Got pulled today

[titleist]

There's a section on I-66 in Virginia where D.C. rush hour traffic goes from 4 to 2 lanes at Gainesville, and VSP likes to hang out at the merge to watch for HOV violations and expired inspection stickers. The trooper was standing next to his vehicle and tried to flag me down (my window was down, but music was up) but had to hop in the cruiser and pull along side me in the shoulder to let me know. I went through the motions: turn off car, hands on the wheel, etc. My pistol was sitting on the front seat, so right before he got to the window I said "Trooper, I have a firearm in the front seat". He said "okay", and went to ask me if there were any other weapons in the car. He told me it wasn't a problem and that he'd like to go around the other side and unload it. He went around the back of the car to my passenger door, I unlocked it, and he said he would like to unload it and run the serial number, and I said that's fine. He picks it up, and tries to unload the pistol, and eventually asks me where the mag release was (HK P2000 v3, by the way). I tried to tell him it's where all mag release buttons/levers are, but eventually he just held the pistol for me to drop the mag for him (after he tried the decocker, if you are familiar with the "switch" on the rear of the slide on the p2k). Once he got it empty, slide locked, he asked "This a SIG?" to which I replied "No sir, Heckler and Koch". He left my magazine and free cartridge on the front seat, eventually came back and explained that they like to run the serial numbers when it comes up, and that he was going to put the pistol behind my passenger seat and that I could retrieve it and reload it afterwards. I told him he can just toss it in the trunk and I'd get it later. He said he wasn't going to write me a ticket and how much he appreciated me telling him before he got to the door. "Be safe out there".
Good encounter, and I understand him running the SN if that's policy. Made me a little uncomfortable that I had to drop the magazine while he held onto the pistol though. Any thoughts? Anybody know about VSP's gun check policy?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[morintp]

In the "Got pulled over by a rookie" thread, there are is a side discussion of competency of some officers to unload a firearm. I think this illustrates quite clearly that not all LEO are created equal. If that was Sixto, he probably could have field stripped it and put it back together by the time this guy got the mag released with your help.

[HowardCohodas]

Sounds to me that he did the best he could. Both of you were polite. You avoided a ticket. That's a good outcome to me.

[Ridgeline]

Just another example of being polite and honest. Which resulted in "no" ticket.

[HKinNY]

Any time that you drive away without a ticket is a good thing.

[stormbringerr]

alls well that ends with no ticket well.

[mslaughtertx]

Sounds to me that he did the best he could. Both of you were polite. You avoided a ticket. That's a good outcome to me.

+1, Unfortunately, not all LEOs are familiar with all the productions guns out there. Glad everything worked out for you.

[HowardCohodas]

+1, Unfortunately, not all LEOs are familiar with all the productions guns out there. Glad everything worked out for you.

That was my point. He handled it without overreacting. Perhaps not in the best pistol knowledgable way, but by remaining polite. That's a good thing.

[hudsonvalley]

Once, while in slight excess of speed limits, ahem..(60 in a 55, pu-lease)...I was pulled over. Ended up that my license had a problem from a red light tix (innocent I swear) and that he would like me to exit the vehicle. That's when I handed him my Permit to Carry. He liked my Kimber Pro Tactical II (I got out, hands on top of car and he took out of the holster). But I asked him to unload it waaaaayyy over there. He asked why and I said that I didn't trust him with a cocked and locked .45. He said fair enough and went behind my car......That's when I handed him: 1 spare mag and my pocket knife. I patted myself down and told him that was it. He smirked.....

He also let me plead the tix down to a small fine....

[JimmyC4]

LEO says, "Be safe out there."

I know, be polite, so I'd not say it, but the thought that goes through my mind is, "Yep, I felt safe right up the point where you picked up my pistol without knowing jack squat about how to unload it!"

[hudsonvalley]

+1 twice.......!

[morintp]

That could be another reason you didn't get a ticket. He was worried that if you fought it you'd tell that story in court.

[Dusty Miller]

I don't know how we can expect every LEO in the country to know the intricacies of every semi-auto handgun in the country.

[Thumper]

It's prolly just me but... it seems like the best thing to do is to not do anything to get pulled over for in the first place!

[1911packer]

I can't help but feel everyone would be a lot safer if all parties just left the gun alone. Fiddling with an unfamiliar firearm is asking for an ND.