SavageEagle
Grandmaster
- Apr 27, 2008
- 19,568
- 38
So, I'm sitting out at my storage unit today just minding my own, loading up my truck with boxes, strapping down the tarp before the rain hits. I get everything I can loaded up and I'm strapping down the last 4 bungees in the back when I hear someone coming up to my left.
EPIC Situational awareness fail.
Plainfield Police Officer comes on the outside of the fence of the storage unit with his gun drawn! ON ME!!! :wtf: Mind you, he's on the other side of a 7' chain link fence, and I see him just as he's coming up from about the other side of my truck. He yells at me to turn around, walk backwards, then get on the ground. So, naturally, I'm like but get quickly on the ground, arms stretched as far as they go.
I asked what'd I do? and he says that they had a report of someone breaking into a storage unit. I said, sir, I own, uh, I mean rent this unit, the key is in the lock on the ground just inside the door. At this point, the people that live in the house 30yrds away are like, "Officer, it's ok, he comes out here, that's his unit, his kids have played with our son." I told the officer the code to get into the gate so his backup could get in.
At this point he's getting the idea that all is well, but I've got a gun on my hip and there's NO way he's taking that Glock .40 off my head. Yes, my head. I can see the hollow point in the barrel.
Mind you, it's raining, it's been raining lightly for a minute, I've got a gun to my head, but luckily our possessions are covered with the tarp on the bed of my truck. And I've got a friggin gun to my head. Still.
Finally the back up officer arrives, places me in cuffs, takes my gun, unloads it and is looking for a place to put it. I asked him if he would place everything inside the storage unit so it doesn't tear up my tarp or get all muddy on the ground. He was real nice about the whole thing and had already figured this was all a big mistake. I'm still flipping out. I'm off the wet ground, but at least the gun is off my head. We proceed to go through the usual. ID and LTCH in the wallet in my back pocket, runs my info, comes back in code.
Officer says I have warrants... :wtf: Oh, he's laughing. Just kidding. Hahaha I'm about to **** my pants.
So we get to talking and I'm telling him about my gun and has he heard of INGO? No? You should check it out. You'd like it. So he proceeds to tell me that there have been an increasing number of break in's at my storage complex. The people living next to it were asked by the owner to cut the shrubs back that were "invading" his property. So they were having it done, while I was there, and they had a ladder over the fence to get inside to cut back the shrubs. With permission of course.
Right place, WRONG time.
The officer said he was glad there were normal people that carry and commended me on doing so. He said with the recent surge of crime in Plainfield, they've been running all over town everyday, and working a lot of overtime. So they're both glad to see and hear more and more people carrying.
Finally they get me out of the cuffs, and apologize for the trouble. We shake hands and part ways. Of course my hands never stopped shaking until I got home and slammed down a couple Coronas.
I never really understood what it felt like to be on the other side of a gun until today.
What I learned:
- If I had noticed him sooner, and he had not been a cop, I would have had more time to react.
- The area of my storage unit (which is facing the perimeter of the complex) has NO cover, just concealment.
- By the time I noticed the officer, I had enough time to get behind the tire of my truck for at least a little concealment, but it still could have been bad.
- Next time I go to storage, don't do it before it rains and take my time so it doesn't look like I'm robbing the place.
- I thought I had a pretty good handle on my situational awareness, but apparently I need to work on it.
- Plainfield Officers are some of the nicest officers I've ever encountered.
- It pays to make friends with anyone who lives next to places you own/rent/lease.
- Never, EVER **** off a PPD officer. He will shoot you.
Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but it sure scared the living outta me. I thought I did something wrong. But, the officers were really nice and friendly (after the gun was put away) and everyone walked away with no one going to jail or the morgue.
Just wanted to share my experience. Now I have to go reinstall windows on my desktop and go eat supper.
Hope everyone had a better day than I!!!!!
EPIC Situational awareness fail.
Plainfield Police Officer comes on the outside of the fence of the storage unit with his gun drawn! ON ME!!! :wtf: Mind you, he's on the other side of a 7' chain link fence, and I see him just as he's coming up from about the other side of my truck. He yells at me to turn around, walk backwards, then get on the ground. So, naturally, I'm like but get quickly on the ground, arms stretched as far as they go.
I asked what'd I do? and he says that they had a report of someone breaking into a storage unit. I said, sir, I own, uh, I mean rent this unit, the key is in the lock on the ground just inside the door. At this point, the people that live in the house 30yrds away are like, "Officer, it's ok, he comes out here, that's his unit, his kids have played with our son." I told the officer the code to get into the gate so his backup could get in.
At this point he's getting the idea that all is well, but I've got a gun on my hip and there's NO way he's taking that Glock .40 off my head. Yes, my head. I can see the hollow point in the barrel.
Mind you, it's raining, it's been raining lightly for a minute, I've got a gun to my head, but luckily our possessions are covered with the tarp on the bed of my truck. And I've got a friggin gun to my head. Still.
Finally the back up officer arrives, places me in cuffs, takes my gun, unloads it and is looking for a place to put it. I asked him if he would place everything inside the storage unit so it doesn't tear up my tarp or get all muddy on the ground. He was real nice about the whole thing and had already figured this was all a big mistake. I'm still flipping out. I'm off the wet ground, but at least the gun is off my head. We proceed to go through the usual. ID and LTCH in the wallet in my back pocket, runs my info, comes back in code.
Officer says I have warrants... :wtf: Oh, he's laughing. Just kidding. Hahaha I'm about to **** my pants.
So we get to talking and I'm telling him about my gun and has he heard of INGO? No? You should check it out. You'd like it. So he proceeds to tell me that there have been an increasing number of break in's at my storage complex. The people living next to it were asked by the owner to cut the shrubs back that were "invading" his property. So they were having it done, while I was there, and they had a ladder over the fence to get inside to cut back the shrubs. With permission of course.
Right place, WRONG time.
The officer said he was glad there were normal people that carry and commended me on doing so. He said with the recent surge of crime in Plainfield, they've been running all over town everyday, and working a lot of overtime. So they're both glad to see and hear more and more people carrying.
Finally they get me out of the cuffs, and apologize for the trouble. We shake hands and part ways. Of course my hands never stopped shaking until I got home and slammed down a couple Coronas.
I never really understood what it felt like to be on the other side of a gun until today.
What I learned:
- If I had noticed him sooner, and he had not been a cop, I would have had more time to react.
- The area of my storage unit (which is facing the perimeter of the complex) has NO cover, just concealment.
- By the time I noticed the officer, I had enough time to get behind the tire of my truck for at least a little concealment, but it still could have been bad.
- Next time I go to storage, don't do it before it rains and take my time so it doesn't look like I'm robbing the place.
- I thought I had a pretty good handle on my situational awareness, but apparently I need to work on it.
- Plainfield Officers are some of the nicest officers I've ever encountered.
- It pays to make friends with anyone who lives next to places you own/rent/lease.
- Never, EVER **** off a PPD officer. He will shoot you.
Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but it sure scared the living outta me. I thought I did something wrong. But, the officers were really nice and friendly (after the gun was put away) and everyone walked away with no one going to jail or the morgue.
Just wanted to share my experience. Now I have to go reinstall windows on my desktop and go eat supper.
Hope everyone had a better day than I!!!!!