The Ultimate Question,: What would YOU do If YOU got pulled over by a LEO?

[9MMare]

Do you have your Texas CHL? If so, you went through the 10 hr course which included Non Violent Dispute Resolution.

Do you remember the 3 ego states and the answer to a question on the test about the most effect communication taking place when folks remain in a certain ego state.

Taking the attitude that "I don't have to, or you can't make me" certainly falls into the "child" ego state which isn't the answer to the question, (trying not to give any specific info about the Texas test), and isn't the most effective ego state to be in during a traffic stop.

Why one gets pulled over, certainly can make a difference. And if you don't tell the officer, he might never find out, but then again, he might. Based on your reactions and responses to his questions, he may or may not decide to make the stop last long enough to find a reason to ask you out of the car, and do a search or whatever.

Or...it's just less complicated to not mention it.

In my state, it shows up on their computer if they run your plates. They know the possibilty is there....it's up to them to ask. Never been asked. Never mentioned it.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[MASSIVE]

Side note: ^^^ I'm not bashing LE or grouping them all together. I know there's more good ones out there than there are bad, so sorry if it may come off the wrong way.

The last time I was "pulled over" it was "being intercepted" -- A cop 'eyed' me (I noticed) at a gas station and started following me. I thought "here we go again..." (I had long hair at the time and was pulled over far more than my no moving violations ever would dictate). Noticed a car up ahead that wasn't turning when it could/should have as I was making a right turn. That was another cop who made the left right in front of me, another car from the left and the cop behind me. Boxed me in like a birthday present. "Throw the keys out the window and lemme see your hands" and all that stuff with guns drawn, yelling, screaming, flashing lights and all the accouterments of a solid "dangerous felon" stop.

I just did what they told me. I moved slowly, exactly where and how they told me until I was on my knees and one of them shoved me to the ground and started asking me where I as coming from (work) and where I was going (home).

Mistaken identity and an apology from the cop and an offer to file a complaint (I didn't) later, I was on my way home. One wrong move, one fast jerky action, one nervous trigger finger on all those guns drawn (it was 4 or 5 - It's a bit fuzzy and it was dark) and believe me -- I have a lot of cop friends and I make sure my hands are visible and I don't seem threatening just when I'm walking up to any of them.

Some call me overly-paranoid about it. I just think I'm being extra nice.

If I'm getting pulled over, I don't even know why I'm getting pulled over. YBYA I'm going to be pretty low, slow and compliant. "Good day" or not, "good cop" or bundle of nerves.

[yz9890]

Most now do. Hard to believe that any don't. And it isn't about being dishonest, unless you are asked and you lie about it, or unless your area mandates you tell the LEO that your armed and you don't.

It is about being upfront and not being preserved as trying to hiding something too. Most LEO will appropriate the fact that you are being straight forward with them. If they happen to find out on their own that your armed it could go bad for you in a heartbeat. The more respect you show the more respect you'll get in return.

a traffic stop is by nature an adversarial encounter. so i don't care what the officer would "appreciate". take the ticket for whatever you may have done and be on your way. and you're implying that when the officer finds out I'm legally carrying a weapon and breaking no laws by not telling him/her that the gloves will come off? ("go bad in a heartbeat") I don't buy that. there will be extremes either way but they are certainly the minority.

I speak with them with the same respect I do anyone else. I take my medicine if speeding, broken tail light etc. I don't participate in their interrogations and I don't volunteer info that has nothing to do with my broken tail light because I'm not required to and it can potentially be used against me.

so far so good. Both stops for me since CCDW have been non-events and one even involved getting out of the car for a sobriety test. If he knew I was a CCDW license holder, I would think he would've said something before he asked me to get out of the car. even if it was only to find out where it was on my body or in my vehicle.

[IAm_Not_Lost]

a traffic stop is by nature an adversarial encounter. so i don't care what the officer would "appreciate". take the ticket for whatever you may have done and be on your way. and you're implying that when the officer finds out I'm legally carrying a weapon and breaking no laws by not telling him/her that the gloves will come off? ("go bad in a heartbeat") I don't buy that. there will be extremes either way but they are certainly the minority.

I speak with them with the same respect I do anyone else. I take my medicine if speeding, broken tail light etc.

Well worded post. I feel the same way; LEO's deserve the utmost respect, but I see no reason to complicate a minor traffic violation by informing them of something that's completely legal in the first place. IMO when you go out of your way to tell a LEO that you're carrying it's similar to 'asking' them if it's OK, basically you're putting the ball in their court if you will. I personally see no reason to do that, I know me carrying a gun is OK, and I know that that the officer is safe in my presence whether they know I have a gun on me or not.

[Stkglover]

Massad Ayoob has a great video online about how to go about this, worked very well for me and the Officer was appreciative of letting her know I was armed. Wasn't pulled out by my hair at gun point given a warning (couldn't see the temp tag in the window) and sent on my way. It would largely depend on the officer and his/her judgement and experience. But if I was pulling the vehicle over I'd want to know.

[romansten9]

Thank you Ben. I really shake my head when I read threads where members talk about their speeding tickets etal. IMO, when you are CC, you are now a timid, no testosterone wimp when it comes to interractions on the road, including traffic violations, or anywhere that can lead to a confrontation. You wanna be a big shot and the big dog on the block, you should not be CCing---in the long run it will eventually cause you untold legal and civil problems.

To the people that make it so simple: "just don't speed" or "don't break the law"

wouldn't it be great if life was that simple! I suppose people never travel to new areas and happened to miss the speed limit sign somehow, or simply made a mistake? No matter how careful a person is, they can find themselves in a traffic stop. Even cops are pulled over by other cops!

[romansten9]

They know before they approach:
1) when they pull you over first thing's first they run your tag and it will come up if you have a CCL so they already know before they approach your vehicle if your licensed to carry

Be upfront honesty is the best policy and if you’re legally carrying then you have nothing too hid:
2) when they ask for your DL, registration, and POI I’d include my CCL and as I'm handing it to them I'd tell them "I’m licensed to carry and I have a firearm in the car" don't just blurt out "I have a gun" that could trigger an unnecessary response from any partners within ear-shot that will only hear "I have a gun" causing them to responding with a knee-jerk reaction

When asked to retrieve and surrender my loaded-firearm how I’d reply:
3) if they asked me to hand them over my loaded-firearm I would reply; With all due respect officer I don’t feel comfortable reaching down and handing you a loaded firearm, how would you like to proceed? Then I’d follow their order of compliance

4) I'd also like to add that since they will already know that you are licensed to carry before they approach your vertical I would keep my hands on the steering wheel and in plan sight so they can see them at all times because they are already going to be apprehensive about you having a loaded-firearm in your vehicle

5) and if it took place at night I would turn on all the interior lights so they could get a "good-look around" inside of my vehicle while standing outside to doth their apprehension and try to put them at ease as much as possible too

That’s just how I would respond during a traffic stop YMWV

I don't even have a CCL from my home state! (MANY people don't) My permit is from another state, and my state recognizes the out of state permit. (even though I've been a resident of my home state my whole life, and I've never lived in the state my permit is from)

So how do you think they will know anything about my permit from my license plate?

[romansten9]

Cops experience so much senerios,crazyness,lunes,out in the streets every day and night,it comes with the job. I dont envey them. Remember he doesnt know you. He might of had a bad experience before according to his behavior. You ever watch world criminal behavior,cops, police chase, dumest criminals,etc.?? .... Hes just playing it safe.... Sorry for the ticket though.

I know what you're saying, but its no excuse for throwing the gun around and possibly scratching the vehicle. The person has every right to report this LEO to his supervisor and receive damage compensation if necessary. Many jobs involve danger, so LEOs are no exception. A person working road construction could worry about every car that passes, but they wouldn't get the job done. If a person volunteers that they have a permit, and their hands are in plain sight, then the LEO should treat them accordingly. (with honor and respect) The LEO could be fully prepared to respond IF the person makes a threatening motion. A person that is honest and with hands in plain sight is NOT acting threatening.

[suntzu]

Massad Ayoob has a great video online about how to go about this, worked very well for me and the Officer was appreciative of letting her know I was armed. Wasn't pulled out by my hair at gun point given a warning (couldn't see the temp tag in the window) and sent on my way. It would largely depend on the officer and his/her judgement and experience. But if I was pulling the vehicle over I'd want to know.

I would like to know if the officer has ever been suspended or reprimanded for anything. Would also like to know if he is having a bad day. Knowing that would put my mind at ease but I do not see the officer divulging that information. Nor should he, it is not required.

[9MMare]

To the people that make it so simple: "just don't speed" or "don't break the law"

wouldn't it be great if life was that simple! I suppose people never travel to new areas and happened to miss the speed limit sign somehow, or simply made a mistake? No matter how careful a person is, they can find themselves in a traffic stop. Even cops are pulled over by other cops!

I've been pulled over when the tab sticker on my license plate came off (supposedly they're on there for good).

That's (one reason) why when people say (for anything), "if you have nothing to hide or if you never do anything wrong, you have no reason to worry"...I say BS.

[BamaAlum97]

OK is a "must inform" state, so obviously I will inform as required...even if it was not required, I would very likely inform anyway.

[semperfi.45]

My standard answer (revisited)...

I think a LEO contacting a civilian on a traffic stop boils down to this...we (LEO) are working to enforce the law and we are very HYPERVIGILANT and you (the CCW civilian) are an UNKNOWN to us, in your personal car and committing a violation that gives us the probable/reasonable/ justifiable cause to conduct a stop/lawful detention on you and your vehicle.

Just saying...HYPERVIGILANT vs. UNKNOWN in our book means we will not let you control how our contact evolves with you. Just remember LEO's deal with bad guys too. People get pulled over not just because they drive like idiots but traffic enforcement is also a time honored way of nabbing criminals with narcotics, warrants, bodies, stolen goods, burglary tools and imagine this...guns.

Don't forget that a CCL/CCW permit does not automatically make you a known innocent (yet). Earn that by understanding our position, being mature, and using your intelligence to articulate your concerns to us.

Bottom line though is that the uniformed officer has control...no apologies here - it just needs to be that way.

That said there are some less than stellar LEO's out there. I hate that and encourage that a formal complaint should be filed for violations of your safety or bad demeanor towards you. Just sayin...you may feel his demeanor is unprofessional, but 99% of the the time the mobile video tells a different story than yours.

[Tala]

AR is must inform, but they know before they get to your door anyway. Last time I got pulled over, he came up and said "you got it with you?" And I was a bit confused. I just hand over my DL and CHL together anyway. He clarified, "are you carrying tonight?" I wasn't that night coz I had been where I would have had to leave it in the car anyway. And after that, it went quite pleasently. He was pro-cc and encouraged me to carry all the time.
But it was pretty obvious that he knew I hold a CHL before he pulled me over. So not only is it required by law for me to confess, they know anyway, so this thread is pointless lol

I've had another cop unload my gun and all that jazz once, but he was polite and professional, and not nerveous or freaked out at me. Other times, either they didn't ask for ID (not official contact) so I didn't mention it, or they just looked and nodded, or they didn't bat an eye about it. I went through a bad car spell there and EVERY time I borrowed my mom-in-law's truck a headlight or tail light or license plate lights went out and I got pulled over. I swear that truck was allergic to the dark!!

[Sledge]

I've only gotten pulled over once when I was in TX with my CHL. In TX you must show your CHL along with your lic. so of course I did. Motorcycle Cop didn't freak out. But if I was in a state that didn't require it I wouldn't? Why would I? Other than maybe speeding i'm not doing anything else illegal. In the 23 years i've been driving and gotten pulled over maybe 5 times in that time frame, I've never had a cop pull me out of my car and search me. So i'll keep the stop short and unsweet.

[ep1953]

I know what you are trying to say, and I agree that LEOS just want to go home safe to their families (as they should)

HOWEVER: A gun is simply a tool. Would an officer freak out if you had a hammer lying on the seat (or insert another object that may be an even better example) If a citizen is pulled over and is not suspected of committing a violent crime, and that person freely admits to having a firearm on their person, and has both hands on the steering wheel (as they should) then the officer has NO reason to freak out and make a huge deal about a firearm. If someone wants to harm a LEO, are they going to announce that they are carrying while keeping both hands in sight? Most likely not. And a LEO can be on guard and prepared to act IF a person makes a threatening motion. Announcing that you are carrying and keeping both hands in sight is NOT threatening. We need to stop listening to the anti-gun media (and in some cases) cops that don't support carrying (which is terrible, but happens) 1: A LEO has no business throwing your personal property around, which could damage both the firearm and the paint on your vehicle. If that happens, you deserve to be compensated. 2: Incidentally, while a LEO is so carefully inspecting a firearm in such a way as described here, the person in the vehicle could have EASILY pulled a second firearm and done whatever they wanted to anyway. There is no end to the number of ways a LEO could be harmed by a person in a traffic stop, including a weapon activated by the hands on the steering wheel or even a weapon activated by their foot, or the vehicle itself could be used as a weapon. Securing one weapon (that is ALREADY secured) does NOTHING to protect the officer. It only distracted him from another possible attack.

Thousands of professions include danger, from road construction to (you name it) Having a dangerous profession doesn't give ANYONE the right to act like an idiot. A person in road construction faces many thousands of "potentially life threatening" situations EVERY TIME a car drives by. Does he need to "control" each car? No, he just does his best to stand clear. A LEO can be fully prepared for an attack without disarming everyone that has hands in sight and a secured firearm.

Despite the fact that some LEOS will over-react in this way, I fully support doing EXACTLY as the LEO says, be polite, keep your hands in plain sight and be a very nice person. Don't argue or be a jerk. If you have a complaint with a LEO, you can take it up later with a supervisor.

1: Absolutely!

2: Exactly what I was thinking. When driving I have AT LEAST two guns in the car. Three if I happen to have the BUG in my pocket (and a lot more than that if I'm on my way to the range).

3: Tennessee is not a must inform state but I do so anyway so I don't have to think if I get pulled over out of state (i.e. North Carolina) should I inform or not. I am a bit of a lead foot so I get a ticket every year or two. In all the times I have been pulled over both in TN and other states I have never run into an officer that reacted this way. The closest one was a Knoxville city officer that said "Don't make any sudden moves for it" when I informed I have my HCP. That was fine but again if a bad guy had intentions of shooting a cop does ANYONE out there think that the said BG is going to say "Officer, I have a gun with me"??????????