Undercover bust in front of me

[crankinNM]

I was riding my bicycle back from the grocery store, packing my CZ75 compact with 14 rounds of 9mm JHP in my fanny pack.

A none discript sedan pulls ahead of me and then pulls over quickly. Another sedan pulls in front and blocks forward motion............. a little startled I hop of my bicycle and go to the sidwalk where a car is parked so I can take cover if I need to.

A lady hops out of the sedan blocking forward motion of the other sedan with a drawn Glock 21 hand gun.

I thought someone was about to die.

She peared in the drivers side then walked around to the passenger side and said "this is the police get out of the car"...........

She did not look like the police.

Appearently she was under cover. Her parner came up from behind.....he did not look like the police either.

This whole incedent happened 8 feet from were I was standing. My eyesight is not great so I did not notice her badge hanging from her neck cammoflaged against her Black Sabath T-Shirt.

If I had drawn to "stop the action" I could have easily been involved in a confict with the police that I did not want.

Took me a few seconds to realize she was for real and this was a bust.

I got on my bike and said "Jesus Christ, you don't look like the police" as I rode off.

A lot of "could of happeneds" came to my mind afterwards.

She could have been shot through the window with me in the line of fire.......she did not announce she was the police until she walked all the way around the car.

I vented to my wife about it when I got home and we could see the whole thing a block and a half away from my house. By the time I got home a marked Police car had arrived.

The whole thing made me reailze how "for real" guns on our streets are.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[retsupt99]

So many of the threads talk about "What Would You Do?" stuff.
This points out how you never know who is really who...sounds like taking cover, was and is, the correct option.

[AMH]

Wow, I am glad you weren't hurt.

I guess this is one more reason why CCWers shouldn't get involved in vigilante actions. You never really know who the "good" and who the "bad" guys are.

[SIXTO]

Yup, just stay out of the way. BTW, they are supposed to "not look like the police"

[Sheldon J]

The point here is that you were out of harms way and in a position to observe at the ready, which you did well, had you been in the line of fire with weapons pointed in your direction then this would have been a different story.
On the critique side the police should have ID'D as soon as the exited the vehicle, what if there had been an uniformed police officer in the area, this could have turned into a police shoots police story real fast.

[IfIhaveto]

Very happy you didn't get hurt or wasn't involved...Since the glass is half full :-)
By being discreet and not looking like police officers...Another BG is off the street. Yours!!!

[Janq]

Why would you have drawn to "stop the action"?
The persons be they cops or not were not keyed on you...and you are not a cop thus not warranted to go stopping any such action.

Myself I know I'm guilty of nothing so I'd pick my escape point, whilst staying on my bike, and boogie out of the dust up zone double time.
If they want to try and chase me, assuming they were after me, then well they better come hard and fast. If not and they are after some other person(s) behind me then well good luck to them.

- Janq

[NCHornet]

The point here is that you were out of harms way and in a position to observe at the ready, which you did well, had you been in the line of fire with weapons pointed in your direction then this would have been a different story.
On the critique side the police should have ID'D as soon as the exited the vehicle, what if there had been an uniformed police officer in the area, this could have turned into a police shoots police story real fast.

+1 AS long as the guns weren't pointed at you, you were not in any iminent threat of being hurt or killed so you would have no reason to draw. I wouldn't hang around either, best to get out of the way in case lead does start flying!!

NCH

[BikerRN]

This is why I don't get involved and only carry to protect me and mine when I'm off duty.

You don't know the players, or what's going on, that's a great reason to MYOB.

Biker

[ccman]

You done good, glad it work out ok for You.

[Bark'n]

Your eyesight was good enough to ID that it was a Glock-21!

Must be pretty good eyesight! Not sure I could tell which model it was from 8 or 10 feet away. They all pretty much look alike to me.

+1 on taking cover!

-1 on thinking about "drawing to stop the action!" Wasn't your place to get involved. Cops don't all wear uniforms!

Unless people are directly addressing you, as in robbing you... there is no way you'll know for certain who all the players are.

[Ram Rod]

Years ago, I lived in an upstairs apartment. There were only two upstairs apartments...one south and one north. I've had the cops knock on our door about 2am thinking it was the apartment they were looking for...but it was the one across from us! You talk about freaked out! Then the guy must have been alerted and hid behind his couch when they busted down the door! Glad shots were never fired!

[bigiceman]

I guess this is one more reason why CCWers shouldn't get involved in vigilante actions. You never really know who the "good" and who the "bad" guys are.

Helping someone who is in immediate danger of violent action would not be vigilante action. I saw a news story last week that used the term vigilante. I don't think they used it right there either. We have to watch the news and ourselves for this term because it is a derogatory term with many negative connotations, just like militia has become. Defending yourself or others from harm is not vigilantyism, unless you are roaming the streets on a self-imposed patrol hoping for some action.

The other thing that disturbed me about this story is thinking of myself in the postition of the occupant of the car. If they are unmarked, aren't screaming they are the police, box me in and come out with guns drawn there is going to be a shooting. A badge on a chain ain't gonna get my attention when someone has a gun in their hand coming toward me. That would be very unfortunate. I would hate to get involved in a misunderstanding, (they got the wrong car) and end up hurting a police officer.

[semperfi.45]

This is why I don't get involved and only carry to protect me and mine when I'm off duty.

You don't know the players, or what's going on, that's a great reason to MYOB.

Biker

+1. A saying I once heard; in looking to save others beware of drowning yourself.

[NCHornet]

Helping someone who is in immediate danger of violent action would not be vigilante action. I saw a news story last week that used the term vigilante. I don't think they used it right there either. We have to watch the news and ourselves for this term because it is a derogatory term with many negative connotations, just like militia has become. Defending yourself or others from harm is not vigilantyism, unless you are roaming the streets on a self-imposed patrol hoping for some action.

The other thing that disturbed me about this story is thinking of myself in the postition of the occupant of the car. If they are unmarked, aren't screaming they are the police, box me in and come out with guns drawn there is going to be a shooting. A badge on a chain ain't gonna get my attention when someone has a gun in their hand coming toward me. That would be very unfortunate. I would hate to get involved in a misunderstanding, (they got the wrong car) and end up hurting a police officer.

Chances are you would be the one getting hurt!! The cops make mistakes, they are human, not saying what the proper action would be and I pray none of us ever have to be in a situation like that. But I tend to think a group of officers, who have a game plan to take you down, are going to have the jump on you and going for a weapon would be very foolish. Like I said I hope none of us are ever placed in that scenario.

NCH