Open Carry Texas Urges Bexar County to Drop Charges Against Coty McDonnell

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Open Carry TexasTemple, TX-(Ammoland.com)- Open Carry Texas (OCT) is dedicated to the preservation of the 2nd amendment protected right to keep and bear arms. This fundamental, constitutionally protected right is necessary for defending one’s inalienable right to life, liberty, and property.

On Monday, May 15, 2017, members of Open Carry Texas held a small armed rally at the Bexar County Courthouse in downtown San Antonio in support of Coty McDonnell who was arrested for “deadly conduct” while protecting the home of a neighbor from three would-be intruders. Coty spotted intruders slowly driving down his street with their headlights off eyeing homes along the neighborhood. They then stopped in front of his neighbor’s vacant house, exited their vehicle (while leaving it running) and ran towards the vacant home. Coty intercepted the intruders who then ran back to their vehicle and drove down the road a few houses. Coty then held them at gunpoint until officers arrived on the scene. When police arrived, Coty was arrested for “deadly conduct” and the three intruders were arrested for various drug charges.

Coty was doing nothing more than a police officer would have done given the exact same set of circumstances. We believe there is a double standard being used in Bexar County. Coty should be commended for his heroic efforts to protect his neighborhood and for the discipline he showed in not firing a single shot at the suspects. Had Coty been wearing a badge, he would have been praised for his actions instead of being treated worse than the actual criminals.

Today, a Bexar County judge reset Coty’s pre-trial hearing for June 5. While we appreciate that the County is not choosing to try him at this time, we call upon the prosecutors to do the right thing and drop all charges against Coty. Continuing to prosecute Coty on these charges sets a bad precedent about how Texas law related to the protection of persons and property and the free exercise of one’s inalienable rights are to be treated in Bexar County. We encourage prosecutors to recognize that had law enforcement been in Coty’s shoes on October 23rd when the incident occurred they would have done the exact same thing given the circumstances. The city’s only argument in support of charges against Coty is that they “don’t have anything that showed [the intruders] would have gone onto that property” and that they “didn’t see that.” However, they neglected to interview other witnesses on scene prior to arresting Coty. Requiring law enforcement to actually witness a crime in order to confirm or deny it occurred is a dangerous policy that only encourages lawlessness.

OCT is an organization dedicated to the safe and legal carry of firearms in the State of Texas in accordance with the United States and Texas Constitutions and applicable laws.

About Open Carry Texas

Our purpose is to 1) educate all Texans about their right to carry in a safe manner; 2) to condition Texans to feel safe around law-abiding citizens that choose to carry them; 3) encourage our elected officials to pass constitutional carry legislation for all firearms; and 4) foster a cooperative relationship with local law enforcement in the furtherance of these goals with an eye towards preventing negative encounters.

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Austin J Richards

Welcome to the fascist county of Baxter, Texas. Since the Libtards’ have taken over San Antonio and Austin, all Texans have been suffering. Fortunately, we still have a majority of those that still believe in the State and Federal constitutions in our elected officials and Governor. Hopefully, common sense will prevail and our state laws, which by the way provides for protection for this nature event, will prevail.

chuckbone56

Intent hopefully will save Coty in court. Should his version be found true then his intentions were good. Had he intended to do the possible intruders harm he could have easily. His intent was to prevent a crime and with drugs being possesed by the possible intruders the court should see their intentions were likely criminal. But that may be too much common sense for a liberal judge if Coty is unlucky enough to be tried by a libtard.

Produceguy

I agree with gcm and Pete on this one. I would want to react the way Cody did . I wouldn’t react if I thought someone was going to commit a felony but actually started to commit the act. Call the police first , that’s what they get paid for.
Hopefully they go easy on him.

Pete

It is unfortunate that Coty McDonnell was arrested and charged with the crime, but we have to remember that he was not a police officer, nor was he employed with any law enforcement agency at the time that the offense was committed. The police have a job to do which is to enforce the laws of the state, city and municipality. McDonnell did not. When he observed the suspicious activity, he should have called the police, rather than acting in place of the police.

gcm

Acording to the story the house was indeed vacant and the smart thing to do would have been to call police and let them know there was a suspicious vehicle in the area casing houses and let them deal with it. Cody also could have gave a description of the car with plate number if possible, but the moment he pulled his weapon off his own property without being threatened or fearing for his life is when his problems started. Had a neighbor been home he could have called them to alert them of the situation. I do believe cody… Read more »

subguy

Very similar thing happened to me in Nebraska. Neighbor asked me to watch his house while he was out of town. Saw lights on in the basement, so I peeked through a window to see several very young men drinking beer. Called a Sheriff’s deputy to investigate, and waited outside the house (I’m always armed). When the Deputy arrived, it turned out that the intruders were the owner’s son and his friends who were not supposed to be in the house. Told the deputy that I was armed when he arrived, and he just said,” wait out here unless I… Read more »

Webfoot Logger

I wonder what Coty’s past with the police is?

I’ve seen this kind of behavior when the defendant has been a thorn in their sides – say by reporting police misconduct – or when one of the vehicular-prowl perps has related to someone in the police or prosecutor’s office.

I’m not saying that’s what’s going on here, but . . .

Alan

Could be an interesting point for examination, or it could be pie in the sky.

Heed the Call-up

Wow, I could see that happening to me, too. If I saw strangers casing my neighbor’s home, I would not go unarmed, either, and I, too, would intervene. I can’t believe the police charged this man, and that the prosecutors are pursuing this. I wonder what their reaction would be if it was their neighbor that protected their property? Would they be prosecuting him, too?

Jimmy

Bear county seems to really have their heads up their own a$$es…

Jacob Opperman

If I was Coty’s lawyer I would turn it around and sue Bexar County prosecutors, sheriff’s for wrongful charges, inprisionment and violation of Coty’s Constitutional Rights. Do that and lets see how far it goes. It is pretty sad to see some one who is trying to do the right thing in helping out a neighbor and then gets arrested for it. What would have happened if they had broken in and stolen things and the neighbor came back and asked why did know do any thing to help prevent it. Coty did right but yet the idiots in power… Read more »