Your interactions with law enforcement while carrying...

Status
Not open for further replies.
The OP was asking for experiences with law enforcement while carrying. The "I didn't deserve a ticket" thread is reserved for other forums. On the bright side I guess a cop bashing thread is a change of pace from Glock bashing.
 
Only one interaction with LE since I started carrying. I haven't been pulled over in probably 12yrs or more.

The one interaction was me broken down on I95 and a Trooper pulled up behind to assist. I told him what was going on and he said he was going to be sticking around until the tow got there. I then informed him of my CHP and that I was carrying. I did this because I knew eventually I would be getting out of the car and didn't want him to freak if he had spotted it.

Anyway he didn't bat an eye and could've cared less. When the time came for me to get out he wasn't even paying attention to me, he was focused on the traffic.


Only thing I'll add is that those of you that have been "disarmed", I hope I never have to interact with a cop that is so skittish about being around a legally armed person that they feel the need to take my gun off me. I most certainly would object if asked for obvious reasons. If they persisted I suppose I wouldn't have much choice but I would definitely make it known that I object.
 
Having a grandfather, father, brother, best friend, and many other friends that were and are LEO’s I know a lot of officers. City, County, Troopers, Federal DTF, FBI, Tribal police, US Marshall’s, and Wardens. 99.8% are professional and chill.

I’ve probably been pulled over 9 times in my life. 7 were great experiences. A couple of them were friends of mine. 2 were not so great. But that doesn’t mean they were bad cops (I do know a couple though). One had a really bad night and the other I have no idea. But the next time I saw him, we talked and everything was fine after that.

People really ought to do ride-alongs with Officers to see what they have to put up with. It would give them a greater appreciation for the job they do. I’ve seen the druggies, the thieves, the domestics, the MVA’s, murders, suicides, grieving families, the poor people that think the officer stopping to check on them is harassing them, and the rich people in the Porsche’s that think they’re above the law and get bent out of shape when they get written the minimum ticket for doing 103 in a 65 (ride-along with my dad on that one).

How many people you all know that call the cops because everything is wonderful in their life and they just want to tell a cop about it and share the joy? How many people know the previous call that officer was just on before they pulled you over for speeding? How many have ever encountered one of those officers clearly having an off day and asked if everything was ok or if there was anything you could do for them. It’s a thankless job. Door greeters at Walmart get treated better by the public.

I’ve been pulled over several times with firearms in the car. Not one Officer has ever cared past “Do you have a gun in the car? Ok, What is it? Ok, Where is it? Ok no problem, let me run your license and I’ll be right back with you.”







Great post. I've always had the utmost respect for LE.

Would love to do the ride along if I could carry. Since that seems to be a no go pretty much everywhere then I'll probably never get the chance.
 
The OP was asking for experiences with law enforcement while carrying. The "I didn't deserve a ticket" thread is reserved for other forums. On the bright side I guess a cop bashing thread is a change of pace from Glock bashing.

This is exactly what I was hoping for. Not bashing one way or the other. Most of the posts have stayed on topic.
 
I realize we have just a small sample here, but it's good to see that most interactions with law enforcement have been positive.

I hope those that have been on the other side of the door share their experiences too.
 
Only thing I'll add is that those of you that have been "disarmed", I hope I never have to interact with a cop that is so skittish about being around a legally armed person that they feel the need to take my gun off me. I most certainly would object if asked for obvious reasons. If they persisted I suppose I wouldn't have much choice but I would definitely make it known that I object.

I agree. I would make my objections known, and if there continued to be an issue, I would probably ask the leo to disarm me (thoughts/opinions?) so there were no misunderstandings as to my intentions. You better believe that after the situation is resolved on the side of the road, or wherever it may happen, my next step would be a formal complaint (assuming I was in the right). When firearms are involved the last thing I want to do is escalate things even more.
 
Now retired, I was in LE for 40 years and naturally was stopped a few, OK, maybe more than a few, times. OK most of the states including HI. Most of them were before HR218 so I didn't carry out of NYS.

I never started off with "I'm a cop". It was either "I'm carrying", which is somewhat unusual in NY or say nothing if I'm not carrying and let the officer see my shield when I take out my wallet for my license and let them ask me about it. Felt there was no need to be pushy or take a chance of alienating the officer. Never had a bad experience, except once.

A deputy in a small upstate NY county pulled me over in a speed trap. I told him I was carrying, and showed my shield and ID. He literally immediately started screaming at me that I shouldn't be carrying in his county. I mentioned to him that I worked for NYS and had arrest powers throughout the state, on or off duty.

He didn't even hear me, just kept screaming at me with my wife and kids in the car. I finally raised my voice and told him to go ahead and give me a ticket, but I wasn't going to put up with his yelling anymore. He walked back to his vehicle still screaming and just left.

I was hot and my first impulse was to contact the sheriff of the county. But then I figured something must have triggered him and he was having a really bad day, so I let it slide but wasn't happy about it.

Got stopped once in a state police speed trap on Rt. 17 near Binghamton NY, a few cars pulled over. Trooper saw my shield and told me to sit tight until he finished with the car in front of me before I pulled out. About ten minutes later he comes back with a huge grin on his face, so I gotta' ask him what's up? Said the car in front of me was the most prominent criminal attorney in town, and a huge PIA. Said giving him a ticket was the fun part of law enforcement. lol

I know some of you are going to rant about professional courtesy between LEO's, but I'm sure it's the same in most fields. My observation has been there is zero tolerance when it comes to DWI though, even with another officer.

My duties did not include traffic enforcement so no stories in that regard.
 
Nothing worse for us citizens than a policeman who is afraid. I have had several experiences some real good and some not so good but none that were really bad. One night on a lonely road 50 miles from nowhere a state trooper pulled me over while I was making time in my Corvette. I informed him that I had a gun in the car and he replied, no problem I have a gun too, in a slightly smart alec tone. I understand that some states have a law about informing the officer. My experience has taught me to not offer any information as more often than not it raises the tension level of the interaction. One guy dropped the mag On my sig and left it on the bumper of my pick up with instructions to get it after he left. He was polite but obviously worried.
 
A guy and his buddy got pulled over for speeding in Texas,,,,,,Texas Ranger walks up to the drivers window, raps the driver on the head with his stick...”What ya’ do that for?”
“This here is Texas, when you get pulled over, both hands on the wheel where I can see them drivers license in one finger, insurance card in another finger and your CPL in your teeth if you have one”
“Yes,Sir, Sorry, I’ll do better next time”
Ranger walks around to passenger window raps on it with his stick,,,, buddy rolls his window down,,,Ranger raps him on the head with his stick
“What ya’ do that fer?”
“For what you gonna say about two miles down the road”
 
A guy and his buddy got pulled over for speeding in Texas,,,,,,Texas Ranger walks up to the drivers window, raps the driver on the head with his stick...”What ya’ do that for?”
“This here is Texas, when you get pulled over, both hands on the wheel where I can see them drivers license in one finger, insurance card in another finger and your CPL in your teeth if you have one”
“Yes,Sir, Sorry, I’ll do better next time”
Ranger walks around to passenger window raps on it with his stick,,,, buddy rolls his window down,,,Ranger raps him on the head with his stick
“What ya’ do that fer?”
“For what you gonna say about two miles down the road”
Way I heard it was when he hits the passenger and the passenger says "what'd you do that for", the cop replies "cause you asked me to". I know when you pull out you're going to say to your buddy here "I wish he would have hit me with that stick, I'd have shown him".
 
White Mountains in AZ. Stopped on the road, wife and I still in the car, Apache police pulls up behind me. LEO asks why I am stopped and I point out the finest bull elk I have ever seen on the other side of the road. Asks why I didn't get out, my reply " the state owns the road but the everything else here Is White Mountain Apache". He starts laughing and notices a shortened single shot shotgun in back seat. It was open, so obviously unloaded. Ten minutes of talk about modification later he asks about CCW. My wife pipes up and says if we keep talking about guns she is going to have to get out and find a concealing bush. LEO apoligises for taking so much time and tells us of nearest restroom. The native americans here are wonderful people. Just remember to be polite and that the Indian nations are seprate nations under Treaty with Congress.

blindhari
 
About two years ago, a local LEO responded to my wife’s call for an ambulance as I was having a heart problem from chemo therapy. He entered our bedroom where I was laying and noted my 1911 on my nightstand next to our bed. He bent over for a closer look and then turned to my wife, “You might want to put that away, it may make the EMT’s nervous.”
 
I was pulled over in Texas one time by a Highway Patrol. He was coming up an on ramp and didn't think my wife had her seat belt on. I had my EDC in a compartment on the headliner. I kept my hands on the wheel with my keys on the dash. Informed him about my CWP and EDC prior to handing my license and insurance. He scoffed that he didn't care but asked where it was. He told me not to reach for it and we would be fine. He walked around my lifted truck and realized he couldn't see her belt even after he knew it was on and let me go. He was professional. That is my only experience to date thankfully.
 
all things considered I would say it was a positive interaction


Some will say that you shouldn't have had to think about it and others will say the officer had reason for concern since he can't tell "us" from "them". Sounds like both of you were satisfied and saw each other's position.
 
In 1978 I was Los Angeles driving home, to Bakersfield, after my wife and I had attended the Southwest Pistol League awards banquet. Since it was December I had a jacket on but since it was Southern California I didn't need the jacket. Living in Bakersfield it was easy to get a CCW permit and I had done so as soon as I turned 21, but in Los Angeles that was not the case, none of my Angeleno buddies had one. Anyway back to the story, I had taken my jacket off and tossed it in the back seat, all of a sudden some guy on a motorcycle turns on these red lights and I realize it's a CHP. I can't reach my jacket so I stuff my 1911 (this was 1978) under the seat, pullover and get out and stand next to my car. As the Highway Patrolman approaches he sees my holster and magazine carrier and says,in a rather excited tone "do you have a gun with you". I told him that I did and that I had a CCW permit. He seems skeptical and asks to see it I hand it to him he looks it over and says "I've never seen one of these before."
I got a ticket anyway, for, as incredible as it seems 60 in a 55.
 
I’ve never had a problem in Alabama. I give them my drivers license and CC permit and they usually ask where it is. I’ll say and they don’t say another word about it.

Just FYI, but there's no need to inform or give your permit when being pulled over in Alabama.
Not doing so makes the butt hurt of getting a ticket go by quicker...
 
Once with OKSP I40 outside OKC, cool nice guy.
Once with Albuquerque Police, I informed him I was armed (no legal obligation on my part), he replied "we assume everyone is."
 
I was pulled over and had a loaded gun in the center consul sitting on top of my registration. I told the officer and he thanked me for letting him know I’d have to move the gun to get to the registration.

It was a fine interaction. The gun wasn’t a concern. My speed was.

I’m not required to inform but I choose to if I am asked to exit my vehicle at all. I consider it a professional courtesy to folks who are just doing their jobs.
 
Thankfully I haven't been pulled over while carrying, because the one time I was (my registration sticker hadn't arrived yet, and I hadn't noted it had lapsed) I feel the deputy was overly jumpy. "Were you headed here? You kept driving. Why didn't you pull over earlier?"
He had two other cruisers and an SUV blocking me in. Within four blocks, because it was the first place with lights and without 45-degree ditch. With that particular deputy, can't imagine carrying would have made things easier.
A coworker has been pulled over a couple times, and so far apparently nothing worse than an officer that felt like they needed to talk down to him. The Tampa PD seems to have a reputation for that, relative to the county deputies. All the ones he's relayed asked why he kept a gun when he was in a company vehicle. We have to drive around back, and for some reason some people think we carry medical supplies.
As a mortuary courier, I interact with LEOs just about every day, and get a handle on which of them are the small percentage of, not necessarily bad cops, but generally unpleasant people.
Maybe they're great officers, 100% by the written law, maybe they're just not cut out to deal with certain things. But some of them I wouldn't want to have a beer with.
The members of the departments that refuse to give us info on the deceased. By law, we can't transport them without that. If the family's there, we have to get it from them, and the fourth person of the day asking the same questions is the last thing they need.
I kept running into one officer that refused to sign anything. Info on the deceased? Speak to the family. 'Releasing agent verifies ID'? Nope. A medical professional or LEO has to be on scene, and on the record as such. She would read it, hand it back, and declare "I'm not signing this." After the fourth time I had to write in 'Officer Jane Doe on scene; refused signature' the boss made some call to the department. Not sure if it's related but I haven't seen her since.

Tangent aside, I've had to inform more than a couple about a gun we found. On the deceased, on a nightstand, behind the mattress and so forth. Most are fine with it. One said "I should call that in as evidence"--we work for the funeral homes, not the medical examiner or department. If we're there, there's no evidence to be claimed. One puffed out his chest, glared, and told us "Oh, I'll have a talk with the family about that." Why? It's just a pistol, and as far as we know she wasn't prohibited.
So, overall, it's just human interaction. People are people. Under the circumstances, just trying to make things as easy as they can. You just occasionally get someone that needs to rattle their saber. Doesn't matter if it's an LEO or the manager at a sports bar telling you to either order more wings or get out of the booth.
 
I always answer questions that have to do with officer safety. Like "Do you have any weapons in the vehicle" or "Where are you carrying your handgun?" Interactions have all been professional.

I generally don't answer questions that don't have anything to do with officer safety, however. Interestingly, those interactions have also always been professional.
 
The few interactions that I have had have been non eventful. Our State and most of the surrounding states require a CCW holder to inform LE if you're carrying and I do. I've been told that that info pops up when they run your license. I'm also courteous to LE and make an effort to appear non threatening to them. Its been my experience that your attitude pretty much determines how pleasant/unpleasant your interaction with LE will be.
 
The few interactions that I have had have been non eventful. Our State and most of the surrounding states require a CCW holder to inform LE if you're carrying and I do. I've been told that that info pops up when they run your license. I'm also courteous to LE and make an effort to appear non threatening to them. Its been my experience that your attitude pretty much determines how pleasant/unpleasant your interaction with LE will be.
This. If you can make the cop smile or laugh, you've got a thousand percent better chance of getting off rather than being difficult or lying or arguing about your speed.

Cops are people just like you, and given the chance, who would you tend to be more lenient with, someone you find amusing or someone butting heads with you?

Another cop joke: Young woman gets stopped, pulls her skirt back a little and gives the cop her best smile. "I heard you don't ticket the pretty girls around here."

"That's right, here's your ticket."

More serious note, although we didn't do traffic stops, some of the training films pertained to them. One film has you looking through the officers eyes. You stop a convertible with a pretty woman in it. You look in, and the camera focuses on her thighs, were are slightly open, and the camera zooms in to her visible panties. Next thing you hear is "BANG", you've just been shot for losing your situational awareness.
 
Just FYI, but there's no need to inform or give your permit when being pulled over in Alabama.
Not doing so makes the butt hurt of getting a ticket go by quicker...
I’ve never had a ticket, I do so out of courtesy To them and there job.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top