Negative OC experience tonight at Collierville, TN Walmart

I've seen people OC here at the Milan walmart, but I also usually see a patrol car pull up to check their permit right as they leave the store.

Their policy is to follow state law, which is great, but their managers aren't usually trained very well.

Two experiences -

First one was as I was checking out in the express lane while CC. My shirt rode up a tad and a boy of about 5 or 6 caught a glimpse of the muzzle. He tugged on his mom and said in a loud voice "look mommy that man is a policeman, he has a gun" to which I simply smiled and finished checking out with no problems.

The second was in the same store a couple of weeks ago. There was a young man, probably 25 -27 OC in the shoe department. I watched for several minutes and not a comment or glimpse by any employee. I saw him later in the parking lot as he was loading his car with groceries and he was still OC so obviously nothing was said by anyone that caused him to leave.

TN Mike and NavyLT nailed my response. Go ahead and give corporate a call. The store manager overstepped his bounds and they will likely notify him of that. I am a fan of OC and do it frequently. I recommend getting it resolved so you continue to feel comfortable with OC.
It does sound like you handled the situation reasonably well. Probably better then I would have.

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Originally Posted by spooter66

I would contact WalMarts corporate office. I believe their policy is for their stores to follow the gun laws of the state the store is in. Since OC is legal in TN this manager may get educated by corporate.

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I agree with this.. Call them for sure.. Walmart isn't likely to change anything anytime soon.. Many people have got there "walmart managers" corrected on this.. :-)

As I have mentioned before,I have a relative who retired 5 years ago,after 28 years as a district manager with Wally World. From what he tells me, Wal Mart follows each states law, as far as he recalls. Call Wal Mart HQ and ask if they have a policy. Wal Mart's main concern is money, never forget that.

You need to make a call so the store manager can be re-educated by corporate. As stated many times in the above posts WalMart policy is to follow the laws of the state where the individual store is located.

There is tons of annocodotal evidence in this forum and others on this topic.

I cc in WalMart almost everyday as I search for cheap ammo and frequently run across the same guys many days who are OC'ing in search of their ammo. We have discussed whether they have ever been harassed in the store and not a single one said yes.

I worked for Walmart, I read every policy and standards manual including the Loss Preventions. They are not to approach an armed individual, and that they are to follow the laws of the state. OC and CC as where legal. If an armed individual is causing a problem they are to contact LE, and NOT to approach the individual only maintain a watch over them. They do state for some odd reason that they do perfer individuals CC, not OC, but not to make and issue about it with customers.

I have just removed several posts from this thread.

Please note - this forum is NOT here to debate open versus concealed carry:

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Originally Posted by Bumper

This new forum is being established in response to those of you that want a place to discuss open carry, in those States that legally allow it, without leaving this forum.

This is, as most of you know, a deviation of our previous policy of discouraging open carry threads. The policy was put in place several years ago when there seemed to be a confrontational tone to many of those threads. Like everything, though, things change in time, including DefensiveCarry.

While our policy has been changed and we now encourage the posting of threads regarding open carry, we will continue enforcing our rules regarding civility within the forum. This forum will not allow the endless debate of "us vs them". We are all gun owners that believe in the right to carry, either openly or concealed and it's time that we start understanding that we are all on the same side. We are all responsible gun owners that follow the law whether we agree with them or not.

In establishing this new forum, I am asking our members to help "self-police" it by using the report feature should you see a thread heating up. If the decision to include open carry in our topics turn into a disaster, this forum will be removed and we will go back to the way things previous to this change.

As always, enjoy the forum!:smile:

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Please stuck to the discussion at hand, and drop the open versus concealed flame war.

Thanks!

Matt

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Originally Posted by orangevol

Since open carry is legal in Tennessee I exercise that right quite often and tonight was no different. I was dressed in jeans, a golf shirt and openly carrying my Glock 27 strong-side with a spare mag on the left next to my CrackBerry. After dinner, my wife and daughter went on to the house while I stopped by Walmart for about an hour to grocery shop. I have open carried in our Walmart several times without incident, but tonight was different.

After I had been there a while trying to find everything on the list, a lady who was shopping with her daughter approached me in one of the aisles and asked me if I was a policeman. I responded; no...why? She said she worked there part-time and she and the store manager along with several other employees were questioning each other whether I was a cop. I stated I had a permit to carry. She went on to say she hoped I wouldn't shoot anyone. I responded I have no reason to shoot anyone unless my life was threatened. I told her to have a good evening and headed toward produce. As I rounded the corner I was approached by the store manager and this is where it gets really interesting.

He came over to me and asked me if I was a policeman, to which I gave him the same response as the previous :sheep:

He then proceeded to tell me I could not carry a gun in Walmart. I stated I did not see a no-gun sign when I entered and I was not aware of a policy that prohibited me from carrying in his store. He then started telling me how dangerous it was for me to have a gun in the store around little children and women and that he knew Tennessee passed the bill to carry in restaurants where alcohol is served, but that did not make it legal to carry in Walmart. He also said if you had to shoot at someone you might hit an innocent bystander. I replied by explaining my confidence through training makes me proficient with my firearm and what exactally did the TN restaurant bill have to do with carrying in other businesses? He went on to say we just can't check everyone that comes in the store to see if they are legal to carry and he would check with corporate to get signs banning guns in his store. I replied, you will never know about the illegal carrier who brings a gun into your store, yet you want to ban me and other legal carriers who are no threat to you or your customers. He said we have people and policies to protect our customers. I said my son-in-law is a local policeman, but I can't carry him with me all the time to protect me...that is why I carry a gun...the police cannot be everywhere. What would happen if you prohibit me from carrying in your store and someone jumped me in the parking lot? Would you be there to protect me? He replied we have people watching all the time and it doesn't take the police long to respond.

As we parted ways I asked if he was familiar with the shooting last week just across the river at the Walmart in West Memphis, Arkansas. He said no. I explained that a domestic dispute broke out between two people in the store entrance and two shots were fired by the man who was illegally carrying a firearm...again that's why I carry a firearm...you never know where you may need to protect yourself. He wished me a good night and I finished my shopping and headed home.

I have mixed emotions about what happened tonight whether I should contact Walmart's corporate office realizing this could trigger a panic store wide gun ban at all Walmarts or just blow it off knowing I dealt with a bunch of Sheeple. What would you do?

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http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/u...art_sign12.jpg


Just print this out and show it to him next trip in,I open carry in 2 different Walmarts in Tn,everyweek,with no problems,I allso carry a Glock 27 with a Glock 22 spare mag,weak side,with sleave..I just smile as I enter and they see my gun and smile back.... :danceban:

here is another story where someone was harassed for OC in WM.

Questioned by Officers (3rd OC in Walmart) - Wisconsin - Stories From The States - OpenCarry.org - Discussion Forum

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Originally Posted by MattLarson

I have just removed several posts from this thread.

Please note - this forum is NOT here to debate open versus concealed carry:



Please stuck to the discussion at hand, and drop the open versus concealed flame war.

Thanks!

Matt

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Matt,

Thanks for keeping us on the straight and narrow. Sorry if I seemed a little miffed in my responses to a couple of the post that were clearly violating the open vs concealed carry arguement.

Here is the letter I sent to Walmart via their website. I'll let you know when I receive a response.

I would like to have a better understanding of your corporate policy regarding legally armed citizens shopping in your stores. I have a Tennessee handgun carry permit allowing me to carry a handgun concealed or exposed. Monday evening I was shopping at the Collierville Walmart and carrying my handgun in a belt holster. I was approached by another shopper who identified herself as being a part-time Walmart associate. She asked if I was a policeman. I responded, no, why? She said that she and the store manager were wondering why I had a gun. I told her I had a TN permit. She went on to say the store manager was looking for me. I told her to have a nice evening and continued my shopping.

I was then approached by a Walmart associate; he identified himself as the store manager, Robert Brewster. He asked me if I was a policeman, I responded, no. He then told me I could not carry a gun in his store. I explained that I was licensed to carry a handgun in Tennessee either openly or concealed and that I have not seen any signs on this store or any other Walmart stores prohibiting me from doing so. He then told me it was Walmart's corporate policy and that he could not have just anyone walking around the store with a gun on their side. He stated there are women and children in the store and that it is dangerous for me to carry a gun. My response was that he or any customer had nothing to fear from me, I was not a threat to him or anyone in his store. He then said he was aware that Tennessee passed the bill allowing people to carry guns in restaurants that serve alcohol, but that did not make it OK to carry one in Walmart. I was confused what one statement had to do with the other and the conversation continued.

He said the store has ways of protecting customers and security people are watching all the time. I asked him if he had the capability of protecting me in the event someone wanted to attacked and harm me while walking from and to my car in his parking lot or any other area around the store. He said the police could get here quickly. I responded, that is not good enough for me, statistics have proven when a crime is committed; the police usually arrive in time to gather the facts of what happened. Very rarely do they show up in time to stop a crime in progress.

I described the shooting that took place at the West Memphis, AR Walmart last week where a man fired two shots at his wife after they argued in the store entrance. This individual was not licensed to legally carry a handgun, but chose to do so anyway. The end result could have been much worse with death or injury to his wife or innocent bystanders. Fortunately in this situation, no one was hurt. I reiterated this as just one example of why I carry a handgun to protect myself and my loved ones.

Our conversation was pleasant, but I feel one of us is misinformed, therefore I am asking you for clarification of Walmart's policy in regards to this matter.

Thank you for your time and response.

Good letter. Hopefully the response will be the same as I have seen in the past. "We follow the laws of the state...."

If it had been me I think I would have let the manager put my groceries back on the shelf as I left. If the business does not allow me to carry they don't need my money. The only exceptions I where the state has made it law that I cannot carry. But I rarely go to those places either.

Walmart's policy is if it's concealed, no problem. If it becomes visible, they can ask you to leave to prevent scaring the people. I'd say it all depends on "where" the Walmart is located. If it's a bad neighborhood prone to crime and has more security than the usually few you never see, then they may ask you to conceal it, put it in the vehicle or just leave, depending on if they have the courage to do so. If the Walmart has a bank inside it and they are making an armored car pick-up/delivery it would also make them nervous.

Bad manager, Good letter Orangevol. Please let us know when you get a reply.