Unarmed CCW Holder Hassled by LEO in MD for having a Permit to Carry

[RobertNashville]

John Filippidis, silver-haired family man, business owner, employer and taxpayer, is also licensed to carry a concealed firearm. He’d rather he didn’t feel the need, “but things aren’t like they used to be. The break-ins, the burglaries, all the crime. And I carry cash a lot of the time. I’m constantly going to the bank.

“I wanted to be able to defend my family, my household and the ground I’m standing on. But I’m not looking for any trouble
 
Filippidis keeps his gun — a palm-sized Kel-Tec .38 semiautomatic, barely larger than a smartphone in a protective case — in one of two places, always: in the right-hand pocket of his jeans, or in the safe at home.

 
What happens next will really piss you off!
 
LINK: http://tbo.com/list/columns-tjackson/jackson-gun-owner-unarmed-unwelcome-in-maryland-20140112/

[Moped]

Welcome to the People's Republic of Maryland!  What was the warning citation for?  What was the excuse to pull them over for?  And what was his wife thinking?  Do they not talk?  When we travel, everyone in the car knows where mine is!!!

[Glock30]

Where's his legal defense fund? I'd love nothing more than to send him something via PayPal to sue the Maryland cop right into the ground.

[TrickyNicky]

Keltec makes a .38? Automatic?

[Glock30]

Keltec makes a .38? Automatic?

 

Probably a .380

[KKing]

[quote name="Glock30" post="1095035" timestamp="1389738603"]Where's his legal defense fund? I'd love nothing more than to send him something via PayPal to sue the Maryland cop right into the ground.[/quote] I'm broke, but I'd send too

[bersaguy]

The reason for the time spent with the officer following was so he could run the mans license plates. Once he learned they were legal for that vehicle he ran the owner of the car through the data base and that is where he learned that the owner of that vehicle also had an HCP from his home state and that was when he pulled him over. Not when he ran his drivers license and registration. He knew before he ever turned on his lights to pull the gentleman over. I know this to be fact because I know several of my friends that have been pulled over in a similar manner and it turned out that the main reason for pulling them over was in fact to see if they were armed and more important to see and make sure they had their HCP with them. They all had them with them so the cop couldn't do anything except turn them loose. If they would have had their gun and failed to have their permit they most likely would have been arrested. If you ever get a LEO following you for an extended period of time they are most likely doing the same thing. I have also heard that from a few buddies that are LEO's. They said if the officer gets bored he will pick out a vehicle that he thinks might have an HCP or a gun in the vehicle they are running your tags if they follow you very long and if they get far enough they will learn you have an HCP from the plates on your vehicle. Not all officers do this but there are a few that do........................jmho 

Edited January 15, 2014 by bersaguy

[wjh2657]

I do sincerely hope that the Reichfueher has awarded this deserving Sturmmann the Eisernes Kreuz. He is a true credit to the Reich!

[RobertNashville]

The reason for the time spent with the officer following was so he could run the mans license plates. Once he learned they were legal for that vehicle he ran the owner of the car through the data base and that is where he learned that the owner of that vehicle also had an HCP from his home state and that was when he pulled him over. Not when he ran his drivers license and registration. He knew before he ever turned on his lights to pull the gentleman over. I know this to be fact because I know several of my friends that have been pulled over in a similar manner and it turned out that the main reason for pulling them over was in fact to see if they were armed and more important to see and make sure they had their HCP with them. They all had them with them so the cop couldn't do anything except turn them loose. If they would have had their gun and failed to have their permit they most likely would have been arrested. If you ever get a LEO following you for an extended period of time they are most likely doing the same thing. I have also heard that from a few buddies that are LEO's. They said if the officer gets bored he will pick out a vehicle that he thinks might have an HCP or a gun in the vehicle they are running your tags if they follow you very long and if they get far enough they will learn you have an HCP from the plates on your vehicle. Not all officers do this but there are a few that do........................jmho 

I'm not so sure this works...by that I mean, I'm not so sure that permit information is tied to vehicle license tags and especially so when it's an officer in another state.  Certainly they can run the plate and (assuming it's a private vehicle and not a rental, etc) get the name and address that goes with the tag and then maybe figure it out eventually (assuming MD has access to FL permit data). Seems like a lot of effort just to see if someone might have a permit!  :shrug:

 

Anyway, my point in posting this story, aside from the obvious, is that it illustrates something I've been saying for a while which is that many of the LEOs coming out of academies in recent years are not "gun friendly" or not pro-gun in the hands of "civilians"...these younger LEOs haven't been raised around firearms and may not even like to shoot their own service weapons. I don't think many would do what these guys did; at least I would hope not, but I suspect we'll see more of this in the future.

[Oh Shoot]

I'm not so sure this works...by that I mean, I'm not so sure that permit information is tied to vehicle license tags and especially so when it's an officer in another state.

 

All handguns must be registered in MD, permit or not. Who knows how their databases are integrated. Probably a lot tighter than here.

 

- OS

[RobertNashville]

All handguns must be registered in MD, permit or not. Who knows how their databases are integrated. Probably a lot tighter than here.
 
- OS

Yes, but if I understood the story correctly the permit holder was from Florida and was just traveling through Maryland. Whatever the registration requirements are in MD I doubt it would be easy for a MD LEO to know if a FL resident was a permit holder or not.but maybe not!

[Oh Shoot]

Yes, but if I understood the story correctly the permit holder was from Florida and was just traveling through Maryland. Whatever the registration requirements are in MD I doubt it would be easy for a MD LEO to know if a FL resident was a permit holder or not.but maybe not!

 

Aha, upon re-reading, you're right. Got impression he was MD resident going to NJ. Indeed, he was traveling from his resident in FL.

 

Just shows then, there are shared databases everywhere and we just don't know the extent of them. How else could the cop have known, unless MD gets both the FL permit and license databases, and put them together themselves?

 

Doesn't sound like the kind of guy who would have a NRA sticker on his car or something, but anything's possible I guess.

 

- OS

Edited January 15, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[peejman]

Aha, upon re-reading, you're right. Got impression he was MD resident going to NJ. Indeed, he was traveling from his resident in FL.

 

Just shows then, there are shared databases everywhere and we just don't know the extent of them. How else could the cop have known, unless MD gets both the FL permit and license databases, and put them together themselves?

 

Doesn't sound like the kind of guy who would have a NRA sticker on his car or something, but anything's possible I guess.

 

- OS

 

I have an acquaintance who's a federal marshal.  You'd be amazed at how quickly they can access all sorts of information about you, your family, your neighbors, etc. 

[TMF]

Awesome. I wouldn't think that CCP/HCP information would be shared between states. I don't like that. I have to travel through the occupied states this summer (MD, NJ, NY). I hate hate hate going up there.

[jhc77]

Aha, upon re-reading, you're right. Got impression he was MD resident going to NJ. Indeed, he was traveling from his resident in FL.
 
Just shows then, there are shared databases everywhere and we just don't know the extent of them. How else could the cop have known, unless MD gets both the FL permit and license databases, and put them together themselves?
 
Doesn't sound like the kind of guy who would have a NRA sticker on his car or something, but anything's possible I guess.
 
- OS

This makes my driving trip to Cape Cod more stressful now. Besides 19 hours, dark tint, and a HCP ( which will stay at home unfortunately due to MA), I'm going to be white knuckled once I hit the northern states.

[Dolomite_supafly]

This makes my driving trip to Cape Cod more stressful now. Besides 19 hours, dark tint, and a HCP ( which will stay at home unfortunately due to MA), I'm going to be white knuckled once I hit the northern states.

If you are going to be there for any amount of time then mail the gun to yourself. Perfectly legal to mail a gun to yourself.

[Erik88]

If you are going to be there for any amount of time then mail the gun to yourself. Perfectly legal to mail a gun to yourself.

 

Via UPS?

[E4 No More]

This is a good reason why we need to be as litigious as possible. Cost these departments enough money in legal fees and settlements and they'll get the message that this kind of stuff doesn't fly.

[RobertNashville]

Via UPS?

I think you can us the USPS or FedEx but I'm pretty sure UPS doesn't ship firearms.

[LagerHead]

Where's his legal defense fund? I'd love nothing more than to send him something via PayPal to sue the Maryland cop right into the ground.

 
It would be money wasted. There is absolutely zero chance of winning this lawsuit. Police are given a LOT of leeway when it comes to investigating a suspected crime, and the fact that the wife said the gun was "maybe" in the glove box or console gave him probable cause under the law. As far as the law, or you or I are concerned, he is untouchable.

This is a good reason why we need to be as litigious as possible. Cost these departments enough money in legal fees and settlements and they'll get the message that this kind of stuff doesn't fly.

 
By these departments you of course mean the taxpayers. Edited January 15, 2014 by LagerHead

[Monkeyman2500]

I've been pulled over once in Nashville and once in Brentwood. both times the officer knew I had a permit, and was very friendly. I also roll all my windows down and turn all my inside lights on. I will never go to any of the states where I would have to worry about having my weapon.

[E4 No More]

 
It would be money wasted. There is absolutely zero chance of winning this lawsuit. Police are given a LOT of leeway when it comes to investigating a suspected crime, and the fact that the wife said the gun was "maybe" in the glove box or console gave him probable cause under the law. As far as the law, or you or I are concerned, he is untouchable.

 
By these departments you of course mean the taxpayers.

Yes, I mean tax-payers since corporately it includes everyone. And to your point above to Glock30, an officer has to have reasonable suspicion that a law has been broken. That does not include randomly running tags to see if someone has a gun permit which explains why their IA is involved.

[TMF]

I think you can us the USPS or FedEx but I'm pretty sure UPS doesn't ship firearms.

They do. I'm shipping one today through them. They just won't ship from their little package shops. I have to go to the actual distro center.

[RobertNashville]

They do. I'm shipping one today through them. They just won't ship from their little package shops. I have to go to the actual distro center.

Ah...that's been my problem then! :)

 

Good to know!

[Oh Shoot]

They do. I'm shipping one today through them. They just won't ship from their little package shops. I have to go to the actual distro center.

 

There is now no way to ship a handgun between unlicensed individuals assuming you follow both UPS and FedEx Terms of Service, and federal law. UPS changed theirs about 6 months ago to same as FedEx,  and of course you can't use USPS.

 

Both UPS and FedEx require notification of firearm in shipment, and federal law requires same for shipments not going to a licensee.

 

Even shipping a long gun through USPS is problematic too.

 

- OS

Edited January 15, 2014 by Oh Shoot