Donrell Radcliffe recently got pulled over on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, and police found not one but two loaded handguns in his jacket.
Radcliffe’s car windows were heavily tented, so police opened the driver’s door for everyone’s safety. They saw a box of ammunition in the door’s storage area, and when the officers asked about it, he came right out and said he also had a gun in his jacket. With all the recent police shootings in the state, you would think he would have been a little smarter than to reach for his gun, but that’s exactly what he did. As you can imagine, he was immediately told not to move, and police found not one but two loaded handguns in his jacket. Most states require that if law enforcement asks, you have to declare you have a firearm, but DO NOT make a move towards the darn thing. Keep your hands visible with no quick movements and show some respect, so everyone gets to go home safely. He’s lucky he didn’t get shot and become a statistic.
Radcliffe had a FOID card but not an Illinois Concealed Carry license. Illinois has some incredibly restrictive gun laws, so you need a FOID (Firearm Owner’s Identification) AND CCL to carry legally. People frequently think it’s illegal to carry in Chicago, but you are good to go after meeting the state requirements. Most people are unaware Illinois doesn’t recognize a CCL from any state, so if you want to walk around with your EDC, you better have both cards from their state police.
In his defense, violent crime has become so rampant in Chicago he should have gone to the 16-hour class and been legal. Plus, since he already had his FOID, that meant he had no previous criminal record. I think it’s worth mentioning he told them he had a gun without them asking, which is more than most people would have done.
CWB Chicago reported that Judge Ahmad repeated to the prosecutor, “Not one but two firearms. Loaded. One with an extended magazine in a car with heavily tinted windows,” then said, “When the court hears facts like this, it raises questions about public safety.” Considering the amount of crime in Chicago over the last year, questioning the public’s safety is an understatement. Even after the statement, the judge let him walk on a measly $600 bond, and people around there wonder why crime is out of control.
Someone on Facebook said:
“Why did he have so few guns and so little ammo being on Michigan Avenue? He needs three more guns and at least a dozen more boxes of ammo.”
One condition of his bail was giving up his FOID card. The first question that comes to mind is why the judge didn’t make him surrender any other firearms he owned? Unlike other states, one of Illinois’s strict firearm laws requires a valid FOID even to possess ammunition, let alone a gun.
The moral of the story is to take that little extra step and get licensed so that you can keep your second amendment rights.
