Posted: 1/9/2009 2:56:00 PM EDT
| A friend says he was pulled over near Fredricksburg for speeding. Dont know who pulled him. He says as the officer approached the window, he stuck out his liscense, ccw permit , and registration. The officer pulled his sidearm and asked to see the firearm in the vehicle. The officer secured my friends pistol while the traffic ticket was filled out. Then the officer had my friend to exit the vehicle. The officer then reloaded the pistol, chambered a round, and handed it back to my friend,grip first. Is this standard protocol? I think my friend tends to stretch the truth sometimes. Should you even tell the officer about your permit or pistol when pulled for a basic traffic stop? Of course if you have to step outside the car for a "routine" search ,then you should go ahead and offer the info. What is the recommended protocol? |
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WOW...what an unsafe procedure.
I've been pulled more than once (lead foot) and had different things happen. This sounds like an officer who MAY have over-reacted. While I'm all for officer safety, if you are only speeding and not fleeing from a crime, then showing your permit should put most officers at ease when you show it to them. In my cases, for the most part, I have the ignition off and hands in plain sight (out the window or on the wheetl) when the officer approaches. When asked for ID and such, I inform the officer I am carrying and have a permit. Usually, they take a step back to have reaction room and then tell me to go ahead to get my ID. I show ID and permit and then handle the situation I was pulled for. More than once, being upfront and honest with the officer about the weapon has gotten me involved in a number of long winded conversations about guns and shooting and out of several tickets. Only once, have I had an officer disarm me during the stop - that was a Trooper down on I-95 near F'burg and it was pretty late at night. My weapon was in a bag on the passenger seat and he merely took the bag and placed it in the bed of the truck while talking to me. I didn't get a ticket in that case either. My policy is to tell the officer about the permit... |
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A friend says he was pulled over near Fredricksburg for speeding. Dont know who pulled him. He says as the officer approached the window, he stuck out his liscense, ccw permit , and registration. The officer pulled his sidearm and asked to see the firearm in the vehicle. The officer secured my friends pistol while the traffic ticket was filled out. Then the officer had my friend to exit the vehicle. The officer then reloaded the pistol, chambered a round, and handed it back to my friend,grip first. Is this standard protocol? I think my friend tends to stretch the truth sometimes. Should you even tell the officer about your permit or pistol when pulled for a basic traffic stop? Of course if you have to step outside the car for a "routine" search ,then you should go ahead and offer the info. What is the recommended protocol? I hope this isn't true. I would always give the officer both my permit and drivers license. From what I understand if they run your license they will see the ccw permit anyway. Better to be upfront with it. |
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I have been stopped several times since I got my CHP. The first time I was stopped by one of our town cops. I handed him my license, my CHP & I told him I was carrying. He jumped back away from me & into the highway like I was poison snake or something. If a car had been coming it would have hit him. He calmed down & told me he didn't know what CHP was. He told me to keep my hands off the gun & move on.
The next two times I was stopped by Va. State Police. Gave them everything & told them I was carrying & they acted like it was no big deal. Again I was stopped by one of the Clarksville town cops. Went through the whole deal & he wanted to see my pistol. I took it out unloaded it & handed it to him. He looked it over, told me how much he liked it, a Taurus SS PT 92 AFS 9MM. He told me they had gotten new guns. He took his out & without unloading it handed it to me. I about fell out. A cop giving me his LOADED weapon! And it was the first time I had ever seen him. Some young kid. When I got home I told my daughter about what happened. She went to school with him & said he was dumb as a rock & wondered how in the hell he got a job with the town police. |
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I was pulled over down in Nelson County last week for speeding.
I kept my trap shut, called him sir. After he rand my Drivers license and Reg, he came back with the ticket. Said he saw I had my CCW, asked where the gun was, I told him my hip, then asked if I was LEO, I said no, and he said have a good evening and slow it down. That was it. Don't inform them they can learn by running the license. |
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Last time I got stopped on 66 by a trooper I had my hands on the wheel and told him I had a concealed carry permit and there was a loaded gun in the glovebox with my registration. He said no problem, go ahead and retrieve the registration so I did and that was that. No biggie. I used to live in NC where we had to declare if we had a weapon to the police but I would have here anyway since it was sitting on top of my title / registration...
ETA I know you don't have to tell them up here but since they will find out when they run your DL I figure it is better for them to hear it from me then from dispatch or read it on the MDT. |
| When I was a cop I always appreciated it when the driver told me they had a CCW permit and whether or not they were carrying. A CCW does come up on a license check, but if the car is registered to someone else (wife, husband, girlfriend, etc.) we don't kow until we run the driver's OL. I teach the CCW classes now as a civilian and I advise my students to let the officer's know up front. There will always be those in blue that overreact, but for the most part I think the officer will appreciate the heads up like I always did. |
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When I was a cop I always appreciated it when the driver told me they had a CCW permit and whether or not they were carrying. A CCW does come up on a license check, but if the car is registered to someone else (wife, husband, girlfriend, etc.) we don't kow until we run the driver's OL. I teach the CCW classes now as a civilian and I advise my students to let the officer's know up front. There will always be those in blue that overreact, but for the most part I think the officer will appreciate the heads up like I always did. As a 911 dispatcher who has dealt with this quite a bit on the other end of the radio I agree. I tell the officer "Sir, I have to tell you that I have a concealed weapons permit and " either "don't have a weapon with me" or "am carrying a weapon." If I'm not breaking the law or carrying a stolen weapon I don't see any possible problem here. ETA the only issue I can see is if you are riding with other people that don't know you carry. Now if I'm a passenger I won't say anything unless I have to but as the driver it is going to come out one way or another and I prefer not to go down the "why didn't you tell me you had a concealed weapon permit" road if I don't have to. |
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You are not required to inform them in VA. It is up to you though. I got pulled over by a State Trooper (nice guy) the other day because my headlight was out. He asked me afterwards if I had my pistol on me I told him no because I was on my way home from work.
My wife on the other hand, had a VB city cop pull his gun on her, and demand to see her hands. |
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I've been stopped several times since I got my permit years ago, and several road checks. I have never showed them my permit, and never told them I was carrying. I was never asked either. All of my interactions with the officers/deputies went without incident. Similar experiences here - all good. I NEVER offer my CCW. I have been asked several times though (Alexandria and Arlington). Happened not to be carrying each time. |
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... The officer then reloaded the pistol, chambered a round, and handed it back to my friend,grip first. ... 
This is really hard to believe! And it’s even more incredible combined with the statement that the LEO initially drew his own firearm based solely on the driver stating he had a CCW permit. |
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I've been stopped several times since I got my permit years ago, and several road checks. I have never showed them my permit, and never told them I was carrying. I was never asked either. All of my interactions with the officers/deputies went without incident. +1 |
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It should come up that you have a CHP on the computer when they run your license.
Last time I got pulled my Richmond PD, they knew before they came to the car. Since I don't have to tell them, I didn't. They asked me if I was carrying - and I answered. They seemed like they could care less. |
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It will come up on the computer when (if) they run you.
True story: Last week I pulled someone over for a broken brake light. I get up to his window and he has both hands death gripping the steering wheel. I tell him why I stopped him, and ask for his license and registration. He says, "Sir, I have a concealed weapons permit" I say,"Ok, are you armed right now?" "Yes" "Where is your weapon?" "It is on my right hip" "Where is your lisence?" "It is in my left front pocket" So I say"With your left hand, please retrieve your license" As he is getting is license out, being the curious guy I am, I ask,"So, what are you carrying" He says," A .380" I say, "Sir, is that your wife's gun?" (I didnt give him a ticket, or ask for his gun) |
I haven't been stopped since I got my permit (knocking on wood here ), but I have been stopped once and through a road check once before with a handgun in the truck. With the stop, because the deputy couldn't see my county sticker, which wasn't stuck all the way on because I was going to have to replace a cracked windshield, it was laying in the seat and I just kept both hands on the wheel as he approached. He went past the window to look at the windshield and I told him there was a gun in the seat. He just glanced in, said OK, told me why he stopped me and asked to check my DL since we were there. Came back from DL check, handed back to me and said have a nice day.
Now the road check was a little different. VASP set up a road check like 50 yards from my driveway and I was driving the same truck still with the same cracked windshield and now an expired inspection sticker. It was during hunting season and I had been hunting, so I had my 270 in a case in the floorboard and my handgun in the seat. I get sent to the side of the road because of the sticker and the trooper comes up to the truck for my DL and asks if there's any weapons in the vehicle. I tell him yes and tell him where they are as he opens my door for me and tells me to step out. He asked if he could check my handgun and asked if it was loaded, I told him sure and that it was loaded. He took it off the seat, dropped the mag, and locked the slide back all while pointing it at the floorboard. Checked my DL, serial # on gun, wrote my ticket and came back to the truck, handed me my gun and told me not to reload it until I got home. He never wanted to see the rifle, just the handgun. |
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It will come up on the computer when (if) they run you. True story: Last week I pulled someone over for a broken brake light. I get up to his window and he has both hands death gripping the steering wheel. I tell him why I stopped him, and ask for his license and registration. He says, "Sir, I have a concealed weapons permit" I say,"Ok, are you armed right now?" "Yes" "Where is your weapon?" "It is on my right hip" "Where is your lisence?" "It is in my left front pocket" So I say"With your left hand, please retrieve your license" As he is getting is license out, being the curious guy I am, I ask,"So, what are you carrying" He says," A .380" I say, "Sir, is that your wife's gun?" (I didnt give him a ticket, or ask for his gun) LMFAO! I could see you saying that. 
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I also don't see a problem with the officers actions. They sometimes do things that us the general public don't understand, it is all in keeping the officer safe. Since we don't understand why they are doing these things, sometimes we take offense or get angry.
Since you are not ware, or maybe not allowed to tell us, which agency pulled your friend over it could have been any of the 2 county agency's, a state trooper or a Fredericksburg city cop. Also keep in mind that the Fredericksburg PD lost an officer to gun fire on 6/6/08 ODMP Todd Bahr It is possible that some people are still on edge or dealing with his death. He was a great guy and will be missed by a lot of people. |
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It should come up that you have a CHP on the computer when they run your license. Last time I got pulled my Richmond PD, they knew before they came to the car. Since I don't have to tell them, I didn't. They asked me if I was carrying - and I answered. They seemed like they could care less. How did they know without running your DL?, Is your car covered with ARFCOM and VCDL stickers? |
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I also don't see a problem with the officers actions. They sometimes do things that us the general public don't understand, it is all in keeping the officer safe. Since we don't understand why they are doing these things, sometimes we take offense or get angry. Since you are not ware, or maybe not allowed to tell us, which agency pulled your friend over it could have been any of the 2 county agency's, a state trooper or a Fredericksburg city cop. Also keep in mind that the Fredericksburg PD lost an officer to gun fire on 6/6/08 ODMP Todd Bahr It is possible that some people are still on edge or dealing with his death. He was a great guy and will be missed by a lot of people. Holy F**K, Todd Bahr used to own Damage Inc. in Fredericksburg. He threaded the barrel of my post ban AR. Damn I can't beleive I didn't hear about this before, I always thought Todd was a great guy. That's freaking horrible. I rembered Todd did my CCW class also. 
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Yeah, that's too bad that they lost him.
I've never been stopped while carrying, just lucky I guess. I've had them ask me if I was armed, always wondered what I would say if I was. I think I'd tell them without being asked. Before I retired, I used to always wonder when we did a stop if the old boys we were stopping were armed - I always figured that if you got shot on the job, it would be by some little old lady... |
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I have only had two interactions on the road with officers for the last 30 years that I have had a carry permit. I was stopped once for 44 in a 35 and as the officer approached, I handed him my DL and CCW permit. He asked if I had the weapon in the vehicle and I advised that it was behind my right hip. He asked me to please remove the weapon and place it on the dashboard. I asked him to repeat that so that I was positive in what he was asking and he did so. I complied and he wrote the citation. I then told him that if the situation was reversed I do not believe that I would have been so trustworthy. We then conversed a bit about the wepons we carried and both went on our way.
The second time was a simple rad check. I handed the VSP trooper my DL and CCW permit and advised that I was armed. He thanked me for advising him and flagged me on. |
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Your CHP is tied to your driver's license file. Which is tied to the vehicle registration file.
So, by running a plate, you can check the identity, DL status, wanted check, and CHP status of the registered owner of the car. That's often not who's driving, however. The only problem I've ever had out of CHP holders is when they're carrying while drunk (which is a class 1 misdemeanor). |
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Holy F**K, Todd Bahr used to own Damage Inc. in Fredericksburg. He threaded the barrel of my post ban AR. Damn I can't beleive I didn't hear about this before, I always thought Todd was a great guy. That's freaking horrible. I rembered Todd did my CCW class also.
He was a great guy and did not deserve what happened. If you search the Free Lance Star achieves for last year with his name, you will find a bunch of articles laying out what happened. I have friends in that department and he is still talked about fondly. There is a beautiful stone bench in the front of the department, off to the side just a little, that was donated. Also, the family that purchased the gun store from him has supported all of the PD fundraisers in Todd's name. They also tell his story on there website. They are in the process of getting a indoor range approved and built at the store and are dedicating one lane to Todd. They have said they want the proceeds from that lane for the first year to go to Todd's wife. They seem like a nice bunch of folks.... Sorry to the OP for the hi-jack. Now back to the original tread topic. I got stopped while carrying once and never had an issue. I kept my hands on top of the wheel and let the officer make contact. I then told the officer that I had a carry permit and I was carrying. He asked were the gun was and I told him on my left hip under my jacket. He asked for the permit and I informed him it was in my wallet in my left front pocket. He advised me to get the permit but, to do it slowly. After he had the permit, the stop went like any other, no problem. To clarify what Pevrs114 just said, when you run the plate of a car the registered owner's info pops up. You can then very quickly do a search on the owner from there and find out if they have a permit. Running he plate alone does not automatically run the owner of the vehicle. |
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Holy F**K, Todd Bahr used to own Damage Inc. in Fredericksburg. He threaded the barrel of my post ban AR. Damn I can't beleive I didn't hear about this before, I always thought Todd was a great guy. That's freaking horrible. I rembered Todd did my CCW class also.
He was a great guy and did not deserve what happened. If you search the Free Lance Star achieves for last year with his name, you will find a bunch of articles laying out what happened. I have friends in that department and he is still talked about fondly. There is a beautiful stone bench in the front of the department, off to the side just a little, that was donated. Also, the family that purchased the gun store from him has supported all of the PD fundraisers in Todd's name. They also tell his story on there website. They are in the process of getting a indoor range approved and built at the store and are dedicating one lane to Todd. They have said they want the proceeds from that lane for the first year to go to Todd's wife. They seem like a nice bunch of folks.... Sorry to the OP for the hi-jack. Now back to the original tread topic. I got stopped while carrying once and never had an issue. I kept my hands on top of the wheel and let the officer make contact. I then told the officer that I had a carry permit and I was carrying. He asked were the gun was and I told him on my left hip under my jacket. He asked for the permit and I informed him it was in my wallet in my left front pocket. He advised me to get the permit but, to do it slowly. After he had the permit, the stop went like any other, no problem. To clarify what Pevrs114 just said, when you run the plate of a car the registered owner's info pops up. You can then very quickly do a search on the owner from there and find out if they have a permit. Running he plate alone does not automatically run the owner of the vehicle. Good point, while I am VCIN certified, I don't have an MDT. I just ask the dispatcher to 'run the owner' and I'll get the full Query Driver readback, which includes CHP status, read back to me over the air. So, they are all tied-in, meaning you can get the correct numbers needed to run the next file, but I don't have to do more than ask for it to be done and I get the works. |
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Your CHP is tied to your driver's license file. Which is tied to the vehicle registration file. So, by running a plate, you can check the identity, DL status, wanted check, and CHP status of the registered owner of the car. That's often not who's driving, however. The only problem I've ever had out of CHP holders is when they're carrying while drunk (which is a class 1 misdemeanor). This. When they saw my DL, it verified that I was the owner - so they knew. 
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It will come up on the computer when (if) they run you. True story: Last week I pulled someone over for a broken brake light. I get up to his window and he has both hands death gripping the steering wheel. I tell him why I stopped him, and ask for his license and registration. He says, "Sir, I have a concealed weapons permit" I say,"Ok, are you armed right now?" "Yes" "Where is your weapon?" "It is on my right hip" "Where is your lisence?" "It is in my left front pocket" So I say"With your left hand, please retrieve your license" As he is getting is license out, being the curious guy I am, I ask,"So, what are you carrying" He says," A .380" I say, "Sir, is that your wife's gun?" (I didnt give him a ticket, or ask for his gun) LOL, that has complaint written all over it in big letters. But nicely done. Whenever I pull someone with a CCW it's nice for them to tell me about it up front, but i dont sweat it if they dont. As long as they don't look like a nervous wreck or a nutcase (hasn't happened yet) i just tell them not to touch it. I don't write CCW holders tickets (i write maybe 1 ticket a month anyway), and usually i thank them for being responsible enough to get the permit and take their families safety seriously (if they have fam with them, it usually goes a long way with the wife who's usually pissed that he dumbass husband just got pulled over). |
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It should come up that you have a CHP on the computer when they run your license. Last time I got pulled my Richmond PD, they knew before they came to the car. Since I don't have to tell them, I didn't. They asked me if I was carrying - and I answered. They seemed like they could care less. How did they know without running your DL?, Is your car covered with ARFCOM and VCDL stickers? if we run the tags, and they have a system that brings up the owners dl info w/ the tags it would show that the owner has a CHP. My cities system doesnt do that but it wouldnt be hard to come up with a system that would. It's assumed that the owner is the driver. |
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In Virginia, there is no requirement for you to notify the police during a traffic stop that you have a concealed carry permit, whether or not if you are carrying.
Now, having said that, I generally give the officer my license and carry permit. I suspect this has been the reason that the last three times that I have been pulled over that the officers have told me to please slow down. None of them have ever gone into overload and disarmed me or even asked anything further about it. But I have always been pulled over in Stafford county. I think Stafford has a better than average Sheriffs department. I did get pulled over once down around Tidewater area by a State Trooper. She asked where my carry piece was and then gave me a ticket. But Virginia troopers are pretty much like that. No one gets a break. Just ask those New Jersey troopers a few years back who were speeding up I-81 with lights flashing!
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