Thejoyofdriving
Regular Member
Unpleasant encounter with a sheriff in Mendocino national forest
Hello, Im new to opencarry.org. I've been lurking for a while and decided to join.
As the title says, I had an unpleasant experience while in Mendocino. This doesnt have anything to do with open carry specifically but I am looking for some advice on what I could have done better and what the officer did wrong.
I was driving along minding my own business when I approached a narrow one lane road. I saw a green truck come down. I pulled off the road to allow it to pass. Instead of driving by the truck blocks the road and a sheriff and some one else who was some form of law enforcement approached the car. They ask me what im doing and tell them im just going up the road to check out a trail that we wanted to hike. They asked what was up with my "arsenal" (looking at my mossberg and AR15 riding shotgun). I told them I just got the shotgun and wanted to try it out and my buddy lent me the AR. She asked if I had a weapon on my person and I said yes(I was LOC my m&p) Then the sheriff asked me to step out of the car, again, for no reason. She walked me and my friend over to the hood of the car and then removed my sidearm. Then she told me that she was going to check all the weapons in the car to make sure they didnt have a round in the chamber. I told her I dont consent to any searches of my vehicle and she didnt like that. She told me that she has the right to check all of the weapons (i dont know if what she did was legal or not but I didnt want to argue so I said ok but I dont consent to any searches). She then questions me about the length of my mossberg 930 and i told her it is the 18.5" factory bbl. After checking all of the weapons and unloading them she told me to unload them when I hit paved road and to take the shells out of my mossbergs side saddle. I ask why and she said that if they are in the shell holder than the gun is loaded. I told her that the court ruled that shells on the butt-stock are specifically mentioned and that does not make the gun loaded since they are not in a position that makes the weapon ready to fire(people vs clark). She said has done "research on the subject and I was wrong" and that we can agree to disagree(which really tick'd me off). After which I was free to go.
I feel that they had no right to stop and detain me. I was not doing anything wrong and I feel that they had no probably cause that I was doing something unlawful. They probably saw the guns but i cant imagine its something out of the ordinary out here.
Hello, Im new to opencarry.org. I've been lurking for a while and decided to join.
As the title says, I had an unpleasant experience while in Mendocino. This doesnt have anything to do with open carry specifically but I am looking for some advice on what I could have done better and what the officer did wrong.
I was driving along minding my own business when I approached a narrow one lane road. I saw a green truck come down. I pulled off the road to allow it to pass. Instead of driving by the truck blocks the road and a sheriff and some one else who was some form of law enforcement approached the car. They ask me what im doing and tell them im just going up the road to check out a trail that we wanted to hike. They asked what was up with my "arsenal" (looking at my mossberg and AR15 riding shotgun). I told them I just got the shotgun and wanted to try it out and my buddy lent me the AR. She asked if I had a weapon on my person and I said yes(I was LOC my m&p) Then the sheriff asked me to step out of the car, again, for no reason. She walked me and my friend over to the hood of the car and then removed my sidearm. Then she told me that she was going to check all the weapons in the car to make sure they didnt have a round in the chamber. I told her I dont consent to any searches of my vehicle and she didnt like that. She told me that she has the right to check all of the weapons (i dont know if what she did was legal or not but I didnt want to argue so I said ok but I dont consent to any searches). She then questions me about the length of my mossberg 930 and i told her it is the 18.5" factory bbl. After checking all of the weapons and unloading them she told me to unload them when I hit paved road and to take the shells out of my mossbergs side saddle. I ask why and she said that if they are in the shell holder than the gun is loaded. I told her that the court ruled that shells on the butt-stock are specifically mentioned and that does not make the gun loaded since they are not in a position that makes the weapon ready to fire(people vs clark). She said has done "research on the subject and I was wrong" and that we can agree to disagree(which really tick'd me off). After which I was free to go.
I feel that they had no right to stop and detain me. I was not doing anything wrong and I feel that they had no probably cause that I was doing something unlawful. They probably saw the guns but i cant imagine its something out of the ordinary out here.
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