Best course of action when pulled over by LEO?

[finz50]

NEVER talk to the police......

[NRA]

Most LEO I know never like to be surprised. After they run your DL it shows if the person has a HCP or not. Your DL and HCP have the same number on them. IMO It is best to tell them first thing if you are carrying.

[Fallguy]

Most LEO I know never like to be surprised. After they run your DL it shows if the person has a HCP or not. Your DL and HCP have the same number on them. IMO It is best to tell them first thing if you are carrying.

I agree they don't like to be surprised...but them running your DL and finding you have a HCP shouldn't be a "surprise" or even coming back and asking you if you are armed (since not everyone with a HCP carries 24/7) and you saying yes, shouldn't be a "surprise"...at least not to me. A surprise would be them actually seeing your firearm without being informed first, if it is well concealed, this shouldn't happen.

[vontar]

These threads always end up bad for some reason. Do a search on this topic, you'll find a lot of information.

Now I understand your avatar. Until now I just assumed it was you at your day job.

The last time I was pulled over, it was before I was carrying and before I had my permit.

The officer ask me if there was any firearms in the vehicle. I answered No.

When my wife was pulled over a few weeks ago, she was not ask about firearms. It was License, reg, insurance, he came back with her ticket and optional court date.

She will be in court disputing it as well.

In a state were you are required to inform, such as MI, a 40 second delay in informing the LEO has been ruled in court not immediate enough. That is on handgunlaws.

Edited March 19, 2011 by vontar

[vontar]

NEVER talk to the police......

You might be going a bit 2 far on those video's I over link.

[Fallguy]

In a state were you are required to inform, such as MI, a 40 second delay in informing the LEO has been ruled in court not immediate enough. That is on handgunlaws.

I'm sure that it is different from state to state, but agree it must be quick it seems. I've been watching Alaska State Troopers and it seems if it isn't the very first thing out or your mouth there could be a problem.

[vontar]

I found that in MI researching Laws where I might be traveling this summer. I might have a road trip to MI this summer.

>>>>>>>>

Edited March 19, 2011 by vontar

[deerslayer]

I've been pulled over three times since getting a permit and never informed. I have never been asked about a permit or a gun. I got a well-earned ticket on one of these stops. I do not want or need any unnecessary gunplay, so I don't inform and run the risk of being disarmed. So far, it's worked well. If they run my license and discover my permit, I guess my bubbly personality convinces them that I'm harmless.

[finz50]

You might be going a bit 2 far on those video's I over link.

Huh?

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

I was pulled over about two years ago and I didn't have a gun with me at the time so I didn't tell the cop I had a handgun permit. While I was getting my drivers license out of my wallet he was shinning his flashlight on me and saw my handgun permit. He ask why I didn't tell him I had a permit, I told him because I didn't have a gun at the time so thought I didn't need to say anything. Well he tried to tell me it was the law and even if I didn't have a gun I was still suppose to inform them I had a permit. He gave me a ticket for speeding and wrote on the ticket about me falling to inform him that I had a handgun permit. I usually just pay the ticket and not go to court but I decided to go and ask the judge about this. The judge told the cop I was in the right, I didn't have to tell him even if I had a handgun on me or not. He told the the cop he needed to read up on the gun laws. The judge was nice and gave me a break on the ticket, he was harder on the cop then he was on me. But if I have a gun on me I will always let the cop know. I just feel like its the right thing to do..

[Guest That Guy]

Just give them you TN DL and your TN HCP. Let them decide what course is best, but don't just blurt-out, "I have a gun."

Once they see the TN HCP, they will typically ask where? If you respond intelligently, like you know what you're talking about, then you probably won't be challenged any further.

[chances R]

I guess it comes down on how you would want to be treated/informed if you were the LEO. On one hand, there is no obligation to inform; you've done nothing illegal in that respect. If the LEO was going to do a search or asks, then definitely make them aware of the weapon. However, I think if it were me I like the previous post of informing the LEO as part of the initial conversation after he has my CHP in hand.

[crashgordan]

so, again, i read this thread, like all the others, with interest.

Why even use the word GUN!?!?!?

pull over.

windows down

interior lights on

hands on the wheel

be polite

Yes Officer, my wallet is in my (blank). is it ok for me to retrieve it. (wait for response)

OPTIONAL: I am licensed to carry concealed or i have a concealed carry permit and I am carrying... what are your instructions.

relax

put DL back in wallet and thank nice officer for his grace in not writing you a ticket.

i've been stopped so many times... i've tried it both ways.

i nearly always deserve to be pulled over and i am not a dick about it.

so far, i am the recipient of tons of grace as my job tends to keep me in a hurry.

[DocZombie]

From "Guns and Patriots"

"I Have A Gun!" - Things Not To Say To A Cop

by Richard Johnson

03/22/2011

Prior to riding a desk and writing about guns, I was a cop. I worked for more than a decade in uniform patrol as a beat cop, supervisor and trainer. In that time, I saw and heard just about anything you can imagine.

One of the nicest groups of citizens I got to meet were armed citizens. Generally, people that carry guns are polite and friendly. Sometimes, however, a few of these friendly folks were a bit too eager to share their state of being armed with me.

“I have a gun!”

Traffic stops are one of the more dangerous things a police officer can engage in. Never mind the passing motorists whipping by at high speed while you stand there with nothing more than a pair of polyester pants to protect your butt from their bumper. Sometimes there are bad guys in the car you just pulled over.

Unfortunately, a lot of law enforcement officers have been killed or injured during a seemingly “routine” traffic stop. So cops are a little wary when approaching a citizen’s car.

Imagine my surprise when I once walked up to a driver, he turned to face me and announced, “I have a gun!” Fortunately for all parties, his hands were still on the steering wheel and it wasn’t my first day on the job. Of course, causing my late-30-something heartbeat to roughly triple in rate probably pushed me closer to a heart attack than I care think about.

The driver was a mix of excited to talk about the fact he just bought his first pistol 15 minutes prior, and his desire to let me know there was a gun in the car. Blurting “I have a gun!” could have gotten him a distinctly poor response to his intended message, though.

Tip: If you have a firearm in your car and you get stopped by a police officer, think about what you will say before you say it. Probably my best encounter with an armed citizen started with him keeping his hands on the steering wheel and saying “Hi officer. I have a concealed carry permit and my gun with me. What would you like me to do?”

“Let me show you this!”

I know from where you are currently sitting this will sound really odd, but there are some otherwise rational people who are so proud of their handgun they want to pull it out to show a police officer. Strangely, most cops don’t really respond well to walking up to someone who suddenly pulls out a pistol.

Case in point: another veteran officer and I are at an elderly gentleman’s home talking with him about a minor criminal complaint. He’s riled up over people stealing his garden gnomes but seems friendly enough to us.

We’re standing in his living room listening to him rant, when suddenly he loudly stated, “Let me show you this,” and pulls a pistol from his pants pocket.

Again, thankfully, my heart was up to the task and I did not require any hospitalization. He meant us no harm. He just wanted to show us that he could take care of himself.

Tip: If you’ve invited the local constabulary to your home, and during the course of the conversation you decide you would like to show them one of your guns try “Officer, I’ve got this really neat pistol that my grandfather passed down to me. Would you like to see it?” Only if the cop wants to see it should you then whip it out.

What should you do?

Different states have different requirements on citizens carrying concealed firearms. Some states require the citizen to tell a police officer they are armed if they are stopped. Some states do not. If your laws require it, definitely tell the officer.

Generally, I preferred for a citizen to tell me he or she is armed. It helps prevent any misunderstandings should I spot a gun tucked in a waistband later on.

However, use a little common sense. If you are stopped for a traffic infraction and there is a pistol in your trunk, there is no need to bring it up (unless required by your state’s laws). Likewise, if you are standing on the front porch talking to a deputy about a suspicious person complaint you called in, why bring up you have a shotgun in the living room?

If you do tell an officer that you are armed, take a deep breath, and do so in a calm manner. Excited people tend not to say things very clearly. If an officer approaches you, and you are excited, blurting out something about having a gun, could create a dangerous misunderstanding.

Calmly tell the officer something like “Hi, I’ve got my concealed weapon permit and handgun with me. It’s in a holster at my waist.” By leading your statement with the fact you have a concealed carry permit, you indicate to the officer you’re one of the “good guys.”

Also, don’t make any movements toward the weapon, or your waistband. You may be reaching for your wallet, but to a cop who doesn’t know you, it may appear you are trying to draw a firearm.

Keep in mind that cops are people from your own town and neighborhood. Most cops are very pro-Second Amendment. But, if your community has an anti-gun stance, the officer is likely to reflect that, as he or she is just a human being from that population.

All cops have a keen desire to not get shot. So think before you speak. Please, don’t blurt out “I’ve got a gun!” if you are pulled over.

Editor’s Note:

Thanks to Richard Johnson for this article. I encourage you to visit his website www.gunsforsale.com and explore all the guns, ammo and gear. ~Mike P.