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Harassed by a purported federal agent

M

mpg9999

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I decided to go to the Nations gun show in Chantilly this afternoon with a friend. We were having trouble finding parking so we decided to go grab some lunch first at the nearby Chipotle. There was a man at a table near us with who I assume was his girlfriend. I could tell he was looking at me. When we got up to leave and walked by he asked if I was a LEO. I told him no. After a couple seconds of silence he asked if it was loaded. I said yeah, of course. He then tells me that I can't do that. I tell him that yes, I can. He then claims he is a federal agent and that I can't have a loaded gun in a public place. I tell him once again that I can. He then says something along the lines of "do you want to take this outside? Are we going to have a problem?". I told him no and walked away, as I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with him. He left right after we did, and I made a note of his license plate number (VA tags) and vehicle.

In hindsight, I really wish I had pressed the issue with him. I should have one, asked for ID once he claimed he was a federal agent. Then I should have offered to call the police to straighten this out. I'm really upset with myself that I didn't. The guy was being a jerk and sounding very aggressive.
 
peter nap

peter nap

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mpg9999 wrote:
I decided to go to the Nations gun show in Chantilly this afternoon with a friend. We were having trouble finding parking so we decided to go grab some lunch first at the nearby Chipotle. There was a man at a table near us with who I assume was his girlfriend. I could tell he was looking at me. When we got up to leave and walked by he asked if I was a LEO. I told him no. After a couple seconds of silence he asked if it was loaded. I said yeah, of course. He then tells me that I can't do that. I tell him that yes, I can. He then claims he is a federal agent and that I can't have a loaded gun in a public place. I tell him once again that I can. He then says something along the lines of "do you want to take this outside? Are we going to have a problem?". I told him no and walked away, as I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with him. He left right after we did, and I made a note of his license plate number (VA tags) and vehicle.

In hindsight, I really wish I had pressed the issue with him. I should have one, asked for ID once he claimed he was a federal agent. Then I should have offered to call the police to straighten this out. I'm really upset with myself that I didn't. The guy was being a jerk and sounding very aggressive.
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Did he look like a Federal Agent (shiny shoes and a spiffy haircut)

Check the tags and see who he is.

Impersonating a Federal Agent is a crime and very few Federal Agents will tell you they are Federal Agents unless it's business.

I used to run into a fellow at the Waffle House who claimed to be a DEA Agent.
 
M

mpg9999

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, Virginia, USA
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peter nap wrote:
mpg9999 wrote:
I decided to go to the Nations gun show in Chantilly this afternoon with a friend. We were having trouble finding parking so we decided to go grab some lunch first at the nearby Chipotle. There was a man at a table near us with who I assume was his girlfriend. I could tell he was looking at me. When we got up to leave and walked by he asked if I was a LEO. I told him no. After a couple seconds of silence he asked if it was loaded. I said yeah, of course. He then tells me that I can't do that. I tell him that yes, I can. He then claims he is a federal agent and that I can't have a loaded gun in a public place. I tell him once again that I can. He then says something along the lines of "do you want to take this outside? Are we going to have a problem?". I told him no and walked away, as I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with him. He left right after we did, and I made a note of his license plate number (VA tags) and vehicle.

In hindsight, I really wish I had pressed the issue with him. I should have one, asked for ID once he claimed he was a federal agent. Then I should have offered to call the police to straighten this out. I'm really upset with myself that I didn't. The guy was being a jerk and sounding very aggressive.
Click to expand...

Did he look like a Federal Agent (shiny shoes and a spiffy haircut)

Check the tags and see who he is.

Impersonating a Federal Agent is a crime and very few Federal Agents will tell you they are Federal Agents unless it's business.

I used to run into a fellow at the Waffle House who claimed to be a DEA Agent.
Click to expand...
He had short hair, but he also had a beard (it was somewhat trimmed). He wasn't in a suit or anything like that, just regular casual clothing.

How would one go about checking his tags?

One of the gentlemen at the VCDL table told me a story about a man who claimed to be a federal agent. Turned out he was a federal meat inspector...
 
peter nap

peter nap

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mpg9999 wrote:
peter nap wrote:
m
Click to expand...
He had short hair, but he also had a beard (it was somewhat trimmed).

How would one go about checking his tags?

One of the gentlemen at the VCDL table told me a story about a man who claimed to be a federal agent. Turned out he was a federal meat inspector...
Click to expand...
You can do it at DMV and I've never done it online, you can. There is a small fee. If you know a tame LEO, he'll usually do it as a favor.
 
user

user

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You could just go to the police and report him as impersonating a police officer. The tag number coupled with your description should be sufficient. They generally don't like people posing as cops, federal or local.
 
M

mpg9999

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user wrote:
You could just go to the police and report him as impersonating a police officer. The tag number coupled with your description should be sufficient. They generally don't like people posing as cops, federal or local.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't know that he wasn't, nor do I know that he was. It does seem a bit suspect.
 
peter nap

peter nap

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Curmudgeon

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mpg9999 wrote:
user wrote:
You could just go to the police and report him as impersonating a police officer. The tag number coupled with your description should be sufficient. They generally don't like people posing as cops, federal or local.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't know that he wasn't, nor do I know that he was. It does seem a bit suspect.
Click to expand...


That's why you report him. They will find out. ;)
 
SouthernBoy

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mpg9999 wrote:
user wrote:
You could just go to the police and report him as impersonating a police officer. The tag number coupled with your description should be sufficient. They generally don't like people posing as cops, federal or local.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't know that he wasn't, nor do I know that he was. It does seem a bit suspect.
Click to expand...
Firstly, you did an admirable job of handling yourself well under the circumstances. I congratulate you for that.

Perhaps you're right. A request for some ID could have put his butt on ice straight up. If he refused, then pull out your cell phone and fake a call to 911 to report someone impersonating a federal agent. Now you've got his ass in a sling. But you did well.
 
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nova

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I thought this was about all the NICS being delayed
 
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mpg9999

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I just remembered something else about the incident. When I went to the bathroom I noticed he was holding his phone up. The camera on it was pointed at me. It looked like he was pretending to text while taking a picture of me.
 
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nova

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mpg9999 wrote:
I just remembered something else about the incident. When I went to the bathroom I noticed he was holding his phone up. The camera on it was pointed at me. It looked like he was pretending to text while taking a picture of me.
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you should have returned the favor (in hindsight of course)
 
gis

gis

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SouthernBoy wrote:
mpg9999 wrote:
user wrote:
You could just go to the police and report him as impersonating a police officer. The tag number coupled with your description should be sufficient. They generally don't like people posing as cops, federal or local.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't know that he wasn't, nor do I know that he was. It does seem a bit suspect.
Click to expand...
Firstly, you did an admirable job of handling yourself well under the circumstances. I congratulate you for that.

Perhaps you're right. A request for some ID could have put his butt on ice straight up. If he refused, then pull out your cell phone and fake a call to 911 to report someone impersonating a federal agent. Now you've got his ass in a sling. But you did well.
Click to expand...
One of the first thinks I learned as amunicipal LEO is to ask for ID as well as to show ID if not in uniform. Even if the guy is a LEO, which I doubt, his behavior was unprofessional on many levels. Not producing ID is just the beginning. A LEO who perceives that the law is being broken (rightly or wrongly) does not ask you if you wantto step outside. Hegives directions anddemands compliance. Lack of compliance results in force and/or arrest. A LEO out of jurisdiction will usually not intervene, unless life and limb are at risk. Another thing that I quickly learned is that off-duty means off-duty unless a fellow officer needs help, and that the cell phone is your friend in these circumstances. If by some chance he is a LEO, his actions were probably motivated by his personal anti-gun sentiments, which, in my book, is abuse of power.
 
altajava

altajava

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The fact that this "fedral agint" did not want to enforce what he thought was the law is the first clue. Sounds like you handled it well. It also sounds like an occasion to have a voice recorder handy. Other than the grocery store, I have yet to havea reason to use mine.

If it were me, I would have had to politelytell him to pound sand if he did not produce ID.
 
gis

gis

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I forgot to say that I spent all afternoon at the show myself. There were plenty of VSP troopers andfeds there for both work and fun. You could have come across one with an axe to grind. I had lunch at Willard's. A number of people were open carrying.
 
user

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mpg9999 wrote:
I just remembered something else about the incident. When I went to the bathroom I noticed he was holding his phone up. The camera on it was pointed at me. It looked like he was pretending to text while taking a picture of me.
Click to expand...
He took a picture of you while you were in the bathroom? Were you, by any chance in a "state of undress" at the time? That's a crime in and of itself in Virginia.
 
M

mpg9999

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user wrote:
mpg9999 wrote:
I just remembered something else about the incident. When I went to the bathroom I noticed he was holding his phone up. The camera on it was pointed at me. It looked like he was pretending to text while taking a picture of me.
Click to expand...
He took a picture of you while you were in the bathroom? Were you, by any chance in a "state of undress" at the time? That's a crime in and of itself in Virginia.
Click to expand...
Sorry for the ambiguity. No, he did not. It's a one person bathroom. It was when I was walking back to my table from the bathroom.
 
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