GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Speaking to a crowd of about 30 West Michigan residents Saturday, Tom Lambert described the ins and outs of openly carrying a gun, explaining how to handle encounters with police and find out where firearms can legally be taken.

Lambert, assistant legislative director for Michigan Open Carry, Inc., said his organization’s aim is to educate the public about open-carry and “bring gun owners and gun carrying out into the open.”

“We’re not some weird guy in a shack up in the mountains,” said Lambert, who has frequented Grand Rapids City Commission meetings to speak about gun ownership and the second amendment. “We want to show that we’re their neighbors, we’re their friends.”

The practice of open-carry has gained attention in Grand Rapids because of a recent lawsuit. Johann Deffert filed a federal lawsuit after being detained briefly on March 3 by Grand Rapids Police on Michigan Street NE near Lakeside Drive after police were dispatched to a report of “suspicious” man with a holstered gun.

Deffert was present at Saturday’s meeting – where he and several others had firearms strapped to their hips – but declined to comment without his attorney present.

During the meeting, held at Barracks 616 gun shop, Lambert explained the intricacies of Michigan’s law surrouding open-carry, what he said are its safety and political benefits, and fielded questions from the audience about where a pistol can and cannot be openly carried.

“You’re a law abiding gun owner,” Lambert said. Your job is “to desensitize the public.”

Many in attendance came with questions.

Among them: Can I open carry in a supermarket with a sign saying guns are prohibited? Is it legal for a tenant to open carry in an apartment complex where the landlord says guns aren’t allowed? If an employer says no guns are allowed in a parking lot, can a worker keep a gun in his or her trunk?

The answers, Lambert said, can be complicated. But he urged those in attendance to also obtain a concealed pistol license for an extra layer of protection under the law.

“I recommend you err on the side of caution,” he said.

Lambert also advised those who open-carry how to interact with police in the event they’re stopped. Avoid an argument, he said, and don’t be confrontational. If you feel you were mistreated or your rights were violated, seek to handle the situation through the legal process, he said.

“If they want your firearm, let them take it,” he said. “It’s not time to argue.” He said run-ins between the police and those who open-carry are rare, with the vast majority of police knowing the law. But misunderstandings still occur.

“The vast majority of officers are completely fine with it,” he said. “They know the law. They’re OK with it.”

Lambert said his goal, through meetings such as Saturday’s, is to educate the public and reduce negative encounters with police.

“We want to educate both sides to avoid bad encounters, to avoid lawsuits,” he said. “It’s better when everyone knows what they’re doing.”

Brian McVicar covers education for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at bmcvicar@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter