imported post
Welcome, sipowicz.
Speaking as someone who HAS had one of those encounters (poke around, it's here somewhere), I can say that the reasons for them are many and varied. Some of those reasonshave already been posted; but, in all charity toward police officers,three others come to mind:
1) most of the encounters LEO have with gun-toting non-LEOs are of the criminal kind, often on the receiving end;
2) there are simply too many laws for all LEOs to know them all; and
3) to some LEOs, seeing a non-LEO carrying is, in their opinion,a professional insult - it says the carrier doesn't believe the police are doing their jobs.
Yeah, I was ticked off when it happened to me, but I managed to diffuse my situation; and I believe my letter to the Superintendent may have contributed to at least one ranking officer publicly admitting that OC was a legally protected right.Following the same public meeting where that statement occurred, I got another officer to admit to a few of us who remained after the meeting to talk a bit that their training simply didn't cover all of the laws (because there are so many) and that their training centers on things that are illegal. Since OC is legal, most of the LEOs don't get told that until something like one of the encounters you've read about here takes place.
In short, if you are on the receiving end of an unpleasant LEO encounter, and if you have not violated any law, then my advice to you is to be polite but firmly insist that you are correct in your actions. Cite the exact law, preferrably by number, that contradicts what the LEO is saying to you. If that does not work, remain as calm as possible and ask for a supervisor. When all else fails, offer no resistance to arrest, then lawyer up and file whatever lawsuit may be justified.
If you know the laws cold, your chances of having to go to the lawsuit end of the spectrum will be greatly diminished - unless you get involved with a real ass of a LEO.
