I stopped at Luke Oil to get lunch the other day; I grabbed a couple of Arizona® Teas, ordered chicken and got in line to pay. While I am standing there I hear from behind someone say “are you a police officer”? I didn’t move, then a little bit louder “are you a police officer”? So, I turned around and looked up a foot or so to look in the man’s eyes. I asked him “Why do you ask”? He pointed down at my hip. I asked, “And who are you”? He pulled out his credentials to show me that he was a Lake County deputy and said “You have to go outside and cover that up. I said “that is not the law, Sir”. He: “You cannot just walk into a business with your gun showing, I’m an officer and even I have to conceal when I am off duty”. I, “Sir according to Indiana Code 35-47…”. He: “You have to cover it up”. “No Sir. I don’t”. 
He: “Do you have a Concealed Carry Permit”? I: “No Sir, I don’t, I have a License to Carry a Handgun”. He: “Let me see it”. I showed it to him and he handed it back.
He: “well anyway you have to cover it up”. I: “not according to IC 35-47…”. He: “I don’t know what this IC 35-47 that you keep throwing out but it doesn’t make any difference you have to cover it up”. (At some point he said that he had been on the Lake County department for 19 years. Really! and does not recognize a Code citation.) I said, “Call the State Police and ask them”.
He: “Do you want me to get uniformed officers out here, because if I do they will confiscate your pistol”? I: “Not unless they do it illegally”. He: “Do you want me to call for uniformed police”. I: “Yes, I do want you to call the State police and get them out here; they know the law and will tell you that you are wrong”.
Then I realized I didn’t start my recorder, reaching for my phone and I said, “Wait, where is my recorder? Oh, I left my phone in the truck. Let me get it”. I walked outside and got my recorder. I started to turn it on, and he said “This conversation is over, sit in your truck”. He sat down in his car and called someone on his cell phone.
I: “Am I under arrest”?
He: “No”.
I: “Am I free to go”?
He: “Sit in your truck”.
I: “Am I under arrest”?
He: “No”.
I: “Am I free to go”?
He: “Sit in your truck”.
I: “Am I under arrest”?
He: “No”.
I: “I have to get my food’.
At this I point walked back into the store, paid for my food, apologized to the cashier for the trouble and walked back outside.
When I got back outside I asked if I was free to go and he said loudly, “get out of here”. I thanked him and extended my hand, but he refused it. I asked his name, but he refused to give it to me. I realized afterwards that I should have demanded his name and badge number, but hindsight is 20/20.
All this time there was a man who had been watching and listening, as I went to get in my truck he told me that he knew I was right and he had stuck around as a witness. He was a lifetime NRA member, he also said that the officer had at one time had a pistol in his hand after he had gotten in his car, but unless my situational awareness was way off it was just a cell phone.
The deputy wasted 20 minutes of my 30 minute lunch.
Now it is time for the “that’s why I always CC”, “NO! You wasted your time, all you had to do is cover it up” replies.
He: “Do you have a Concealed Carry Permit”? I: “No Sir, I don’t, I have a License to Carry a Handgun”.
He: “Let me see it”. I showed it to him and he handed it back.He: “well anyway you have to cover it up”. I: “not according to IC 35-47…”. He: “I don’t know what this IC 35-47 that you keep throwing out but it doesn’t make any difference you have to cover it up”. (At some point he said that he had been on the Lake County department for 19 years. Really! and does not recognize a Code citation.) I said, “Call the State Police and ask them”.
He: “Do you want me to get uniformed officers out here, because if I do they will confiscate your pistol”? I: “Not unless they do it illegally”. He: “Do you want me to call for uniformed police”. I: “Yes, I do want you to call the State police and get them out here; they know the law and will tell you that you are wrong”.
Then I realized I didn’t start my recorder, reaching for my phone and I said, “Wait, where is my recorder? Oh, I left my phone in the truck. Let me get it”. I walked outside and got my recorder. I started to turn it on, and he said “This conversation is over, sit in your truck”. He sat down in his car and called someone on his cell phone.
I: “Am I under arrest”?
He: “No”.
I: “Am I free to go”?
He: “Sit in your truck”.
I: “Am I under arrest”?
He: “No”.
I: “Am I free to go”?
He: “Sit in your truck”.
I: “Am I under arrest”?
He: “No”.
I: “I have to get my food’.
At this I point walked back into the store,
paid for my food, apologized to the cashier for the trouble and walked back outside.When I got back outside I asked if I was free to go and he said loudly, “get out of here”. I thanked him and extended my hand, but he refused it. I asked his name, but he refused to give it to me. I realized afterwards that I should have demanded his name and badge number, but hindsight is 20/20.
All this time there was a man who had been watching and listening, as I went to get in my truck he told me that he knew I was right and he had stuck around as a witness. He was a lifetime NRA member, he also said that the officer had at one time had a pistol in his hand after he had gotten in his car, but unless my situational awareness was way off it was just a cell phone.
The deputy wasted 20 minutes of my 30 minute lunch.
Now it is time for the “that’s why I always CC”, “NO! You wasted your time, all you had to do is cover it up” replies.
