Thanks for keeping this story alive. I have been following it and hope the truth comes out in the courts.

Bob, one thing that is worth remembering is that people not used to being around firearms tend to freak out when they see them in the hands of civilians. It seems likely that the Costco clerk and manager were the ones "behaving erratically, [and]possibly on narcotics..." In other words, the police probably took at face value a description by a clueless anti-gun 'drama-queen.'

I'm not offering this as an excuse, and in fact I think law enforcement folks ought to be much more aware of this fear of firearms. Had the police done their job properly, they would have had tactical information before any interaction. They should have been able to ascertain whether Erik Scott was "brandishing" a handgun, or merely carrying one; they should have been able to ascertain whether or not Scott had claimed a legal CCW. (In fact, perhaps the officers should have asked either the clerk or manager if they even know what a CCW is!)

What you reveal of the tragic tail-end of the story is troubling enough, but what the cops failed to do up-front ought not escape just as close scrutiny.

whatever the outcome of the investigation into this tragic death one thing is certain, when Three different LEO's are screaming 3 different instructions at you,the thing to do is stay perfectly still and do not move either hand toward your concealed weapon. allow the officers to approach you to disarm you while you hold your hands away from your weapon.
LEO's treat all persons as PERPS until proven otherwise.
Remain stock still and Frozen until the officers have you under their control. Do. Not. Move.

Bob thanks for the story!

The police in America remind me of other uniformed thugs I have witnessed. I never knew of a member of the SS being found guilty of murder!

PS: I am glad you are back even if it is limited at this time

Having read 75% of the PJ comments and skimming the rest; having 15 years service (and counting) with the Army (including three in a line company and five years, overlapping, OCONUS); having multiple encounters with potential belligerents with arms; one thing had disturbed me and still does...

Having been trained in the military to kill/target armed belligerents it has always concerned me that US Police, being by definition civilian authorities, refer to their, uhh, subjects, as civilians.

Bob, one thing that is worth remembering is that people not used to being around firearms tend to freak out when they see them in the hands of civilians. It seems likely that the Costco clerk and manager were the ones "behaving erratically, [and]possibly on narcotics..." In other words, the police probably took at face value a description by a clueless anti-gun 'drama-queen.'

Clearly the cops aren't fimiliar with firearms.

My Comment, Part II

Had US Soldiers done this in the 'Stan they would surely be accused of war crimes (by the libs), prosecuted by their own command, and likely convicted of cold-blooded murder.

The fact that our civil authorities will tolerate treatment of own civilians that we do not tolerate of our enemies speaks volumes of what kind of country we really are.

So carrying a concealing weapon with a permit meaning the cops can shoot you down at anytime and it's justified. I'm not sure that's the way it was intended to work.