Philadelphia Police Charge Man in Open-Carry Handgun Incident [View All]

[jpak]

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/7629-phila-police-charge-man-in-open-carry-handgun-incident

A confrontation earlier this year between Philadelphia police and Mark Fiorino over the Pennsylvania man's open carrying of a firearm has led to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment against Fiorino, with a possible two years of imprisonment if he is convicted, Fox News reported.

Fiorino, identified in the story as a 25-year-old "suburban Philadelphia IT worker," was released after his arrest in February and says the charges were not filed until after he had placed an audio recording of the incident on the Internet. The posting has "gone viral," and police can be heard on the recording issuing profanity-laden verbal barrages at Fiorino, including a threat to "f----n' shoot ya" from an officer who apparently was pointing a gun at him and accusing him of giving the officer "lip." Fiorino's trial is scheduled for July.

"The police department and assistant district attorney are coming after me, in my opinion, to make an example of me because I stood up to them and exposed them for their lack of knowledge," said Fiorino, calling the trial "absolutely inappropriate and a waste of taxpayer money." The incident occurred as Fiorino, wearing a gun on his hip, was walking to an auto parts store in northeast Philadelphia. A policeman can be heard calling out to Fiorino, addressing him as "Junior."

"Junior!" Fiorino repeated in apparent indignation. Fiorino then can be heard nervously asking:

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more open carry fail

yup