First LEO encounter while carrying Mississippi

[Guest jwrebate]

So a week or so ago I was driving down from the great state of Tennessee to Florida to visit my dad when, somewhere in Mississippi (being nondescript on purpose) I was pulled over by a Mississippi state trooper. I had a ruger lcp sitting wedged between my seat and the center console, slightly covered by my jacket. Before the trooper approached my vehicle, I had already put the car in park, rolled down the window, and put my hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel. When the trooper came up to my vehicle and asked for my drivers license, I handed him both my HCP and Drivers License. He glances at both, gives me a puzzled look, and promptly hands my HCP back. He then instructs me to "hang tight" and takes my license back to his cruiser. About two minutes later he walks back up to my car and hands me my license and a ticket, and tells me to contact the number on the ticket within seven days. He then quickly walked back to his squad car and drove off before I could get my keys in the ignition (admittedly I was a little shaken up/ confused/ and miffed).

I should mention that the policeman never asked me any questions (like "do you have a gun in the car?") at any point even after I handed him my permit, nor did he seem at all nervous or wary of me or my actions (I did have to reach into a backpack on the passenger seat to retrieve my license and HCP, but asked permission before doing so). All in all, it was relatively painless experience (excluding the $170 ticket itself of course!)

Discuss

[Punisher84]

That's about what happened with me and my MPD ticket. I notified him so he saw it but besides thanking me for notifying he said nothing else and gave me a ticket.

[tnhawk]

That was my experience in Millington, several months ago. Handed him permit with license, he looked briefly at it handed it back, thanked me for producing it, never asked any question about weapon.

[Parrothead]

When i was pulled over i handed the officer my DL and my HCP. He had a female ride along (not a officer) that had walked up the passenger side window once he approached the truck. When i told him that i had my HCP and had a weapon on me she ran back to the cruiser like we were gonna have a gun fight. I couldnt help but laugh a little. He simply ask where it was.....i told him it was IWB at 4 o'clock. He handed me both ID's back and told me to have a nice day. Never mentioned the speeding. Oh well. I'm gonna bet that i wont be so lucky next time.

[Fallguy]

Without looking it up not sure if MS is a must notify state or not, but I'm not sure just handing over your HCP without saying anything else would be considered actually notifying a LEO you are armed.

As Parrothead said, he handed over his HCP and said he was armed. There are many threads on here where people have said they've used their HCP as ID. Also it being an out of state LEO it may have taken him a moment to notice it said Handgun Carry Permit and wasn't a second DL/ID or something.

I've only been stopped twice while armed, notified once, didn't the other. Nothing abnormal went down either time. But the time I did notify I told him when he first approached the vehicle that I had a permit and I was armed and didn't do anything else till he instructed me to do so.

Guess I'm just saying that IMO just handing over your HCP without saying the words "I'm armed" (or the like) could cause confusion or maybe even trouble.

[Guest 270win]

You don't need a permit to keep a loaded handgun in a car in Mississippi. Not a lot of Mississippi residents get concealed handgun licenses because anyone 18 or older can have a loaded handgun in his vehicle concealed or unconcealed without 'permission' from the state. You can put the handgun wherever you want in your vehicle. It is pretty much assumed that everyone has a gun in their car. Folks down there can also have loaded long guns in their vehicles I'm pretty sure at any age. There is no need to tell the police because police just assume you have a gun.

I live very close to the TN/MS state line so have to know what is legal down there because I go to Southaven and Olive Branch Mississippi sometimes.

[bigwakes]

I have been stopped 3 times for speeding while armed. I always hand over my permit and mention that I'm armed. Once I had an Arkansas officer come up on my passenger side window and when I told him I was armed he asked where it was. I popped open the glove box and he reached to get the pistol. He asked me to hand it to him, but I said I would rather he get it to prevent any misunderstanding. He took it back to his car and brought it back with the mag out and chambered round loose and just set it on the passenger seat. The second time the officer said "just don't touch it and we won't have any problems." And the third time the officer asked me to put it on the dashboard where he could see it. Two out of the three resulted in no ticket. Seems like there there is no real protocol it's just whatever makes the officer the most comfortable.

Edited October 6, 2010 by bigwakes

[Guest jwrebate]

Without looking it up not sure if MS is a must notify state or not, but I'm not sure just handing over your HCP without saying anything else would be considered actually notifying a LEO you are armed.

As Parrothead said, he handed over his HCP and said he was armed. There are many threads on here where people have said they've used their HCP as ID. Also it being an out of state LEO it may have taken him a moment to notice it said Handgun Carry Permit and wasn't a second DL/ID or something.

I've only been stopped twice while armed, notified once, didn't the other. Nothing abnormal went down either time. But the time I did notify I told him when he first approached the vehicle that I had a permit and I was armed and didn't do anything else till he instructed me to do so.

Guess I'm just saying that IMO just handing over your HCP without saying the words "I'm armed" (or the like) could cause confusion or maybe even trouble.

I guess I was just inexperienced. My mind went back to a video shown my handgun training class where a woman was stopped in a truck and when the officer approached her truck she said "I have a gun!" The officer then proceeded to draw down on the woman, grab her out of the car, prone her out, etc..... Naturally, this was an example of what NOT to do, but I didn't want to overtly state anything to the affect of "I have a gun" and perhaps go through the same process. Besides, I am of the ilk that he would have immediately figured out that I at least had a permit when he ran my license, so I didn't think twice about giving him my permit with my license.

[Guest jwrebate]

You don't need a permit to keep a loaded handgun in a car in Mississippi. Not a lot of Mississippi residents get concealed handgun licenses because anyone 18 or older can have a loaded handgun in his vehicle concealed or unconcealed without 'permission' from the state. You can put the handgun wherever you want in your vehicle. It is pretty much assumed that everyone has a gun in their car. Folks down there can also have loaded long guns in their vehicles I'm pretty sure at any age. There is no need to tell the police because police just assume you have a gun.

I live very close to the TN/MS state line so have to know what is legal down there because I go to Southaven and Olive Branch Mississippi sometimes.

I guess that would be the best mindset for LEO's to have. It's always better for them to be safe than sorry.

[RobertNashville]

The way you handled it is exactly the way I would have handled (and also the way that Tom Gresham and Massad Ayoob recommends handling such encounters).

I think it's a simple and easy way of preventing any misunderstanding - you're letting the officer know that you have a permit to carry and if he wants to know if you are actually armed he'll ask you.

[Fallguy]

The way you handled it is exactly the way I would have handled (and also the way that Tom Gresham and Massad Ayoob recommends handling such encounters).

I think it's a simple and easy way of preventing any misunderstanding - you're letting the officer know that you have a permit to carry and if he wants to know if you are actually armed he'll ask you.

Which is ok except for those states where you are supposed to tell him without his asking.

[RobertNashville]

Which is ok except for those states where you are supposed to tell him without his asking.

Which is why smart people like you and I always check the applicable state laws for all the states we are traveling through (and print out copies to keep with us) before we make our trip!

[Fallguy]

Which is why smart people like you and I always check the applicable state laws for all the states we are traveling through (and print out copies to keep with us) before we make our trip!

I don't print them out (about memorized) for the states I most frequent anymore....

[Wyldk2]

I had an encounter last week with a THP. No traffic violation on my part just an accident ( where it was not my fault). Officer asked for licenses and reg and insurance info. I gave him license, permit, insurance and reg. He just told me as long as he didn't see "it' ( being my gun) we would be ok.

[deerslayer]

Since I got a carry permit, I have been pulled over three times (all in TN). I've never notified an LEO that I had a permit or a gun, and they have never asked.

[JC57]

Replying to the original post:

Sounds like a perfectly normal traffic stop handed in a very professional manner by the officer. For all the times people post about their bad encounters during traffic stops, 90%+ go like the one mentioned. The officer had a job to do, his intent was to enforce traffic laws, and the means of doing that is issing a citation. He did it, quickly and efficiently, with minimal impact to your day.

I was a policeman for 14 years. Traffic citations are part of the job. Few of us enjoyed it, we're regular people too and understand the idea of being late for work or thinking about something else. I was never looking for unnecessary drama. I would approach, greet the driver, explain why I stopped the person (this is a key point - I think people had a right to know IMMEDIATELY why I had pulled them over), and ask to see their license. I'd ask if the address was still correct, and if not I would jot down their current address so I could fill out the ticket properly. And then back to the squad car to write it up.

When I came back up to the car, you got the ticket and the explanation of what to do next (pay by mail, appear in court if you want, your signature is not an admission of guilt, etc). If the driver had more questions, sure, ask away. But other than that we're done, please drive carefully.

Sounds like your stop was one of those, exactly as it should have been.

[RobertNashville]

Since I got a carry permit, I have been pulled over three times (all in TN). I've never notified an LEO that I had a permit or a gun, and they have never asked.

I believe it's correct to say that, in Tennessee at least, as soon as they run your license they'll KNOW you have a TN HCP...I'm not sure that's true in other states.

Letting the officer know up front is just a good idea (at least I think it is) and as has already been mentioned, doing so is mandatory in some states.

[Fallguy]

I believe it's correct to say that, in Tennessee at least, as soon as they run your license they'll KNOW you have a TN HCP...I'm not sure that's true in other states.

Letting the officer know up front is just a good idea (at least I think it is) and as has already been mentioned, doing so is mandatory in some states.

Yes, when they run your DL it will show whether you have a HCP or not. But just because you have a HCP doens't mean your armed.

Have you seen this thread? http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/handgun-carry-self-defense/46890-tn-permit-holders-vs-those-who-actually-carry.html

[Guest 270win]

Yes, my old Arkansas concealed handgun license had a different number than my old Arkansas DL, but it was cross referenced to the DL when the DL was run by a police officer. I never informed and never had a problem because the two were linked and was in fact told not necessary or required by law to in my class in Arkansas because of the cross referencing and the requirement to conceal in public. My license was a blue piece of paper (kind of cheap for as much as I paid!) that i had to go and get laminated. The DL's in AR are from the state revenue dept and the CHL's are from the AR State Police.

It is good to check on each state you go to.

[RobertNashville]

Yes, when they run your DL it will show whether you have a HCP or not. But just because you have a HCP doens't mean your armed.

Have you seen this thread? http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/handgun-carry-self-defense/46890-tn-permit-holders-vs-those-who-actually-carry.html

I've participated in that thread but I wasn't equating being permitted with being armed.

I just think the approach, whether you are or aren't armed, is the overall best approach in a traffic stop; to each his own (unless of course the law in a particular state requires something specific).

[Fallguy]

I've participated in that thread but I wasn't equating being permitted with being armed.

I just think the approach, whether you are or aren't armed, is the overall best approach in a traffic stop; to each his own (unless of course the law in a particular state requires something specific).

[deerslayer]

Yes, when they run your DL it will show whether you have a HCP or not. But just because you have a HCP doens't mean your armed.

Is this info readily available, or is it an option that must be selected for viewing? Like I said earlier, I've never informed, and they've never mentioned it. My goal is to not get disarmed, thus reducing unnecessary gun handling. As long as they keep not asking, I'll keep not informing. Perhaps an LEO could clear this up..where is kb4ns when you need him?

[Fallguy]

Is this info readily available, or is it an option that must be selected for viewing? Like I said earlier, I've never informed, and they've never mentioned it. My goal is to not get disarmed, thus reducing unnecessary gun handling. As long as they keep not asking, I'll keep not informing. Perhaps an LEO could clear this up..where is kb4ns when you need him?

It shows up as part of your DL info...no further action required.

I haven't dispatched in a while but basically it is another field just like Name, Address and so on there is one line that says HCP status.

So everytime a DL is run is really the same as check for a HCP as well.

It seems most of the agencies I hear on the scanner or whose members I know give HCP status to the officer when the DL is run whether the ask for it or not.

[deerslayer]

Maybe the cops who pull me over are absent-minded, or maybe it's just that my charming personality convinces them that I'm harmless...

[Fallguy]

LOL...could be.

Or...could be most are like me and you and see no reason to bring something up that has nothing to do with the traffic stop and apparently isn't an issue.

Not to completely deny the effects of your charming personality though....