Man carried a .45 and cuffs ‘in case he needed to make a citizen’s arrest,’ police say
A man was walking down the street in rural Cottageville, South Carolina Tuesday with a handgun, handcuffs and a police baton on his belt, deputies say.
“I did not recognize him as a law enforcement officer,” a Colleton County deputy reported, according to a press release.
According to the release, Raymond Allen told the deputy “he was exercising his 2nd Amendment right” to carry the .45 Smith and Wesson pistol in the open, even though it’s illegal to open carry in South Carolina.
As for the handcuffs and expandable police baton, Allen “proceeded to tell authorities he was bearing all these items in case he needed to make a citizen’s arrest,” the release states.
Officers told Allen, “Even if he had a concealed weapons permit it would not allow him to open carry a hand gun, and that by doing so he is borderline violating the law on impersonating a police officer.”
Deputies arrested Allen on a charge of unlawful carrying of a handgun.
This story was originally published January 11, 2019 at 9:32 AM.
