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A man carried a loaded rifle inside the Atlanta airport, and it was totally legal, ABC reports.
Jim Cooley recorded footage on himself with the weapon walking around in the airport parking lot. In the video, Cooley is being followed by law enforcement.
Interestingly enough, instead of the officers coming up to question Cooley, he questions them. He probes two questions:
“Can I ask why you’re following me? Are you suspecting me of causing a problem?”
Then, Cooley sees an officer, identified as Lieutenant Boyd, taking pictures of his vehicle. Boyd’s actions prompt Cooley to tell him that he plans to file ‘a complaint with the Atlanta Police Department’ because he believes what Boyd is doing is illegal. Body responds:
It’s not illegal to follow you…you approached us.”
New York Daily News has more on why Cooley chose to walk around with his loaded AR-15:
Jim Cooley is legally allowed to have his rifle in the terminal of one of the world’s busiest airports, and he told the Daily News he has no concerns about igniting fear in those who see him packing in public.
“People think that if you’re simply carrying your firearm, regardless of how you’re carrying it, you’re a bad person,” he told the News Wednesday morning. “But if you’re not carrying it in a menacing or threatening manner, it should be no cause for concern for anybody.”
So Cooley claims the only people who would fear him and his rifle in public are those “ignorant of the law.” “If they’re concerned, people need to be educated more,” he said.
In addition, under Georgia law, Cooley is within his rights to carry his AR-15.
Agencies/Canadajournal
