First Run In With LEOs While OC'ing

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I think some of you are making way too much out of this. I am in no way trying to preach to the choir here but it seems like some are confused as to how encountering law enforcement may or may not work.

Whoever said LEOs are hyper-alert when making a vehicle stop are correct (or a street Terry stop for that matter). When you, the motorist, are stopped, the correct position to put the LEO at ease is motor off, window down, dome light on, both hand on wheel and CLEARLY VISIBLE from the rearward approach. Also it you have time to have your paperwork ready and on your dash so you do not have to touch it, this helps too. These preparations will show the LEO that A) you are not hiding anything (like a gun to shoot him/her), B) you are not going to squeal your tires and peel out and/or run him/her over. This indicates a compliant nature and would be very important in the event of a police report (as opposed to non-compliant, combative, etc...)

The same applied is you are walking or on a bike. If you see flashing lights, dismount your bike, place your hands up in a compliant position and do not move until instructed.

This does not yield and civil liberties. It simply shows the LEO that you are compliant and ready to listen to him/her.

THEN if at any point movement on your part is required, you should clearly tell the LEO exactly what you are going to do. "I am going to get you my CWP. It is in my wallet in my rear left pocket. I am wearing a Glock 22 in a cross-draw holster on my left side. I have no intention to remove the weapon from its holster."

Etc. etc. you get the picture. Communicate.

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PYRO PSR wrote:

The other night i was OCing my ruger p95 and jumped in my buddy's car along with my gf and his gf. We passed by a LEO that was on the side of the road (doing whatever they do). As soon as we passed her, she pulled out behind us. We were not speeding or doing anything illegal. ...SNIP....

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While you personally were not doing anything illegal your buddy was by having expired tags.

This is just a general statement, if you obey the traffic laws, you don't get pulled over. handling your weapon was probably not the best thing to do but it did not seem it have an effect. As there seems to be some gray areas about car carry and OC a good CYA is to have a CCW

I have my insurance and registration in a envelope stuck in the passenger sun visor, that way I do not have to open the glove box and exposing that area to a visual search. I also would not open the trunk on the request of a police office, not because I have anything to hide but because I have a constitutional right to be secure in my person, house, papers, and effects.

Politely exercising your Rights does not make you a bad person.

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mFonz77 wrote:

THEN if at any point movement on your part is required, you should clearly tell the LEO exactly what you are going to do. "I am going to get you my CWP. It is in my wallet in my rear left pocket. I am wearing a Glock 22 in a cross-draw holster on my left side. I have no intention to remove the weapon from its holster.

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In other words, declare that I am carrying a pistol.

This is the problem. I get stopped just for walking at night fairly regularly, which to me is completely unreasonable, but whatever.

At that point, my behavior ("There is no glowing yellow orb in the sky and someone is perambulating! SUSPICIOUS!") is already suspicious. I am not particularly keen on saying, given the weirdness of the situation already, "Oh and by the way I have a gun too."

The reality of the situation is I shouldn't be stopped *at all*, but I guess that's too much to ask.

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crisisweasel wrote:

here is no glowing yellow orb in the sky and someone is perambulating! SUSPICIOUS!"

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I've always hated this crap.

How dare you be a mobile biped during a time when a giant gravitationally-fueled fusion reactor is on the other side of the planet from you!!! How dare you!

"It was dark" is a condition of nature and universal physics. Yet LEOs use it as a factor in declaring YOUR actions to be somehow 'suspicious.'

It's happened t me a few times. The last one asked me "What are you doing in leaning int he back door of that Van at 2AM?" To which I responded "If I could make time fast-forward, or cause the Sun to rise right now, I'd gladly do so; because this is a pain in the dark."

She didn't like that... Oh well.

It was my van, in my driveway. Had the giant fusion reactor in the sky been on the same side of the planet as myself, would anything have been said? So, exactly how is a map of the solar system any relation? I may as well say "Hey, why are you tying your shoes while children in China are starving?" It is completely unrelated and contributes nothing to a 'totality of circumstance' or RAS/PC.

It's like a broader version of "Shopping while Black." But since they do it to everyone, not just Blacks, it's OK...?

I have no control over the position of the Sun, as such, it is not part of my behavior...

[/rant]