Bangor police officer denied right to vote after refusing to surrender weapon (Maine)

[shadowrider]

Update: The election warden who turned the officer away has been dismissed, and the Bangor police chief has stated at a press conference that officers are not required to surrender their weapon at the polls.

BANGOR, Maine — In the 18 years that he has been a police officer in Bangor, James Dearing couldn’t think of a single time when someone has asked him to turn over his firearm.

Until last Friday.

Dearing, who was patrolling his assigned beat near the Bangor Civic Center, decided to stop in and cast an early vote. He walked into the polling place in full uniform and stood in a short line with other voters.

One of the election officials told Dearing he couldn’t bring his gun inside. The officer said he thought it was a joke.

Election warden Wayne Mallar then approached Dearing and reiterated the request: Turn over your weapon to another officer or we can’t let you vote.

Dearing refused.

“I would never relinquish my weapon,” the officer said later.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Greater-Bangor/Bangor-police-officer-denied-right-to-vote-after-refusing-to-surrender-weapon,157603

[shadowrider]

1. Dang, nothing ever happens at these places, ask around

He should have given it up

:sarcasm:

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. There is only one situation where officers have to ahem

relinquish weapons...

When they get injured in the line of duty...

To somebody else with a badge...

It has to do with a pesky Convention we have been violating right and left anyway.

[brewens]

6. Add when they donate blood to that. Occasionally people have

reaction and pass out when they donate blood. Sometimes when that happens they convulse and or come to disoriented. Our policy is that we allow no firearms in the blood center or our mobile vehicles.
So far all the cops I've seen didn't have a problem with that. It doesn't really matter if they don't like it. No guns means no guns. They can just not donate if that makes them unhappy.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. You are also a medical vehicle

:-)

[57_TomCat]

12. There are many situations where...

cops are required to relinquish issued or personal weapons. Local, state and federal lockups for one. Whenever I transport a prisoner from one facility to another I have to park the guns and goodies in provided lock boxes at each end. When going to a medical facility for official police business I keep the guns BUT if I am going to a specific restricted area such as MRI or a psych ward then the guns might have to be parked. Same if I am to be treated and the weapons must leave my control such as MRI or Radiology tests or medication might impair my faculties then the gear needs to be locked up. Some hospitals also require off duty cops to enter disarmed even if to just visit or escort ill family members. Many judges have local requirements to disarm everyone who enters their courtrooms except their Bailiffs. Others do not. Many state laws require off duty cops to disarm in certain areas that they can carry in when on duty. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 how ever clouds that issue based on some precedent.

[krispos42]

3. So, when responding to a fight at a high school...

...do they have to park their cruisers at the 500' mark and lock all their guns inside before running over to the school?

[Glassunion]

5. They should paint a giant circle around all schools.

Inside the circle is safe.

Outside the circle not safe.

We can call it... Hmmm... "A drug free, gun free, free throught zone."
:sarcasm:

[davidinalameda]

4. just tried to recommend this post

and the count is currently at 0

some people on here just can't stand opposing view points

[greiner3]

8. "I would never relinquish my weapon"

I believe that for the cop to keep his gun everybody should have been armed. That way if the cop did not like someone they had redress.

[diveguy]

9. I have to look it up

But in GA. active duty military and LEO are exempt from any and all firearm laws.

[57_TomCat]

11. Unfortunatly you are wrong.

There are exceptions but not blanket exemptions.

I recall (some years ago) the state AG authorized that cops (with proper ID)can walk past the metal detectors at the local courthouse even when there on personal business. That did not exempt me from many other state firearms laws.

[proteus_lives]

10. I'm glad that numb-fuck warden was dimissed.