I was shocked and appalled by the actions of the Olmos Park PD that I saw on Grisham’s arrest video because their use of force was totally out of line. The only thing more shocking is the people who I see defending the actions of the arresting officers. BTW I was also in the march today and the vast majority of the Olmos Park citizens I spoke to were supportive of our rally.
Like police officers never violate individuals civil rights or kill unarmed citizens. Give me a break.
Oh please. Marching around a wealthy and conservative, mostly white suburb of San Antonio with weapons of war and pretending you are a soldier does nothing to help reduce the real problem of police violence. This protest has nothing to do with the excessive use of force by law enforcement. These are frustrated men who patch their wounded egos by wrapping their hands around firearms that make them feel powerful. The gun industry encourages them, the Texas GOP supports them, and in turn, they vote for policies that make life even worse for them and their families. But I guess we’ll see them at the next Black Lives Matter rally since they are now so worried about what police are doing to law-abiding citizens.
Exactly. These people aren’t out protesting when innocent, UNARMED black men are murdered by police officers. But their ARMED fearless leader (a lawyer who DELIBERATELY INSTIGATES response by local police) gets tackled and tased and they come out in force saying their constitutional rights are being violated.
so now you are going to tell them where and when to demonstrate? pretty arrogant.
Unarmed black men? Lol do some research will ya? White men are the most that are killed by police officers. Percentage wise ,blacks are the lowest that are killed by police officers. If you are so concerned about black lives matter then your marches should be done in the city of chicago where blacks are dying in record numbers and killed by other blacks. Wheres the outrage there? Oh thats right , the media doesnt care. It wont get any ratings.
Great response. It’s a cultural phenomenon that these emotionally-damaged wannabes find some kind of twisted masculine pride in displaying their guns in safe residential places instead of doing anything worthwhile to change actual injustice in our world. I read an interesting article about how they probably feel shamed by their inability to cope with changes in their lives and act out to overcome a sense of impotence.
weren’t they in the business district?
interesting article???
written by whom???
of course it was interesting since it was most likely written by a person who knows nothing of real life adventures and sportsmanship, especially out with your family teaching your kids safety and real life incounters of survival… All of our children could hit a bulls eye with a bow at 50 feet with a bow, both went to college with scholarships for archery… Same with rifles at 950 feet, bullseye… Glock 26 #3, 97% hits at FBI qualify course… One son is an Environmental Biologist for State of California… Other is an English language professor and a CPA PSYCHOLOGIST & on summer time off teaches business English and Math skills for free in Peru to college and university students… So they have no hidden mancave needs as your article says…. Funny how one reads an article on a subject matter and becomes a believer of the writers words…..
Well said, Ashley Smith. I have yet to see a pro gun rights march/rally or protest without it being painfully obvious that these yahoos never left adolescence. Nothing says ‘rational, responsible adult’ like spending your weekends pretending to be Rambo.
how do you know what they do on their weekends. Why are you not beating up on the city council that knowingly passed an illegal law? Why beat up on people exercising their rights?
You’re joking, right? The ordinance was passed in 1985, long before these open carry losers decided to start terrorizing Olmos Park.
Was anyone actually terrorized? Weapons of war? Seriously?
Weapons of war? None of those legal weapons are used in war.
You’re all instigators. You perform stupid “audits” where you go to an otherwise peaceful neighborhood and open carry, inciting and inviting confrontation from local police. You HOPE and WISH they get physical with you so you can get publicity and further your propaganda machine. That’s how all of this works.
Unfortunately you’re probably hurting your own ability to protect your second amendment rights because you uneducated hicks are pissing off local neighborhoods with your stunts. You say you get more positive feedback from residents than pushback? Well maybe it’s because a hundred of you are carrying high powered semi-automatic rifles, you idiots! Fearmongering will only get you so far. You can’t force respect, and the intelligent populace sees right through this stupidity.
You are very uninformed and confused ; read the Constitution , you will become a free person and understand the Purpose of the 2nd Amendment .
That YouTube post, in my opinion, was a deliberate act of provocation. It was taped and posted by the provocateur! If I saw a guy who looked like him on the street corner with a weapon I would call the police in an instant. If someone had seen the shooters in Florida and here, maybe those innocents who were killed, in fact, the word is murdered, be alive today. These people are using the Second Amendment to justify their Neo-Nazi believes.
I believe in the right to own a hunting rifle but I do not believe in terrorizing a neighbourhood no matter what part of town it is.
Sooo you will call the police on a person open carrying and minding their own business, sounds like you’re the problem.
Nazis did not allow civilians to possess firearms.
I still cannot tell the difference between a good guy with a gun and a bad guy with a gun. Until it’s too late. If I see someone carrying a gun in the middle of my city, I will always report it to the authorities. If I see someone with a gun, I will remove myself. Consider that many of us who knew this was happening avoided the area. I am not opposed to the Second Amendment. I am opposed to attention whores, wrapping themselves in our flag and brandishing weapons in a community that is for the most part peaceful, beautiful and safe.
Shame on you. Go home and be productive.
It is also a community that thinks it can ignore state law, do what it wishes, and be free of consequences.
Sounds like you’re going to eventually get charged for making false reports and tying up police resources. But hey if you got the money to pay the fines, go right ahead.
Wait, reporting someone open-carrying a rifle, in and of itself with a statement of concern for that carrier’s possible intentions, is not a false report. The police officers would investigate the carrier (at whatever priority that event is assigned) and, as some YouTube videos have shown, congratulate the carrier for exercising one’s Texas and 2nd Amendment rights.
I’m with Tami Kegley, and probably with you too, Tiger Tomcat, in this kind of scenario, where a concerned citizen … and an expressive and open-carrying citizen, intersect.
Its time to go beyond protests and bring a lawsuit under 42 USC 1983 to obtain damages, injunctive relief, and yes, even attorney fee shifting from Olmos Park. Learn more at OpenCarry.org. And carry on!
Go home. No sane person wants mentally unbalanced camo boys or gun trash goose-stepping down their streets. Go home. Your days of brandishing deadly firearms many be legal today, because you have the backing of our unsophisticated, backwoods moronic governor, Gregg Abbott. This will not stand. Go home. Grow up. Get an education. Leave the sane, balanced people alone.
Read the Constitution , John Penne , you will free yourself from confusion .
First, go to college and get a broader view, and an education. Grow up. So tired of toothless, white trash gun rabble instigating. You may have the legal right to make a complete laughing stock of yourself, but all it takes is a flick of the wrist or a flinch, and an innocent citizen or citizens die. How would you like it if other morns stood on street corners with live grenades – simply because they can. Well, sane people feel the same way about you loser gun toters. Brandishing firearms is for cowards. Go home, little boys. Defend your precious rights with smarts instead of murderous toys. You are so pathetic.
Grenades are illegal.
Unnecessary attacks and lots of presumptions, John Penne, can’t take your statements too seriously (and on the other hand, I do hear you and wonder how to counter your stance, since it does chill me … )
As if responding to The Lord Humongous’ repeated appeals with his threatening intent, I will not walk away or go home either, from the discussion and its freedom of expression. Eventually, I will want to see a well-regulated militia and populace (licensing for the long-guns, as well)
Remember the last time a gun owner decided to open up on our streets? Many of us still do. During a Fiesta parade. I still recall hearing the report of his firearms. I still remember the blood on Broadway street. Ira Adderberry looked and dressed like every homely, puffy, belligerent white guy in your little march down our streets this weekend. Not one of us knows which one of you will “twist off”, or when, but there is something wrong with all of you. We don’t want or need gun fanatics in our cities.
When an illegal or criminal will attack you or a member of your family , you will be begging for mercy and wished someone would come to your help .
Hold on there, Rafael, it would just be a “criminal”, regardless of residency status.
Also, the stance is that the 3rd-party licensed pistol carrier and/or open carrier, is not obligated to protect someone else, such as a stranger. Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn’t … it’s the right of each person to choose and then carry a licensed pistol or open-carried rifle to defend oneself and closely-loved ones.
I’m not a coward. I would not beg, nor would I tremble in a dark corner with my firearm. Guns are for cowards, little boy.
None of this would have happened if Olmos Park had not passed a law in violation of state law and if the police had not undertaken to enforce a law known to be illegal. The city council and police are both at fault here, not those carrying guns as permitted by state (and now Olmos Park) law. What were the council and police thinking?
John Penne,
you are obviously very bitter, ignorant and quite possibly not as educated as you try to lead others to believe. I know plenty of sane and educated folks that were walking down those streets. In fact, I walked alongside college educated folks, with bachelors, masters, PhDs, attorneys, and many other highly intelligent individuals, willing to stand up for their rights and the rights of others. In case you didn’t know, the 2nd Amendment is in the US Constitution, not just state law, so blaming the Texas Governor, does zero for your argument. . A defunct city ordinance doesn’t supercede the laws of the land. a word to the wise, before you speak, or type, you should definitely try to have a clue, instead of just being ignorant
He’s obviously more educated than you based on the large amount of grammatical and punctuation errors in your comment.
Sorry, Stella, but Penne is unbalanced and tries to make his points with hyperbole. I’m certain there was no goose-stepping or brandishing. He just runs off at the mouth, as do you.
Why even bother? These undereducated, slobbering goons cannot articulate any better than they can spell. Heaven forbid they should actually spell check. It does everything to inform their lack of thoroughness and accuracy. But, they sure do look manly standing with their camo outfits and assault rifles. No mature man needs a gun. These are pathetic, cowardly little boys.
You mean large number of . . . not large amount. Don’t throw stones.
Oh, my! Some coward afraid to post his name actually walked on the same street as educated “highly intelligent” people? How grown up and educated you must have felt. For that moment. No wonder gun trash feel a need to coddle their weapons. They cannot even begin to feel safe or secure depending on their intellect or poor education. Enjoy your moment troglodytes. Just as smokers had to stop smoking in public when non-addicts had had enough, in spite of your childish threats, you and your guns are next.
The rise of little tyrants are all part and parcel of the Police Surveillance Apparatus of the One World Order aka Nazi World Order (NWO) envisioned in the words of HW Bush in Sept 11, 1991. This was put into full motion ten yrs after by his son GW Bush in Sept 11, 2001 with the attack on the Twin Towers. The was a classic planned hegelian dialectics by creating the problem, eliciting the response and providing the solution . And sure did, GW Bush expanded the powers of the police forces, DHS and intel community under the Patriot Act which morphed into the Freedom Act (never what it meant but a smokescreen) ..This was all smokes and mirrors to intrude and undermine into our constitutional rights (right to free speech, gun ownership, privacy in our selves/ properties/ homes, right to due process, etc). You have to connect the dots and you ‘ll see we are in a total Police Surveillance State aka George Orwell’s nightmare in his books , Nineteen Eighty Four.