Back when I lived in Hamel, Illinois I was out shooting one late afternoon at an abandoned dump. I had 3 handguns. Must have been about 1977.
I was minding my own business and was packed up and ready to leave. As I was leaving the area, a part time cop from Worden, Illinois was turning into the road where I was leaving. He asked me if I heard anyone shooting. I told him I had been shooting and that I was on private property and had permission from the landowner.
He asked me to wait a minute and got on the radio to Madison county sheriffs department. I heard the radio call "Detain him until we arrive."
The cop then asked for my FOID, then my insurance, then my registration and then wanted to know why I was there. I told him I was target shooting and had permission from the landowner and that I did not need a reason to be there.
A few minutes later the MCSO shows up. Sergeant Conrad Baetz. I will never forget the name and never forget that he was an absolute POS.
He started in on the same thing. . .why are you here, why do you need to target shoot, what are you shooting at blah . . .blah. . .blah.
He then wanted the guns and asked for receipts. I told him I had receipts at home but not with me. He told me I needed to prove I owned the guns and that he needed to know if they had been used in a crime.
He took all three guns and went to his car and called the numbers in. Naturally he did not find anything wrong but I guarantee I was getting po'd.
He came back and returned the guns and began berating me for shooting. I reminded him that we were BOTH on private property and that I had permission from the landowner to be there and was both the rightful owner of the guns and had valid credentials for possession of the guns and registration for my vehicle and insurance.
Both he and the local cop had parked their vehicles so I could not leave and were preventing anyone else from entering or leaving the area.
The MCSO told me to leave. I went to put the unloaded guns in my Suburban and as I was putting them in the floor of the back seat, he ran over and said I could not put them there. He made me open the tailgate and put them behind the third seat. I did and I got in and left. I have never had another kind word for Madison county law enforcement.
What happened to me was appalling and far too typical of what goes on in Madison county Illinois that passes for law enforcement.
After all these years, it still burns me up to remember being treated like that.
There was absolutely no legitimate reason for all the drama except that the local law enforcement did not then and do not now do much but pay lip service to the rights of citizens who enjoy the Second Amendment and the sport of shooting. I knew then, it was time to leave Illinois and it was another 5 or 6 years before I could.
I am truly blessed to be out of that miserable state.
Geetarman
