GreatWhiteLlama
Regular Member
imported post
We had our first sun break in a while yesterday so I decided to walk to the grocery store with the G/F to get a few things for dinner. While waiting to cross the only intersection between our place and the Safeway, a Bellevue patrol car drove by and by the body language of the officer, I knew that he had noticed I was OC'ing.
Although I knew he had seen me, he did not immediately turn around so I thought it would be a non issue, but as we were walking in to the store I saw a BPD car pull up to the curb at the other end of the building and realized I would be having a confrontation.
As I was awaiting the inevitable conversation, I began inspecting the current lot of bananas. Just as I found a bunch, I heard over my shoulder, "excuse me sir". I turned around and responded with a pleasant, "hello". He asked "would you mind if I spoke with you for a minute?" and gestured towards a little farther down the aisle. I said "sure" and walked with him a couple feet farther down. He then stated, "The reason that I am here is that I saw that you were carrying". I responded with, "I thought you had noticed it but I wasn't sure if you were going to stop". He then replied with, "well, the reason I did was because you have your gun partially concealed" (my holster is an IWB that I carry in the front, right-hand side). After he said this, I couldn't help but grin and say, "yeah, but it's exposed". He smiled and said, "yes, but it's also concealed". I responded again with, “yeah, but it’s exposed”. He then responded with “I wasn’t sure if it was considered open carrying or concealed so I contacted my lieutenant who told me that since it was partially concealed, you had to have a license”.
OK, I know at this point I could have argued or put up some type of resistance, but considering that the entire exchange up to that point had been relatively easy going, I figured I would hold off and see where the conversation was going to go.
He finally asked if I had a CPL. I told him that I did and handed it to him. He looked it over and then asked if he could see my license. Again, I know that I would be within my rights to refuse, but I was more curious to see where he was intending to go with our little encounter than to stand some type of ground… Just as he began writing down my license number he received a transmission on his radio asking for his location. He looked up at me and said, “Don’t worry, we always have an extra officer show up when a gun is involved”. Shortly thereafter, two more officers came around the corner to join us. He immediately looked to the officers and said, “It’s OK, were code ‘X’”, (I forget which code he said). He then asked if I always “carry like that” and I told him that I did. He simply said “OK” and finished writing down my information. The most surprising statement made by the officer was, “I really appreciate your handling of this. I’ve come across a few other people that open carry and they always get excited and make a big deal out of me talking with them”. I was a little taken back with this and could only respond with, “really? I guess I’m just too laid back for that”.
The officer then handed back my ID and CPL and started in with the inevitable, “you know that carrying like that can scare people, blah blah blah”. I told him that I knew that that was a possibility and that I carried an information pamphlet for just such an emergency and pulled out the Washington Gun Rights Pamphlet (Thanks guy’s )and tried to hand it to him. He graciously declined so I tried talking the other officers into taking it, “How about you? RCW’s! They’re exciting reading!” They grinned and scurried off…
He finished by apologizing for taking time away from my grocery shopping and left.
There was a bit more to the exchange, but it happened yesterday and a few of the details are escaping me. I was however left with a feeling of only slight annoyance as I knew that technically they had no reason to confront me, but at the same time, there are now at least 3 BPD officers that will not have a need to approach me in the future as they know that I am a level headed, “average Joe” citizen simply exercising my rights.
And besides, I got them all to laugh
We had our first sun break in a while yesterday so I decided to walk to the grocery store with the G/F to get a few things for dinner. While waiting to cross the only intersection between our place and the Safeway, a Bellevue patrol car drove by and by the body language of the officer, I knew that he had noticed I was OC'ing.
Although I knew he had seen me, he did not immediately turn around so I thought it would be a non issue, but as we were walking in to the store I saw a BPD car pull up to the curb at the other end of the building and realized I would be having a confrontation.
As I was awaiting the inevitable conversation, I began inspecting the current lot of bananas. Just as I found a bunch, I heard over my shoulder, "excuse me sir". I turned around and responded with a pleasant, "hello". He asked "would you mind if I spoke with you for a minute?" and gestured towards a little farther down the aisle. I said "sure" and walked with him a couple feet farther down. He then stated, "The reason that I am here is that I saw that you were carrying". I responded with, "I thought you had noticed it but I wasn't sure if you were going to stop". He then replied with, "well, the reason I did was because you have your gun partially concealed" (my holster is an IWB that I carry in the front, right-hand side). After he said this, I couldn't help but grin and say, "yeah, but it's exposed". He smiled and said, "yes, but it's also concealed". I responded again with, “yeah, but it’s exposed”. He then responded with “I wasn’t sure if it was considered open carrying or concealed so I contacted my lieutenant who told me that since it was partially concealed, you had to have a license”.
OK, I know at this point I could have argued or put up some type of resistance, but considering that the entire exchange up to that point had been relatively easy going, I figured I would hold off and see where the conversation was going to go.
He finally asked if I had a CPL. I told him that I did and handed it to him. He looked it over and then asked if he could see my license. Again, I know that I would be within my rights to refuse, but I was more curious to see where he was intending to go with our little encounter than to stand some type of ground… Just as he began writing down my license number he received a transmission on his radio asking for his location. He looked up at me and said, “Don’t worry, we always have an extra officer show up when a gun is involved”. Shortly thereafter, two more officers came around the corner to join us. He immediately looked to the officers and said, “It’s OK, were code ‘X’”, (I forget which code he said). He then asked if I always “carry like that” and I told him that I did. He simply said “OK” and finished writing down my information. The most surprising statement made by the officer was, “I really appreciate your handling of this. I’ve come across a few other people that open carry and they always get excited and make a big deal out of me talking with them”. I was a little taken back with this and could only respond with, “really? I guess I’m just too laid back for that”.
The officer then handed back my ID and CPL and started in with the inevitable, “you know that carrying like that can scare people, blah blah blah”. I told him that I knew that that was a possibility and that I carried an information pamphlet for just such an emergency and pulled out the Washington Gun Rights Pamphlet (Thanks guy’s )and tried to hand it to him. He graciously declined so I tried talking the other officers into taking it, “How about you? RCW’s! They’re exciting reading!” They grinned and scurried off…
He finished by apologizing for taking time away from my grocery shopping and left.
There was a bit more to the exchange, but it happened yesterday and a few of the details are escaping me. I was however left with a feeling of only slight annoyance as I knew that technically they had no reason to confront me, but at the same time, there are now at least 3 BPD officers that will not have a need to approach me in the future as they know that I am a level headed, “average Joe” citizen simply exercising my rights.
And besides, I got them all to laugh