Firearms and traffic stops

[Jersey mike]

From a cop's perspective;

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/12/what-to-do-if-get-pulled-over-while-legally-armed-cops-perspective.html?ref=yfp

Be safe out there

[DirtyDan]

While we are on the subject I recommend Chris Rock's

"How not to get your ass kicked by the police"

Funny and true

Dan

[MarcusS]

I was pulled over for going 80 on IH 45 and the officer asked if I was carrying. I said yes and he asked for the piece. He was on the passenger side with his hand on his piece. I pulled the 380 out of between the seats and handed it to him butt first and he placed it in side his belt. He then took my drivers license and insurance and went back to his unit.

5 minutes later he came back up to the passenger side and handed me my documents with a nice pink warning. He then handed me my piece but first and asked me to slow down.

Most officers are real people that want to make a difference. Support them and the world will be a better place.

I have received two warnings for speeding while carrying and two tickets when I wasn't. Do the math. Once I had so many guns in my back seat he just chuckled. He notice all the gun cases and new I was honest about going hunting.

30 years ago I had  gun racks in the back window and nobody gave any attention to pistols.

I love Texas.

[Pappy!]

Lesa and I were stopped recently for a headlight being out. I handed him my license and my CCP as well. He asked if I was carrying and neither of us were that night. He asked why weren't we!

[art]

Got stopped in Prescott, Az. for speeding while living there. It's an open carry and I had my 380 mounted on the handlebars of my Valk. The cop asked about it an if he could check it out. Of course I said yes and stepped away. He did and them put it back gave me the ticket because another police car had also arrived  and he said take it easy an left. No hassle.

[CajunRider]

Yeah... I got the pretty lights for going 70 in a 55 once.  Poor guy had to chase me a while before he caught up to a point that I saw him and pulled over. 

9:00 at night... 3 guns on the back seat... none of which were registered.      

I had my hands up before he got to my window (I could see his hands were on his sidearm).  I immediately told him I was going to the hunting camp... he immediately asked that I exit the vehicle.    

He asked why I ran.  I apologized, and stated I pulled right over as soon as I saw him.  He then explained the fact that he had to catch up to me.  I apologized again, stating that I understood why (which was basically an admission of speeding).

Then he looked at what all I had in the back seat, said "Good Lord!" (which made me laugh a bit), and took my lic & reg out the glove compartment for me.

About 10 minutes later he told me "Good luck on the hunt!" and issued me a warning (basically, a pink slip). 

Being courteous can go a LONG way, even in bad situations. 

[MarkT]

Yep.  Courtesy works and is what you should do anyway.  I'm thinking a lot of folks tend to defer some respect for seniors.  At least I have noticed that more in recent years.  Might be because I'm non-confrontational - maybe I have a defering attitude because I'm well armed (two .357's, three knives, 2-3 MACE / Pepper Blasters) and avoid confrontations at almost all costs. Not as paranoid as it sounds, one MACE is on a key chain but don't trust it hasn't leaked down so the Pepper Blaster is pyrotechnic but has only 2 shots; the guns are low-capacity revolvers that back each other up (most cops carry a BUG), serve for different scenarios (seated or not) and have green laser Crimson Trace grips to assist accuracy; the knives are all Victorinox Swiss Army, diff models so I have them as small toolboxes.

Anyway, I mentioned here before - was stopped on my return from Inzane by the KSP as I pulled into a hotel.  He asked if I knew why he stopped me. Said Nope, I know I wasn't speeding.  He said I did a rolling stop at the end of the off ramp.  I told him, "Sorry but this bike is extremely heavy, so is the trailer, and if I put my foot down on sand and drop it, there's no way I can pick it up.  And that's likely considering I'm dead tired, we left KY this morning about 600 miles back. It's safer not to stop." He asked if I was carrying any guns.  (Likely, KS is now Constitutional Carry) Said Yes I am.  "What and where?"  "J-frame .357 Smith, strong side IWB."  Held the vest open, he walked up and removed it.  I said. "OK, if that makes ya feel better."  "Yeah it does."  I didn't offer I have another one concealed - his confiscating it was unjustifiable paranoia in my opinion.  I told him, "I'm on my third 5-year CCW, and in those 13 years, none of my guns have gone off and started shooting people.  They must be bad guns."  He chuckled.  He went back to his squad for about 10 minutes.  I thought he was going to cut me some slack, particularly with my veterans plates, courtesy and cooperation, as well as joking a bit.  He came back from his squad, set my .357 on the trailer and asked me to leave it there until he was gone.  Extended his hand and shook mine, said "I want to thank you for being responsible for your safety, carrying and practicing at the range.  That's a fine pistol and you're going to save someone's life someday.   I need you to come to full stops - rolling stops - you may get hit by a car going fast on the cross street.  Not ticketing your wife too, since this ticket will come out of your family budget - here's your ticket."

Really surprised me.  That he disarmed me when I told him I was armed, with my white hair and good attitude, and that he wrote the ticket.  What I've been reading, most cops in the same situation would have done neither.

But in the same situation - I'm still not stopping.  Unless I see a cop.  It's too easy to put my foot down on sand and drop the bike esp.  when I'm really tired.

[Bronxboy]

Lesa and I were stopped recently for a headlight being out. I handed him my license and my CCP as well. He asked if I was carrying and neither of us were that night. He asked why weren't we!

Yeah why weren't u 

[Jess from VA]

Held the vest open, he walked up and removed it.  I said. "OK, if that makes ya feel better."  "Yeah it does."

A very short time after VA got it's shall issue CCW (and I got mine), I was pulled over with mine, in the car (not on my body).  Told him it was in the console.  He was a real young guy, had to be pretty new.  He stopped and thought about it for a few beats.  I got the distinct impression he was not following any particular established procedure, but just made it up on the spot.  He very politely (not commandingly) asked me to exit the car, and sit over on the curb about 20 feet away (it was a hot day, but nice, and the curb was inside a parking area, not with any traffic, i.e. safe and as good a spot as any).  Then he took like 20+ minutes to write me (for using a great big parking area to avoid a traffic light... gotta love VA, but  that's what I was doing, safely as hell at rolling speed).  Other than feeling like Arlo Guthrie on the Group W bench (Alice's Restaraunt), it didn't really bug me until sitting in the full 95* sun started making me woozy, and I got irritated.  He thanked me for being polite and cooperative (as I always am).

This was sure never SOP, as I've never heard of anyone else being asked to exit an armed car and wait.  I've been pulled over armed since and was never asked to get out of the car and sit again.

[mark81]

Never had a carry permit but I got pulled over for expired tags with about a dozen shotguns, muzzle loaders, and .22 rifles in my car about 15 years ago. I complied with all their wishes.  They cuffed me and put me in the back seat of the patrol car for about 45 minutes with my daughter who was less than a year old at the time, until backup came and they searched my vehicle. Once half a dozen county sherrifs and township police were done checking all the guns to see if they were loaded (comical watching them try to figure out how to clear a muzzleloader) they interrogated me for another hour.  They decided I wasn't lying about it being my wifes car, the tags didn't expire on my truck for another month, and I was in the middle of moving. They told me I needed to put the guns in the trunk. That's when I informed them that it is legal to have firearms in the passenger compartment of a vehicle as long as there is no ammo with them. Most of the guns are decorative wall hangers that were my grandpa's and I am not going to put them in a leaky trunk in the rain that is already filled with stuff from moving.  Thats when they decided to give me a ticket for failure to register a vehicle instead if driving with expired tags. three times the payout. Then they made sure I was aware of the fact they did me a huge favor by not impounding the car and guns and sending me to jail and my daughter off with social worker. Most of the LEOs I've had the pleasure of dealing with on the job were dicks who seemed like they got picked on in high school even though I show them respect. I have had a few positive experiences though, mostly with the ones who have been on the job longer than the rookies have been alive.