Man arrested for guns at Pelosi's personal hotel

[toreskha]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10292177

DENVER—A man who tried to carry two hunting rifles and two pistols into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's downtown hotel remained in police custody Sunday.

Pelosi and other guests briefly left the hotel during the Saturday incident but were never in danger, Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said.

The man, Joseph Calanchini, 29, of Pinedale, Wyo., faces a charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon. Police officers at the Grand Hyatt hotel noticed him carrying a rifle-type case at the entrance and detained him.

Well, this is pretty stupid - by the way, Pelosi now owns the Denver Sheraton, apparently.

I called Sheraton and asked if they had a policy. The head of security said they didn't allow firearms on the premises, and would not store them for people either. That's a company-wide policy.

[HK4U]

I am a little confused. Why was carring your firearms in a case into your hotel room against the law? If he were travling say for a hunting trip and was staying over night at the hotel what was he supposed to do with them? Leave them in the car to be stolen. Or was it just because Queen Nancy was staying there? Also the article does not say if he new she was staying there or not.

[Doc and his Glock]

Originally Posted by HK4U

I am a little confused. Why was carring your firearms in a case into your hotel room against the law? If he were travling say for a hunting trip and was staying over night at the hotel what was he supposed to do with them? Leave them in the car to be stolen. Or was it just because Queen Nancy was staying there? Also the article does not say if he new she was staying there or not.

It does not make any difference who was there, common sense would tell you that you just don't go into a hotel carring 2 rifles and pistols without checking out the policy on weapons. OK lets see traveling on a hunting trip in August.. what is in season and where? Carring firearms into any place in a case, is or could be against the law depending on what State and the policy of the hotel...

[Jes]

Most states law sees a hotel room as an extension of your home. So if state law allows firearms in your home he is being unlawfully detained. I have traveled through Denver several times with firearms with no problem.
Also I believe bow season opens in a couple weeks, but that shouldn't matter. Does it have to be hunting season to transport firearms?

BTW... first post, long time lurker.

[tattedupboy]

Originally Posted by toreskha

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10292177


Well, this is pretty stupid - by the way, Pelosi now owns the Denver Sheraton, apparently.

I called Sheraton and asked if they had a policy. The head of security said they didn't allow firearms on the premises, and would not store them for people either. That's a company-wide policy.

If it was a company policy he was violating, and not any particular law, then why was he arrested? If he was violating a company policy, he should have just been asked to leave, not arrested. Am I missing something here?

[HK4U]

Originally Posted by Jes

Most states law sees a hotel room as an extension of your home. So if state law allows firearms in your home he is being unlawfully detained. I have traveled through Denver several times with firearms with no problem.
Also I believe bow season opens in a couple weeks, but that shouldn't matter. Does it have to be hunting season to transport firearms?

BTW... first post, long time lurker.

Welcome from Texas.

[Red Hat]

Originally Posted by tattedupboy

If it was a company policy he was violating, and not any particular law, then why was he arrested? If he was violating a company policy, he should have just been asked to leave, not arrested. Am I missing something here?

Pelosi was there. I'm willing to bet one of her body guards saw him and had him arrested. There is more to the story than is being told.

Welcome from SC, Jes!

[Red Hat]

What a crock. Just because Pelosi and the Dem Convention was in there!

9NEWS.com | Colorado's Online News Leader | Hunter apologizes for Pelosi scare

KUSA - A Wyoming hunter who accidentally caused a security concern at the Grand Hyatt hotel Saturday says he's sorry for the problems he caused and didn't know the Democratic National Convention was in town.

When Joseph Calanchini walked into the Grand Hyatt hotel with 2 rifles and 2 pistols Saturday around 4 p.m., Denver Police evacuated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from the hotel until they arrested Calanchini and made sure it was safe for Pelosi to return.

"I didn't even know the DNC was in town. I don't watch the news," said Joseph Calanchini from the Denver City Jail where he's being held on bond. "If I had known, I would have done things differently. It was a simple mistake."
Calanchini, who talked to 9Wants to Know from the Denver City Jail, says he had the weapons because he's getting ready to go on a hunting safari trip in Limpopo Basin, South Africa on August 28. He plans to hunt warthog, impala, baboon and jackals with a friend there.
He says he had just picked up his rifles from the Sportsman's Warehouse and had them in a locked gun case when he checked in at the Grand Hyatt. The clerk checking him in noticed the rifle case and called security.
"I'm amazed. It's not like they were illegal weapons, they were all registered to me," said Calanchini. "It was bad timing."
Police say Calanchini had permits for the rifles, but did not have concealed permits to carry two pistols that were found in his luggage. Calanchini says he forgot they were in there.
He was charged with unlawfully carrying weapons, a misdemeanor. Calanchini is being held on $10,000 bond at the Denver City Jail.
"I didn't mean to cause any problems," said Calanchini. "I'm sorry, it was not intentional."
Calanchini, who is registered as an independent, says he doesn't know who he's going to vote for yet.
"Would this affect my choice as a candidate? No. There's more important issues than this," said Calanchini.
The 29-year-old man from Pinedale, Wyoming, has never been arrested before. He says he's hunted for several years in places like Canada, California and Wyoming. He planned the safari to South Africa with a friend in June.
He says the U.S. Secret Service interviewed him for an hour and a half on Saturday to make sure he's not a threat.
"They know I'm not trying to do anything," he said.
Calanchini, who sells drilling tools across Colorado and Wyoming, says he is a frequent guest at the Grand Hyatt.
But the Grand Hyatt General Manager says he was not a registered guest at the hotel.
"We don't know why he was walking through our hotel," said General Manager Ed Bucholtz.
After police searched and towed Calanchini's car, they allowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) back into the hotel.
"The speaker was never in any danger. And she appreciates the quick and professional response of the police," said Brendon Daly, Pelosi spokesman.

[HK4U]

Hooplaphobia at its finest.

[FN1910]

I called Sheraton and asked if they had a policy. The head of security said they didn't allow firearms on the premises, and would not store them for people either. That's a company-wide policy.

I am not going to argue with him but I really think this is BS. Right now it may be the PC thing to say and may be his opinion but I don't think any hotel chain is going to have a blanket restriction like that.