Posted: 1/20/2010 12:24:12 PM EDT
| Yesterday I was pulled over, and when the officer walked up to my truck asked for my license, I told him I had a handgun sitting in the passenger seat. He then asked me to step out so he could check the weapon. Luckily I remembered to store it per Ohio laws. So he checked it, ran my license and sent me away with a warning about being more cautious at intersections lol. My question is did I do the right thing about informing him of my weapon first thing, or where it was stored properly is it even necessary? Any of you have any experiences or stories where someone failed to inform you of a weapon? |
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It's just plain simple common courtesy, if not required by law, to let a cop know. Most, not all, will appreciate this gesture of "Good Will" and will more than likely look favorable upon you and the situation that caused the interaction (traffic stop or what not). Most, not all, are less likely to OVER REACT or go on a 100 question binge as to "why do you need a gun" rant.
When folks tell me they have a firearm on them or in their vehicle, I smile and say something to the effect "so long as I don't see it we are both good to go"... this lightens the mood some and lets them know IMMEDIATELY that I am not going to make a big piss-ass deal about it. I want citizens to become comfortable with telling LEO they are armed without the fear of some jack ass over reacting... AND YES, I KNOW, SOME COPS DO... If I have stopped someone for a simple traffic violation, I DO NOT ask for the weapon nor do I ask them to exit the vehicle UNLESS there is something more going on. Again, my goal is to win the respect and trust of the armed citizen and help reduce the stories about cops going ape shit because a citizen is LAWFULLY ARMED. I say you did it right and the cop did too... ETA: Just for kicks, the next time a guy tells me he has a firearm, I would like to, in my best R. Lee Ermey voice hell "OUT FUCKING STANDING... YOU MAY BE A SPEEDER, BUT YOUR AN ARMED SPEEDER, AND THAT MAKES YOU PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY, NOW GIVE YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE NUM NUTTS".... 
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Haha....good ol R. Lee Ermey. I'm glad to see cops have an appreciation for armed law abiding citizens. That was my first time being pulled over with a firearm in my vehicle. The cop seemed satisfied but nervous as hell. Well you gotta understand the viewpoint we are coming from. Not too long ago there was the shooting in WA where the guy just walked nonchalantly into a coffee shop and gunned down officers after going to the counter. We really dont trust anyone.....crazier things have happened and will happen in the future. But then again if someone tells me they have a gun with them its a +1 in honesty for them in my book. But I'm still going to be defensive about the situation. Your best bet is to be calm about the situation and let them know. I'm going to respect citizens rights but I'm not going to let that extend into foolish disregard for my own safety. I say you did good. |
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You did right. I have been on stops before where people didn't tell me they had a glock laid on top of the papers in the glove box. They, without thinking, would open the glove box, grab the glock, and remove it from on top the papers. Well needless to say, they got drew down on, and removed from the car. Afterwards, when I determined what happen, and they were not fixing to shoot a hole in my face, they were given an apoligy and returned to their vehicle. They always apoligized to me as well, and just was not thinking. There is nothing that will ruin your day like something like that. I always felt bad for them, but on the other hand, I knew that had their intentions been different, I could have saved my life by paying attention. Just tell us if you have a firearm in the vehicle. Most of us don't care about you having it, we are only trying to protect our self. I rarely write citations to people that show me that honesty and respect. |
I dont like to have the police men surprised, I always let them know if I have anything in the car/truck, even if locked away in the trunk. I am very carful to not remove my hands from the wheel until asked to do so. No, dont get stopped that often, but it seems like when I do, I have a gun with or on me. 
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I had a guy tell me once, after he handed me his license, concealed handgun license, and other documents, "I dont want you to be alarmed, but I have a gun, on my right hip." I responded, sorta smart ass like, "Good for you, so do I." And walked back to my car to run him. I dont know what it was, but the way he said it was like a freaking english professor giving a lecture.
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Yeah I'm not a fan of the forgotten glock in the glovebox. I always wondered how you can forget that you had a loaded gun in the car.  Or how many times a LEOs have heard that one. My friend who is a local PD officer is not a fan of being surprised either. Hes favorite story to tell is when he pulled over a car late one night, walking up to the car he seen a hand thrust an object in his direction. Freaking as im sure any of you would, he reached for his sidearm, but did not pull it all the way out. It was a cell phone, the girl wanted him to talk to her daddy. He was not amused, I guess he snatched it, threw it and later ended up paying for it and saying he was sorry to the girl. He said it was well worth it to see it break into parts. 
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| I had a guy stopped late one night, years ago, on a dark stretch of highway. He was drunk, and thought the correct thing to do would be to get out of his vehicle HOLDING the weapon. His reasoning was, that way I would know he was armed. After my asshole slammed shut with a clang heard 'round the county and he ate the pavement, he finally realized the error of his ways. I could shit through a screen door without hitting the wire for about 3 days after that. |
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The way I look at it no need to be nervous about someone telling you, that they have a gun.... The guy who intends to use it I bet wont declare he has one.. Quoted:
Haha....good ol R. Lee Ermey. I'm glad to see cops have an appreciation for armed law abiding citizens. That was my first time being pulled over with a firearm in my vehicle. The cop seemed satisfied but nervous as hell. |
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This is how I handed it when I was on the road. Michigan is a state that you must declare that you are carrying. On a stop (of any other contact) when I was advised by a person that they were carrying I would ask where they had there gun at and advised them to leave it there unless otherwise told by me. I did not need to see it or anything. I would also ask to see their CPL (Concealed Pistol permit) too.
If like in the OP's question it was just sitting out on the seat, hopefully the very first thing out of the persons mouth is that they are a CPL holder and that the gun is on the seat. If that is the case then I proceed like above. If I see the gun first, I'm gonna be careful (but likely not getting them out at gun point or anything). I would have likely already ran the plate prior to stopping the car and in MI the CPL message would have returned with the plate, so I would have had some idea about it anyways. Like someone stated above it is the people who have ill intentions that are not going to tell you about it, not the law abiding people who are legally carrying. Good rule of thumb though is if you have a permit to carry, then make sure that it is concealed. J- |
| In my case I was merely transporting it. I just wanted it to be in full view and him know it was there. I didn't need any concealed carry license to do just that. It was holstered and unloaded and as safe as a glock can get without a lock. I do plan on getting my ccdw though. |
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I don't know the legality in your state, but based on courtesy, you did right by me.
I have only pulled one CCW holder out of his car and disarmed him, but that was ONLY because of the overwhelming odor of Marijuana coming from his car and the fact that the registered owner of the car had MULTIPLE prior drug arrests to include manufacturing and trafficking. Turns out the owner of the car was not present and the driver was his assistant running to pick up a client from the airport. The weed smell was from shake down in the carpet. I ended up giving him his gun back and letting him go with a warning. |
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Yesterday I was pulled over, and when the officer walked up to my truck asked for my license, I told him I had a handgun sitting in the passenger seat. He then asked me to step out so he could check the weapon. Luckily I remembered to store it per Ohio laws. So he checked it, ran my license and sent me away with a warning about being more cautious at intersections lol. My question is did I do the right thing about informing him of my weapon first thing, or where it was stored properly is it even necessary? Any of you have any experiences or stories where someone failed to inform you of a weapon? From what you described, you did the right thing.
As for me...A person's demeanor at the time of the stop usually determines the outcome. |
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"Officer, for our mutual safety, I do have a CHL and I am armed." That is what has been taught to me in the case of a traffic stop.
As it is, since the last time I got pulled over was in 1987 I think, I have not had the chance to use it. But I am rather open on making a similar declaration, such as when I was talking to the beach constable while I was doing biological research. You know, it didn't phase him a bit. Tell him. After all, properally, someone with a CHL is a law abiding citizen. ___________________________________________________ (After the Romulian delegation leader tells Sisko that his conspiracy theory is interesting but still just a theory. "Perhaps so, but I will tell you something that isn't a theory. We are tracking your cloaked warbird and right now, I have 50 photon torpedoes locked on it."––Sisko, (w,stte), DS 9 "Visionary") |
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First time I got pulled over in my truck with my pistol (right after I got my CPL) went like this:
Me: Sir I have a CPL, and I have a pistol (nerves as hell because it was my first time with a gun )
cop: COOL!!! So do I!!! What you carrying? (in a stupid/goofy type of voice) M: HK USPf 45 C: I got a G22............you know why I pulled you over? Check your laws. |
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Here in NM, I keep the hands on the steering wheel at 11 and 1 with fingers spread until I am able to indicate what I am doing (getting license and reg, for example) and announce whether or not I am carrying. Last time I was pulled over and declared that I had a handgun I was told not to bother because you don't have to declare here, nor do you need a CCL to have a firearm stashed anywhere in your car. However, having worked with LE for so many years in one capacity or another, there was NO WAY I wouldn't let them know. As mentioned, surprises in LE are a very bad thing. If I get a "so what?" response, I usually just reply that I am trying to impress them and wink at them in a silly way... LOL!
And yes, I do get pulled over a lot. 
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I live in a border state and MY understanding is that in Ohio you MUST declare. only if CCW and the duty to inform is only for the CCW weapon Technically correct. But notice OP stated it was on his passenger seat... in that case, common sense and common courtesy would indicate that the proper course of action would be to declare "Officer, I have a legally carried weapon in the vehicle... it is unloaded and secure... just thought you'd like to know". That makes the stop safer for both parties involved. I'd be willing to guess that pretty much any LEO here would *prefer* that any person transporting a weapon in a vehicle legally in their vehicle declare it... it takes a bit of the *unknown* out of the highest risk aspect of our jobs. I'd rather know, for a fact, that there is an unloaded rifle/shotgun/handgun/crew served anti-air cannon/field piece being transported legally in the vehicle than to have that fact remain an unknown possibility throughout the stop. By declaring your transporting... your pretty much telling the officer that "Hey officer, I'm not a turd that has intention of hurting you." That tends to make the entire stop process more friendly, and as an added bonus... I'm much more likely to give a warning because all of the sudden I like the person driving that car quite a bit more than I did when I first pulled behind them. The "surprise" glock in the glovebox is a wonderful way to get closely acquainted with the muzzle of my pistol. Declared and properly handled, no problems.... "SURPRISE" glock however = a trip through the window to the pavement at gun point. |