CCW Whatif situation w/ leo's

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Moparmike

Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2003
Messages
3,600
Location
Oddly enough, a downwardly-plunging firey handbask
The "Leo contact" thread got the gears moving.


Suppose you have an MVA. Everyone is fine, but you are packing. The officer knows you are packing, and offers you a ride home while your vehicle is being towed.

What is the LEO's next action? Will he ask you to disarm? Is that a SOP? Am I the only one that might get a little insulted/flustered at this? (But completely cooperative) If not, am I just naive? :p

Thanks,
 
"Officer, I've got a gun."
"Yeah, so what, join the club."

:D

Mopar, someone attempted to make a tortilla of El Tejon back in '95 (Cledus' truck vs. my car--he won). As I was sitting in the am-bow-lance, the EMTs made me take off my suit jacket revealing my pistolas. The Sheriff's deputy yawned and, after I declined a ride in the blood box (they wouldn't let me play with the siren, I did say "stat" a lot), and told me to wait near his car.

He offered me a ride, but my dad showed up and gave me one instead. Never blinked over my guns. BTW, he was obessed over my DL. Taking it from me twice and running a 27 each time; maybe because I had just come back from living in Illinois? Maybe it was my joke (mva=bad time for sarcasm apparently) about "Signal 40.":uhoh:

I would anticipate it is like everything else. It just depends on where one is located. Different department, different rules. IMHO, if the guy is legal, why would you want your coppers (at varying levels of competency) handling firearms anymore than they have to? YMMV.
 
I daresay Mike the possibilities could/would to a degree vary state by state.

Beyond that however ... guess it'd be very down to the LEO's own ''comfort'' factor .... or lack thereof.

If he feels sure you are Numero Uno good guy and legit carry etc ... then certainly no real reason to disarm you .. after all in effect you are ''on his side''!!

Others though might feel threatened enough to wish to take control ..... putting myself in their position I can imagine that - not always would I feel totally at ease, sittin next to some stranger who is packing ... but hard to say really with absolute certainty. As ever - circumstances alter events.

One of those situations where you play it as it unravels ..... and do what seems best and as asked. In the end I think polite aquiescence will always be best ....... however the options present.
 
Moparmike,
You want a ride home? Then do as the officer asks. That pertains to him being an officer or anyone else. It is you who is stranded, not the cop.

Here in Texas, during official stops/interviews/etc., you have to reveal you are carrying if you are (as per specs of the license) and since you were in the accident, he definitely knows you are carrying, as you noted. He has the option of disarming you. It is perfectly legal and you have agreed to abide by that act as a recipient of having a CHL, whether you like it or not. Refusal to comply comes with some real legal hassles.
 
I didnt say I would be non-cooperative. Just a little insulted/peturbed at the possible isinuation that I would have malicious intent with my firearm while in the officer's car/presence. Non-cooperation and displeasure with a legally-made request are two different things entirely.
 
Moparmike:

You probably would feel insulted. As would any number of good people.

Question is this: How do I know if you're a good guy or not? A CWP does NOT automatically make you a good guy.

What would I do?

Strike up a conversation with the CCW. Run them, of course. Then, if they need a ride, offer them one.

But before you get into the car, I'll just open my trunk, and hand you a bag. Put your weapon in the bag, and it goes into the trunk. You get to ride in my patrol unit--in the front seat--uncuffed.

That's a heck of a concession, folks.

And you get your weapon back when you get out.
 
I was recently in a minor MVA and of course I was packing. When the LEO (Highway Patrol) arrived on scene, I followed procedure and showed him my DL and CWP then informed him I was armed. He shruged and asked what happened. That was pretty much the reaction I got the last time I went through a DL check point. Of course they waved me on through the check point without looking at anything else. :D
 
Permit, license, or not, the cop has no real reason to necessarily trust you. Be insulted all you want, but he is still your free ride.

I see no reason to be insulted. Heck, some departments aren't going to allow it even if it is okay with the cop. Our local dept. does not allow ride alongs to be armed unless they are a LEO. As noted, there is no reason for anyone else in the car to be armed, especially strangers and prisoners.
 
BluesBear,

Cough, ahem, ummm, in the case of a radio transmission the word bye is the diminutive of goodbye or a breaking off of a received transmission: ergo, 2150 'bye (now it's your turn to talk, HQ). Although, you are also technicaly correct as "by" is also defined by The Random House College Dictionary: by, #26-aside; away or #27-over; past.

Doncha just love this web-site. Ya get perky and make an attempt at comedy and someone always gets technical. heh heh :D

:scrutiny: grampster
 
I suppose in that case I really wouldn't have too much of a problem with it. Around here it seems that most of the police car's passenger seats are covered with all sorts of crap/computers/extra mounted gear so that by default I would be given the ride from the back seat. I can't say that I would be real comfortable with an armed stranger sitting behind me essentially out of sight.

Greg
 
in Washington, we have no law that says you must reveal to the officer that you are armed. if the original scenario happened to me i would thankfully accept the ride home and never mention a word about my weapon. unless he asked if i was armed of course, then i would be honest and comply with his wishes. i don't really think i would get insulted if a cop asked me to disarm before riding with him. they deal with some crappy stuff. better to CYA. now that i think about it, i might ask the cop to disarm too! i've dealt with some crappy cops before! just kiddin' about asking him to disarm by the way. don't want anyone to get their BVD's in a bunch.

Bobby
 
I didnt say I would be non-cooperative. Just a little insulted/peturbed at the possible isinuation that I would have malicious intent with my firearm while in the officer's car/presence.
Click to expand...

How do you know that an officer letting you keep your gun means he trusts you? For all you know he may be hoping you will try something. ;)

If I trusted the officer in your scenario then no offense would be taken by me and I'd be very thankful for the ride. Especially considering I've been refused rides in the past due to liability concerns. If I had a reason to distrust that officer (reputation or past experience) then I'd refuse the ride offer, firearm or not.
 
I'm not a cop, but I would think it would depend somewhat on my judgement of the individual, and mostly my own policy. Frankly, in the scenario you mentioned, you're damn lucky to get to ride (at all, let alone) upfront.

Also, someone mentioned departmental policy.

If the cop's in a good mood about it all, I may ask "but then how would I cover you? :)"

PS:

It's not as though I couldn't just grab the 870 (and/or AR-15) off the quick-release anyway if the S hits the proverbial F and we both end up needing to be armed all of a sudden anyway. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top