Minnesota Police Groups Sue NFL Over Weapons Ban at Stadiums

The National Football League has been slapped with a lawsuit by two Minnesota law enforcement organizations challenging its authority to prohibit off-duty officers from bringing guns into stadiums, reports the Star Tribune .

Since 2003, state law has allowed licensed peace officers to carry weapons in private establishments, even when signs banning guns are posted. But in September, the NFL alerted team owners that it was instituting a new policy forbidding anyone other than on-duty officers and private security personnel working its games to carry weapons in stadiums.

Not only does that policy violate state law, it’s unenforceable, argues a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court. The suit picked up steam after an off-duty Minneapolis police officer attending the Minnesota Vikings’ final game in December was told to take his gun and lock it in his car.

“This is the most unsafe thing you could do,” said Dennis Flaherty, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, one of the plaintiffs. “Officers are trained and encouraged to be able to respond 24 hours a day. This is terrible public policy.”

Related:

NFL Bans Off-Duty Carry