Michigan cop wishes he could carry gun in Calgary park

[SilentKnight]

When in Rome...do as the Romans do.
Or fuck off and go home.

Michigan Cop Wishes He Could Carry Gun in Calgary Park

CALGARY -- An off-duty Michigan police officer's public lament about not being able to carry a handgun in a Calgary park has him taking cyber fire from both sides of the border.

Walt Wawra of Kalamazoo, Mich., wrote a letter to the Calgary Herald this week complaining about a recent daylight encounter he and his wife had while visiting Nose Hill Park, a vast expanse of hilly grassland on the city's north side.

Wawra says the two men asked twice in a "very aggressive tone" whether the couple had been to the Calgary Stampede yet. They were "disrespectful" and had a "menacing manner," he recalls.

He says he ignored the two men at first, but when they moved closer he responded: "Gentlemen, I have no need to talk with you. Goodbye."

Everyone walked away peacefully. But in his letter to the editor, Wawra laments that a man should have the right to protect himself when he needs to and says it felt strange not to be able to carry his handgun off duty.

"I thank the Lord Jesus Christ they did not pull a weapon of some sort, but rather concluded it was in their best interest to leave us alone," Wawra writes.

"Would we not expect a uniformed officer to pull his or her weapon to intercede in a life-or-death encounter to protect self, or another? Why then should the expectation be lower for a citizen of Canada or a visitor? Wait, I know -- it's because in Canada, only the criminals and the police carry handguns."

Wawra's letter sparked a Twitter stampede under the hashtag #nosehillgentlemen. Many commenters mocked his position. Others took the opportunity to comment on the difference between Canadian and American gun culture.

"All set for my trip to Kalamazoo, got my bullet proof vest. Going to promote next years Calgary Stampede," one observer joked.

"Thank God they weren't armed with free pancakes," wrote another in a shout out to the Stampede tradition of free breakfasts.

The popular U.S. website Gawker wrote a post about Wawra's letter under the heading "American Becomes Laughingstock of Canada After Letter to Editor Lamenting Lack of Handgun During Mild Confrontation."

There was no answer Thursday at the phone number listed for Wawra in Kalamazoo. Calls went to voice mail.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reported that it wasn't able to reach Wawra either, but quoted Brian Uridge, assistant chief of Kalamazoo's Department of Public Safety, as saying officials had reviewed the letter.

"Officer Wawra was simply exercising his right to free speech as a private citizen using social media," the paper quoted Uridge as saying. "There is no need for us to comment any further."

The paper says it ran a letter from Wawra in 2011 criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama for inviting hip-hop artist Common to the White House. It said the singers lyrics celebrate violence against police.

Story

[Jel]

To protect and to serve!

Fucking wankers, every last one of them.

[directfiesta]

Just another Christian bagger ...

Please stay home ... go to church ... and stand your ground in you far-west

[v4 media]

Damn right
how dare someone ask if you've been to the Calgary Stampede yet.

America needs to invade..

[MetaMan]

Americaaaaaaaaaa!

[SilentKnight]

Originally Posted by SilentKnight

Wawra says the two men asked twice in a "very aggressive tone" whether the couple had been to the Calgary Stampede yet. They were "disrespectful" and had a "menacing manner," he recalls.

So because he perceived them as having a "very aggressive tone" and "disrespectful" - the first thing this cop thinks of is, "Damn...I wish I had my gun!"

This isn't just Billy Bob/Vigilante Vic out on the street. This is a (trained) public servant in charge of a deadly weapon as part of his service to the public.

And then he takes it a step farther and publically laments to the Canadian people as if our mentality and system is faulty?!

What a tool.

[helterskelter808]

Wait till he gets a load of the Mayor.

[Rochard]

I'm a little bit confused. They asked him a question and he feels the need to protect himself with a gun? And this is a police officer?

This might be part of the problem. We are just a large group of scared shitless cowards.

[Theo]

Damn you Rochard, whenever i read your posts i think its me that wrote them

[Quentin]

Even though I live in Arizona, where you can not only legally carry guns, but apply for government grants to have a pair of 50 caliber handguns permanently attached to either side of your skull for handy "look-to-aim style" firing, I know just how this guy feels.

You see, just the other day, I was out walking my dog when a guy suddenly walked up and very aggressively asked me: "Hey, what kind of dog is that?"

I feared for my life (obviously) but since I didn't have any of my guns with me (boy, I won't make that mistake again!), I just put up my fingers in a cross-like form (you know, in case he was a Sonoran Vampire illegal immigrant that was just made up to look like a wealthy Catalina Foothills yuppie) and ran away screaming "Help! Police! Someone has spoken to me in an unsolicited fashion!"

Anyway, crisis narrowly averted and all that... but I would be experiencing a LOT less post-traumatic stress right now if I'd only been able to shoot him in the face right there and then.

[SilentKnight]

Originally Posted by Quentin

Even though I live in Arizona, where you can not only legally carry guns, but apply for government grants to have a pair of 50 caliber handguns permanently attached to either side of your skull for handy "look-to-aim style" firing, I know just how this guy feels.

You see, just the other day, I was out walking my dog when a guy suddenly walked up and very aggressively asked me: "Hey, what kind of dog is that?"

I feared for my life (obviously) but since I didn't have any of my guns with me (boy, I won't make that mistake again!), I just put up my fingers in a cross-like form (you know, in case he was a Sonoran Vampire illegal immigrant that was just made up to look like a wealthy Catalina Foothills yuppie) and ran away screaming "Help! Police! Someone has spoken to me in an unsolicited fashion!"

Anyway, crisis narrowly averted and all that... but I would be experiencing a LOT less post-traumatic stress right now if I'd only been able to shoot him in the face right there and then.

[Si]

oh man.

[alias]

Probably his last trip to Canada.

[sandman!]

so?? i dont see the problem

[shake]

Good thing someone didn't ask how his day is going...

[_Richard_]

good luck Kalamazoo..

[Bill8]

turns out people have said the guys who asked him if he had been to the stampede were out handing out free tickets. but, it's not certain. still, it does make sense.

http://gawker.com/5933264/report-nos...y-free-tickets

Kalamazoo cop who publicly decried his inability to use his off-duty handgun on a pair of overly friendly "gentlemen" during a visit to Calgary, a report has emerged that the two men who "accosted" Walt Wawra and his wife in Nose Hill Park were actually Calgary Stampede promoters giving away free tickets.

"The denouement to the #NoseHillGentlemen story is this: the two guys were handing out free @CalgaryStampede passes," tweeted Calgary Cultural Ambassador Jenn Lutz late last night.

Lutz pointed to comments left by readers in a Kalamazoo Gazette report on Wawra's controversial letter claiming they were approached by the same men and offered passes to the Stampede's centennial celebration free of charge.

Lutz says the two promoters were representing Calgary Oil.

However, in a new post this morning, Kalamazoo Gazette reporter Rosemary Parker says she spoke with the media relations manager for the Stampede, and had been told the report was false.

"I have not been made aware of anything like that," Doug Fraser told Parker.

Meanwhile, Wawra appears to be in hiding, refusing all interview requests. But the assistant chief of Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Brian Uridge, did release a statement in support of Wawra.

"We have reviewed the article," Uridge told the Gazette. "Officer Wawra was simply exercising his right to free speech as a private citizen using social media."

Incidentally, Wawra's previous claim to fame was a 2011 letter to the editor of the Kalamazoo Gazette, in which he took issue with President Obama's invitation of Common to the White House.

"As Christians, we are called to pray for those in authority over us," he wrote then. "I ask you to exercise this command of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give our President wisdom, knowledge and the conviction to live a life of righteousness."

a lot of rightwingers, and cops, are paranoid and live in terrible fear all their lives. it must be hard when you live in fear like that, thinking everyone is about to come up and punch you or rape your woman.

it's ironic that the cop is evidently a religious man. there may be a connection there, fearfullness again, and the need for a protective daddy god, a god that at the same time counsels you to hate and fear others.

[helterskelter808]

Originally Posted by helterskelter808

Wait till he gets a load of the Mayor.

Mayor of Calgary that is, Naheed Nenshi, one of them there Muslamics. No wonder they want to take our guns.

[directfiesta]

Incidentally, Wawra's previous claim to fame was a 2011 letter to the editor of the Kalamazoo Gazette, in which he took issue with President Obama's invitation of Common to the White House.

"As Christians, we are called to pray for those in authority over us," he wrote then. "I ask you to exercise this command of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give our President wisdom, knowledge and the conviction to live a life of righteousness."

Originally Posted by directfiesta

Just another Christian bagger ...

Please stay home ... go to church ... and stand your ground in you far-west

standing by my original reply ...

[Rochard]

Originally Posted by Bill8

turns out people have said the guys who asked him if he had been to the stampede were out handing out free tickets. but, it's not certain. still, it does make sense.

http://gawker.com/5933264/report-nos...y-free-tickets



a lot of rightwingers, and cops, are paranoid and live in terrible fear all their lives. it must be hard when you live in fear like that, thinking everyone is about to come up and punch you or rape your woman.

And I can understand why cops feel that way - with all of the crap they see on a daily basis.

[SilentKnight]

Originally Posted by Bill8

it's ironic that the cop is evidently a religious man. there may be a connection there, fearfullness again, and the need for a protective daddy god, a god that at the same time counsels you to hate and fear others.

Sounds as if he worships at the church of Rev. Glock.

Interesting to hear about the two 'gentlemen' who may have just been handing out free tickets to the Stampede. Wouldn't surprise me.

This cop sounds like a borderline religious wack job. I think his superiors down in Kalamazoo should consider sending him for a psych eval.

[SilentKnight]

Originally Posted by Rochard

And I can understand why cops feel that way - with all of the crap they see on a daily basis.

As of 2011 - Kalamazoo Mi. had a population of 74,743.

That's slightly larger than my town of 50,631.

How much "crap" does that cop see in a town of 74K?!

[Spudstr]

wait, my friend is a police officer and he claims he is allowed to carry his weapon off duty anywhere/everywhere as long as he has his badget etc with him.

[SilentKnight]

Originally Posted by Spudstr

wait, my friend is a police officer and he claims he is allowed to carry his weapon off duty anywhere/everywhere as long as he has his badget etc with him.

"He claims."

But that's good. He'll be able to defend himself next time when confronted by someone offering him free tickets to the Calgary Stampede.

[Sunny Day]

Oh the stories of our local cops.

Best was in less 4 hours, sheriff, deputy sheriff and 3rd in command ran out the door, leaving the county clerk (as by state law) as the sheriff. Seems a $50,000 cash bail had been embezzled by guess who.

Oh, the sheriff's son had been busted by the FBI for being the security guard, in uniform, for a casino night where 75 FBI agents expected to hit the Kansas City Mafia. Those guys that own the Vegas casinos as in the book/movie Casino skimming the Vegas casinos.
His other son is doing life for going to kill a witness in his drug case. Also the FBI thinks he murdered the county DA to stop investigations.
His in-laws were busted by the Secret Service for printing over $5,000,000 in their own $100 bills.

Local cops have been on COPS. they had to edit the film where one cop beat a car thief. His cousin escaped a murder charge of killing a black security guard he hated.

[Sunny Day]

Originally Posted by Spudstr

wait, my friend is a police officer and he claims he is allowed to carry his weapon off duty anywhere/everywhere as long as he has his badget etc with him.

Yeah in the USA, not in another country.

[Phoenix]

haha yeah you cant bring your gun to Canada.
I know someone who is a cop in the States and did try to drive across the border with his gun, he fully believed he was allowed to bring it. They asked him casually if he had a gun or anything, he said yes, in my pocket. LOL
Anyway they had guns pulled on them, and had to get out of the car, eventually they just held the gun for him until he was driving back.

Don't bring your guns up here. We have enough.

[Spudstr]

Originally Posted by Sunny Day

Yeah in the USA, not in another country.

yeah.. i need better geography lessons but yes in the states a law enforcement officer can carry anywhere/everywhere inside the states.