When would my gun be kept in police custody?

[Doug.38PR]

I know that it takes a while, if ever, to get a gun back from the Police if it is used in self defense and taken for evidence....but, what if the gun is seized not involved in a gun related incident.

For example, say I am hit by a car while crossing the street and and knocked unconcious. A gun is revealed beneath my sport coat when I hit the ground. Paramedics and the nearest policeman responds.

What happens to my gun? Does it have to go downtown and be stored, do I have to provide all this paperwork junk to get it back (what if it is purchased over the table at a gunshow?) or does the officer just hang on to it with the rest of my personal items and they are all given back when I wake up and am determined to be okay or it is easily handed back to me by the hospital or police after get after I get out of the hospital?

 

[tlm225]

I can't speak for all agencies, but in mine the gun would be placed in our property section until you can retrieve it. After your release from treatment you would contact our property/evidence officer and sign for the gun. (Provided of course that there were no charges pending involving the gun)

 

[Doug.38PR]

How complicated is that? A policeman on another forum said once that his department required 1) a background check on you before you could claim it, 2) proof (paperwork) that the gun actually belonged to you. Some people don't have any "paperwork" with their gun, they inherited it, bought it as a show or they just can't find their old reciept for it.

 

[gfd_703]

I had a friend go down out of state on his motorcycle. The ambulance picked him up and on the way to the hospital he told them he had a gun. It was a problem, they told him in their state guns were not allowed in hospitals or even in the ambulance. He explained that at the time he was picked up he was not able to let them know so one of the medics took the gun and gave it to a police officer for safe keeping. The next day when he was released the officer brought his gun to him and wished him a safe trip home.