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Concealed carry....kind of a long story

7K views 75 replies 34 participants last post by  TheGreatGonzo 
#1 ·
First off in NC you must inform any officer you speak
with that you are carrying. I knew of this law but did
not realize how serious NC LE was about the law until
I had a run in with a LEO.
I was driving through a bad part of town at night
to go downtown to play guitar at a restaurant.
I have a permit to carry and always have my firearm beside
me while driving except for this one night I put my gun in the trunk
of my car since I wasnt going to carry in the restaurant.
So I drove past a patrol car and noticed it pulled out behind me
as I passed and followed me. I knew I wasnt speeding but felt
I was getting ready to get pulled over and I was right.
Two officers approached my car with flashlights on. I had my window
down, permit, license, and registration ready to give the officer.
He asked if I knew why I was being pulled and I said no. He said one
of your headlights is out. I was in the process of trying to tell him
I had a permit and was handing him my permit card when he cut me off and said I noticed when I ran your tags that you have a concealed permit. Then asked me if I had a gun on me. I said yes but it wasnt actually on me and that the gun was in the trunk. Im sure he thought I was lying because he asked me to step out of the car and he was going to search me. I said ok that's fine but I do have a knife in my pocket.
The other officer was shinning his flashlight in my car visually searching
through the window never actually opening the door to search while
I was outside the car.
He patted me down and didnt ask to see the knife then said get the
light fixed and always tell us when you have a permit. I said ok thanks. Im sure he would have given me a ticket if in fact I did have my gun on me. I know they were just doing their job but be sure if the inform law is the same in your state that you tell a officer immediately you have a permit and are carrying.
 
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#2 ·
While I inform whether required or not, an officer has to needs you time to inform as well. Common sense needs to work in both directions. Personally I figure if I get pulled over I'm getting a ticket. If the LEO decides to cut me slack for any reason fine, but I definitely don't expect it of them.
 
#5 ·
Yell out I have a concealed handgun license ...Don't yell out I have a gun and a license,basically same thing,but they may not hear the license part above the gunfire
 
#6 ·
If I am stopped, I will have my drivers license and CPL, CPL on top, ready to hand the officer before he gets to my window whick will already be down, radio off, and my hands where he can see them.
As soon as is possible I will verbally inform the officer that I have a CPL, I am carrying and where my "firearm" is located, followed by the words "what would you like me to do?"
I am showing my respect for the law and the LEO himself and leaving the rest of how the stop proceeds up to him. If he says just leave it there, fine, if he wants to disarm me and hold the gun until the stop is finished that's fine too. His stop, his call.
 
#7 ·
:icon_neutral: So , even though they KNEW you were a permit holder and therefore probably law-abiding - and the only mistake you made was having a bad headlight - "Barney and Goober " decided to
treat you as a suspect and bust your chops. :frown:

And you consider this treatment as just them being "serious" about
the law? :blink:

.
 
#25 ·
:icon_neutral: So , even though they KNEW you were a permit holder and therefore probably law-abiding - and the only mistake you made was having a bad headlight - "Barney and Goober " decided to
treat you as a suspect and bust your chops. :frown:

And you consider this treatment as just them being "serious" about
the law? :blink:

.
Key Word here is "Probably", just because someone passes the background check required (in most places) to get their CCW permit, doesn't automatically make them "a good guy". There are plenty of scuzzballs out there that have never been caught/convicted of crimes, and Im not sure I see in the op where they busted his chops.

I agree they didn't have a real reason to pat him down (though being in a crapy neighboorhood, it's possible they may have thought he was there buying drugs) and while he wasn't given much of a chance to inform them of his permit status, the op could have stated he had a permit when the officer asked if he knew why he was being stoped.....then proceeded to tell him yes/no I don't know why I was stoped.

Since getting my permit, I've had a few LEO encounters, all of them (mostly) positive.....the worst of them was when I informed the officer of my carry status and his comment was "Well, you don't touch yours and I won't touch mine" (he was likely trying to be funny, but to me came across as an azz.....)
 
#8 ·
Golly gee, I wish I had some cool gun stories I purchased my first firearm close to 30 years ago and been legally carrying on a daily basis for around 10 years; yet, I just don't have any cool gun stories or cop stories I do have some good deer stories but none of them involve cops. I'm just not doing something right.

Incredulously Yours,
 
#9 ·
I bet the reason you got treated the way you did was because of the part of town you were in. You said it was a bad part of town. The officers probably weren't expecting to find a law abiding citizen in that part of town.
 
#10 ·
I've been in WV a lot recently, and stopped twice in about 3 months time apart by the State troopers--just warnings both ways after I informed I had my NC CCP. That didn't happen before I got my CCP. So the same thing has crossed my mind about properly informing/good background/etc and letting go with warning. At least I hope the streak continues, but I'd like to not get pulled over again too....
 
#11 ·
Not sure that a headlight out fits the crime afoot part of the Terry search. And legally possessing a handgun does not either. It's not the first report about LEO and CC holders in NC that concerns me. They seem to take the CCP as a reason to do some very unnecessary things. BTW if you are not concealing the scope of permit does not require you to inform. They can, and usually do, find out when they run your tag. It's only one extra click on the computer to pull up the DL history of the owner of the vehicle. That said, I would still inform them regardless. But if you ever find yourself in a position and they try to bust your chops about being unarmed and not informing it's good to know.


14‑415.11. Permit to carry concealed handgun; scope of permit.
(a) Any person who has a concealed handgun permit may carry a concealed handgun unless otherwise specifically prohibited by law. The person shall carry the permit together with valid identification whenever the person is carrying a concealed handgun, shall disclose to any law enforcement officer that the person holds a valid permit and is carrying a concealed handgun when approached or addressed by the officer, and shall display both the permit and the proper identification upon the request of a law enforcement officer
 
#13 ·
I am stopped frequently by police who are checking for valid drivers license, expired plates etc. I think when they have a lot of burglaries in an area they set up check points to see who moves in and out of neighborhoods by using a license check as an excuse. I always have my drivier's license my permit and registration waiting for him before he even gets to my door. As soon as i see that i'm being stopped I roll my window down, I now drive with my license and all the other stuff right on my visor so all I have to do is reach for it. I have copies of my drivers license and permit that have been laminated so that I can carry them in my wallet. It works great, and when I'v been asked for Id in a store or some other place that needs my ID they have never even noticed it's a copy. I guess if they had to have the real thing i'd make a trip out ot the car to get it.

The times I have been stopped i'v actually had the LEO to totally look at me like what the heck is this when they see my CCL. That has been the thing that has surprised me. Only one ever even ackowledged it and he said "no problem" and told me to have a good night.

When approached by the LEO as I hand him the documents I say "hi, I am required by law to advise you etc etc etc. and I hope you are having a good day or night as it applys.
 
#14 ·
I had an incident recently when I was in the awkward timeframe between when my CHL had been approved and when I had received notification of it in the mail (which must have been a whopping three days, according to the date on the letter I got)... I got pulled over, due to confusion over a new no-turn-on-red sign.. anyway, the LEO ran the info and saw it listed me as CC. He was really great and after a couple of questions politely asked "So, uh, when were you gonna tell me about the CC..?" to which I turned beet red, and exclaimed that it was nice to know I had been approved, but I'd rather have found out via the letter!

We are required to disclose CC in my state.. and I've had many LEOs and attorneys over the years emphasize how important it is to do so as soon as possible during the encounter. But of course, they have to let you talk to get the word out about it.
 
#16 ·
In talking with LEO over the years there are two types
of opinions on concealed permit holders by LE
1: They think hey here is a good guy, law abiding citizen.
2: They think only police should have guns on them not citizens.
I think the officers that pulled me over were in category 2.
In NC if you dont inform a officer of your permit then you get a ticket
and kind of a permit warning if it happens twice you get your permit taken away. I know officers have to be extremly careful but what was frustrating
too was that the officer saw I had my license and permit in my left hand already
outstretched to hand him right when he asked about me having a permit
as I handed it to him and he looked at by permit.
 
#17 ·
This LEO didn't even give him a chance to inform so if I get what he wrote correctly if he had his gun this LEO may have wrote him up or worse. This interaction is exactly why I protect my self if possible just like the LEOs protect their side. I have recorders & video in company trucks & usually have more than one recorder on me at any given time to protect me. Funny thing is a LEO once didn't like it that I was recording our interaction same as he was with his recorder.

Most interactions I have with LEOs are GREAT though.
 
#18 ·
good point mcgyver with recording at the ready.
We live in such a modern era and recorders are so
tiny now but very few people have one on them just
in case one is needed with LE encounters or anything else.
Dont want to sound like I am a LE basher but I think some
LEO have a power issue since they carry a firearm
and when they encounter permit holders they feel that some
of their power or coolness has been taken away.
 
#19 ·
I say "Officer, I have a concealed weapons permit and I have a Glock 26 in my right front pocket, how do you want me to proceed?", before he even has time to say anything. I also have my OL, CCW permit, Insurance, and registration before he gets to the car.
 
#22 ·
I wouldn't go reaching for anything if you have a gun on you..

i was told by a LEO to put one hand on the roof and one hand out the window.. and wait for the officer to come to your car and tell him you have a loaded firearm where ever you may have it and you have a CCW. but who knows.. it maybe different for every state.. but im not going to go reaching around for everything knowing i have a loaded firearm on me and he may know that and he see's you moving around a lot.. you may just get told to get out of the car with a gun drawn on you..
 
#23 ·
I live in NC, and as far as I know, your permit is not connected in any way to your car tag. Not sure how they knew when they ran your tag. Thus far, all my LEO interactions here in North Carolina have been good. Been thru a couple DUI/license checkpoints and have always informed and been thanked and sent on my way without any adverse reactions from the LEOs.
 
#24 ·
I have always heard that when they run your tags it shows
them you have a permit must be true cause the officer
said "I saw you have a permit when I ran your tags" I hadnt
even given him my name or license yet.
When I went to Canada this year I gave the border guard
my passport and when scanned it showed the officer I had
a permit and he asked me about it too.
 
#26 ·
Nope, no way, I frequently cross into Canada for work both driving and flying; never discussed firearms (except for the anything to declare question) let alone CCW permits with Canadian or US border patrol. There is no connection between a Federal ID accepted world wide and a state issued permit. There is no way that a Canadian Border Guard has access to CCW permit via a passport.

Most Incredulously Yours,
 
#27 ·
Here recently in Ohio, a guy was actually tried for failure to notify because during a FELONY STOP in which they PREVENTED HIM FROM SPEAKING, he didn't notify them for ***51 SECONDS***.

The victim was acquitted by a jury, and I believe that legal action against the city of Beachwood is in the works.

A guy from North Carolina was stopped by Fairfax County, VA cops for a minor (alleged) traffic infraction. He notified him he was carrying, even though it wasn't required. They falsely arrested him for a variety of imaginary "offenses" including "crossing state lines with a loaded gun", "having hollowpoints", and "carrying a concealed weapon..." with an out of state credential RECOGNIZED BY the Commonwealth of Virginia. Even after he was released by a magistrate who explicitly characterized the event as a false arrest, Fairfax cops tried to keep his gun.
 
#31 ·
To the OP,

In reality, the LEO('s) were probably just checking you out.

I have a few friends in law enforcement, and I've ridden with them once in a while. One, in particular, loves to find cars with a headlight/taillight out, license plate light out, cracked windshield, or anything he can pull them over for.

And he doesn't generally write "fix-it tickets", either. He just advises them to fix it (after thoroughly nosing around), and lets them go. In all honesty, he doesn't care if they fix it or not. If they don't, he'll get a chance to pull them over again, and while they're stopped he's sniffing for alcohol or wacky weed, checking for weight in the trunk, or looking at their actions to see if they're under the influence of anything.

And he gets more DUI's (Driving Under the Influence) than most officers.

So honestly, it sounds like they checked you out, were satisfied, and let you go. They did their job (with legal cause to pull you over) and continued on their way.

Daryl
 
#32 ·
In PA, there is no duty to inform an Officer that you hold a LTCF during a stop. For that reason I think I will keep my mouth shut unless asked. So far it hasn't been an issue. I was pulled over once for speeding and the Officer never brought it up. I love Pennsylvania gun laws.
 
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