Who carries handcuffs?

[CentralTexas]

I really hate to post again on this thread but please read ALL that I write before responding.
Picture this scene, a man laying on the ground and one standing holding a gun on him. You as a cop don't know if the prone man is shot or who is the good guy etc.
ALL you know is you have responded to a man with a gun call and this is what you see.

I would think (gun holder) you are less likely to get killed by cops responding to an incident if you are holding a gun in one hand and a badge in the other.

That's all, simple statement.
Additional caveats- I don't carry a badge, I don't advocate it ever being seen on you until an incident occurs if you do.
This thread isn't about "newbs" or "wannabes" but a person that want's to show they are not the bad guy (hopefully) when the cops come.
CT

 

[Leanwolf]

Central Texas, GIVEN YOUR ABOVE SCENARIO.... I do carry a retirement badge and picture idee from a large, non-Federal department.

If I were in your scenario, I would at the very first sign of cops coming close enough to see me, I would PUT MY GUN IN MY HOLSTER, while holding high my credentials so they could see them, and would be saying in a loud voice, "Peace Officer, Retired!!!!!!!"

I would not continue holding a gun in my hand. Whatever they tell me to do, I will do.

(If the bad guy gets up and runs, the cops can chase him: I won't. If the bad guy is shot, the paramedics can handle his wounds.)

L.W.

 

[mec]

Carry 'em all the time. I use them for a bicycle lock. don't lock up people with them anymore and boy am i glad.

 

[sm]

I understand jurisdictions vary, I have questions if I may from a civilian perspective.

--Battery. Is this not / includes putting hands onto another against their will? Restraining against their will?
I am trying to recall, back when I was doing medical stuff we could not restrain somone without a MDs order, except for some exceptions, i.e. seizures and holding down, use something to keep from biting/ swallowing tongue... "patient safety". Been awhile...Byron help me out here.

So if a civilian were to "restrain" would that fall under Battery? Also if one were to prevent escape, could that be "kidnapping". Say make a mistake and lock someone in a business, block a doorway...etc.

Fine areas folks one has to be careful, like yelling "shoplifter" - you better be darn sure before you yell out and accuse.

--Handcuff Keys
Mr Bowman brought out something. I used to keep a set or two or ...on person, in my trunk, here and there... because of what I did and concerns of being kidnapped. Heck my LEOs buddies at the time got me these. I did NOT tell folks I had them, the LEOs I hung with, assisted with knew I was not going to abuse having them...might come in handy if them,me or us got in a bad situation. I mean the perception I wanted / needed was a regular dumb male. Heck I even played stupid about guns .

Possession of handcuff keys, how are these viewed from a LEO or legal standpoint?

Only time I ever used handcuffs was when a breifcase was handcuffed to my weak side wrist. I raised cain and presented my reasons and that "detail" got changed, at least for me and a few others...might as well paint my body with a bulls-eye, and announce on loudspeaker.

I do not want to look or give off any perception - except I am alert, paying attention. I want to blend in and hide in plain sight, that is what I did, have always done.

I have been out with a few members here, and other forums more recently. None of looked or gave off a any hint of anything. We appeared to be having a family reunion or something...in a way we were.

 

[k_semler]

I'm not a cop. It's not my job to cuff a violent felon. The way I see it, I as a citizen, have two choices. Draw and be prepared to use deady force upon need, or run and call the cops. Depending upon the cirucumstance, I will choose one or the other. I may have "citizen arrest" power, (as all citizens do), but I'm not going to place myself or others in unnessecary danger. If I deem a citizen's arrest is nessecary. I WILL draw on you. If I draw on you, you better be laying your money on getting shot/killed. Because if you move in any manner which I deem to be threatening to myself or others, I will shoot. WA state law backs me up on this, and I will act within the law. Present "threat of severe bodily harm", and you'll find yourself dead. No if's, and's, or but's about it. If I deem citizen's arrest nessecary, lethal force is DAMN close to being employed, with full force of the law behind me.

 

[k_semler]

A CCW badge is something that "n00bs" buy, and when they wear them, it defeats the purpose of "CONCEALED" carry, letting everyone know you have a gun. You might as well open carry. It's frowned upon because it comes too close to impersonating a LEO. Some look like a US marshal badge. This one is different though:

Moron. (the dude that owns this badge, not the poster, {unless he owns this badge}).

 

[Carl N. Brown]

handcuffs morphing into CCW "badge" issue

Generally speaking, handcuffs and badge = LEO.
If not LEO, handcuffs and badge implies impersonation.

Originally, I heard the idea of a CCW "badge" to be carried
concealed, as in next to the holster, as an idea dismissed
as bad.

Then there was a shooting of a storekeeper by cops: he had
chased robbers out of his store and did not respond to an
order by cops to put down his weapon. All the cops knew was
there was a report of man with gun and shots fired. The
question was raised if he had had a CCW badge on his belt
visible the cops might have held their fire. The debate ended
up that the CCW badge idea was 15% Good 85% Bad, so
overall not a good idea.

BTW, it was also decided that if the robbers exit the premises,
it is not a good idea to pursue them out into public areas.
Stand YOUR ground, and let the attacker retreat if he chooses.
Legally, there is more lattitude in UK to use "reasonable force"
(less than lethal) to pursue a robber to recover stolen property
than in TN!

 

[CentralTexas]

"Generally speaking, handcuffs and badge = LEO.
If not LEO, handcuffs and badge implies impersonation."

Remember when folks "used" to say "only cops should legally be allowed to carry guns"? That gun=LEO?

CT