• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

visit from metro

Bravo_Sierra

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
912
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
imported post

So this was two nights ago. I didn't post earlier because I had better things to do this weekend. Anyway.

About 10:30pm I was watching T.V. Just flippin' through the channels, bored out of my mind when I heard a loud knock at the door. I was late and my holster was off, but my G19 was tucked under my right leg, as usual.

I got up and looked through the peep-hole. 6 Metro Police Officers. I set the G19 down on the couch. I opened the door. Dialogue went as follows

Me: How can I help you gentlemen?
Cop1: Are you Michael (some surname I forgot)?
Me: No sir, My name is Ben...
Cop1: Does he live here?
Me: No, I have a female room mate.
Cop2: Well, you neighbors say he does, and you fit the description.
Me: ... Sure I do. Well, Here is my I.D. Handing to Cop1.
Cop1: It's not him guys. (turning to me) Have a nice night, Sir.. Sorry to bother you.

Cops leave, I retrieve my G19 and go back to flippin'

10 minutes passes.

Another knock.

I look through the peep again... sure enough. It's them again. Set the G19 down in the same spot and open the door.

Me: Guys... *sigh* it's 10:40!
Cop1: All you neighbors say that HE lives here...
Me: Well they are mistaken. Look, I'm not in the habit of lying to the Police, so hell, would you like to come in and check? I have nothing to hide.
Cop1: Sure.
Me: Okay, well I don't appreciate people knocking on my door late at night, so there is a loaded Glock on the couch there if you'd like to secure it.

All 6 of them enter. Cop2 sets his hand on my Glock.

Me: Take a seat man.

we both sit down and watch T.V. while Cop1 searches.

Cop1: Do you have a room mate?
Me: ... *sigh* yeah, like I said, it's a chick...
Cop1: Okay, again sorry to bother you.

The lot of them leave. They went on to knocking on the some-dd 400 apartments and finally found the guy. What pisses me off is I saw them cuff and haul the guy off.. Now they "description" I "fit" was a guy in his late 40's who was about 6' and ooo.... 250lbs. I'm 6'4" and weigh friggin 130lbs!!!! wet and wearing boots...

I don't even care to bother calling Metro about this bullshit, it's just annoying, poor police "work." All I can say is that I'm glad they weren't retarded about all the guns and ammo I have in here.
 

bobernet

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
Messages
333
Location
Henderson, Nevada, USA
imported post

Bummer.

What's most shocking to me about this is that someone who frequents this forum, and has presumably seen and read all the advice to not volunteer stuff to the police, not consent to searches, etc - voluntarily offers their ID, then invites the police in to search their apartment. Wow.

Glad it worked out ok for you. Personally, I wouldn't take very kindly to a bunch of metro officers calling me a liar.
 

Vegas_Dave

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
106
Location
Henderson, Nevada, ,
imported post

bobernet wrote:
Bummer.

What's most shocking to me about this is that someone who frequents this forum, and has presumably seen and read all the advice to not volunteer stuff to the police, not consent to searches, etc - voluntarily offers their ID, then invites the police in to search their apartment. Wow.

Glad it worked out ok for you. Personally, I wouldn't take very kindly to a bunch of metro officers calling me a liar.

Sorry, but I disagree with you here.

Yes, you do not need to consent to a search, you do not need to offer anything up... but when the cops are trying to do their job, why shouldnt we as citizens do anything we can to help.

I always will give any assistance I can to a cop in any way shape or form. Bravo did well. No real sweat of his *ack and the cops left him alone. Remember, they were going off other morons telling them that the suspect they were looking for was there. So they are simply following their lead. Yes, their lead was wrong, but if the person they were looking for had done something that warranted his arrest, then they should also take every lead seriously in order to capture the person.

Good job Bravo.
 

bobernet

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
Messages
333
Location
Henderson, Nevada, USA
imported post

By opening the door and answering their questions, he was assisting them.

Proving that he wasn't a liar after he'd already "assisted" them twice should have been unnecessary. Why was random apartment dweller's word more reliable than his?

Consenting to a search of your home to "prove" that you're not a liar is foolish. Maybe you need to go watch the video of the attorney and LEO lecture again. We have 4th amendment rights for a reason.
 

varminter22

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
927
Location
Fallon, Nevada, USA
imported post

I reckon I'm not often "on the fence" on issues.

However, I agree with both Bobernet and Vegas Dave in basic premise. I reckon it might depend upon the situation.

On a good note, it seems the LEOs were genuinely polite. At least they didn't "lecture." No bad guy and the good guy retires to watching TV with Glock in hand.

I dunno. But I'm glad the situation didn't degenerate.
 

bobernet

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
Messages
333
Location
Henderson, Nevada, USA
imported post

Think about this for a minute... Bravo may know his roommate really well. Perhaps they've lived together for 15 years. But maybe she was giving a friend a ride home from work and the friend left her sweater in the car. Bravo's roommate brings it in the house and drops it on her dresser, thinking she'll return it next time she sees the friend.

Cops are searching the bedroom and see a baggie full of white powder poking out of the sweater pocket. Turns out the bag is over some arbitrary weight limit that now implies "intent to distribute."

Bravo has a Glock (and likely other firearms in the house), so now he's arrested and his property confiscated. He's charged with multiple felonies, including the sentence enhancer "using a firearm in the commission of a felony."

How much time and money is it going to take Bravo to prove that he had nothing to do with it, to get his firearms back, to get his job back after spending time in jail pending a felony trial, etc?

All so he could "prove" to the LEO that he was telling the truth the first two times he "assisted" them by answering their questions that had nothing to do with him.

This is just one scenario, but there's many ways this could go south. Let's say for just a minute that the roommate goes to court and claims she knows nothing about the sweater or the baggie, and it must be Bravo's. Now it's down to his word against hers, and a roll of the dice on who the jury believes.

Bravo may end up doing 10 years in prison and having his life destroyed, all so he could "assist" LEO by proving his innocence.

You don't have to be anti-LEO or a "bad citizen" to realize that volunteering info and inviting police into your home can have a LOT of unintended consequences.
 

calmp9

Regular Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
195
Location
, ,
imported post

Bravo_Sierra wrote:
So this was two nights ago. I didn't post earlier because I had better things to do this weekend. Anyway.

About 10:30pm I was watching T.V. Just flippin' through the channels, bored out of my mind when I heard a loud knock at the door. I was late and my holster was off, but my G19 was tucked under my right leg, as usual.

I got up and looked through the peep-hole. 6 Metro Police Officers. I set the G19 down on the couch. I opened the door. Dialogue went as follows

Me: How can I help you gentlemen?
Cop1: Are you Michael (some surname I forgot)?
Me: No sir, My name is Ben...
Cop1: Does he live here?
Me: No, I have a female room mate.
Cop2: Well, you neighbors say he does, and you fit the description.
Me: ... Sure I do. Well, Here is my I.D. Handing to Cop1.
Cop1: It's not him guys. (turning to me) Have a nice night, Sir.. Sorry to bother you.

Cops leave, I retrieve my G19 and go back to flippin'

10 minutes passes.

Another knock.

I look through the peep again... sure enough. It's them again. Set the G19 down in the same spot and open the door.

Me: Guys... *sigh* it's 10:40!
Cop1: All you neighbors say that HE lives here...
Me: Well they are mistaken. Look, I'm not in the habit of lying to the Police, so hell, would you like to come in and check? I have nothing to hide.
Cop1: Sure.
Me: Okay, well I don't appreciate people knocking on my door late at night, so there is a loaded Glock on the couch there if you'd like to secure it.

All 6 of them enter. Cop2 sets his hand on my Glock.

Me: Take a seat man.

we both sit down and watch T.V. while Cop1 searches.

Cop1: Do you have a room mate?
Me: ... *sigh* yeah, like I said, it's a chick...
Cop1: Okay, again sorry to bother you.

The lot of them leave. They went on to knocking on the some-dd 400 apartments and finally found the guy. What pisses me off is I saw them cuff and haul the guy off.. Now they "description" I "fit" was a guy in his late 40's who was about 6' and ooo.... 250lbs. I'm 6'4" and weigh friggin 130lbs!!!! wet and wearing boots...

I don't even care to bother calling Metro about this bull@#$%, it's just annoying, poor police "work." All I can say is that I'm glad they weren't retarded about all the guns and ammo I have in here.

All of that was to get a reaction from you. They can lie to get you to say what they want to hear. Unfortunately for them, there was nothing to hear.
 

calmp9

Regular Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
195
Location
, ,
imported post

bobernet wrote:
Think about this for a minute...  Bravo may know his roommate really well.  Perhaps they've lived together for 15 years.  But maybe she was giving a friend a ride home from work and the friend left her sweater in the car.  Bravo's roommate brings it in the house and drops it on her dresser, thinking she'll return it next time she sees the friend.

Cops are searching the bedroom and see a baggie full of white powder poking out of the sweater pocket.  Turns out the bag is over some arbitrary weight limit that now implies "intent to distribute."

Bravo has a Glock (and likely other firearms in the house), so now he's arrested and his property confiscated.  He's charged with multiple felonies, including the sentence enhancer "using a firearm in the commission of a felony."

How much time and money is it going to take Bravo to prove that he had nothing to do with it, to get his firearms back, to get his job back after spending time in jail pending a felony trial, etc?

All so he could "prove" to the LEO that he was telling the truth the first two times he "assisted" them by answering their questions that had nothing to do with him.

This is just one scenario, but there's many ways this could go south.  Let's say for just a minute that the roommate goes to court and claims she knows nothing about the sweater or the baggie, and it must be Bravo's.  Now it's down to his word against hers, and a roll of the dice on who the jury believes.

Bravo may end up doing 10 years in prison and having his life destroyed, all so he could "assist" LEO by proving his innocence.

You don't have to be anti-LEO or a "bad citizen" to realize that volunteering info and inviting police into your home can have a LOT of unintended consequences.

A situation like that could happen.
 

Bravo_Sierra

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
912
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
imported post

You guys... this is the reason why I don't frequent this forum much anymore. MOST of of the people here are looking to piss off cops who are just trying to do their job.

THIS is what would have happened had I followed retarded advice:

knock at the door, all that crap

me: who is it
Cop1: Metro Police, we are looking got Michael soandso
me: Do you have a search warrent?
Cop1: ... No
me: I do not consent to a search. please leave me alone.

Now they think I'm hiding something

10 minutes later there is a SWAT standoff cause' I had to "protect my rights."

Or I could have acted the way I did and been left alone.
 

bobernet

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
Messages
333
Location
Henderson, Nevada, USA
imported post

Bravo_Sierra wrote:
You guys... this is the reason why I don't frequent this forum much anymore. MOST of of the people here are looking to piss off cops who are just trying to do their job.
So, explain to us how choosing not to invite police into your home for a search, when you've already been courteous and honest with them is "looking to piss off cops."

THIS is what would have happened had I followed sensible advice:
me: who is it
Cop1: Metro Police, we are looking got Michael soandso
me: Sorry, I'm not him and I've never heard of him. Good luck.
That's how it could have gone down. They didn't demand ID, they didn't demand to search, they didn't threaten to get a search warrant. You volunteered your ID and then volunteered to have the police come search your apartment (for anyone, anything they chose to look for - they aren't bound to tell you the real reason for being there).

Glad it worked out well for you, but there are lots of ways it could have gone bad. And someone else following your lead may end up in a worse situation than you did.

Now they think I'm hiding something 10 minutes later there is a SWAT standoff cause' I had to "protect my rights." Or I could have acted the way I did and been left alone.
So, it's really that difficult for you to understand the difference between being polite and reasonable without surrendering your rights and leaving yourself in a bad position - and "trying to piss off the cops" and getting yourself into a "SWAT standoff"??

Why the melodrama? Is it that hard to engage in a rational discussion?
 

calmp9

Regular Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
195
Location
, ,
imported post

Bravo_Sierra wrote:
You guys... this is the reason why I don't frequent this forum much anymore. MOST of of the people here are looking to piss off cops who are just trying to do their job.

THIS is what would have happened had I followed retarded advice:

knock at the door, all that crap

me: who is it
Cop1: Metro Police, we are looking got Michael soandso
me: Do you have a search warrent?
Cop1: ... No
me: I do not consent to a search. please leave me alone.

Now they think I'm hiding something

10 minutes later there is a SWAT standoff cause' I had to "protect my rights."

Or I could have acted the way I did and been left alone.

I don't think that you would have pissed them off in the first encounter. By your account, you acted okay. You volunteered your ID, but they would have asked you for it had you not done that. You were cooperating fully with the police.

The second encounter could have gone differently. After being confronted, I would have said the same thing, that they are mistaken and that it's late. I would have left it that to see what they would say next.

I don't think that a refusal to allow a search would have pissed them off. It's your right to do so and it was late at night. You would not have been unreasonable. It does not mean that you were not cooperating. Personally, I have no problem with denying the search and I am as law abiding as they come.
 

Wheel

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
32
Location
, ,
imported post

The thing is, you've allowed them into your apartment to search it. That means they can look anywhere for anything. If you do not consent to a search they then must obtain a warrant that specifies what they are looking for. They can then only look in places where a reasonable person might believe you could be hiding what they are looking for...



You know, they can't look in your dresser drawers for a 250 pound man. You do not have to submit to a search in the interestof "not pissing off cops." It could really end bad for you, especially considering you have a roommate and have NO IDEA what she may have hiding in her room.



I understand you meant well, but that is exactly what lands many well-intentioned people in jail.
 
Top