The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Hours after guns-rights activists marched on City Hall to demand police leave them alone, they said one was charged after refusing an order to leave Waterside because he was openly carrying a weapon.
Danladi Moore – whom the city paid $10,000 in July to avoid litigation after being stopped by police for suspected weapons violations – was charged with trespassing at the downtown entertainment complex Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old Hampton resident said police told him to leave because he had a gun. Moore said he refused because the law allows him to display a weapon in public places. He said he was handcuffed, charged and led out of the building.
Norfolk police spokesman Officer Chris Amos confirmed that a summons was issued but declined to comment further.
Waterside receives city funding but is officially owned by a private entity, Waterside Associates, whose partners include the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, said NRHA assistant executive director John Kownack. Its policy prohibits weapons, yet weapons are not included on a list of prohibitions posted at Waterside’s entrances, he added.
The incident happened after about a dozen members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League finished dinner at the Hooters restaurant at Waterside. Earlier, they had joined about 50 others at a City Council meeting to complain that their rights had been violated by police.
Most of them were openly carrying guns, but only Moore and his two friends were approached, members of the group said.
Philip Van Cleave, who leads the guns-rights group and was with Moore at Waterside but did not witness the exchange, said it was unbelievable.
“I don’t see a conspiracy here – I see more ineptness,” he said. “And there may well be prejudice too.”
Moore is black. Van Cleave and most of the others are white.
Moore said a friend who was with him at Waterside also was carrying a gun and also had challenged police when asked to leave. He said his friend, who is white, was not charged.
John Pierce, co-founder of the national group OpenCarry.org, said, “Even if this was a perfectly innocent mistake, the timing could not have been worse.”
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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Congratulations to Danladi. ...He Won Again!
Way to go. The 2nd Amendment stands strong. The Jusge threw Norfolk's case out of court, which was the correct thing to do as it was without merit. Where's our next open carry night in Norfolk?
Congrats again!
Brian
that would never be
The charity of my choice. Never! Moore got 10K from the city let him pay his own court costs and attorney fees.
The Danbus Fund
The membership of OpenCarry.org has established The Danbus Fund to help with Danladi Moore's legal expenses incurred in his defense against trespassing charges filed by the City of Norfolk while he was exercising his constitutional right to carry a firearm at Waterside.
Start here: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/17293.html for the info on why we are getting up donations for his legal defense.
Contributions can be made to:
The Danbus Fund
First Market Bank
11101 Midlothian Turnpike
Richmond VA 23235
or via PayPal
Gertz
Then I guess it will be me and someone other than you.
if someone
If someone joins this discussion with common sense then I will continue to discuss this matter. Until then it's a waste of time.
"Get over it! Oh, BTW this
"Get over it! Oh, BTW this article isn't about automobiles."
True, but the concept is the same. How about this..... You should be convicted by a court and fined $250 and 10 days in jail for expressing your opinion about the legality of the open carry law of firearms by citizens of the commonwealth. Although it is legal for you to express your written opinion on this website, the court feels they are inappropriate and irresponsible.
This is how ridiculous your comparison is on this topic.
keith
Get over it! Oh, BTW this article isn't about automobiles.
Gertz again
The answer to your question is the country would be a lot safer. Here we go. "We can hope that Mr. Moore will go to jail, and pay a fine for being so irresponsbile as to open carry a gun. Yes, it's legal and does not require a permit.." Gee Gertz, perhaps you should get a speeding ticket, points on your driving record, a $200.00 fine and 10 days in jail for doing 35MPH in a 40MPH zone. After all it is legal to do 35 in a 40, but because we disagree with your irresponsible opinions on this post, the court is going to convict you anyway. You took psych classes? I sure hope they closed that college. Liberalism is a dangerous thing.
we can hope
We can hope that Mr. Moore will go to jail, and pay a fine for being so irresponsbile as to open carry a gun. Yes, it's legal and does not require a permit. Open carry folks are posers, yet they claimthey are protectors. Protectors of who? Certainly not me, and I don't want your protection. Actually, I don't want you anywhere around me. What will this world look like if EVERONE decided to open carry?
Contradiction Alert!!
This is from a VP article on Waterside written by Megan Hoyer on March 29 2008 : "The city’s housing authority bought the marketplace from its private owner in early 1999. At the time, Norfolk leaders said they planned to eventually find a private owner and get out of the landlord business.
Nearly 10 years later, the city still owns Waterside, which has become less of a boon to municipal coffers."
now it is not owned by the city??? when did they get a buyer???