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!
