Virginia State Police-Concealed Handgun-Encounter

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So I am driving down I66 east when I get lit up by VSP.

I pull over, turn off radio, flip my mirror due to BRIGHT lights of the Trooper, turn on inside light, hands on the wheel and wait. Trooper comes up to the passenger window, I wind it down. -In Virginia there is not a 'duty to notify'. My personal thoughts have been I would not notify unless I believed there was a chance the officer might see my firearm, then I would advise him/her rather than them being surprised.

I had a backpack leaning against the back of passenger seat and a holstered XD9 sub compact halfway stuck behind it.( If the Trooper would have approached the driver side window it would have been fairly noticeable if he glanced around the interior.) Since his eyeballs were only 1.5 feet from the firearm, though partially obscured, I thought it best to let him know.




Trooper: License and registration please
Me: (as I reach for my wallet) Be advised I have a CHP and there is firearm under that backpack.
Trooper: OK.........Let me see your CHP too.
Me: Yes Sir
Trooper: Is it loaded?
Me: (I am now thinking this is where it is going to start going downhill) Yes.
Trooper( As I hand him my driver's license and conceal permit) and your registration?
Me: (hand him registration)
Trooper: See here -this is why I stopped you.( Expired sticker)
Me: I know, (as I hold up a citation I had recently received for the same infraction. Thanks LEO 229!!!!!:cuss: )

Trooper: OK I won't write you up another one, let me go run your license, be right back.
Me: (hands back on the steering wheel)

etc..

The Trooper never even blinked when I mentioned a firearm, professional and courteous the whole encounter. I was wearing a Kimber hat, at some point in the conversation he asked me if my gun was a Kimber. That was the only other mention of the gun that came up.

Kidding aside, I think there is a fair chance LEO229 WAS the officer that gave me the expired sticker citation while my truck was parked. I'll have to verify.:lol:

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Doesn't the VA DMV have a site where you can renew your registration online and have the tags sent to you like most states? ^_^

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Yes and theydo. They now penalize you buy charging$5 more if you do it in person. They also closed the drive through in Hampton which mostly served those renewing tags.

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penalize you? I see it more like a handling charge.

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I had a funny experience with a VSP officer about two years ago. I had just turned onto the access lane for east bound 88 from north bound 15 in Haymarket early one morning (like around 4:50am). As I made my turn, I saw a VSP cruiser who had come up the access lane from east bound 66 to go north on 15, suddenly revert and come up behind me and hit his lights. I pulled over and noticed that the LEO in the passenger side got out and came up to my passenger window. He asked for the requisite IDs and I mentioned that I had a gun in the car. He asked where was it and I pointed to my cup holder in my console. He asked if I had my CHP with me and I fished in my wallet for it. Now I have to mention that I was pretty nervous since I almost never get stopped by an LEO (haven't had a moving violation since April 1971). In my quest for my CHP, I pulled out my typed and laminated card with my daily medications (yes, I do need to take a few). We both had a good laugh at that one. He asked if the gun was a Glock and I said no, it is a Kahr. We wished me well and we both went on our way. I'm convinced it was a "training" stop, but I will never know.

Bottom line is all of the VSP officers I have encountered have been fine as have county and local ones (except one Arlington motocop maggot).

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insane.kangaroo wrote:

penalize you? I see it more like a handling charge.

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Well, aren't we the model well-behaved little subject?

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marshaul wrote:

insane.kangaroo wrote:

penalize you? I see it more like a handling charge.

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Well, aren't we the model well-behaved little subject?

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Don't mind the Furball. He walks in tight lockstep to the beat of the government drum.

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Hey now, why can't the government be a bit capitalist to cover the costs of the person at the DMV?

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I too used to live in Virginia and I too always felt that the departments there were FAR superior to those out west.

Most of them I knew personally were good guys with level heads and respectable charachter. I can't say the same for a single officer I have met here in California.

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Well, California is it's own entity. You just have to know where to look.

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My job brings me into contact with VSP on a fairly frequent basis as I provide some training for them. I've had the opportunity to talk guns and citizen carry with them a few times in casual conversations and I am of the impression they are really okay with it. The corporate attitude seems to be that anyone who holds a CHP is not the kind of person they are worried about. I've not had the open carry (no CHP) conversation with any of them yet, but am looking forward to bringing that up at the next opportunity.

Overall, I have to say that our troopers are really top-notch!

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insane.kangaroo wrote:

Hey now, why can't the government be a bit capitalist to cover the costs of the person at the DMV?

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The only way I would support even having a DMV is if the government paid us to use it. And, yes, they should have to pay us more when we come in person.

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Theseus wrote:

I too used to live in Virginia and I too always felt that the departments there were FAR superior to those out west.

Most of them I knew personally were good guys with level heads and respectable charachter. I can't say the same for a single officer I have met here in California.

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Really? I didn't know you were a fellow former-Virginian. :celebrate

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I had a discussion with a pair ofTexas DPS troopersa few weeks ago at a fast food joint. We ended up sitting at tables next to each other and talked firearms/concealed/open carry for a while.

Very nice guys, better than the local yocals you sometimes run into.

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I hope you plan on sending a commendation letter for the officer's professional demeanor...or have you already sent it?

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VAopencarry wrote:

Kidding aside, I think there is a fair chance LEO229 WAS the officer that gave me the expired sticker citation while my truck was parked. I'll have to verify.:lol:

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While parked? Doesn't a citation generally involve the officer seeing the infraction?

In this case, it would be operating the vehicle with an expired registration; if it's expired, the vehicle should be parked, right?

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Depends on the laws in his area.

I know in Anchorage, if you are missing a front license place you can be ticked while parked on the side of the street. I'm not sure if they'd give you a ticket if your tags were expired, quite the possibility, all depending where you park.

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Yes, I hailed from Virginia Beach to Suffolk and about most towns in between.

From my understanding in most states you can be given a ticket for expired tags if the vehicle can be seen from a public place. i.e. Your car is parked by your house, but can be seen from the sidewalk in front of your home...if it is expired it can be ticketed.