A man was counseled by Barnesville police after he entered Ingle’s with an AR-15 rifle strapped to his back Dec. 26.
Sgt. Jesse Blackmon responded to an urgent 911 call from store manager Shane Allison just before 5 p.m. Monday. Allison reported the man had entered the store with the firearm.
Blackmon entered the store and saw the armed man approaching the cash registers with a few items in has hand. Once the man had paid for the items and exited the store, Blackmon approached and asked if he could speak with the man. He agreed.
Blackmon told the man he understood he was exercising his 2nd Amendment rights and his actions were legal under Georgia’s open carry laws. Blackmon asked the man why he would carry such a rifle into a grocery store. The man responded, “Why not?”
The man went on to say he was carrying the rifle because of the current state of the country and he felt like he was defending himself.
Blackmon advised the man to be mindful and safety conscious when carrying such a rifle in public. He told the man he was free to go as he had not violated any laws or city ordinances.
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