Police officials have said Mr. Gray had pointed the loaded weapon at the officers before he was shot several times.

WSJ: Council Member Assails the Police After a Rampage

Pointing a loaded weapon at anybody is grounds for a felony charge of assault, and brandishing a gun in front of a police officer is an affront to law enforcement that is seldom taken lightly.

NEWYORKER: A Loaded Gun

Individual states did recognize a right to travel armed with a musket to meet the legal obligation to attend militia musters, but states and localities regulated the exercise of this right and in some cases prohibited traveling with a loaded weapon or discharging a weapon at or near a muster.

CNN: Put reason back in America's gun debate