Interacting with police when you're armed.

[Redhorse]

Legally, yes. Once their gun is drawn it becomes an incident techially. If a cop drew on me because I was legally carrying a handgun then I'd file a formal compliant. Like it'd do any good, I'd still file a complaint.

 

[MisterChester]

What would make the difference between a LEO seeing you're armed and not do anything, and seeing you're armed and asking for your LTCH? I have a friend who was OC'ing recently (for his job) and he was approached by a LEO who apparently gave my friend a hard time (he has a LTCH). I read here instances where they don't seem to mind as much.

 

[SaintsNSinners]

I can tell you from recent personal experience that IMPD when told that you refuse to hand over your weapon and your non consent to an illegal siezure will order you out of the vehicle, forcibly remove your weapon from your holster for officer safety and leave you standing within arms reach of your Mossberg 590 loaded with Royal Buck 00 and winchester PDX

 

[The Bubba Effect]

For those of you advocating that the driver informing, what about the passengers?

Should the passengers inform too?

 

[actaeon277]

So when the officer comes back from checking your pistol, do you ask him why he wasn't interested in the two other pistols, the glove compartment and ankle ones?

 

[Redhorse]

So when the officer comes back from checking your pistol, do you ask him why he wasn't interested in the two other pistols, the glove compartment and ankle ones?

Like I said, just carry a back up. I just hate hearing about all the bad instances with cops. It kind of sounds like they have a bad rep

 

[Dirtebiker]

Yes. I don't personally see the need to debate semantics with an officer on the side of the road during a traffic stop.

To clarify, although I would not offer up the information voluntarily, I would respond to the question "Do you have any weapons in the vehicle?" with an answer like "Yes Officer, I have a folding knife in my right front pocket and a handgun on my right hip, which I have a license to carry."

That's what I thought you meant.
What do you think about my response, "nothing illegal"?
I answered his question, I didn't lie, but I didn't admit to having any firearms.

If he asked more specifically afterwards, I also would not lie. I just think if my response ends questioning and doesn't get me pulled out of the car and/or my gun being forcefully taken from me and possibly pointed at me or my loved ones, it is the best option!

 

[richardraw316]

i have to say, im with Tim on this one.
i have been doing something like this before i carried a gun.
I was always taught, keep the situation as comfortable as possible, and you most likely will do just fine.
When pulled over.
1. turn off your vehicle.
2. unless its raining, drop the window. definatly if you have tinted windows.
3 have your papers ready.
4 have your hands visible, if others are in the vehicle, their hands are visible to.
5 others in the vehicle, keep quite unless spoken to.
law abiding gun carryer add
6 with your papers, please include ltch.
7 inform officer of your carry status.

the officer has a tough job. make it comfortable for him/her will turn out the best for everyone. most people do not like suprises. if you have nothing to hide, then why are you hiding?

 

[public servant]

I can tell you from recent personal experience that IMPD when told that you refuse to hand over your weapon and your non consent to an illegal siezure will order you out of the vehicle, forcibly remove your weapon from your holster for officer safety and leave you standing within arms reach of your Mossberg 590 loaded with Royal Buck 00 and winchester PDX

Define forcibly, please?

 

[SaintsNSinners]

Define forcibly, please?

Get out of the car now, put your hands on the roof. Yank walk away

Quite sure the muzzle of my xdm traveresed along my spine to the back of my head


Mind you that this is after the question of my identity has been solved by my DL and my lawful status has been resolved by my presentation of the pink permission slip


Also have audio of everything after that where they state that they can take it for officer safety and the law doesn't matter.


I also further have audio from my complaint to a supervisor where he states them taking it wasn't a seizure since they gave it back and that it didn't violate my rights as it was not a warrantless seizure of my property.

 

[g00n24]

i have to say, im with Tim on this one.
i have been doing something like this before i carried a gun.
I was always taught, keep the situation as comfortable as possible, and you most likely will do just fine.
When pulled over.
1. turn off your vehicle.
2. unless its raining, drop the window. definatly if you have tinted windows.
3 have your papers ready.
4 have your hands visible, if others are in the vehicle, their hands are visible to.
5 others in the vehicle, keep quite unless spoken to.
law abiding gun carryer add
6 with your papers, please include ltch.
7 inform officer of your carry status.

the officer has a tough job. make it comfortable for him/her will turn out the best for
everyone. most people do not like suprises. if you have nothing to hide, then why are you hiding?

I would say you are already adding to the discomfort level by having your papers ready before the officer is asking for them. I know if I was LEO I wouldn't want to see someone digging around for stuff inside the car before I walked up...you may be hiding dope or reaching for a weapon.
Also, if you've read through this thread you will see several of us think informing will only add to the officers discomfort if the officer is of the mindset that citizens shouldn't be armed...

 

[CathyInBlue]

Also have audio of everything after that where they state that they can take it for officer safety and the law doesn't matter.

I also further have audio from my complaint to a supervisor where he states them taking it wasn't a seizure since they gave it back and that it didn't violate my rights as it was not a warrantless seizure of my property.

At this point, I would already have a lawyer in tow and be demanding that they cite the court case(s) that gave them that authority and which laws specificly don't matter, and that if they were unable or unwilling to do so, the lawyer already had the lawsuit drawn up and our next stop would be the court house to file it.

 

[Dirtebiker]

i have to say, im with Tim on this one.
i have been doing something like this before i carried a gun.
I was always taught, keep the situation as comfortable as possible, and you most likely will do just fine.
When pulled over.
1. turn off your vehicle.
2. unless its raining, drop the window. definatly if you have tinted windows.
3 have your papers ready.
4 have your hands visible, if others are in the vehicle, their hands are visible to.
5 others in the vehicle, keep quite unless spoken to.
law abiding gun carryer add
6 with your papers, please include ltch.
7 inform officer of your carry status.

the officer has a tough job. make it comfortable for him/her will turn out the best for everyone. most people do not like suprises. if you have nothing to hide, then why are you hiding?

The officer SOMETIMES has a tough job. Writing a speeding ticket isn't really that tough!
"make it comfortable for him"? "WILL turn out the best for everyone"? really? Go back and read what I and others have said about having our own guns pointed at us!
You are right about surprises. Unless its a birthday party, "most people do not like" them! I really DISLIKED the surprise of the trooper reaching in to my vehicle and grabbing MY gun out of MY holster!

"if you have nothing to hide, then why are you hiding?"

I'll let others respond to that, but I will ask you, do you ever carry concealed? If so, why? Also, when you are stopped for an infraction, do you tell the officer if you have a pocket knife, a tire tool, or anything else in the vehicle that could possibly be used as a weapon? Why or why not?

And your number 6 and 7, does that go for criminals too? Or just law abiding gun carriers?

 

[richardraw316]

I would say you are already adding to the discomfort level by having your papers ready before the officer is asking for them. I know if I was LEO I wouldn't want to see someone digging around for stuff inside the car before I walked up...you may be hiding dope or reaching for a weapon.
Also, if you've read through this thread you will see several of us think informing will only add to the officers discomfort if the officer is of the mindset that citizens shouldn't be armed...

i dont know where you keep your papers but i keep mine above the visor.
i have them and my license before he is to my window.

 

[richardraw316]

The officer SOMETIMES has a tough job. Writing a speeding ticket isn't really that tough!
"make it comfortable for him"? "WILL turn out the best for everyone"? really? Go back and read what I and others have said about having our own guns pointed at us!
You are right about surprises. Unless its a birthday party, "most people do not like" them! I really DISLIKED the surprise of the trooper reaching in to my vehicle and grabbing MY gun out of MY holster!

"if you have nothing to hide, then why are you hiding?"

I'll let others respond to that, but I will ask you, do you ever carry concealed? If so, why? Also, when you are stopped for an infraction, do you tell the officer if you have a pocket knife, a tire tool, or anything else in the vehicle that could possibly be used as a weapon? Why or why not?

And your number 6 and 7, does that go for criminals too? Or just law abiding gun carriers?

lets see. writing tickets is a tough job, if there is a danger of someone shooting you cause they dont want a ticket. or are wanted for something.
i have not been pulled over since i started carrying. just lucky. everything i wrote will be used until i am givin a reason not to do that. pocket knife? once i had to step out of the vehicle, yes the officers would know of my knife.
it seems to me, that people come on the interwebz and complain about cops being high strung and pushy.
then some people offer solutions to help the police relax a little, and everybody lets them know how bad the idea is, but offer none of their own.
If i get pulled over. i was probly doing something stupid.
i am going to make their job quick and easy. it increases the chances of me getting out of there quickly and usually without a ticket.

and yes i cc. what am i hiding? My gun. i will continue to hide my gun until a police officer is in position that i feel he needs to know about it, and then i will inform him. this works for me. you do what works for you.

 

[netsecurity]

lets see. writing tickets is a tough job, if there is a danger of someone shooting you cause they dont want a ticket. or are wanted for something.
i have not been pulled over since i started carrying. just lucky. everything i wrote will be used until i am givin a reason not to do that. pocket knife? once i had to step out of the vehicle, yes the officers would know of my knife.
it seems to me, that people come on the interwebz and complain about cops being high strung and pushy.
then some people offer solutions to help the police relax a little, and everybody lets them know how bad the idea is, but offer none of their own.
If i get pulled over. i was probly doing something stupid.
i am going to make their job quick and easy. it increases the chances of me getting out of there quickly and usually without a ticket.

and yes i cc. what am i hiding? My gun. i will continue to hide my gun until a police officer is in position that i feel he needs to know about it, and then i will inform him. this works for me. you do what works for you.

So again, I'm hearing that you think it makes police all warm and fuzzy when you blurt out that you have a weapon? And you think this will speed up your traffic stop? Seriously, the BEST thing that could come of that is that the officer ignores this (unrelevant) information, and we've discussed the worst.

No one here is saying to lie to police or assume that they are jerks, but you aren't doing yourself any favors by trying to brown nose them by surrendering your weapon. It is best for both you and the officer that your weapon not be touched don't you think?

And as for a guy who is mad about his ticket shooting a cop, would you become that guy if you didn't inform? Because that is exactly what you are insinuating. Do you need them to take your gun away from you when you are angry?

 

[richardraw316]

seriously? thats what you got from my post?
im brown nosing? i did not say a thing about surrendering my weapon, just informing the officer of its presence. for him to put his hand on my weapon, then their had better be a good reason for it. and i did not say blurt it out, like i have a gun.
hand over your ltch and politely inform officer of it and weapon. that is all.
and no i am not talking about me when it comes to the ticket thing. but officers have been shot over this. so yes they have a reasonable fear when the pull someone over. they do not know who they are about to encounter. could be a nice guy who was running a little late for work, or the dude who just killed his entire family and is now on the run. yes writing a ticket can be stressful. why make it worse by hiding the fact you have a gun in the vehicle?
yes, i could get the stupid cop who takes my weapon and accidently shoots me.
or i could have the officer see my gun that i did not tell him about, and he shoots me as i reach for my wallet.
both are far fetched but both could happen. as i said before, this works for me. you do what works for you. peace.

 

[MPH]

At this point, I would already have a lawyer in tow and be demanding that they cite the court case(s) that gave them that authority and which laws specificly don't matter, and that if they were unable or unwilling to do so, the lawyer already had the lawsuit drawn up and our next stop would be the court house to file it.

Yes, let us know how that works out for you, attempting to take control of the police officer's stop, on the street, and threats of legal action against the officer, on the street. My guess is that you'd inflate an infraction into a misdemeanor or possibly a felony and go to jail...and still blame the police for Your actions.

If you don't like what is going on and feel wronged, you have plenty of recourse after the fact. Trying to get into a pissing match on the street is a no-winner for you. But, like my daddy always used to say, 'You go ahead and do whatever it is you're big enough to get away with'

(Just trying to give some good, practical advice to keep you liberty-free and options open, do with it or not what you will )

 

[Principal Skinr]

i dont know where you keep your papers but i keep mine above the visor.
i have them and my license before he is to my window.

I keep mine in the glove box. I drive a Jeep, often with the top down, and papers don't do well above the visor. I just put my hands at the top of the wheel and then when, or if, asked for license and registration, I tell the officer I'm going to reach into the glove box and get them.

Common courtesy has achieved warnings each of the last 4 times I've been pulled over. I haven't had a ticket in about 15 years.

I haven't been pulled over while carrying, because I've only been carrying about 3 years, and I don't do it all the time.

I've not encountered an a-hole officer since the early 90's in Indiana. (BIG A-hole Texas state trooper in the early 2000's, but a judge threw the ticket out after a phone conversation. Politeness, courtesy, respect, and calmness went a long way with the judge, too!) I'm sure they are there, but I don't let an a-hole decide how I'm going to act. They don't get that power.

I'm planning on informing, if I get pulled over. The biggest thing is to not do something to get pulled over, and before the howls start, yes, I have been pulled over wrongly before. However, that hasn't happened in over 20 years.

I do, however, have strong respect for the argument to not inform. I won't go through life, however, assuming someone is going to be an a-hole before I've spoken to them.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

Yes, let us know how that works out for you, attempting to take control of the police officer's stop, on the street, and threats of legal action against the officer, on the street. My guess is that you'd inflate an infraction into a misdemeanor or possibly a felony and go to jail...and still blame the police for Your actions.

If you don't like what is going on and feel wronged, you have plenty of recourse after the fact. Trying to get into a pissing match on the street is a no-winner for you. But, like my daddy always used to say, 'You go ahead and do whatever it is you're big enough to get away with'

(Just trying to give some good, practical advice to keep you liberty-free and options open, do with it or not what you will )

Once undertrained agents of the state starting pointing your own gun at you or your family you may feel differently.

I would rather enjoy you explaining exactly what crime (misdemeanor/felony) it would be to hold a public servant accountable for his actions during a traffic stop though.