Gun Friendly Texas Jury Acquits Open Carry Fanatic of Disorderly Conduct

Michael Keoughan, right, after reclaiming his firearms following his acquittal on charges of disorderly conduct in Andrews, Texas. (Photo: Facebook ) 

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Army veteran Michael Keoughan, arrested in January while open carrying in Andrews, Texas, was found not guilty by a six-member jury this week.

Keoughan, 27, a member of a local gun rights group, Come and Take It, was stopped by police while surveying the planned route for an upcoming open carry walk in Andrews. Previously, a member of CATI had been arrested by Andrews Police the prior November while open carrying in town. The incident led CATI to open a dialog with local authorities and clear later events with APD Chief Bud Jones.

However, when Keoughan began his walk on Main Street with a shotgun slung over his back and a holstered black powder revolver in accordance with Texas open carry laws, he was soon stopped and, in a shock to him, arrested for “disorderly conduct for displaying a firearm in a manner to cause alarm.”

According to media reports at the time of his arrest, Keoughan’s walk attracted a number of phone calls to 911, and caused a nearby middle school put on lock-down.

“We didn’t know who he was, had no clue but we started getting a mass number of phone calls,” Chief Jones said in January. “By displaying the weapon, he caused undue alarm.”