So I Was Shooting Some Guns.....

[Hosakawa Tito]

You were in Texas, you immediately announced there were weapons in the car, and you had your hands on your head.

For any traffic stop, whether firearms are suspected to be present or not, police like to see your hands visible. Putting your hands on your head is a bit dramatic, and I'm sure the cop had a chuckle when he told the story back at the station. However, reaching/rifling around under the seat or the like will definitely put the cop on high alert. Complacency can get a traffic cop dead.

Telling the officer right off the bat was definitely the right thing to do, it lets him know the situation, lets him know you aren't bushwhacking him, and keeps him from jumping to conclusions if he spots the pistols during the stop. He probably saw the long guns in the bed anyway, and put 2 and 2 together.

Without a CCP in Virginia, you have to have the firearm in a locked closed container (usually the trunk) and unloaded. Never really thought about it before, but a pickup is not ideal for this. Many people get the CCP just so they don't have to worry about this. Not sure what the rules are in the Republic.

I agree, announcing there were handguns in the seat pouches out of sight was the right thing to do. State laws vary for transporting firearms but no state allows transporting of loaded firearms that I'm aware of. States that require pistol permits would have definitely had the cop checking for that, but Texas doesn't require a pistol permit. If it was hunting season they might check to see if the guns are loaded, but I think the cop read the situation correctly, 4 young men out target shooting.

I never shot an AK, that must have been fun. Notice the recoil difference between that and the AR15 ?

[Kadagar_AV]

For any traffic stop, whether firearms are suspected to be present or not, police like to see your hands visible. Putting your hands on your head is a bit dramatic, and I'm sure the cop had a chuckle when he told the story back at the station. However, reaching/rifling around under the seat or the like will definitely put the cop on high alert. Complacency can get a traffic cop dead.


I agree, announcing there were handguns in the seat pouches out of sight was the right thing to do. State laws vary for transporting firearms but no state allows transporting of loaded firearms that I'm aware of. States that require pistol permits would have definitely had the cop checking for that, but Texas doesn't require a pistol permit. If it was hunting season they might check to see if the guns are loaded, but I think the cop read the situation correctly, 4 young men out target shooting.

I never shot an AK, that must have been fun. Notice the recoil difference between that and the AR15 ?

Hell yeah, AR15 feels like a pebble gun in comparison.



Strike for the South>>> Ok so some in the car was mexican... I didn't really want to make it a race issue, and it was rather clumsily stated of me. I rather meant "you probably looked and acted like well behaved citizens".

I think the cops attitude would have been different if it was 4 black guys in the car, hard rap music pumping on the stereo and crack smoke streaming out the window as it was rolled down. Get my point? *and again, not really a race issue, 4 black guys in ordered clothes who behaved well should of course be treated the same as you guys*

[Reenk Roink]

You're white...

[Kadagar_AV]

You're white...

Almost overly so.

[spmetla]

You're lucky, my brother was returning from hunting and pulled over for speeding as well, with his buddies in the truck. The rifles were in the back and the pistols under the seat but all the ammo was in the back too. My brother also fessed up to the weapons and their location right away but this caused the officer to have everyone get out of the car, put my brother on the hood, searched him, arrested him and confiscated all the pistols for failure to keep, ( pistols need to be out of reach of any passengers and in a lockable container so as to make drive-bys less easy to do).

Thankfully the judge ruled in my brother's favor that the officer didn't have the right to do what he did. Needless to say having him call from the police station needing to be bailed out as well as have his car picked up from the side of the road got him in A LOT of trouble with pop.

But for Kadagar's theory well it was three occupants two white and one hapa-haole (white/hawaiian). The truck was a beat-up 80's 4-runner painted camouflage, and my brother wears shirts with the sleeves torn off. He was to the point and says he was polite but i wasn't there so I can't testify to that (experience says he was probably polite but agitated sounding).

[Strike For The South]

Almost overly so.

You're white...

Yes and? I never brought up race Kadgar you did, despite claims you want to keep it out of the thread.

Are you saying I as a white man couldn't have just as eaisly grabbed that pistol and blown the cops head all the way to Dallas?

I figured the cop would be allot more strict with us and thought it was odd that he wasnt so I started the thread.

I realize jetsetting across all those dangerous European and North American countries teaching rich people how not to fall down on skis has made you an expert on how an American police officer is supposed to react with guns in a car but if you could please expand on your post and teach me your ways it would be much apperciated because clearly you are king dick and around you I need to sit down to pee

You're lucky, my brother was returning from hunting and pulled over for speeding as well, with his buddies in the truck. The rifles were in the back and the pistols under the seat but all the ammo was in the back too. My brother also fessed up to the weapons and their location right away but this caused the officer to have everyone get out of the car, put my brother on the hood, searched him, arrested him and confiscated all the pistols for failure to keep, ( pistols need to be out of reach of any passengers and in a lockable container so as to make drive-bys less easy to do).
).

I figured something like this would've happened. I was just surprised that the officer didnt err on the side of caution.

[Kadagar_AV]

SFTS, chill, my comment wasnt meant as insulting and should be seen as a good humored jest :)

I might have failed at it, but that was my intention...


I think I made myself clear that race wasnt my point. However, I assume you acted well mannered and respectful towards the officer, and that would explain his attitude towards you (well mannered and respectful in return!).


Was he to relaxed... Not really.

You know, most people they stop are just the average joe, such as you or me. The odds of someone being polite and respectful and then all of a sudden whip up a gun and shoot you is slim. And also, if you start treating everyone like a suspect you will create more problems than you prevent.

Psychopaths aside, it is not that hard to read a situation such as the one you were in, and the cop was probably experienced.

Nice to see stuff like this as compared to the "police abuse thread".