philagothon
Sharpshooter
My truck broke down on my way home last night and I tried for a couple of hours to get it home. Finall,y at 3:00 AM I decided to give up for the night and called my wife out of bed to pick me up. My truck was safely on the shoulder of the road and my wife pulled up behind me.
We talked for a few minutes outside of the vehicles before the police car came by. The officer made a U-turn a little ways up the road and another when she reached the traffic light behind us. She then pulled up behind my wife's car with her disco lights on.
We were standing at the back of my truck. It took a few moments for the officer to exit her vehicle. I told my wife that she was running my wife's plate and might know that we have our LTCH, so I stood with my forearms on the siderail of the bed of my truck. Finally the officer approaches:
Officer: "Everything alright?"
Wife: "We just decided to stop along the side of the road to make out!"
Officer smiles.
Me: "Middle of the night hook-up on the side of the road."
Officer smiles.
Me: "Nah, my truck broke down and I've been trying to nurse it down to Meineke so they can look at it in the morning. Before we talk any further I just want to let you know that I have my sidearm on my right hip in a holster." (Forearms were still on the bed of the truck, so I moved so she could see where it was located).
Officer: "Do you have your registration for it?"
Me: "Handgun registration?! Not in Indiana."
Officer smiles.
Officer: "Do you have your permit? Gotta have that on ya and your ID."
Me: "I have my License to Carry."
Officer smiles.
Me: "It's in my wallet. In my left rear pocket. Is it OK if I reach for it?"
Officer: "Yes."
Officer: "Why do you carry? Are you military? Or just for personal protection?"
Me: "No, I'm not military, just a responsible citizen. You guys can't be everywhere all the time."
Big smile on the officer's face.
Officer: "Do you have the registration... for the truck?"
Me: "Yea, it's in the cab. Want me to go grab it?"
Officer: "Yes, please."
Me: "Be right back."
I retrieve the truck registration and hand it to her.
Officer: "You guys hang tight, I'll be right back."
She returns to her vehicle to run my info and returns a few minutes later.
Officer: "Well you guys check out alright."
Smile on my face.
Me: "Told ya I was one of the good guys."
Officer smiles.
We spent a few minutes making small talk. The officer asked if my wife was carrying and my wife pointed out that we would've already told the officer if she were. Officer asks about make and caliber. She has never heard of an XDm. My wife points out that she carries a 45 while I carry a wimpy little 9mm. Officer gets a chuckle.
The officer told us that she actually prefers citizens OC as it removes fear of the unknown. Something lumpy on your waistband may be a handgun or a cell phone. An openly displayed handgun is clearly a handgun and as long as no aggressive moves are made for it, it doesn't bother her.
A pretty boring interaction and textbook for how an officer should act. I was not disarmed, forced to the ground, handcuffed or tazed. There were no unreasonable searches or confiscation of property. She didn't "need to run the numbers" or feel like removing my weapon from the holster was required for the sake of "officer safety".
I know some of you will say that I had "no duty to inform." Whatever. It was there. She was in her car long enough to run my wife's plate and know we have our LTCH (likely why she asked about my wife carrying). Either I was going to inform her of it, or she was going to be concerned about that lump under my shirt ("PPCC" - Pi$$ Poor Conceal Carry) on my right side (knowing I have my LTCH).
+1 Ellettsville PD!
I'm thinking about going to visit the station to share my appreciation for her professionalism. I'm sure they get plenty of complaints, it might be nice if they actually hear some praise for good interactions with armed citizens.
We talked for a few minutes outside of the vehicles before the police car came by. The officer made a U-turn a little ways up the road and another when she reached the traffic light behind us. She then pulled up behind my wife's car with her disco lights on.
We were standing at the back of my truck. It took a few moments for the officer to exit her vehicle. I told my wife that she was running my wife's plate and might know that we have our LTCH, so I stood with my forearms on the siderail of the bed of my truck. Finally the officer approaches:
Officer: "Everything alright?"
Wife: "We just decided to stop along the side of the road to make out!"
Officer smiles.
Me: "Middle of the night hook-up on the side of the road."
Officer smiles.
Me: "Nah, my truck broke down and I've been trying to nurse it down to Meineke so they can look at it in the morning. Before we talk any further I just want to let you know that I have my sidearm on my right hip in a holster." (Forearms were still on the bed of the truck, so I moved so she could see where it was located).
Officer: "Do you have your registration for it?"
Me: "Handgun registration?! Not in Indiana."
Officer smiles.
Officer: "Do you have your permit? Gotta have that on ya and your ID."
Me: "I have my License to Carry."
Officer smiles.
Me: "It's in my wallet. In my left rear pocket. Is it OK if I reach for it?"
Officer: "Yes."
Officer: "Why do you carry? Are you military? Or just for personal protection?"
Me: "No, I'm not military, just a responsible citizen. You guys can't be everywhere all the time."
Big smile on the officer's face.
Officer: "Do you have the registration... for the truck?"
Me: "Yea, it's in the cab. Want me to go grab it?"
Officer: "Yes, please."
Me: "Be right back."
I retrieve the truck registration and hand it to her.
Officer: "You guys hang tight, I'll be right back."
She returns to her vehicle to run my info and returns a few minutes later.
Officer: "Well you guys check out alright."
Smile on my face.
Me: "Told ya I was one of the good guys."
Officer smiles.
We spent a few minutes making small talk. The officer asked if my wife was carrying and my wife pointed out that we would've already told the officer if she were. Officer asks about make and caliber. She has never heard of an XDm. My wife points out that she carries a 45 while I carry a wimpy little 9mm. Officer gets a chuckle.
The officer told us that she actually prefers citizens OC as it removes fear of the unknown. Something lumpy on your waistband may be a handgun or a cell phone. An openly displayed handgun is clearly a handgun and as long as no aggressive moves are made for it, it doesn't bother her.
A pretty boring interaction and textbook for how an officer should act. I was not disarmed, forced to the ground, handcuffed or tazed. There were no unreasonable searches or confiscation of property. She didn't "need to run the numbers" or feel like removing my weapon from the holster was required for the sake of "officer safety".
I know some of you will say that I had "no duty to inform." Whatever. It was there. She was in her car long enough to run my wife's plate and know we have our LTCH (likely why she asked about my wife carrying). Either I was going to inform her of it, or she was going to be concerned about that lump under my shirt ("PPCC" - Pi$$ Poor Conceal Carry) on my right side (knowing I have my LTCH).
+1 Ellettsville PD!
I'm thinking about going to visit the station to share my appreciation for her professionalism. I'm sure they get plenty of complaints, it might be nice if they actually hear some praise for good interactions with armed citizens.
for the LEO not getting short with you when you corrected her on the gun registration. 
