Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Open Carry Cell Phone Holder Concerns NJ Prosecutor


This model is carrying the "edgy" cell phone holder in about the worst or *best* way to make it sensational.  The choice of black holder, black phone and black shorts does the most to make the holder look as though a pistol is in the back pocket.  It does not hold up to close inspection.   From japantrendshop.com:
More a piece of equipment than a regular "cover," the Gun Grip Case transforms your iPhone 5 into a handgun! Available in black, white or pink, this fake "pistol" works with an app so you can interact with a digital version of the gun in the same color on your iPhone 5 screen. The app means you can play games of Russian Roulette at parties! Don't worry, you can't actually shoot anyone!


From cnn.com:
Dellla Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey, shared a Facebook (FB, Tech30) photo of the iPhone case that he found on a closed social media site for cops. A model poses with her phone tucked into her back pocket, and the protruding case looks like the handle of a semiautomatic compact pistol.
Della Fave said that if a teenager draws the phone in the presence of a cop "the first thing they're going to see as it's coming up is the trigger guard and the butt of the gun. This doesn't seem like a good idea at all to me."

 Note that this is from a Prosecutor's office in New Jersey, a very political, and likely, anti-second amendment position.  It is illegal to openly carry a gun in New Jersey, and police would have probable cause to stop someone who looks as if they are carrying a gun illegally.   If the phone holder is pink or white, as shown below, it is less likely that they would be stopped. 




The phone holder has some merit as a political statement in the majority of the states where open carry is a right, as it has been in most states throughout most of the history of the United States.  A couple of appellate courts have upheld that history, stating that the mere open carry of a firearm is not sufficient probable cause or reasonable suspicion, by itself, for a "Terry" stop. 

In a way, the phone case is a variation on the theme suggested by Perceived Carry Decoy system, a device that has not received the attention that this phone carrier has.


 Unlike the phone carrier, the Perceived Carry Decoy is never meant to be "drawn".  The decoy gun and holster are all on piece of molded plastic, so they cannot be separated.


For those who prefer wheelguns, this imitation of the back half of a Colt Revolver is offered.

 I suspect that the "draw" of the gun grip phone carrier is the shock value, and that it is "aimed" at the young, wannabe "gansta" culture.  

It may cause some people to have some problems, but it is no worse, perhaps better, than carrying a fake gun around in your back pocket.   Real criminals will not want to draw attention to themselves.  It may have some deterrent value.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch



6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is interesting the hub bub this thing is causing. Some are going full blown "cops only have a split second" Armageddon because of this situation.
And there is the real drama associated with this thing.....
Seeing a firearm shouldn't even BE something that raises and eyebrow. No more so than seeing someone carrying a cell phone (which is then the POINT of this thing).


Well done. I hope they sell a million.

Anonymous said...

Not a bad looking pair of shorts either.

C. S. P. Schofield said...

While I can imagine a few "Action Movie" scenarios where appearing to have a gun when you don't might arguably be better than being visibly unarmed, I have to say that on balance this seems to be rife with possibilities for being a real mess.

OTOH, if it were possible to identify these fakes AS fakes from a distance, they might serve the same public service that Iron Crosses, Inverted Pentagrams, and similar bushwa do; warning that the person wearing them is a dolt.

Wireless.Phil said...

In Cleveland, Ohio, sometime last week, newsnet5 (ABC local) went on the air saying the police would throw you to the ground and handcuff you.

I wrote the news department telling them that the police would not!
Ohio is an Open Carry state.
Having that in your back pocket is no different than a handgun in a belt holster hanging openly at your side.

The only reason they may think about doing that is if you were an underage child.
Then, they may just shoot you!

Anonymous said...

Actually I see it as one of the worst possible inventions of recent history. with the trigger happy cops we have everywhere the chances of being shot for having one of these is extremely high. I know of too many instances where the cops have shot some one just because they thought they saw a gun. teenagers would make the mistake of drawing it to explain that it is just a phone. just reaching for it would cause the cops to shoot. there are an awful lot of cops out there that are a half a bubble off when it comes to the fear of being shot. not many cops would wait to see if it was real or not. I have seen cops shoot people that didn't even have their hands on a gun just knowing the gun was present. My opinion of trigger happy cops is not very high. I have worked several cases in the emergency room where the cops shot first and not just one cops but a shooting frenzy by several cops. A six year old with a chrome ray gun. hit in the neck nearly blowing his head off. A man with both hands clearly on the steering wheel shot 14 times at close range. Man holding a small pistol by the handle with two fingers hands in the air shot nine times. We have a lot of really brave thugs wearing badges.








actually I see it as on

K. Scott said...

Response to Anonymous' claims that there are Trigger Happy Cops.
PLEASE STOP spreading the LIES of THE LEFT. Policemen are NOT 'Trigger-Happy'.

There are many many people who have gone into government who push GUN CONTROL
because they want to be criminals- real Tyrants - to control everyone in society
THEY CANNOT DO THAT if any of the public have a gun to stop an EVIL GOVERNMENT
That is the Purpose of Our GOD GIVEN RIGHT to protect our lives from Tyrants
and would-be Tyrants of false and wicked Governance.

The Lord had said: "Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of
the 1st offense,
neither the 2nd,
ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain
by the hands of your enemies."
That same God, even Jesus Christ has said"
"Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed."

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION- We have a God Given Right to Life.
And God will bless us - IF we obey his command to treasure LIFE

NOW that you know some of the Basics. That our life is to be lived unto God
not giving the first offense and not reacting with evil (to be guilty of the 2nd)
We are to preserve our life and the lives of our family (& may i say the innocent).
LET US now look at the duty and blessing of The need and JUSTICE of LAW Enforcement

My father was a police officer. He was also a man of God.
Because he did not give offense NOR act rashly when offended/attacked
he was in fact blessed and preserved. IN the only action where he had to face
a gunman on a roof. The man pulled the trigger and the gun did not fire.
My father's life was spared. ((note- when they checked the criminal's gun
they found it fired just fine. The only reason my father lived was GOD))

NOW i know from my father that all policemen are not godly men. BUT he also
give firm witness and examples that most made great efforts to honor their training
and to keep the LAW first for them as officers - so they could survive the day
and look in the mirror with the knowledge they were Just men.
THIS ugliness in our society right now IS NOT FROM POLICE.
The lies of Racism and the lies of Police Brutality is from the EVIL of those
who seek to overthrow The LAW to hide their sins and crimes -- As Well As--
to seek to escape JUSTICE (i.e. punishment) for their sins & crimes.
And the wicked always seek to find the few of those who Stand under the Flag
of Truth Virtue // Law & Order - so they can dupe the masses to Reject GOODNESS.

Again Please Anonymous and you others either absent Facts & TRUTH
as well you who know you are standing in the Shadows of Life-- or worse seeking EVIL
YOU receive wages of him whom you list to Obey. GOOD for choosing & following Christ
and EVIL for choosing to reject Christ (Truth Virtue / Law & Order) that places
you exactly where Justice requires and Satan lives -- to deceive, to blind,
AND to lead all who cease to Hearken to God- to be led captive at the will of Satan.
YOU CAN CHOOSE GOOD. And there is Repentance to change from Darkness to The LIGHT.
Choose Wisely.
For Christ is ever watching. And those that support the Law as Police
will be doubly blessed for their allegiance to Truth & Justice
and triply damned for their breech of duty & faith.
God's Justice Shall Ultimately Prevail !!

yours truly