Firearms will soon be banned from public property in Petersburg

PETERSBURG - Gun owners should be aware that Petersburg will no longer allow firearms to be carried in certain public areas within the city.

The language of a law passed by Petersburg City Council Tuesday night bans firearms from being carried in city buildings, public parks, city-owned recreation or community centers and a public roads or sidewalks being used by or adjacent to permitted events. Exceptions to these rules are law enforcement officers acting on sworn duty and armed security personnel acting on a contract with the city.

The idea for this new law was first introduced by Ward 4 Councilor Charlie Cuthbert in July, shortly after longtime city resident Willie Noise III was killed in a shooting at the city-owned Patton Park. Noise was a well-known community activist who was also a constant public voice at city council meetings.

More:Friends remember murder victim Willie Noise III: Talking to him 'was like talking to God'

More:Petersburg to AG Herring: City's gun violence is more about personal disrespect than crime

Noise was killed near the Appomattox River after an alleged disagreement with another man, Jimmy Merhout. The location was a popular fishing spot and witnesses said the two men were friends. Police showed to the scene after calls for a disturbance. Both Noise and Merhout were armed. Merhout was sent away from the scene by police. He allegedly returned later to shoot and kill Noise. 

"We all admired him, and we did not always agree with him, but we all admired him, and we were all grateful for his commitment to Petersburg," Cuthbert said per the meeting minutes. "As I told someone last week. A friend of Petersburg is a friend of mine. And that is the way I feel about Mr. Noise."

He then asked the city attorney to draft a law that would prohibit firearms in City parks. 

As of July 1, 2021, localities in Virginia were given the power to enact local ordinances forbidding firearms on government property. 

City Council heard from two residents at the initial public hearing on July 20, 2021 who were against enacting a gun control ordinance in public areas.

Ron Moore said that the law violates his constitutional rights to bear arms on a public roadway. He said he was concerned by the ordinance language, which could subject him to a misdemeanor when leaving his home and driving on a public road. Moore also said that a park like Wilcox Lake is large and somewhat remote, reasoning that the law would stop someone's ability to defend themselves in an emergency.

A second resident, Denise Tipton, echoed Moore's concerns over the language and asked for a way to make the public more aware of what they are allowed to do under the ordinance.

City Attorney Anthony Williams said that the law as it is written is nearly identical to the Virginia State Code, adding that there may be future issues with enforcing the law.

"I don’t have a recommendation on whether this is going to be a challenge to enforce because I do think the language of the state code does lend itself to some ambiguities," Williams told Councilors. 

Violation of this new ordinance is equal to a class one misdemeanor, which carries the possibility of a 12 month jail sentence and up to a $1000 fine.

Notices of these new regulations have to be posted at the entrances of all entryways to public buildings, parks, community centers or appropriate places of ingress and egress from roadways and sidewalks. 

City Council initially tabled the motion on July 20, to be voted on after more consideration. It passed unanimously on Tuesday.

You can reach Sean Jones at sjones@progress-index.com. Follow him at @SeanJones_PI. Follow The Progress-Index on Twitter at @ProgressIndex.