I will never tell another officer I'm carrying again.

[rchance]

I got pulled over in Indiana while driving my truck and the officer ask for my I.D. I gave him my I.D. which contains my driver license & CCW on the back side. He asked if I was carrying in which I said yes and then he took my weapon. He said he was shutting me down because I wasn't suppose to have a weapon in the truck and told me to stay where I was until he came back. I saw him lay my gun and clip on top of the car in the rain while he got into his car. I suppose he called his supervisor to see if I could carry. After he checked with someone he got back out of his car, got my gun, clip and wiped the water off of it. It took him awhile to dry it, and then he returned it to me and appoliged saying he didn't know I could carry. He should have let me lay his weapon on my truck hood in the rain for the same time he left mine in the rain.

 

[Chuck1217]

One bad apple....that really bites rchance. It's bad enough he had to take it beORE he looked at the permit, but it was pretty stupid to leave it outside like that. I've always figured I would notify but the more stories I hear like this...

 

[sbeatty1983]

I would have told him to get his supervisor out there immediately to inspect my soaked gun. There are stupid people in every profession and their immediate supervisors need to know about them.

 

[Snowbandit]

Probably afraid it might jump up and hurt him. I spent over 30 years in law enforcement and am embarrassed with some of the things I hear.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

I follow the letter of the law when traveling and unless something has changed you don't have to disclose during a traffic stop in Indiana unless asked. Here in Michigan you do. The reason I say this is that I try not to "open a can of worms" just so I don't end up having a bad experience like rchance did. If the law doesn't require it, then I'm not going there, especially when I'm not on my "home turf."

About 10 years ago we took a trip and there was one state we traveled through where you were specifically instructed, by the law, not to disclose. I can't remember which state it was or if that part of the law has been repealed since then but I thought it odd that it was basically against the law to disclose unless specifically asked.
I could have easily got hung up on that one....

 

[dwever]

rchance: my guess is your weapon has a magazine not a "clip".

If you tell me you have a weapon with CCW, I'll just check your CCW and ask you to keep your hands away from it, and that's that unless acting suspiciously or inordinately nervous; I hardly ever taken a weapon from a CCW holder. The last time I did was because they did not tell me they had a weapon, and I saw it between the seats as well as a second pistol under the passenger's seat, and things were tense for a minute for the occupants and for us (I could also smell beer, everyone had been drinking, although the driver turned out to only be .02 - final count was four pistols and four occupants). We ended up being backed up by two more officer's from another agency. It would of been way easier on everyone just to have disclosed the weapons up front. While your encounter with officer clueless was unfortunate, and represented that he had bad information and then made a bad decision leaving it in the rain, I am very pleased he had the courtesy to wipe it down as best he could and to apologize. Anyway, generally the vast majority of CCW/weapon encounters go off without anyone being disarmed or even inconvenienced. If we discover the weapon on our own we have no idea if the person is legal, and what happens next is a bit different.

 

[95XL883]

Not to be argumentative, but give the guy a break. Yes he screwed up. Yes he was a **** leaving your gun in the rain. But, after he called it in, he dried your gun before giving it back to you. I suspect he got reamed. Note that after calling it in, he dried it and apologized. Everybody is human and everybody makes mistakes. My guess is he won't do that one again.

I am sorry your gun was left in the rain. It was a dumb thing to do. I'd be annoyed also, but he realized his mistake and tried to correct it and apologized.

PS. Thank you very much for your service. It's because of guys like you, I get to live in a free country.

 

[oldman45]

Probably afraid it might jump up and hurt him. I spent over 30 years in law enforcement and am embarrassed with some of the things I hear.

I have been in law enforcement of one type or another for over 38 yrs and am embarrassed by some of the things I did personally.

 

[old curmudgeon]

I have been in law enforcement of one type or another for over 38 yrs and am embarrassed by some of the things I did personally.

Every time I read one of your posts I think: "There is a real man and one who is a credit to his profession."

And that post was nother one.

 

[oldman45]

Every time I read one of your posts I think: "There is a real man and one who is a credit to his profession."

And that post was nother one.

Mighty kind words and thanks for them.

However, I am human and I make mistakes. Life for me has been a constant learning experience. What worked once may not work today. If I am judged in the Final Day for the errors I made, then it will take a long time for the Man to read all my wrongs out.

I simply want to do the best I can for those I serve and treat them better than they often treat me. I want those I deal with to feel I treated them fairly and was honest with them. Most of all, I aspired to be as good as those that trained me long ago.

 

[redlevel]

The last time I did was because they did not tell me they had a weapon, and I saw it between the seats as well as a second pistol under the passenger's seat, and things were tense for a minute for the occupants and for us (I could also smell beer, everyone had been drinking, although the driver turned out to only be .02 - final count was four pistols and four occupants). We ended up being backed up by two more officer's from another agency. . . . . . . . . If we discover the weapon on our own we have no idea if the person is legal, and what happens next is a bit different.

What does the law require in Alabama? Does the law require a permit to carry in a vehicle? Does Alabama law require notification? I'm not being argumentative, just curious.

 

[NE450No2]

Well all I can say is, I would not even lay Al Copones, Pretty Boy Floyds, Machine Gun Kelleys, or Saddam's weapons out in the rain...

I have more respect for the "gun" than that.

I would call, and write his immediate supervisor, his Chief, and the Governor. If he is working the "streets" he should know the Law...

 

[oldman45]

Well all I can say is, I would not even lay Al Copones, Pretty Boy Floyds, Machine Gun Kelleys, or Saddam's weapons out in the rain...

I have more respect for the "gun" than that.

I would call, and write his immediate supervisor, his Chief, and the Governor. If he is working the "streets" he should know the Law...

Sir, with all due respect, there are tens of thousands of laws on the books. A police officer is not a lawyer or a Judge. They cannot know all the laws but know mostly what they deal with. In the OP, the officer could have just had his first stop where a CCW holder was the driver. There could have been other factors involved. I feel he may have been following orders to not take the gun from the sight of the owner. There are jurisdictions that have such a policy concerning private property.

Maybe I have guns of higher quality but the S&W 1911 I carry runs almost $2,000 but it gets wet when it rains and I am out working. Been toting it for a couple years and rain has not hurt it yet. I get back in the car and dry it off just as the officer did for the poster. And I have surrendered my weapon to another officer during a traffic stop. It was a text book perfect stop and the officer had great communication with me.

I am sure there was no intent to be careless on the part of the officer.

 

[Sebago Son]

If all the OP has to complain about is that his sidearm got wet, then I would say that things could have gone alot worse in this encounter.

I would give the officer a break. He was decent about it. Leaving your sidearm where you could see it was actually a courtesy.

Complaining and making a huge issue of this will prove nothing other than you are willing to go the extra mile to be a pain in the butt after the fact.

By the way... why did he stop you? Did he write you a summons for anything?

 

[Black_Sheep]

Minnesota law says "upon the request of a peace officer, a permit holder shall disclose to the officer whether or not the permit holder is currently carrying a firearm".

Decades before CCW became legal in the state our local LEO's have asked if there are weapons in the vehicle during a traffic stop. I will not volunteer the information, but if asked I am legally required to comply.

One of the conditions of having a permit to carry is to know and understand the laws pertaining to concealed carry. It's reasonable to expect that LEO's are professional enough to also know and understand the laws pertaining to concealed carry. Obviously some don't...

 

[oldman45]

One of the conditions of having a permit to carry is to know and understand the laws pertaining to concealed carry. It's reasonable to expect that LEO's are professional enough to also know and understand the laws pertaining to concealed carry. Obviously some don't...

Louisiana law requires that a person notify an officer when approached. Failure to do so can result in far worse than a ticket or a warning.

As to knowing the law, I have on my desk right now, FOUR hard bound volumes of 600+ pages each on LA Revised Statutes 32 and that is just on traffic law, regulations and court cites. How long will it take you to learn every law just one traffic? Then there are gun laws, drug laws, domestic laws and many others. Also you have the regulations set by departmental policy. Many of those laws are grey. For example, carrying concealed in a restaurant that serves alcohol. The law is grey on that. If alcohol sales account for most of the income, it is off limits. If the food is the main source of income, then concealed is fine. If there is a bar area and you are seated there for your meal, then you are carrying illegally. If you order a drink in the restaurant part, then you may be carrying illegally.

No officer, attorney, Judge or politician knows all the laws. I was asked today by a lawyer with 42 yrs of practice just what the left turning law says. His sister is a retired Judge and she advised him to ask me. I bought home the law books so I could find all the bits and pieces that pertain or change the left turning laws. In April of this year, a Judge asked me for an opinion on a certain traffic law. I deal with traffic laws in court all the time and I learn new laws daily. Just recently I learned that if you pull to the shoulder on an Interstate to read a map, make a phone call or such, you just broke a law.

 

[1 old 0311]

Just a guess: Was it State Police? Indiana State Police have that reputation.

 

[rchance]

If all the OP has to complain about is that his sidearm got wet, then I would say that things could have gone alot worse in this encounter.

I would give the officer a break. He was decent about it. Leaving your sidearm where you could see it was actually a courtesy.

Complaining and making a huge issue of this will prove nothing other than you are willing to go the extra mile to be a pain in the butt after the fact.

By the way... why did he stop you? Did he write you a summons for anything?

Was stopped because my tag light wasn't working. I checked it and a wire had came loose. Thanks for assking.

 

[1 old 0311]

If all the OP has to complain about is that his sidearm got wet, then I would say that things could have gone alot worse in this encounter.

I would give the officer a break. He was decent about it. Leaving your sidearm where you could see it was actually a courtesy.

Having someone leave your weapon in the rain is a "courtesy?"

 

[NE450No2]

Old man, and others, IF you are in conversation, contfronted, with, etc with ANY LEO, he should KNOW THE LAW... THAT IS HIS JOB, it was mine for over 30 years. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ANY LEO NOT TO KNOW ALL AND ANY LAW HE IS TRYING TO ENFORCE....

There is no excuse for him to leave your gun or any other of your poropety in the rain...

CHL LAWS ARE A MATTER OF RECORD. FOR ANY WORKING LEO NOT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM, AND NOT FOLLOWING THEM, AS WRITTEN, IS GROUNDS FOR FIRING IMHO. And even suing for monetary damages.

The Police are required to know the law... I know I was...