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Disarmed by Las Vegas Metro today

Las Vegan

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
145
Location
Las Vegas
(cross-posted on the Nevada Shooters forum)

This just happened earlier today. I'd like to tell it while it's fresh in my mind.

I have a friend who has gotten herself into a bad situation. She is a single lady, and she's very tiny (five-foot-nothing and 95 pounds). She lives by herself in an apartment a couple of blocks from me. A while back she started allowing a homeless guy to live in her garage because she felt sorry for him. Las Vegas being as hot as it is, he was soon hanging out inside her apartment to keep from roasting during the day, and because she travels she gave him a key to the place. He started "borrowing" her car when she wasn't home, and she never said anything to him about it because, again, she felt sorry for him and she didn't want to be "mean" (her words).

Last week things got really out of hand (his friends hanging out with him in her apartment, things going missing, etc.), one thing led to another, and he grabbed her by the neck and said that he was going to kill her. Obviously the guy is a complete whack job. She didn't want to call the police, but I insisted on changing all of her locks.

This morning she called me to say that last night he came to her door with a bow and arrow (yeah, whack job!) and when she wouldn't unlock the door for him, he went out to the parking lot and slashed two of her car's tires and then went back to "his" garage. I jumped in the car to head over there and try to convince her again to call the police, and if not at least get her out of there. After calling me, she called her brother, and he had enough sense to call the police and meet them there at her place.

When I got there the brother, two Metro officers, and the whack job where out in the parking lot, with the whack job in cuffs. I went to my friend's apartment and she told me that the police hadn't come to talk with her yet. Soon they came to her door and asked her to come outside and talk with them, and her brother came inside to wait with me. I assume at this point the whack job was in the cruiser still in cuffs.

My friend's brother suggested that I take her away when she was done with the police, and I said that I would go and wait for her by my car. This is when it got personal with me.

I opened her front door to see her and the two cops standing right there. The walkway is very narrow, and I said to the cops, "Is it ok if I walk past?" I had to ask because they would have to step aside for me to get through. One of them said to go ahead, and I walked by them. Because of where they were standing, I had to walk by them with my right side to them. That's when they noticed that I was OCing my Star 30M in a belt holster. One of them told me to stop and asked me where I was going. I said that I was going to my car to leave. Then he asked me if I had any "bad intentions." I said, "No sir. I'm just going to my car." He said, "I can't have you walking around with a gun in a volatile situation. Come here."

I walked towards him and he said, "Turn around." I said, "Excuse me?" and his partner said, "He wants you to turn around." I turned my back to him and he reached forward, unsnapped my holster, and disarmed me. I turned around to see him remove the magazine, clear the chamber, and pocket the mag and spare round. He stood there with my handgun in his hand with the slide racked back, and he said, "You can go now. You can get this back later."

I said, "How am I supposed to get that back?" At this point he kicked into Alpha Male, and he said (a bit loud and less than politely), "Don't worry about it. You can get it later." I smiled and said, "All I'm asking for is instructions. If you want me to get that back later, what do I need to do?"

He said, "Are you leaving now?" Even though this had already been explained to him twice, I repeated, "Yes." Seeming frustrated, he handed me the handgun with the slide open, the mag and round still in his pocket, and said, "Go back inside." I took the gun and did as he said. A few minutes later he opened the front door and walked in, handed me the magazine and round, and walked back out. He didn't say to leave the gun unloaded, or to leave it off of my belt, or any other instructions.

Without any word from him, I put the round back in the magazine and put the magazine in my front pocket, and then put the gun back in its holster. A little while later they were done with my friend. They declined to arrest the whack job, but they took a report from my friend and gave her instructions on how to file for a TRO (temporary restraining order). When my friend was ready, I went outside to get my car, and I saw the two cops standing next to their car with the nutjob standing with them. It was far enough away that I couldn't see if he was still in cuffs, but it looked like he wasn't, and of course they had already said that they weren't going to arrest him.

So the situation stands with him still on the apartment complex property, still living in the garage, and my friend still having to come and go from her home knowing that the psycho is still around.

So, now about me. :)

First let me say that I would have handled my interaction with the cops completely differently if my friend was not involved. The last thing I wanted to do was make her situation worse, although as it turned out the cops didn't really do much for her anyway.

But let's look at what they did do with me. They were there for what amounted to (in their eyes) a domestic dispute. While they are talking to the lady in question, a guy walks out of her apartment with a gun. The suspect is out in the parking lot in their car and unattended. I can understand their concern.

I find it odd that the one officer chose to disarm me without telling me what he was about to do. I don't have to tell you that the "retain your weapon at any cost" reflexes kick in hard when that happens and you are not expecting it.

Next consider that he never asked me for ID. If you had just disarmed a citizen and then told him to leave and collect his firearm "later," wouldn't you at least ask him his name? Similar to other situations involving armed citizens and Metro, I have to wonder about the training that they receive. I would think that there would be a standard procedure for handling a situation like this one.

It didn't occur to me until later that all I had to do before leaving the apartment to walk past the police officers was to conceal my gun by untucking my shirt and pulling it over the holster. Yes, I have a permit and yes it was in my wallet. I would have been legal, and I would have avoided my first interaction with the police over the fact that I carry.

Finally, go ahead and kick me in the pants about not recording. I have a perfectly functional voice recorder that I purchased for exactly this type of situation, but thinking about getting to my friend after she called me I was in "oh sh!t" mode and didn't think to grab it. Very stupid on my part. My philosophy is "Always Carry, Always Record," and I blew it.

I welcome any questions, comments, suggestions, or discussion.

(by the way, my friend is fine for now. She was feeling a bit sheepish after having to sit through another lecture from me, and she's now sleeping soundly on my couch)
 
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mark-in-texas

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
319
Location
Richmond, Tx
What's the whack job doing still on the property??!?! If he's not a leasee of an apartment, then management should have him arrested for trespass if he refuses to leave. If they don't, this may be a good way for her to break any sort of lease aggrement she has, if that's an issue. (Failure on there part to maintain safety)

Is this guy mental or a substance abuser? Do they still do that 72 hr 'observation' hold at the county psych ward?

I do think the officer went slightly overboard. He didn't know you or what you may have intended to do, so he jumped a bit hard. He could have just asked politely for you to take your weapon inside instead of snatching it and getting pissy.
 

Las Vegan

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
145
Location
Las Vegas
Mark, apparently the courts have gone a bit soft in the head regarding tenant's rights. If you allow someone to stay in your residence, they automatically have certain rights and there are procedures that you have to go through to have them removed. How crazy is that? I think that you are right about just telling the property owners or management company. Surely it can't be legal for anyone, regardless of whether or not their name is on the lease, to sleep in a garage on their property.

Tomorrow is Monday, so my friend can make some phone calls. She needs to tell the property owners that the guy is in her garage and doesn't want to leave. Hopefully they will call the police, and then it's their problem and not my friend's.
 

Dangerfish

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63
Location
, ,
You need to contact Metro and advise them what the officer did. The fact is he didn't ask or tell you he was going to disarm you. One time they might try that with someone that is highly trained in weapon retention and that would be a very bad outcome for all partys...
 

Las Vegan

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
145
Location
Las Vegas
True, but like I said in this particular case I'm not going to do anything that might even possibly make my friend's situation worse. What happens if she has to call the police again, and the same officer shows up? I don't want him thinking about the jerk who called his superior officer to bitch anout his behavior. Sorry, I know that sounds like a lame excuse.
 

Vegassteve

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
1,763
Location
Las Vegas NV, ,
True, but like I said in this particular case I'm not going to do anything that might even possibly make my friend's situation worse. What happens if she has to call the police again, and the same officer shows up? I don't want him thinking about the jerk who called his superior officer to bitch anout his behavior. Sorry, I know that sounds like a lame excuse.

In light of the recent killings in Las Vegas by metro I think you did just fine. It was a tough situation to be in. The only thing I would have done is called the police before I went over. I know we all want to protect those we care about but you going in like that may have been bad for more than just you.
 

Deanimator

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
2,083
Location
Rocky River, OH, U.S.A.
I have a cousin in Chicago, very much like your friend. She's always stopping to give money to the bums downtown.

She's very religious and way too nice for her own good. I'm afraid it's going to get her killed some day.
 

nomidlname

Regular Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
100
Location
Reno, Nevada, USA
First off, Let me say your lucky Las Vegas Metro didn't draw their weapons and kill you for making a furtive movment. With the recent history of Las Vegas Metro they appear to be getting extremely dangerous to interact with. More so than criminals.

You need to report this action and do FOIA request for the day. See if he ran your serial number on the gun. Find out as much as you can. Bottom line he put your life and safety in severe jeopardy by doing what he did and violated your right to keep and
 

DanM

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
1,928
Location
West Bloomfield, Michigan, USA
She is a single lady, and she's very tiny (five-foot-nothing and 95 pounds). She lives by herself in an apartment a couple of blocks from me. A while back she started allowing a homeless guy to live in her garage because she felt sorry for him.

I stopped right there.

You should not befriend people so stupid. They eventually are going to do something resulting in permanent removal from the gene pool. Like taking in random homeless people who are whack jobs with lethal weapons. Why risk the possibility of being around when that happens and also coming to harm or death?

Stupid people are annoying. Really stupid people are a threat to the safety of themselves and others. Run, my friend, from this really stupid person. Run quickly.
 
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DON`T TREAD ON ME

Regular Member
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
1,231
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
I think you did good, you could keep track of this situation with a CAD report etc, I would ask for an event # anytime I have a "encounter" with LE. that way if something goes bad down the road, you have evidence that you carry your weapon lawfuly, and LE knows it.

Sometimes making a stink is the proper way to go. I would go to internal affairs and squeek over that one.
 

wewd

Regular Member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
664
Location
Oregon
Go down to the animal shelter and get her a cat. If she feels the need to take care of something, the worst the cat will do is throw up a hairball on her sofa.
 

Gunslinger

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
3,853
Location
Free, Colorado, USA
So, slashing tires and making threats against someone's life--carrying a deadly weapon, is legal in LV--as is trespass. And having your house lose 50% of its value in a year. Plus heat that would make hell seem like a great place to visit in the summer. Great place to live. I'll stay in Colorado...you did fine; the cops are morons.
 
2

28kfps

Guest
Las Vegan, I want to thank you for sharing this story. Definitely opens yourself to possible negative or unpleasant replies with such details. Every story posted here I learn something. As you say, one can understand the officers concern seeing an open carried gun into a tense situation. Hard for me to say what I would have done. I believe I may have secured the firearm off my person if possible if knowing Metro was coming. Hard to say for sure not being in the situation. You got your gun back within a short time and little or no verbal abuse. For what it is worth, I give you a thumbs up for how you handled it. Not sure why the person got stay in the garage. Your friend can ask him to leave. If he does not leave, I believe she can trespass him if he does not leave then Metro can then arrest him. Your friend is putting herself in real danger. Even on Americas most wanted every so often, you see where a person believing they are being kind, who lets a person in a hard way into their home to end up hurt, robbed, or murdered.
 

Cycopath

New member
Joined
Feb 20, 2008
Messages
2
Location
, ,
I had a similar experience to this.

A female friend of mine was in a bit of a pickle herself, regarding her ex-bf. He had a reputation of finding out where she moved to, breaking in and destroying items in the apt, and beating her up if he saw her. I tell her that she can stay with me for a few days and we needed to go by her place to get some clothes etc. We had metro meet us down the street and go with us to the property in case he was there/showed up. First thing when I get out of the car, one of the officers noticed I was OCing. He asked why, to which I replied, to protect myself and friend if needed. He asked that I unload my weapon and leave it in the car. Well, in the meantime, the officers were reading through the history of this guy and went inside to clear the apt and make sure it was safe. While standing there talking for about 20-30 minutes while my friend gathered some belongings, and hearing the stories, seeing the destruction in the apt, the officer asks if I would be more comfortable getting my weapon out of the car as well. So he sent me out to get it, we talked for another 20-30 minutes inside before they left. He flat out told me, if you see him at the door, don't bother opening it. If he starts attempting to break the door down or anything of the sort, shoot.
 

chrsjhnsn

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
338
Location
La Paz county, Arizona.
thanks!

good post, hopefully your friend learned a lesson- and good for you for taking the high road and not alienating the cop.
Tenant law is interesting- I had someone throw all my stuff on the street once or twice-oblivious to law.
Its a good thing we have these laws because some people have no clue as to law and need to be taught a lesson.
One guy 20 years ago threw my stuff out "because I had a gun in my room"

I think you did good- hopefully the cop will get educated soon on oc law
 
2

28kfps

Guest
Last post from Las Vegan was almost a month ago. Looks like we may have lost another active poster and supporter of the meetings.
 

crzyjarmans

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Messages
37
Location
las vegas,nv
should think twice

(cross-posted on the Nevada Shooters forum)

This just happened earlier today. I'd like to tell it while it's fresh in my mind.

I have a friend who has gotten herself into a bad situation. She is a single lady, and she's very tiny (five-foot-nothing and 95 pounds). She lives by herself in an apartment a couple of blocks from me. A while back she started allowing a homeless guy to live in her garage because she felt sorry for him. Las Vegas being as hot as it is, he was soon hanging out inside her apartment to keep from roasting during the day, and because she travels she gave him a key to the place. He started "borrowing" her car when she wasn't home, and she never said anything to him about it because, again, she felt sorry for him and she didn't want to be "mean" (her words).

Last week things got really out of hand (his friends hanging out with him in her apartment, things going missing, etc.), one thing led to another, and he grabbed her by the neck and said that he was going to kill her. Obviously the guy is a complete whack job. She didn't want to call the police, but I insisted on changing all of her locks.

This morning she called me to say that last night he came to her door with a bow and arrow (yeah, whack job!) and when she wouldn't unlock the door for him, he went out to the parking lot and slashed two of her car's tires and then went back to "his" garage. I jumped in the car to head over there and try to convince her again to call the police, and if not at least get her out of there. After calling me, she called her brother, and he had enough sense to call the police and meet them there at her place.

When I got there the brother, two Metro officers, and the whack job where out in the parking lot, with the whack job in cuffs. I went to my friend's apartment and she told me that the police hadn't come to talk with her yet. Soon they came to her door and asked her to come outside and talk with them, and her brother came inside to wait with me. I assume at this point the whack job was in the cruiser still in cuffs.

My friend's brother suggested that I take her away when she was done with the police, and I said that I would go and wait for her by my car. This is when it got personal with me.

I opened her front door to see her and the two cops standing right there. The walkway is very narrow, and I said to the cops, "Is it ok if I walk past?" I had to ask because they would have to step aside for me to get through. One of them said to go ahead, and I walked by them. Because of where they were standing, I had to walk by them with my right side to them. That's when they noticed that I was OCing my Star 30M in a belt holster. One of them told me to stop and asked me where I was going. I said that I was going to my car to leave. Then he asked me if I had any "bad intentions." I said, "No sir. I'm just going to my car." He said, "I can't have you walking around with a gun in a volatile situation. Come here."

I walked towards him and he said, "Turn around." I said, "Excuse me?" and his partner said, "He wants you to turn around." I turned my back to him and he reached forward, unsnapped my holster, and disarmed me. I turned around to see him remove the magazine, clear the chamber, and pocket the mag and spare round. He stood there with my handgun in his hand with the slide racked back, and he said, "You can go now. You can get this back later."

I said, "How am I supposed to get that back?" At this point he kicked into Alpha Male, and he said (a bit loud and less than politely), "Don't worry about it. You can get it later." I smiled and said, "All I'm asking for is instructions. If you want me to get that back later, what do I need to do?"

He said, "Are you leaving now?" Even though this had already been explained to him twice, I repeated, "Yes." Seeming frustrated, he handed me the handgun with the slide open, the mag and round still in his pocket, and said, "Go back inside." I took the gun and did as he said. A few minutes later he opened the front door and walked in, handed me the magazine and round, and walked back out. He didn't say to leave the gun unloaded, or to leave it off of my belt, or any other instructions.

Without any word from him, I put the round back in the magazine and put the magazine in my front pocket, and then put the gun back in its holster. A little while later they were done with my friend. They declined to arrest the whack job, but they took a report from my friend and gave her instructions on how to file for a TRO (temporary restraining order). When my friend was ready, I went outside to get my car, and I saw the two cops standing next to their car with the nutjob standing with them. It was far enough away that I couldn't see if he was still in cuffs, but it looked like he wasn't, and of course they had already said that they weren't going to arrest him.

So the situation stands with him still on the apartment complex property, still living in the garage, and my friend still having to come and go from her home knowing that the psycho is still around.

So, now about me. :)

First let me say that I would have handled my interaction with the cops completely differently if my friend was not involved. The last thing I wanted to do was make her situation worse, although as it turned out the cops didn't really do much for her anyway.

But let's look at what they did do with me. They were there for what amounted to (in their eyes) a domestic dispute. While they are talking to the lady in question, a guy walks out of her apartment with a gun. The suspect is out in the parking lot in their car and unattended. I can understand their concern.

I find it odd that the one officer chose to disarm me without telling me what he was about to do. I don't have to tell you that the "retain your weapon at any cost" reflexes kick in hard when that happens and you are not expecting it.

Next consider that he never asked me for ID. If you had just disarmed a citizen and then told him to leave and collect his firearm "later," wouldn't you at least ask him his name? Similar to other situations involving armed citizens and Metro, I have to wonder about the training that they receive. I would think that there would be a standard procedure for handling a situation like this one.

It didn't occur to me until later that all I had to do before leaving the apartment to walk past the police officers was to conceal my gun by untucking my shirt and pulling it over the holster. Yes, I have a permit and yes it was in my wallet. I would have been legal, and I would have avoided my first interaction with the police over the fact that I carry.

Finally, go ahead and kick me in the pants about not recording. I have a perfectly functional voice recorder that I purchased for exactly this type of situation, but thinking about getting to my friend after she called me I was in "oh sh!t" mode and didn't think to grab it. Very stupid on my part. My philosophy is "Always Carry, Always Record," and I blew it.

I welcome any questions, comments, suggestions, or discussion.

(by the way, my friend is fine for now. She was feeling a bit sheepish after having to sit through another lecture from me, and she's now sleeping soundly on my couch)

you did a fine job,but your friend should think twice about allowing homeless staying at her home,we all feel bad about there situation,but putting your life at risk,just not smart
 
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