I met a pro-gun LEO, when I got pulled over!!!!!

J

Jeff OTMG

New member
Yes, I got pulled over last weekend while I was in Austin. No 12-34hom not for one of the moving violations that I am frequently guilty of, too much protection from that, but for an expired registration on one of my motorcycles.

I am not home much these days and have 4 motorcycles that I must put some miles on while I am in town and an Austin LEO pulled up behind me at a stop light and noticed my expired plate. He pulls me over and my hands go on top of my head. He says I can put them down, I leave them where they are and I give him my speech (first time for me), 'Officer, for your safety, as well as my own, I must inform you that I have a valid Texas CHL and that I am currently armed. The gun is in the right side zippered pocket on my vest. I will stay like this should you wish to disarm me.' He asked a couple of questions, took my pistol and placed it in his car. He then commented on how pleased he was with the way I handled the situation and, now get this, that he was a strong believer in an individuals right to carry a gun to protect themselves! We talked guns a little while until his backup showed up, Labor Day weekend was real slow for them they said. The backup LEO was a pro-gunner too! The officer who pulled me over again said how well I handled it and how people should have guns to protect themselves. As it turns out he said this at least 3 times before we were through.

I got the ticket for expired registration and not having proof of insurance, I had left the insurance form in Indianapolis (real smart since the bike is in Austin) so now I have to mail in my proof of insurance and get the bike registration current so my ticket will only be $10. All in all a very pleasant experience.
 
Glad to hear it worked out alright, all things considered.

Let me ask an honest question ... I'm not trying to be cute. Wouldn't leaving your hands on the handlebars be sufficient? I think mentioning the CCW / CHL is a decent idea, but placing your hands on top of your head seems like a possible 'tip off' that you're used to felony stops, no?

In a car, my understanding is that most LEO's appreciate seeing both your hands on the steering wheel. Trying to extend that advice to a bike.

Regards from AZ

[This message has been edited by Jeff Thomas (edited September 09, 2000).]
 
HEY, HEY, too bad you were not driving your car Jeff, after looking into your trunk i was pro gun to.... :)

Glad everything worked out. Probably see ya in Tulsa.
 
You put your hands on your head, you were disarmed, detained untill backup arrived.
Did you at least make them use a lubricant?
 
Jeff Thomas,
I agree with you. When I pull somebody over or approach somebody and they put their hands in the air or on their head they make me nervous. I start wondering if they just robbed my favorite donut shop. I prefer to just see their hands on the steering wheel or not sticking them in their pockets.
 
Think back to an age where cops were just people who had power over murderers, thieves and rapists, and served everyone else. When you could buy the equipment they had, and they fought crime, not maintained power over people. (Yes, this may be far back enough to where we're talking wild west sheriffs).

You were detained, your weapon was taken from you in a manner that past generations would only associate with an armed stagecoach robbery.


Okay, so you didn't exactly get Rodney King treatment either, and yes this was probably nicer than one would get in a lot of other places; but it saddens me that this is something to get excited about.


Battler.
 
Funny you should mention this. I got pulled over yesterday. :)

My front liscense plate fell off, so I just stuck it in my front window. I was driving along and a sheriff's deputy saw me, I made eye contact and must have looked suspicious. The funny thing is the reason I looked at him was because thats one of the departments that I am thinking about applying with. :)

He came up to the window, and I handed him my liscense and ccw, and said "Here is my liscense and my concealed weapons permit." I kept my hands on the wheel. He said, "Do you have it on you?" I said, "Yes, its on my hip." He said, "Ok, just leave it there."

No problem, he was professional and courteous. Didn't bat an eye about my being armed. At the end he thanked me for telling him about it. And he let me off with a warning, just told me to get the plate fixed. :D
 
I have been stopped 4 times while carrying. In each instance, informed the officer of my armed status while presenting my CHL and DL.

One made no comment and handed it back,
One said it was the first time he had ever seen a CHL,
One asked me what I was carrying,
One offered that he would quit before enforcing confiscation.

NONE disarmed me.

Of course, it is at the discretion of the officer, and understandably so. I guess it depends on where you are.

[This message has been edited by Allen_Raiford (edited September 10, 2000).]
 
NMSP stopped me last summer while I had a pistol on my hip and a shotgun across the seat. None were taken or inspected. I was stopped for doing 85.
 
:D "Robbed My Favorite Donut Shop" :D

------------------
We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous
 
I do leave my hands on the wheel in a car, but on the bikes I don't like to keep my back turned. Paranoid maybe? Also having my arms up out of the way allows them easy access to firearm in a pocket. It is departmental policy in Austin that the officer is required to disarm a CHL holder anytime there is direct interaction, so it is not up to the descretion of the officer. It seems that if they are not busy and it is at night they will wait for two officers on the scene for safety before continuing. Many agencies use to run two officers to a car, at least at night, that seems to be a thing of the past. The inconvience doesn't bother me as I want the officer to feel comfortable with me. He has a job that requires him to go in harms way on purpose. Anything I can do to make it easier for him I am happy to do. As a result the whole incident will only cost me $10. It could have been much worse. The plate was two years out of date and no vehicle inspection either. They could have impounded the bike and it would be a major hassle for me to get it back since I am in Indy. All in all it worked out just fine.


On another occaision I was rendering aid at the scene of a traffic accident when an off duty Austin officer came upon the scence (he was on his way to work and was in uniform). I avoided interacting with him until he came right up to me while I was working with the passenger in the car and asked me a question about her condition. I then had to give my speech and he mentioned that we were not interacting and I told him we weren't until he started talking to me. I was then disarmed and continued my work. Funny thing was that the fire and police units arrived a minute later and I was able to retrieve my guns (yes I was carrying two) and leave before he was able to figure out how to unload the Autauga with the mag release on the left grip panel.
 
Jeff, are you sure it wasn't the pony tail? I've got short hair, and I've never been disarmed at a traffic stop, even while being given the standard field sobriety test. Evidently, leaving a bar parking lot at 3am is enough for a suspicion of DUI. I was the designated driver, so it was just a waste of my time and the deputy's, but I didn't point that out to her.
Eric
 
I've interacted with various TX agencies 4 times and never had to disarm. They asked where the gun was and we moved on.

One was a Ranger and very positive.
 
I don't usually mention whatever I am carrying, I just hand the LEO my CCL along with license and proof of insurance.
 
Eric, the ponytail is gone!! I am a clean cut respectable looking productive member of society.

EnochGale, that is what I have heard about agencies in Texas, including DPS, but Austin has a disarm policy. At least that is what I was told.

Spectre, in Oklahoma it must be the first thing out of your mouth. Even before saying Hi or Good evening. Since I use to spend so much time in Oklahoma I am just in the habit of doing it in Texas.
 
There's a lot of us. :)

Sadly, I haven't yet been handed a CHL. But maybe it's because CHL-holders get pulled over less. It's an absolute fact that CHL holders are by and large the good guys in our society. I personally am of the opinion that I am much safer when I pull over a CHL-holder on the side of the road out in the middle of nowhere than when it's someone else. Here's what I know: <UL TYPE=SQUARE>
[1.]This person has passed a criminal background check.
[2.]This person is clearly attempting to follow the laws of the land, because (s)he is identifying him/herself to me as an armed citizen.
[3.]After I ask where the gun is, I will be told. This means that I actually know where the weapon is, while I have to speculate on every other person I pull over. We have to just assume that everyone is armed, for good or bad. This doesn't bother me; it's reality. </UL>

If the first guy I stop actually has no major infraction and is not in a huge hurry, may well ask to see his weapon out simple curiousity. The law says I may "demand" it, but out of personal courtesy, I believe that in most situations, I'll just ask politely. On the other hand, I may well just say,"Okay, do me a favor and don't reach for it, but just leave it where it is."

So much of this depends on how you perceive the guy in front of you.

Jeff, I'd have to agree, I'd be calling in to find out if my local Krispy Kreme just got knocked over, too, if I pullled over a motorcyclist who put his hands on his head. Simply continuing to hold your handlebars is best. If you want to see behind you, keep looking in your rear-view, or cut your handlebars hard to the ditch and look over your ditch-side shoulder. My suspicion is that a cover unit was called out because of your peculiar behavior with your hands on your head. I can appreciate what you did, but I just wanted you to know that there are things that set off our little alarms. Try calling the next officer "Boss-man" or "Boss", next time you're pulled over, and you'll get to see how long it takes to have a criminal history run on you and relayed over the radio or computer. ( ;)) I applaud your telling the officer you status as a CHL-holder IMMEDIATELY. If he's pro RKBA (like yours truly), he'll be at ease. If he's an anti, he won't get flustered when he eventually finds out. That, and, of course, it's the law. :)
 
I've interacted twice with the local constabulary, both times at my residence. I was the complaintant both times. The first time, in accordance with NC law, I handed the LEO my driver's license and CHL. He told me that he didn't need to see ID, as he believed I was who I said I was. I then pointed to the CHL in his hand and told him that that was in particular what I wanted him to see. After about fifteen seconds, he finally got it. He handed everything back to me and didn't say anything about it to me or to his partner for the duration of the interview.

The second time, I went through the same tap dance and handed DL and CHL to the officer. His partner was outside interviewing the perpetrator. The officer looked at the DL and CHL, wrote down my info, and handed evrything back to me. Nothing further was said about the CHL.
 
I live in Indiana and I understand that Indiana law does not require you to tell officer of permit. I wander if it would not be a good idea to do so anyway? Does anyone have expierence in Indiana?
 
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