News

September 25, 2008

Toting gun at soccer costs mom her permit

The Associated Press

LEBANON, Pa. — A woman’s concealed-weapons permit was revoked after other parents complained about seeing her carrying a loaded handgun at her 5-year-old daughter’s soccer game.

Meleanie Hain, of Lebanon, said she takes her holstered Glock 26 everywhere for personal security and is fighting the revocation by the Lebanon County sheriff.

“I’m just a soccer mom who has always openly carried (a firearm), and I’ve never had a problem before,” Hain said in Wednesday’s editions of the Lebanon Daily News. “I don’t understand why this is happening to me.”

She declined a request by The Associated Press for comment through her attorney, Robert Magee, of Allentown.

Youth soccer coach Charlie Jones said he approached Hain at the Sept. 11 game and asked her to move to the other side of the field, away from the sideline where the children were standing, after hearing that some parents were upset at seeing her gun.

“More than one parent was upset,” he told the newspaper.

Hain later received a notice that her permit was being revoked by Sheriff Michael DeLeo.

DeLeo cited a section of state law that bars the issuance of concealed-weapons permits to people who are deemed a danger to public safety based on their character and reputation. Hain showed poor judgment by wearing her gun at the game, he said.

DeLeo said he understood his decision would now force Hain to keep her weapon in plain view whenever she carries it, but revoking her concealed-weapons permit was his only recourse because he could not legally confiscate her gun.

Hain later received a notice that her permit was being revoked by Sheriff Michael DeLeo.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews