TexasCHLforum.com

CHL/LEO wrote:

Since last January, the ID is even required to have a 24 hour number you can call to verify the status of the LEO.

Ours don't - I asked about it after reading your response and nobody here has heard anything about it.

Refer your HR or Chief's office to Chapter 614.122 of the Government Code for the latest rules on ID cards. This whole subchapter was added last legislative session, along with the several other versions of subchapter H. There are two separate versions of the rules on ID cards, and one requires the agency to issue them to retired officers. I assume this was a response to interstate problems from LEOSA, but I cannot say for sure.


EDITED to add: I guess KRM45 types just a little faster than I do.

Flintknapper,

It really does depend on the situation. I don't know how the courts would look at it as I have never yet seen a case make it that far. Cops tend to either not believe it when someone does ask and laugh about it or think the person is being a wise guy and get mad.

One of the weird problems with laws is that in many cases, if the officer is in uniform, then it is presumed that you know he is an officer. But you also have the right to verify his actual status and courts will recognize it, especially if there have been a lot of police impersonators recently.

The only time I had any case similar to it, I was working for SAPD and my partner and I happened to be covering a friend who was with Castle Hills PD on a call in his city. The man at the house tried to ignore the CHPD officer and talk to us saying he wanted to talk to the "real" police officer. We started laughing and told him that in this case, the CHPD officer was the real police and we had no authority to handle the call. I will add that irritating the officer who is handling your situation is not the way toa void getting arrested on domestic violence calls.

yes, they should identify themselves and show ID if they are not in a uniform. That was also why i said the next time, you could ask for ID. All peace officers in Texas are required to have ID and show it on demand. Since last January, the ID is even required to have a 24 hour number you can call to verify the status of the LEO.

First, a quick legal lesson. A retired game warden may be still commissioned as a special warden. This means he is still an active peace officer with full peace officer authority. This is also true for retired DPS troopers (called special Rangers) and retired TABC agents (called special agents - we have 94 currently, IIRC).

So, knowing this, in answer to your questions about who to notify, I would call the local game warden AND the Austin Office of Professional Responsibility. The local game warden handles the investigation of hunting problems while the OPR handles the complaint if it is a retired GW. I would probably also call the local Sheriff but do it more as a courtesy and let him know I had already notified the game warden.

Now, as for how to handle the situation. I first want to say you handled it well. You came away with no injuries or unnecessary shots fired and were smart enough to keep your nephew out of danger. I am assuming you were able to finish claiming the deer and recovering it for him, of course. You had the option of being friendly or being standoffish and you chose friendly. I could never fault that decision. It was not required of course, and you were not required to answer any questions until he properly identified himself. In this case, I think that type of attitude would have set him off worse. You might have asked him for his ID and verified it because you can do that with any peace officer. But, I have no better way to handle it than what you did.