SCSO breifly "detained" me

I need to set the scene for this.
I shoot at a pit behind a locked gate. It's only 100 yards or so to the pit, so I load up my wheelbarrow in the back of the p/u, and put all my "stuff" in there to go up the hill to shoot.
I set up my bench, chrono, targets, etc and loaded to shoot some strings.
After my first shot, I hear someone call.
Turn to see a female SCSO deputy. She asks me to step away from the firearm. I do, and approach her. She says she is investigating a call of illegal dumping. I explain that this pit is little used by shooters, and I jealously guard against it being trashed like so many others that have become off-limits. She says it is apparent that there is no illegal dumping going on, and asks for my name so she can document that there was no violation. I acquiesce, tho it seems unnecessary. I'd rather not encourage her to look for some other reason to roust me.
She leaves, asking that I not return to my bench and AR until she is out of sight. I agree, so she can feel safe in her job.
So, tho my session was delayed a few minutes, it ended well, and we parted friends, or at least not adversarys.
It was sort of OC, but there were long arms as well as peestolas.
So, did you bust any caps this weekend?

Were you carrying?

A sidearm durning this event? Do you carry a sidearm while you are at target practice?

If you do not, my I encourage you to continue to OC a sidearm. What a better place for a criminal to rob you of your guns while you are unarmed and reloading.

gogodawgs said:

A sidearm durning this event? Do you carry a sidearm while you are at target practice?

If you do not, my I encourage you to continue to OC a sidearm. What a better place for a criminal to rob you of your guns while you are unarmed and reloading.

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I had 2 sidearms available, but it would have been very foolhardy for someone to mess with any piece not immediately supervised. Since my AR was with me, a thief would have been at a serious disadvantage.
I was more concerned about my truck, out of visual while I was shooting.

gogodawgs said:

A sidearm durning this event? Do you carry a sidearm while you are at target practice?

If you do not, my I encourage you to continue to OC a sidearm. What a better place for a criminal to rob you of your guns while you are unarmed and reloading.

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Roger that. I went to a very small pit in Skagit Co today with my son and a buddy. I was OC but there was always someone next to the rifles. I always keep one pistol loaded at all times and never set down a loaded firearm.

It sounds like she just needed some info for a report. Good encounter!

I did a few rounds of skeet this weekend. I did carry my sidearm also.

Not to critique you Hammer just my own curiosity.

I wonder if the encounter would have ended so friendly if you said no to the name request? In my personal experiences this question of "authority" suddenly turns friendly into antagonistic.

Bookman said:

It sounds like she just needed some info for a report. Good encounter!

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Really, That's what they say so then can run you. The report could just as easily read. Talked with a white, male, aprrox. 6' tall, blue eyes, brown hair. Vehicle number XX0X0X, No dumping occurred.. End report.

Wouldn't a more appropriate "Heading" have been "I was CONTACTED by SCSO rather than sensationalizing the encounter with the word "Detained"?

It would be a pretty unbelievable stretch to say you were detained at all. Sounded like a rather amiable encounter. No cuff's, no sitting in a back seat, no guns pointed. If only they could all be like this.

amlevin said:

Wouldn't a more appropriate "Heading" have been "I was CONTACTED by SCSO rather than sensationalizing the encounter with the word "Detained"?

It would be a pretty unbelievable stretch to say you were detained at all. Sounded like a rather amiable encounter. No cuff's, no sitting in a back seat, no guns pointed. If only they could all be like this.

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Since the word "detained" was in quotes in the title, I took it to be rather tongue-in-cheek, not an attempt to sensationalize anything.

ak56 said:

Since the word "detained" was in quotes in the title, I took it to be rather tongue-in-cheek, not an attempt to sensationalize anything.

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That's more it, and since detained by general definition is to be delayed in one's progress against their will it was a brief detainment.

sudden valley gunner said:

I wonder if the encounter would have ended so friendly if you said no to the name request? In my personal experiences this question of "authority" suddenly turns friendly into antagonistic.

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I wondered the same thing, and since I WAS behind a locked gate without specific permission to be there, I didn't want to cause a reason to look for some trumped up violation to pursue. It seemed clear to me that if I gave my name she would be satisfied and go away. I just wanted to return to my shot string and relieve my chrono's battery. I could sense she was a bit uncomfortable approaching alone in an isolated place and clearly outgunned. I had a good 50 pounds on her as well, so she probably looked to worst case and was cautious. LEOs have NOT forgotten that not too long ago a female SCSO was shot down in a rural area.

Hammer said:

SNIP.

LEOs have NOT forgotten that not too long ago a female SCSO was shot down in a rural area.

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Just wondering - - which county was this in? I see SCSO and I think Spokane but I'm not aware of any female Spokane deputy being shot.

Lammo said:

Just wondering - - which county was this in? I see SCSO and I think Spokane but I'm not aware of any female Spokane deputy being shot.

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Skagit County, an hour north of the big city.
The gunman shot 6 or 7 people, engaged LEOs in a chase, then turned in at the sherriff's office to declare himself insane. Sounds like crazy like a fox....

Hammer said:

Skagit County, an hour north of the big city.
The gunman shot 6 or 7 people, engaged LEOs in a chase, then turned in at the sherriff's office to declare himself insane. Sounds like crazy like a fox....

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Well, had to be that or Snohomish or Skamania. Pretty sure it wasn't Stevens or Spokane. Thanks!

amlevin said:

Wouldn't a more appropriate "Heading" have been "I was CONTACTED by SCSO rather than sensationalizing the encounter with the word "Detained"?

It would be a pretty unbelievable stretch to say you were detained at all. Sounded like a rather amiable encounter. No cuff's, no sitting in a back seat, no guns pointed. If only they could all be like this.

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I too noticed the quotes around the word detained.

I wonder if the OPer felt a little more commanded than maybe the wording of the OP indicates.

I guess I'm just not sure I understand why the word detained was used.

Hammer,

Regarding your cooperation, were you there under, shall we say, questionable legality? Meaning private property not your own without permission?

I'm just trying to figure out if there was some circumstance that made it seem to you in your better interests to cooperate.

I was going to ask the same thing, I found an AG opinion that shooting on public land is pre-empted by the state. Locked gates are to keep vehicles out usually because of dumpers.

SVG,
Can you post or pm a copy of that opinion? It could be very valuable to have when shooting.

Citizen said:

Hammer,

Regarding your cooperation, were you there under, shall we say, questionable legality? Meaning private property not your own without permission?

I'm just trying to figure out if there was some circumstance that made it seem to you in your better interests to cooperate.

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That is true. I keep telling myself I will research the owner(s) of the pit, and get permission. But not having it, it was in my interest to keep the peace with the LEO and not make waves. I'll edit this if I soon find the owner and it is public land.

Edit to add: It is a timber co

Hammer said:

That is true. I keep telling myself I will research the owner(s) of the pit, and get permission. But not having it, it was in my interest to keep the peace with the LEO and not make waves. I'll edit this if I soon find the owner and it is public land.

Edit to add: It is a timber co

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They might not be so quick to give permission. I used to ride my motorcycle on what ended up being Plum Creek Timber land. They quickly put up No Trespassing signs. Argument given was they didn't want to be liable if anyone was hurt.