this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2024
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[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 92 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

The federal term for this is "brandishing" and while that isn't specifically listed in Indiana state laws, intimidation is illegal.

After watching the video, I don't know that I'd say he was showing them the gun to be intimidating. Quite the opposite, it made him look cowary and small. I can understand why the students felt uncomfortable, but I don't know that a prosecutor could make the case for intimidation.

[–] RedditRefugee69@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago

Yeah. Despite fucked up beliefs we was engaged in respectful dialogue which is better than most

[–] Drusas@kbin.social 20 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Just showing a holstered weapon is not inherently "brandishing".

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Right, brandishing implies intent to intimidate or threaten someone. That's why I said in the second paragraph it doesn't seem like he's trying to be intimidating. To be clearer, what I should have said is "the term in question is brandishing" and the answer is "no, he wasn't brandishing his weapon."

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[–] doingthestuff@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Yeah if that were the case, police with a pistol on their hip or anyone open carrying would be brandishing. A bunch of states have permitless open carry. I think you have to have the gun in your hand to be guilty of brandishing, although I'm sure laws vary from state to state.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago

Ehh, He unconcealed it on purpose. It's still not enough to be brandishing but he was doing it to make a point.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (10 children)

Nope.

In Indiana, this would fall under intimidation. Which is threats to modify or coerce behavior (without justification, I suppose,).

She said it herself in the video. “I feel unsafe… that makes me feel unsafe.” Clearly the gesture (which was hardly needed,) was viewed as threatening.

Depending on the state, brandishing may have more specific meanings, but generally, any attempt to call attention to the weapon (like exposing it on your hip,) is a use of force. More commonly, for example, putting your hand on the weapon.

In ~8 years of reviewing incidents for between 300 and 800 armed security guards; I’ve never seen any sort of “I’m armed!” - including displaying or putting a hand on it (without drawing) ever actually descalate. It was always either going to be drawn, anyhow, or never needed in the first.

It does, however, give the subject time to escalate themselves. So it always makes things worse.

The fact this guy never actually acknowledged that he had made his (presumed) constituents - aka highschool kids - feel unsafe, says either he’s too fucking unaware to carry a firearm, too fucking dumb to be a state legislator, or scaring her was exactly what he wanted.

Probably all three.

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[–] squiblet@kbin.social 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I got stopped by plainclothes cops one time and I wasn’t even sure if they were really cops, and one guy said “yeah, here’s my badge and this is my gun” and showed me. I was just oh, okay, but it came up in court, and the issue was it could be seen as intimidating (the cop lied and said it didn’t happen!).

[–] HikingVet@lemmy.ca 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

All the cop had to do was show their badge and ID. No gun required to prove that they were a cop.

[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

But the gun makes their dick hard.

[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 61 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Proving that any unhinged moron can get a gun and be elected by Conservatives.

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[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 9 months ago (13 children)

That’s called brandishing, and it’s usually a crime.

[–] Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

Yeah and if there is no brandishing law in Indiana this could be viewed as possible assault. (Offen assault is the threat of violence, battery is the action of violence)

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[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 34 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Real men don't need props.

[–] BruceTwarzen@kbin.social 15 points 9 months ago (4 children)

That's why i never understood the angle of guns and big trucks are things deemed manly. I live on a super steep place, when i see dudes on bicycles, just huffing up there like a machine, i always think: what a bloke. When i see some ridiculous truck in my small town i just see a clown. Same with guns, it's okay you're scared of the worldbor think you'rs some sort of redneck aveenger.

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

I don't understand why you think only rednecks have firearms. The world has changed, a large majority of firearm owners are not rednecks. Trump helped that.

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[–] normalexit@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

I think many of the guys out there carrying in a big truck are simply cosplaying what they think a "real man" is. They want to be cowboys in their shiny F150 trucks with Carhartts and a pistol, but actually work a desk job and have no need for any of it.

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[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 29 points 9 months ago (4 children)

... call the cops. that's intimidation right there.

[–] Neato@ttrpg.network 18 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Yeah. I thought if you were concealed carrying, any interaction with your gun that was visible from displaying, peaking, drawing all the way to pointing was considered a criminal threat.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 26 points 9 months ago (1 children)

indiana law, apparently they call it 'intimidation'. He opened his jacket and displayed it with the intention of modifying their behavior.

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[–] remotelove@lemmy.ca 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It depends on where you at, honestly. Showing off a concealed carry is just stupid anyway as the entire point is not to let people know you have a weapon.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

see the link. that's to Inidiana's law on the matter.

[–] remotelove@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 months ago

Of course. I just clarified a general uncertainty with "check your local laws".

[–] 0110010001100010@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Except the cops are on his side....

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

prolly. But they still at least have to respond. but a police report citing the incident looks pretty bad.

[–] BleatingZombie@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

Brandishing a firearm

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[–] the_q@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Indiana: The Alabama of the Midwest

[–] TheDarkKnight@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

Indianapolis just held hostage by the state

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[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 17 points 9 months ago (6 children)

"He's got a gun. Shoot him!"

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Jim Lucas is such a piece of shit. He only makes my piece of shit Indiana representative (Larry Buschon) look like less of a piece of shit in comparison.

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[–] prole@sh.itjust.works 13 points 9 months ago

Wow, everyone must have been so impressed.

[–] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

"Whoa, we have a badass here"

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[–] ninekeysdown@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

“emotional support firearms”

[–] Artisian@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago (3 children)

to anyone who understand this behavior - what's the man trying to do here? Is there any charitable read? Having a hard time imagining it.

[–] Garbanzo@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

I didn't watch the video, but it sounds like it was in the context of discussing self defense. A student asked if he meant people should carry guns, so he showed that he was carrying one in an attempt to confirm that he practices what he preaches. He was probably also trying to normalize it. Pretty dumb, but obviously not intending to intimidate the kids.

[–] RedditRefugee69@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

If you watch the video, it clearly didn’t seem like any kind of intentional intimidation. Definitely a whoopsie since brandishing is illegal in most but not his state. But we should be charitable to compensate for our own biases and I think the title is a bit misleading about the context

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[–] phoneymouse@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I mean… if you’re going to carry, don’t talk about it. Carrying is basically something that only makes the one carrying feel safer.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

And is a tell-tale sign that the carrier is so insecure that he has to take his metal phallus symbol along.

[–] PeckerBrown@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

I live in IN. Many times I wish I didn't.

[–] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 5 points 9 months ago (2 children)
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[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 5 points 9 months ago

It's a good thing THOSE kids didn't have Guns otherwise they would have Shot him in Self Defense! That's how it works right Conservatives?

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