Paxton lawsuits allege Texas businesses restricted off-duty cops from carrying guns

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing five businesses, including one in Tarrant County and three others in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, for refusing to allow off-duty police officers to carry their service weapon on the premises, court records state.

According to Texas law, establishments which serve the public are prohibited from restricting peace officers, including those who are off-duty, from carrying their authorized weapons onto the property.

Paxton’s lawsuits allege that an immersive art exhibition in Tarrant County, two entertainment venues and the State Fair of Texas in Dallas County, and a bar in Bexar County have violated this law, even after sending written confirmation to the Attorney General’s Office that they would comply.

There is a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation.

“Texas law must be respected to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens,” Paxton said in a news release. “Criminal activity can occur at any time and any place. Peace officers are often well-positioned to prevent and suppress crime, even when they are out of uniform and off duty.”

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Paxton’s lawsuit against Meow Wolf Grapevine, an interactive art exhibit inside the Grapevine Mills mall, alleges that security personnel refused to allow off-duty peace officers to enter the establishment with their weapon on two separate occasions in July 2023.

Both officers informed the security personnel of their legal right to carry, but were still not allowed to bring their weapon into the establishment. The attorney general wrote to the director of security “in an effort to secure a commitment to comply with the law,” and was told the establishment had “updated its policies,” according to the lawsuit.

In spite of this, another off-duty peace officer was prohibited from bringing his weapon into the establishment in November, the lawsuit states.

Paxton filed the lawsuit against Meow Wolf on Feb. 21 in Tarrant County.

The Attorney General’s Office is also suing the State Fair of Texas. In October 2022, an off-duty police officer wasn’t allowed to bring his weapon into the fairgrounds, even after showing his credentials, according to the lawsuit.

Paxton wrote a letter to the City of Dallas, who forwarded his letter to the State Fair of Texas. Both entities responded in February 2023 that they would “allow peace officers to carry at the State Fair of Texas,” the lawsuit states.

On Sept. 30, another off-duty peace officer was prohibited from bringing his weapon into the fairgrounds to attend the State Fair Classic 2023 football game between the Prairie View A&M Panthers and the Grambling Tigers.

Paxton has also filed lawsuits against The Factory in Deep Ellum, Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie and The Lucky Duck in San Antonio.

Peace officers may email violation@oag.texas.gov or submit a complaint form through the Attorney General’s website to register a violation of their right to carry.