My wife and I went to the Dulles Town Center tonight to do some shopping and decided to get a bite to eat at the food court while we were there. In full compliance with VA state law, since at least one vendor in the food court sells alcohol (the food court actually has signs up to designate where the consumption area is), I took my jacket off, ordered food and my wife and I sat down to eat our meal. Just as we were finishing, I noticed a couple of Loudoun County Sheriffs looking at us and talking from a distance. I told my wife, "we're about to get talkted to, so just be chill ok?"
Sure enough, one of the officers came over, pulled out one of the unused chairs and sat down at our table. He asked me if I was LEO, to which I responded "no sir". He said "Do you read the newspaper" and I responded "Yes sir". He went on to tell me (in not so many words) that he thought I was stupid for open carrying in the mall and asked if I had a permit, which I do. He said "Let me see it" He also told me to give him my drivers license. He was very belligerent and disrespectful through the entire conversation. He wrote all of my information down and called in to run a check on me. His call started, "Yeah, this is officer *****, I'm calling about the guy with the canon." WTF, the guy with canon? I'm carrying a 4" barrel 1911!
While this was going on, we had a conversation in which I told him that I would LOVE to be carrying concealed right now, but in compliance with VA law, I *have* to open carry to eat here because alcohol is sold in the food court" He said "I could see if you were at a bar or something, but....and that's all I'm going to say about that." CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?!?! In utter astonishment, I said, "Are you TELLING me to break the law by carrying concealed in an establishment with a license to sell alcohol?" His response was "What I'm saying is that I'm not questioning your constitutionality, I'm questioning your judgement to open-carry in here." When I again asked him how I should comply with the law, he said something along the lines of "concealed carry or leave your gun in the car". Absolutely ridiculous.
During my repeated statements that I'm doing what I'm required to do to be compliant with VA state law, he several times made the statement that I could either leave, or he'd go get mall management to come and kick me out, then if I didn't leave, he'd arrest me for trespassing. At some point during all of this two more officers came over and stood over my shoulder and asked officer ****** if he needed assistance. My wife said "it's ok, we're leaving" and the officer over my shoulder said in his toughest voice "I wasn't talking to you I'm talking to another officer."
I mentioned that if the mall owners wanted no guns in the mall, which it is absolutely their right to decide, they were required by law to post signs indicating so at the entrances, which they have not done. Again, he said "You want me to go get management and have them tell you to leave, and then if you don't I'll arrest you for trespassing and we can go to a different kind of court."
As we were getting up to leave, he told me "now get out of here". I asked him again how I was supposed to comply between where we were sitting and the boundary of the food court, and he said "this conversation is over". We threw our trash away and left, following his advice and putting my jacket on immediately.
I'm honestly appalled at how unprofessional both of these officers were to two people sitting eating dinner, obviously not 'bad guys'. I will be following up with the LCSO, asking for clarification on how it is I'm to comply with state law in an establishment that doesn't prohibit carry of weapons in the establishment as required by law.
What a way to ruin a night out shopping with my wife.....sheesh.