Sounds from the showdown over a legal gun(PA)

Sounds from the showdown over a legal gun


Excerpts from an audio recording Mark Fiorino made of his Feb. 13 encounter with Philly cops on Frankford Avenue near Placid Street:

Sgt. Michael Dougherty, approaching Fiorino, who had a gun holstered on his left hip: "Yo, Junior, what are you doing?"

Mark Fiorino: "Junior?"

MD: "Let me see your hands."

MF "Excuse me, why are you pointing your gun at me, officer? . . . Sir, you're threatneing me with lethal force."

MD: "No, I'm not threatening you."

MF: "You're pointing a weapon at me."

MD: "I don't know who you are; you've got a gun on you."

MF: "Would you like to see my license to carry firearms and my driver's license? . . . I'm going to hand you my license to carry firearms."

MD: "Keep your hand right where it's at. . . . I don't know who you are. Get down on your knees."

MF: "Excuse me?"

MD: "Get down on your knees. Just obey what I'm saying."

MF: "Sir, I'm more than happy to stand here -"

MD: "If you make a move, I'm going to f------ shoot you. I'm telling you right now: You make a move, and you're going down!"

MF: "Is this necessary?"

MD: "Yes it is. I don't know who you are, why you have a gun on you."

MF: "Because I carry a firearm for self-defense purposes."

MD: "Do you know you can't openly carry here in Philadelphia?"

MF: "Yes, you can, if you have a license to carry firearms. It's Directive 137. It's your own internal directive."

[About two minutes after the incident began to unfold, other officers responded to Dougherty's call for backup and arrived at the scene while Dougherty and Fiorino continued to exchange words.]

MD: "He's got a gun right on his left side."

Unidentified officer: "Get on the f------ ground!"

MF: "Excuse me, I'll get on the ground -"

UO: "Lay the f--- down! Lay the f--- down!"

MF: "All right! All right! This is not necessary, gentlemen -"

MD: "Everybody relax, relax."

MF: "Gentlemen, this is not necessary -"

UO: "Shut the f--- up! Shut your f------ mouth!"

The encounter lasted for more than 40 minutes before Fiorino was ultimately released.

The full audio recording, which is filled with graphic language, can be found at: http://bit.ly/gmGsrI.