Has anyone else experienced anything like this.? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Jan 3, 2013 at 7:00 at night, my 18 year old son and 2 of his friends were driving to the family hunting camp in Lowndes County Alabama. They had an AR-15 in the back floor board of the truck with the clip removed.� They pulled up to the stop sign at� intersection of Hwy 29 and Brown Springs Rd in Lowndesboro.� They were at the stop sign approx 30 sec as they waited for a car to pass so they could turn.� �
As they turned down the road to the hunting camp they noticed they were being followed.� When they arrived at the camp and got out to unlock the gate a man pulled in behind them, blocked them in and began to shout at them about shots that he heard and accused them of shooting the gun at the stop sign.� When asked he identified himself as a reserve deputy and a retired game warden.� When ask to show a badge .. He could not.
This man continued to accuse, in a not so friendly manner, the boys of shooting the gun.� The boys were concerned for their safety and told him they were going to call the police.� The man said that he had called the sheriff and he was not going to let them leave because it was a crime scene.
2 Deputy Sherrifs arrived about 30 min later, asked for the gunand their ID, inspected the gun� ran the numbers through NCIC returned the AR to the boys and told them they were free to go.
4 days later- this retired game warden ( private citizen) signed an arrest warrant on all 3 boys charging them with
� Code of Alabama 9-11-235. Hunting after dark � Code of Alabama 9-11-257 Hunting from a public road � Code of Alabama 220-2-11. Hunting fom a vehicle
We went to court and all 3 were found GUILTY of all 3 charges even though no one saw them shoot, only heard it.� No shell casing were found either at the intersection or by the deputies when they searched the truck.�
These boys were simply driving down a paved public road with an unloaded AR15 in the truck and stopped at a stop sign.� They were not in camo, didn't have any flashh lights or spot lights in the truck... BUT the prosecution said that they were " hunting" because they were stopped in an area known to have wildlife with a gun!
