SGT Bryan Scott Wolfinger goes to the mall
Young buck sergeant Bryan Scott Wolfinger went to Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, North Carolina, a few miles from Fort Bragg, to have professional pictures taken. The problems came because Wolfinger was wearing a tactical vest with several magazines for his scary black gun, which he was also carrying. The public lost their collective shit as a result. Police arrived and arrested young Wolfinger on charges of “going armed to the terror of the public”. From CBS News;
An Army official tells CBS News correspondent David Martin that right now, Wolfinger is guilty of “very poor judgment,” but whether or not he broke military law remains to be seen.
Martin notes Wolfinger would not have been issued an AR-15 by the Army.
The Army has regulations about the storage of personal weapons and that’s one thing that will be investigated.
According to the reports, Wolfinger never made it into the mall. Yeah, very poor judgement, Sergeant. But, you know, the police should have used good judgement and released him with a warning once they found out what he was doing there. Unless, they were just playing to the media.
Category: Dumbass Bullshit
So, taking your AR-15 for a stroll to the mall is “going armed to the terror of the public”?
I guess they define intent by what you wear in NC? If “terror of the public” is a definition of illegal activity, then I guess a lot of people are criminals.
Wearing a vest and not actually doing anything to indicate hostile intent towards anybody is illegal. But wearing a pointy white hood and a bedsheet while shouting racial slurs and threatening violence apparently covered by the 1st Amendment. Robert Byrd would be so proud…
Isn’t NC an open carry state? Also, when did “going armed to the terror of the public” become an arrestable offense or even a law?
It is the law in NC. Yes it’s open carry, but one of the caveats is that one cannot carry to the terror of the public. Probably defined as someone all tacti-cooled out with a scare black gun. Poor decision making on his part.
He had an appointment at the photo studio outside the mall, he never went in
“a lot of kids were crying.”
Yep – the pussification of the US is now complete.
Bullshit. Kids cry in situations like this based on the signals they get from their parents on other adults. If parents are panicking and acting alarmed it will frighten the child. Since a child is essentially helpless to defend themselves against something that is a threat to the adults around them many will cry.
Saying children are “pussified” reveals what a compassionless piece of shit you are. You are probably a sociopath.
LOOK AT YOUSELF you pussified little candyassed booger-eating, Smurf-lusting, glittery gargoyle-gonad-sniffing taint connoisseur of a buck-toothed inbred Swamp Donkey! Has your girlfriend found a job yet with that Piled Higher-and-Deeper degree in Chinee Poritics? Maybe she could be at the door saying “Welcome to Wal Mart, I have a PhD.” Seriously BOY, you obviously don’t have even the tiniest smidgen of either brains or common sense, and you’re more brainless than a one-eyed lobotomized ROTC Cadet on LSD and you just have to spout your shit here on TAH to prove what an IDIOT you really are, and I’ll enjoy dogpiling on you, little pisspants! Get this, I’m a college dropout, I’m a Vet, I work in a blue collar job where I make more money than many college grads with Masters degrees, it’s very likely I’ll always make more than you and your PhD’d girlfriend, now back to sneaking cookies from the jar JUNIOR, be a good little boy and your Mommy will have a nice warm enema for you when you get home!
You also get laid more, API. Don’t forget that part.
Lars spouts off like a thirty year old virgin. I’m sure I’ve gotten laid in more countries than he has in local towns!
If you paid for it then it doesn’t count.
Fuck off, Lars. Again, you miss the point.
Yep. Living in close proximity to a military base, these “children” have never been around folks dressed up in full battle rattle and carrying weapons /sarc/
A more likely scenario:
Child- “Mama Lars. Look, there’s a Soldier in the parking lot.”
Mama Lars- “Oh my God! It’s a terrorist! Wah-my pussy hurts!”
Child- (starts crying because he realizes his parent is a big wussy and figures he’ll get beat up at preschool because of it)
Also Lard, just for giggles I looked up the definition of sociopath. Ain’t me – sorry.
Well, Lars, you had me agreeing with your synopsis, until the last paragraph. You don’t know he was talking about the kids. He was probably talking about the parents reaction that caused the crying in the kids, just like you surmised.
Yes, there are many adults who are pussies, these days, because we glorify victimhood and the mere sight of a gun carried by someone not wearing a badge terrifies most, because they’ve been conditioned to be that way. Parents that are conditioned that way pass it on to their kids and the hoplophobia continues to spread and grow.
So, the law stating “to the terror of the public” is written that ambiguous in order to cover anyone who open carries, whether it’s a 1911 on the hip or an AR-15 slung across your back, because they know there is an ample population of pussies that will wet their diaper over the sight of either scenario and they can then force, through ambiguity in law, people to not open carry without running the risk of being arrested for “to the terror of the public”.
He never walked in the mall, and the area he went isn’t rarely used. That photo studio that told him that gave him permission to bring everything is located outside the mall away from all civilians. You literally have to know where that studio is
The impression is he was wearing the tactical gear? If so not smart with today’s ‘sensitivities’. Duffle bag and rifle case would have been a good start. Even that might have been a ‘trigger warning” to some. It at least would have been a less stressful initial police interaction.
Yes, a little (OK maybe a lot) of stupid on both sides. Problem for Bryan is that in the “Name” of PC there is a good chance that he will offered up as a sacrifice.
He was in civilians, not wearing tactical anything. The rifle was being held by the handguard in his right hand unloaded, the vest in his left. He had taken out the firing pin as well. The photo studio was okay with everything. The photos were going to be used for a casting agency. He needed a green screen. He literally did nothing wrong.
When this story broke, and they stated they had the subject in custody along with a photo of his weapon and gear on the ground I knew something wasn’t right… All I could think was why would anyone intent on going to war in the mall not fire a shot with that much firepower on him.
Stupid, stupid move Sgt… Poor judgment to the extreme. To charge him with what they are is equally stupid. They should charge themselves with overreacting, and being pussies. I am talking about the charging of him, not their reaction to the reports of the folks who lost their shit and called the cops.
He could of took a page from the poser book here.
Cell phone pic by a wooden security fence. It’s al the rage.
What a dumb ass.
The embarrassment he is going to have to live with should be punishment enough alone.
Just give him 40 hours of community service for being an idiot and move on.
Word
Illegal? Maybe not. Stupid as hell. Fuckin A.
Congratulations, Specialist.
(Yeah, I know–he’s a Sergeant now. Nothing is forever.)
Memo to open carry idiots: No. Just no. Get a fucking CCW permit already.
Yes he is a moroon Big one at that Lol…
And yes you are right he is or will soon be a new member of the E-4 Mafia
Bhwhahahaha!!!!!!!!!
Is this guy’s brain working? Walk into a shopping mall wearing what looks like armor and carrying a big gun?
I’d be suspicious, too, and I’m not afraid of GUNZZZ like some uneducated people are.
This is in the category of Just Plain Dumbassery. Sorry, but I don’t have a lot of sympathy for him and he needs to have some quality time with the business end of a floor buffer.
How f’in stupid does someone have to be to pull a stunt like that in this day and age. Moreover, why in the world would anyone want to have professional photos taken decked out like that at a Mall? I have a daughter and three grand daughters that shop at that Mall. Had I been there with them and seen this character, the reaction would have been to take him out before he harmed them. Training would probably have made me offer him the opportunity to get on the ground but he is extremely fortunate someone without training did not encounter him before the police did.
Considering the mall is in Fayetteville, this character is lucky to be alive. I’d wager that almost all who follow TAH would have had their antennae up and a hand on their concealed carry had they encountered this fool tricked out like a mass murderer.
An interesting thought: what do you suppose a jury would do to a legally armed, good citizen who did take him out?
You mean ANOTHER legally armed good citizen? They’d put him in jail for murder. It’s not against the law to be stupid, but it is against the law to be stupid and shoot people who aren’t breaking the law.
Ask the dumbass bed wetter who tackled the legally armed citizen walking into Walmart.
Agreed. Doesn’t he know how to do a selfie? Or hand his phone to a friend? We take lots of photos and video of family range time, but we do it on our private property. Arms are transported unloaded and in cases, except for personal protection.
We had a western-themed wedding for my daughter a couple of years ago. The reception was in a historic park, the old building were perfect for photos. Given that the town is Mini Republic of Boulder, we made sure to contact the police dept and notify them that we would have unloaded long guns with us (including my daughter’s PINK 22). They met us at the park, inspected our guns, and let us to take our photos. We got some interesting looks from people on the nearby trail, but didn’t have any trouble. Yes, we have open carry laws in Colorado, but why tempt fate and ruin the wedding for no good reason?
Needless to say, we had a great time and have lots of memorable wedding photos, including some humorous ‘shotgun wedding’ pics.
He was needing a green screen to create a background. He was using the photos for a casting agency. The studio told him he could bring anything he wants, so he did. He told them the settings and was okay with everything.
But he couldn’t put the rifle in a carrying case that made it look like a saxophone, or maybe just a piece of luggage?
Have you ever taken into consideration the general ignorance of the public when it comes to guns in plain sight? It doesn’t matter if the weapon was empty and the firing pin removed, it matters that he didn’t conceal it or realize that someone might have a snitfit over the mere sight of it.
If I go to Walmart to buy a gun – yes, they do sell them – I’m not going to walk out of the store with it where everyone can see it. That’s just dumb nowadays.
If I had a buck SGT pull something this high on the dumbassery scale, he’d be under extremely close observation until the second coming. He didn’t do anything illegal, but that was pretty damn stupid.
Word !!!!!
You just know his entire chain will now be under scrutiny – not going to be a happy time for him.
I have a high index of suspicion that SGT Wolfinger is somebodys commo platoon. (Our wire dogs collected article 15s like crazy)
Probably more likely an admin type wanting some “I’ve been there” pics to post on TAH. Going to a pro photographer tells me a green screen could have been in play.
I agree. I was a Signal Soldier after my body was beat up from being and Infanrtyman and an MP, then commissioned and became a Signal Officer. I always found that Signal Soldiers get in more trouble than any other. Their work is on the front and back ends of operations/missions, leaving a lot of down time in between to get into trouble.
I wouldn’t put anything past a Signal Soldier!
Cinn Rats are always willing to step up and fill the Brig Quota. When I was at 3rd Combat Engineers, I had to give someone directions to my shop. I told him that it was conveniently located near the Brig.
Cinn Rats? What the hell is a Cinn Rat? Stupid IPhone. Change to read “Comm Rats”. Hack Stone Publishing regrets the error.
“Cinn rats” is short for ‘cinnabun rations’.
Didn’t you know that? Your smartphone is hungry. Go feed it!
I resemble all those above remarks (former 31E Field Radio Repairer).
I have a bit of a resemblance myself. 31Q, 31M, 31R, 31W, 25W. Signal from E1 to E7. Did enough of the dumbassery to know how to catch ’em at it!
me too! Former 31M, 31V, 31R, 31C, 25Q and 25S
Now a 25A.
They can talk about us but not without us! Right?
I was going to guess chemical, but that’s just personal experience.
Or cook, come to think of it. The Army does still have cooks, right?
It was very poor judgment bordering on idiocy.
Kinda like how you live your life day to day, Lars. Only less idiotic.
It was as shit-for-brained as the comments you post here, you moldy-cockroach-shit-for-brained candyass!
Like when your mom had sex with your dad?
“Dammit, I knew I should have just said okay and let him put it in my ass!”
–Commissar’s mom
So we are all in agreement; it was idiotic.
Bryan Scott Wolfinger SHOULD HAVE HIDDEN HIS GUN UNTIL IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO TAKE THE PICTURE AND THEN PUT THE GUN BACK INTO A DISCRETE PLACE OUT OF THE PUBLIC’S SITE IF HE WAS REALLY GOING TO GET HIS PICTURE TAKEN!
DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH….
ALSO, DID HE HAVE A LICENSE TO OWN HIS GUN?????
“License to own his gun?”
Please tell me you’re being sarcastic.
“License to own a gun”?
This happened in North Carolina, NOT New Jersey.
I’ll agree to the first point. Why the hell was the AR not in a case??????
Too cheap to buy one?
If Constitutional Rights require camouflage, we have a huge fucking problem.
Also, take your “license”, fold it in half until it is all sharp cornors, and insert it at a high rate of speed into your lower colon.
Idiot narcissist, probably copying that dude who brought his AR to the airport.
Loooook at me!!!!
Everyone is LOOKING now!
Aren’t they?
The person I feel sorry for right now is this guy’s Squad Leader. I can almost hear him getting his butt chewed from here.
Fridays new weekend safety briefing:
“Oh yeah one more thing…don’t go off post to any malls wearing battle rattle and carrying.”
So there is a photography studio in the mall. Our Sergeant went into the mall to have his picture taken. He did an hour and a half photo session with the photographer and he was leaving.
http://abc11.com/news/man-with-assault-rifle-arrested-at-fayetteville-mall/825699/
The photographer was surprised he had the weapon but she was okay with it later.
I think it is curious that he managed to get into the mall and have his pictures taken and nobody seemed to get upset. I wonder how that happened.
Based on the reaction he got it appears that our Sergeant misjudged the crowd. Based on reading all of your comments, you seem to agree with the mall people – you say that he terrified a lot of people and therefore he demonstrated bad judgement.
In two of the videos about the incident, there are several police standing around in uniforms with their gear belts and AR-type rifles on single-point slings. Why aren’t they frightening? Was it the white tee shirt and blue jeans?
Serious question. If our Sergeant was in uniform would he have created the same effect?
I am going to speculate. I think that when he walked in, nobody got excited so nobody got excited. Later, someone got excited – got frightened – and that started a wave of fear in the crowd. What do you think of this theory?
Should it be okay to walk around with a visible weapon? Should it be a criminal offense?
Again, can he? Maybe.
Should he? Not in this scenario.
Open carry types are playing straight into the hands of the gun grabber idiots.
All it takes is one person who is afraid of guns and will panic at the mere sight of a weapon of any kind, and this is what happens.
I believe Lard was offended by my statement concerning “pussification”.
Appears that I was correct.
I’m just glad that none of the big, bad cops showed up sporting guns, vests or camo. Imagine the panic and crying kids…
If you click the link in my post, at about 1:34 into the story you won’t see any cops armed up like that – except for the guy on the left. There was more than one guy.
One other breathless part of the video – he was carrying loaded magazines. If he was a bad guy, of course he had loaded magazines. If he is a good guy what difference does it make? What good is an empty magazine?
Not too long ago there was a story carried on TAH about some guy going somewhere with a weapon. He wanted people familiar with seeing civilians with weapons in public. I seem to recall that the general TAH opinion was that it was a bad idea, he was an idiot, and other opinions along that line.
In my opinion I think that there is some value in it. I understand the open carry argument and the police attention argument and the argument that the unfriendly press and anti-gun-rights forces can use it.
But the pro-gun-control people have now made open carry of weapons as socially acceptable as a loud fart in church but actually a crime unless you are a cop or doing something like hunting or going to a range.
Our Sergeant was not a danger to anyone and now he is arrested. Who is winning the public opinion part of the 2nd amendment fight?
We let fearful people define whether an otherwise legal action is right or wrong. Is that where we want to be?
With all the comments above, mine would just echo many of the same. Did I not see a movie based on this guy’s action?
The Wolf of Cross Creek Something about greed being good. He got greedy with public exposure.
Going fucking armed to the terror of the public?
Deer season must be a bitch around Bragg
This guy told them what this photoshoot was for at the studio. He told him that he was wanting to use the photos for a casting agency. He didn’t own a green screen and they did. He even brought his own photography equipment. He got permission from and employee to bring anything he wanted so he did. He never walked in or out of the mall. He went to the studio located outside the mall away from civilians. You’ll see on cameras that he was wearing civilians and not anything tactical. His rifle which was unloaded and without a firing pin was in his right hand held by the handguard, not once presenting a threatening intent. His vest was in his left hand, not on his body at all. He may have walked by a few people but knowing that side of the parking area, it was two or so. All adults. The people never panicked around him. He didn’t present any threat. HE NEVER ENTERED THE MALL. He went to the studio located outside. This guy has a ccw, he went through the ins and outs to get an okay. He knows the laws, he didn’t do anything wrong. The photographer was okay with everything. When she said he could bring anything he wants, she wasn’t expecting a rifle, however she called her boss and he said that it’s okay with him. The FIRING PIN WAS NOT IN THE WEAPON. He only took it with him to give to the photographer. Explained that without that piece that it’s a mere paperweight and harmless. He had an appointment at 5, and got there at about 5:15 or so. The photographer and him had fun taking photo’s until he left around 6:40ish. The photos were going to be used for a casting call to be in a movie, not to have some stupid photos at his house. I’ve seen this guys work online, he’s really creative. HE WAS WITH THAT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR OVER AN HOUR, and she’ll even admit she had fun. He was in the bathroom multiple times getting his… Read more »
Well, if you know him so well, you should tell him that there are people who are ignorant of weapons in general and will panic at the mere sight of one.
If he wants to do something like this, he should put the weapon in a carrying case to keep it out of sight.
That avoids the problem of someone panicking and calling the police on him.
It doesn’t matter where the firing pin was. The person who called the police only saw the weapon and reacted out of fear. I wish such people would return to the padded safety of their walled demesnes in NYC, etc., but they infest the rest of the country whenever they can.
sounds like was right about everything except considering the ignorance of the public.
I wish him well!
Also tell him how much DA loves free publicity and to expect private congratulatory messages from his chain o’command. As said earlier, shoulda used a duffel bag or case.
Here’s the reference I found in the General Statutes:
§ 14-288.3. Provisions of Article intended to supplement common law and other statutes.
The provisions of this Article are intended to supersede and extend the coverage of the common-law crimes of riot and inciting to riot. To the extent that such common-law offenses may embrace situations not covered under the provisions of this Article, however, criminal prosecutions may be brought for such crimes under the common law. All other provisions of the Article are intended to be supplementary and additional to the common law and other statutes of this State and, except as specifically indicated, shall not be construed to abrogate, abolish, or supplant other provisions of law. In particular, this Article shall not be deemed to abrogate, abolish, or supplant such common-law offenses as unlawful assembly, rout, conspiracy to commit riot or other criminal offenses, false imprisonment, and going about armed to the terror of the populace and other comparable public-nuisance offenses. (1969, c. 869, s. 1.)
(See also: § 4-1. Common law declared to be in force.
All such parts of the common law as were heretofore in force and use within this State, or so much of the common law as is not destructive of, or repugnant to, or inconsistent with, the freedom and independence of this State and the form of government therein established, and which has not been otherwise provided for in whole or in part, not abrogated, repealed, or become obsolete, are hereby declared to be in full force within this State. (1715, c. 5, ss. 2, 3, P.R.; 1778, c. 133, P.R.; R.C., c. 22; Code, s. 641; Rev., s. 932; C.S., s. 970.))
CCO….Have to admit I’m not the smartest rock in a box, but will you please explain this in generic terms so I can understand the terminology? Is all this subjective?
Beats me; I just found it on the internet! My guess would be the reference at the end of the first paragraph I quoted “going about armed to the terror of the populace” is part of common law. The rest of 14-288 (and following) talks about riots, emergencies, not interfering emergency personnel, and so forth. The intent being apparent is to make it clear that the just because these specific cases had been made illegal other cases (like walking around waving a pistol) weren’t legal. I probably included the article on common law being in force because of my exposure to C++ programming (#include stio.h 🙂 )
Like I said; not a lawyer; never even played one on TV.
No firing pin? Not waving weapon around, not shooting in the air (not possible since no firing pin, natch). My guess (and not being a lawyer and never even have played one on TV) would be not a problem.
And I apologize for implying you were Chemical or a cook, Sergeant.
And good luck with your movie career.
Hey! Watch the Chemical slights buckaroo. We don’t need no steenkin guns – we have CS…
Yeah; I was a supply clerk in 11th CML for almost two years!
Sounds like a successful operation on the part of the Bloomberg machine to demonize gun owners. They have been promoting calling 911 whenever they see someone with a gun, and making stuff up about how they are threatening people.
I want to hear the 911 calls, and if they gave false information (very likely), I want them prosecuted.
Want in one hand and shit in the other,see which one fills up first.
Won’t happen no matter what. The guy with the “scary black gun” will get some bullshit charge thrown at him but the hysterical little babies (that most likely lied) will be thanked for saving everyone. Not that anyone needed saving, and they probably ruined a man’s military and fledgling movie career. Although he certainly played a hand or two in that also. Stupidity all the way around.
The one(‘s) who made the 911 call more than likely don’t have the stones to come forward and admit their “bravery”.
I’m late to this story, but just two quick thoughts:
He went to a MALL to get a PROFESSIONAL picture taken, wearing TACTICAL gear. What??
Just because something is legal doesn’t mean you won’t scare the living shit out of somebody while you’re doing it, in this day and age.
Managed to do just that myself, many years ago. I had a large dynamite box. Real deal, old one from one of the mines in Butte, I think. Had the dynamite labels and markings; cleaned and oiled, it was a really nice one. I was using it as a coffee table in my living room. We had occasion to have a couple of police officers step in when they needed our statements about a local robbery. One of the officers noticed the box, stared at it a second, then asked, “Is that a real dynamite box?” I said without elaborating, “Oh, yes. It’s from Butte.” Dead silence as both officers stared at me, then the box, then each other. You could see the switches being flipped in both their heads. I said very quickly, “I use it to store blankets and linens. Would you like me to show you?” They both look visibly relieved, and answered that wouldn’t be necessary, and continued with what they were there for. But that just goes to show you how quickly people can get the wrong idea about what they’re looking at.
And if you had an ATF permit and weren’t over the allowed pounds of explosives, you might have been legal to store something other than blankets in that box too.
True. And the cops know it, too — but Montana is a funny state, and walking into a house with fifty pounds of dynamite in the living room isn’t necessarily a far stretch! 😀