Kasich to Cleveland cops: ‘No open carry ban’

Following last weekend’s shootings of police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that left three cops dead and three more injured, Cleveland Police officers are calling for a temporary ban on Ohio’s open carry laws in Cuyahoga County.

“We are sending a letter to Gov. Kasich requesting assistance from him,” said Stephen Loomis, president of Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association. “He could very easily do some kind of executive order or something–I don’t care if it’s constitutional or not at this point.”

There is a very small “secure zone” immediately surrounding and inside Quicken Loans Arena, where the GOP Convention will take place, but otherwise anyone is allowed to carry any firearm not explicitly banned in Ohio anywhere in Cleveland, including inside the 1.7 mile “event zone.”

Kasich responded to the request from Cleveland Police, saying, “Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws as suggested.”

Loomis expressed concern with Kasich’s stance.

“It’s irresponsible of those folks — especially right now — to be coming downtown with open carry AR’s or anything else,” Loomis said. “I couldn’t care less if it’s legal or not. We are constitutional law enforcement, we love the Constitution, support it and defend it, but you can’t go into a crowded theater and scream fire. And that’s exactly what they’re doing by bringing those guns down there.”

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in a recent interview on 60 Minutes that he supports the protestors’ rights to open carry weapons, and that he has great faith in Cleveland law enforcement.

Protests and rallies are expected to begin today and last all week.

 

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