Dallas Police Chief Debunks Conservatives' “Good Guy With A Gun” Myth

Chief David Brown: In Open Carry States “We Don't Know Who The Good Guy Is Versus Who The Bad Guy Is If Everybody Starts Shooting”

From the Dallas Police Department's July 11 press conference:

Video file

REPORTER: We know that there was at least one gentleman who was a subject -- person of interest, during the demonstration he had an AR-15 around his -- around his shoulder. What does this tell you about people using the new Texas law of open carry at a demonstration like this?

DALLAS POLICE CHIEF DAVID BROWN: That it's difficult at best. We expressed this, it's a little different here in Texas. Where are you from?

REPORTER: Here.

BROWN: You're from Texas? Oh, you know. All right, so, it's a little different here in Texas in the way we view open carry, concealed carry. We've had great dialogue with our state legislators about this. We've expressed all of our concerns. We are trying as best as we can as a law enforcement community to make it work so the citizens can express their Second Amendment rights. But it's increasingly challenging when people have AR-15s slung over and shootings occur in a crowd and they begin running, and we don't know -- or we don't know if they're the shooter or not, or they begin, it's been the presumption that a good guy with a gun is the best way to resolve some of these things. Well, we don't know who the good guy is versus who the bad guy is if everybody starts shooting, and we've expressed that concern as well. I have every belief and trust that our folks are listening at the state on this issue, particularly as it involves protests, particularly as it involves protest.

Previously:

On CBS, Dallas Mayor Highlights The Confusion Caused By Texas' Open Carry Laws

Politico Magazine Contributor Debunks Right Wing Media's “Good Guy With A Gun” Myth

NRA: People Who Don't Like Guns Being Carried In Public Are The “Paranoid” Ones