Police plan arrest of scary man: Update

"Mobile police said they plan to arrest a man today who scared people Friday evening as he walked through a Spring Hill neighborhood with a loaded, semiautomatic AK-47-style rifle.

Officers confiscated the rifle Friday but could not take the man into custody until they had a warrant signed by both a magistrate and the man who made the complaint, Mobile police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant said.

Gallichant said that on Monday, a magistrate signed a warrant for a charge of disorderly conduct, and officers expected to obtain the signature of one of the witnesses today. Once that is done, the man will be arrested, he said."

Read that again. Slowly. Police plan to arrest a man who scared people. Now, can't say I agree with his simply strutting around with an evil-looking AK, it's simply a matter of decorum, yet it's certainly his right to do so. But to then be arrested for...scaring people.

Where does that end, do you think? Anyone who is afraid of you can sign a magistrates warrant and you'll be arrested?

Just for being scary looking?

Remind me NEVER to move to Mobile.

UPDATE

Upon first hearing this tale of stupidity, I was balked when attempting to read the entire article, and missed the following:

"Larry McCoy, owner of Larry's Gun Shop in the 2700 block of Pleasant Valley Road just off Government Boulevard, said Monday that he sells a Romanian-made, AK-47-style weapon for $400.

McCoy said federal law states that a person 18 or older who is not a convicted felon can legally purchase a semiautomatic assault rifle.

Anyone who meets the federal requirements can be in and out of his shop within 10 minutes, armed with an AK-47-style weapon and bullets.

McCoy said, however, that he will not sell an assault rifle to anyone under 21 because he does not believe a teenager is mature enough to handle such a weapon. He said the Spring Hill incident disturbs him.

"It is not socially acceptable," McCoy said. "You just don't do that."

David Codrea over at The War on Guns picked up on this, and I'll defer to him since he was kind enough to link to my mini-tirade about arresting scary looking people. To say I am enraged is an understatement, and not for nothing but since when is a semi-auto an assault rifle. Looks like we've been Fudd-ed again.