Tips on what to do when stopped by police

Hey all,

I just found this link via my Guns & Ammo email and it's from Massad Ayoob, so I thought it might be of some interest to people here in the CC forum.

Tips When Stopped By Police

Enjoy!
Mat

Unfortunately, these tips don't always work. I did EXACTLY what he advised about handing my permit with my license about 10 years back. The NYS Trooper asked me if I had a gun, I said I did, and then told him it was in the center console of my truck (pistol). I was then detained, patted down several times and my truck was searched and everything was taken out put on the ground and I was held for about 40 minutes. Mind you I was pulled over because my headlight was out and I had the repair order in my wallet to have it fixed the next business day (this was on a Saturday night). I was then threatened with arrest because I had a pocket knife in the back in a sheath that I carried on my trapline. It wasn't a switchblade, a dagger (illegal in NY) just a simple fixed blade knife. He didn't arrest me, but I did everything I was supposed to do so don't be surprised if a gung ho probie (believe me I see them alot in our department) pulls you over and you get a different treatment that what you see on the video.

Thats a great illistration which has been on there for quite some time. In my oppinion it should be view by virtually everyone....

David - There are always some officers that can be gung-ho idiots, just like any other person. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that and it was definitely wrong of him to do that to you. That's what gives the rest of the officers a bad name.

I know the above video isn't perfect and there is no "perfect answer" out there for every state and/or every officer. But at least it's a step in the right direction on most every day. Again, every now and again you'll meet up with the occasional bad officer that will act like you are the BG just because you have a firearm on you, regardless that you are completely legal with it.

Just Shoot - I agree with you.

I have been stopped in Louisiana--twice, they like Texas tags--Wyoming, Virginia and followed 20 miles in New York State.
The boys & one woman in Virginia- treated me kindly, even the Abbeville Parish deputy Sheriff when he gave me a ticket.
I was in the middle of a La. Pickup in front and a La. pickup in back and we were not speeding. He looked at me---comingtowards me---and waved me over.
You kinda get used to it if you go into La. much.
Always give them the DL, CCW and insurance card when they walk up.
Blessings

David LaPell said:

Unfortunately, these tips don't always work. I did EXACTLY what he advised about handing my permit with my license about 10 years back. The NYS Trooper asked me if I had a gun, I said I did, and then told him it was in the center console of my truck (pistol). I was then detained, patted down several times and my truck was searched and everything was taken out put on the ground and I was held for about 40 minutes. Mind you I was pulled over because my headlight was out and I had the repair order in my wallet to have it fixed the next business day (this was on a Saturday night). I was then threatened with arrest because I had a pocket knife in the back in a sheath that I carried on my trapline. It wasn't a switchblade, a dagger (illegal in NY) just a simple fixed blade knife. He didn't arrest me, but I did everything I was supposed to do so don't be surprised if a gung ho probie (believe me I see them alot in our department) pulls you over and you get a different treatment that what you see on the video.

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I sure does come down to the LEO you deal with. I live in Fla, and was pulled over recently for my visor tint being too low. He asked for my license, and i opened the center console to get my wallet. Hello 357 I forgot I had put there! I apologized for not telling him about it, and he said it was fine, looked at my CCL, and never mentioned it again.

I have another set of tips for being pulled over at night that makes things a lot more pleasant and may even save you from a ticket.

As soon as you see Police lights and a siren signalling you to pull over, pull over asap, turn on your emergency flashers, turn on your interior lights, roll down all your windows, shut the car off and keep your hands on the steering wheel until approached.

Some good additional advice, but I take a small exception to two items - the officer handling an unfamiliar weapon, and telling the officer you are armed (except of course in those states where you must inform.)

Many police officers are just not gun people. They train with their weapon, their holster, and may not be familiar with, for example, my Blackhawk retention holster. My brother the LEO (one of three in my family) didn't know how to remove my holstered 45 in a friendly manner (his department had just ordered new M&P 45, I was showing him my holsters and M&P45.) I just don't want a stranger wrestling my unfamiliar gun out of my unfamiliar holster, and he / she of course won't like it if I reached for it to disarm myself, which leads me to the second item -

If you are legally carrying concealed, why would you inform the officer for a mere traffic stop (unless in a duty-to-inform state)? In most states possession of a license means you survived a criminal background check. In offering your license I would think an officer would be happy they are addressing a "certified" law-abiding citizen, but showing your license is almost the same as showing your weapon, so why open what could be a can of worms?

Of course, if he / she asks, I would acknowledge and show my license. And the script from the video is excellent - "I have a license.... I have my weapon.... How would you like to proceed."

And Massad also noted that the laws in the US are a patchwork, so when traveling it is a good idea to print the appropriate laws for each state and carry them with you. LEO's are not lawyers, we don't expect them to be, and being able to show them in print something they were not exactly acquainted with could be handy.

Just my opinion.

Know the law.
Obey the law.

1. If you do so, you're LESS likely to be stopped.
2. If you do so, you will not commit a real offense for which you can be lawfully prosecuted.
3. If you do so, your rights are less likely to be violated, or at least violated without your knowledge.

Know the applicable letter of the law and stick to it.

Don't consent to ANYTHING, but don't RESIST, even a criminal act against you.

Where lawful, record all LEO interactions.

If you follow the letter of the law, and the cop doesn't like that, HE's wrong.

In states where you must advise the officer that you have a gun, I would not just say so.

Saying "I have a gun" to some officers will not be good.

I was pulled over a couple years ago for a burned out brake light. I turned off the engine, turned on the dome light, rolled down the window, and got my wallet out.

I put both hands on top of the steering wheel, palms up with my wallet. The officer asked for the required paperwork. When I dug my license out I included my CPL with it. He asked where the gun was. I told him. He instructed me to keep my gun hand in sight at all times.

He was truly appreciative and thanked me. He let me go with a warning.

In contrast, my father was traveling through town with a friend who had a lead foot. They were pulled over and two officers approached the vehicle. One officer asked if there were any guns in the vehicle. The driver says yes. Next thing you know both cops drew their guns and ordered them out of the vehicle at gun point.

I don't know the exact details of the above story but I think it could have been handled better by both parties.

27145 said:

BTW, to get out of a ticket, never tell the cop that you are good friends with R1_Demon. Do it at your own peril, you may end up with double the tickets and maybe even a cavity search, just sayin.

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Uhhhh ok. Not sure where this is coming from and/or why, but if that works for ya, I guess.

Seems kind of needless/senseless to me; unless it was intended to be a joke.

Sorry was a joke R1, please forgive me.

My only time being stopped while carrying was a female officer. Stopped me for a burned out tail light. I handed her my drivers license and CCW. She asked if I had a gun with me and if so where it was. I told her yes, and it was on my hip in a holster. She thanked me for telling her, and said she understood why I carried. "Can't be too careful these days". She said both she and her husband carried whenever they were out just because she knows what type of individuals are walking the streets these days. Gave me a repair report for the light and sent me on my way. I believe most officers today have no issue with legal carry. I'm sure there are some who see it differently, but a very small number.

To add a little excitement to your life you could always come to a screeching halt, fling open the door, step out and announce in a loud voice "I have a gun!" Should produce some interesting results.........

Traffic Stop

Lee in Quartzsite said:

To add a little excitement to your life you could always come to a screeching halt, fling open the door, step out and announce in a loud voice "I have a gun!" Should produce some interesting results.........

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After you had refused to stop by speeding away and attempting to elude the patrol car. Then after being hemmed in by patrol cars from several agencies, call out "What do you donut eating dips want?"

My policy is to judge each situation on it's own merit. I don't believe it's prudent to arbitrarily inform in every situation. Likewise, there are times when informing the officer could be the prudent thing to do.

In any stop where, in my judgment, I don't believe I will be asked to step out of the vehicle, I don't really see much sense in injecting a firearm into the issue and (perhaps) providing the officer with an opening to feed his ego (if he has one) and "assert his authority" over me, the "lowly" citizen. On the other hand, if I believe the stop is going to involve removal from the vehicle and possibly a pat down, I will likely inform in advance of that action to (hopefully) avoid having some cop point his Glock at me on the side of the road when he "discovers" the gun that, in his view, I was "hiding".

While the vast majority of Police Officer's I know, have met, and have dealt with over the years are good, honest, and professional people, not all of them are. Like any other group of people, there are some losers in the group that, despite the correct legal process for handling a situation, will make it up as they go and follow their own, made-up process for handling a stop. Fighting with one of these clowns on the side of the road, no matter how wrong he/she is, is the wrong thing to do. A little common sense goes a long way when faced with a traffic stop while you are armed.

For the record, we have no duty to inform in my state. Obviously, in any state where you are required to inform, you SHOULD inform, always, and in the same manner as Mr. Ayoob suggests in the video.

Snyderman said:

I sure does come down to the LEO you deal with. I live in Fla, and was pulled over recently for my visor tint being too low. He asked for my license, and i opened the center console to get my wallet. Hello 357 I forgot I had put there! I apologized for not telling him about it, and he said it was fine, looked at my CCL, and never mentioned it again.

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OMG Snyder. No disrespect intended, but please say it ain't so. You "forgot" that your .357 was in your console? If you don't know with absolute certitude (a Weiner-ism) what the current status (i.e. location, loaded/unloaded, one in the chamber, safety on/off, Condition 1, cocked/locked, etc., etc.) of your gun(s) is, you need some serious (safe gun handling) training and re-calibration of your thought processes.

Lee in Quartzsite said:

To add a little excitement to your life you could always come to a screeching halt, fling open the door, step out and announce in a loud voice "I have a gun!" Should produce some interesting results.........

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Yeah, but not for long....

27145 said:

Sorry was a joke R1, please forgive me.

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No worries...I didn't see a smiley face, so I wasn't sure. It's all good...

I was pulled over in my home state of Indiana (by a state trooper) a few years ago for speeding.
I had guns in plain sight in the front seat. Rifles, handguns and ammo all over the place. I'd been out shooting with friends that day.
I said (kinda' weakly) "I've got a handgun permit", as he looked in the window. "Ya' need to see it?" I said.

He said "Nope - I pulled you over for speeding, not carrying a gun".

Wrote me a warning.

GF