Have you been disarmed by a LEO?

[E.Marquez]

NOTE: Poll added.... If you have been disarmed, answer YES and then post a response.
If not disarmed during a LEO contact where you presented ID/CHL to the LEO, select NO in the poll.

Discussion point: Lots of talk about LEO's disarming a CHL'er for "safety" .. Some speak of department policy, some opine, it is common, others contend it is individual officers acting on personal decision points.

I Have asked three officers in three departments, folks that will tell me truthfully if there was a department policy on disarming CHL's .. None of the three have been informed of a department policy or even a Norm that details such an action.

So the questions I respectfully ask are:

Have YOU been disarmed by a LEO during a non violent stop or contact, where you were not accused, or suspected of a serious criminal event? (would prefer only 1st hand accounts, this would include someone you were with that you personally observed being disarmed., if you feel you have a second hand account that just must be added, please qualify your statement with how you came to knowledge of the event.. Thanks)

1: Under what circumstances? (ie traffic stop, you are the complainant, witness in a crime and asked for ID, ect)
2: Was the weapon removed from you? or were you allowed to remove it and hand it over to the officer?
3: Did the officer state the reason for disarming you? if so what was it? (safety, serial number check)
4: Did the officer at any point say or indicate the disarming was a department rule, policy, recommendation?
5: Where did this happen and what department?



THIS IS NOT LEO BASHING,, nor a thread to discuss the legitimacy of disarming CHL'ers... we have those posts running already.

I desire to see if there is a pattern among reasons stated, locations, departments, method of weapon removal, and confirm or deny implications that it is a common event. 700,000 plus concealed hand gun licenses in Texas.... If LEO's are commonly disarming CHL'ers in contacts.... I would hypothesize we will see patterns and supporting evidence to show the same.

Thanks

Erik

[brainman]

If you want to see how common it is, then do you want to know about LEO contacts where the person was not disarmed?

[E.Marquez]

If you want to see how common it is, then do you want to know about LEO contacts where the person was not disarmed?

I think I can cull that data from existing posts.

Thanks

[Thomas]

If you want to see how common it is, then do you want to know about LEO contacts where the person was not disarmed?

I think I can cull that data from existing posts.

Thanks

You could probably get a better sampling though if you added a poll to the topic.

[Wes]

i have been in maybe 3 or 4 traffic stops since and only once was i disarmed but it was only because he gave me a ride (non-arrest) after impounding my truck, lol. In this case, the fort worth officer removed the weapon from my side himself, and put it back himself which was kind of strange beings i was pocket carrying. He said this was policy, but again I was taking a ride in his squad car. The other times they just asked me to keep my hands where they can see them, that is all.

[talltex]

Only happened once, out of maybe 4 or 5 times stopped (this was during first year CHL was passed). I was stopped, in tandem with another vehicle, for speeding. The officer approached the vehicle in front of me first, and spoke with the driver for a minute, then came back to my vehicle where I sat with window down, hands on wheel, holding my DL and CHL ready for him. He was a younger officer, very polite, and upon seeing the CHL, he asked if I had a gun in the vehicle and where it was located. I told him I had one in the console and one in the glove box. He asked what they were, and I told him a .45 in the console and a .38 in the glove box. He said he was going to handle the other driver first, and he'd feel more comfortable if I'd step out of the vehicle and stand in front of it while he handled the first driver. I said sure, and stood there until he released the other driver and came back to me. We talked a couple of minutes about the car I was driving and how fast it was and how fast I was going, then he issued a warning ticket and said he appreciated my courtesy and that he was having to get used to the idea of other people legally carrying. He laughed and said he realized that the people who told him they were armed were probably not the ones he should worry about , but he just hadn't adjusted to it yet. I told him I understood, and thanked him for the warning.

[Oldgringo]

No.

[Thomas]

No.

They have to catch me first! J/K, I've only been pulled over once in my life, and that was before I owned a gun.

[jimlongley]

I have been stopped twice and in a wreck once since I obtained my CHL.

The first time I hadn't even received my plastic yet and I got stopped after passing by a drunk sweep. An officer pulled off the median and followed me for about a half mile on the frontage road before lighting me up and telling me that my license plate light was out. First he stuck about half his body into the car trying to detect even the faintest odor of alcohol, it was 2am, and then he toold my DL and Insurance and headed back to his car. I should explain here that my IL driver's license had expired shortly after I got here, but I was living in a travel trailer while my wife stayed behind and sold the house in IL, so my vehicle was still registered in IL while my DL was TX, and I had applied for my CHL as soon as I was eligible and had a power and water bill in my hands.

Shortly after going back to his car the officer came back, obviously a little upset and asked me if I was "packing" which made me wonder how he knew I was leaving on a business trip the next morning, and then he tried "strapped" and finally asked, in plain English, was I carrying a gun. I told him that I did not have a CHL yet, so I was not carrying, and his response was that according to their records I had a CHL and I was supposed to present it, etc, etc, etc. I did not bother to try to argue with him about whether it was required to show CHL if one was not carrying, and just told him I had not received my plastic yet, so I was not carrying. My plastic arrived in the mail the next day

He gave me a warning, which really was kind of Pyrrhic on his part because my vehicle was still under IL registration and thus was not required to have a license plate light.

--------

The second time I made an illegal 'u' turn, RIGHT IN FRONT OF A COP!!! In my own defense, the "NO U TURN" sign was temporary during road construction and had not been there a week or so before, and was tie wrapped to the pole too far above the ground so it was hard to see.

The officer took my DL and CHL and asked if I was carrying, and when I responded in the affirmative asked me where and told me just to point at it, and then handed me back my CHL while he went to his car. He came back and gave me a verbal warning and we had a little laugh about that sign being a gold mine for tickets and I went on my way.

---------

When I had my wreck, the responding officer noted how shaken I was, and wracked by coughing from the air bag, and told me he didn't care if I was carrying, in my condition I wouldn't be able to hit anything (except the other car.)

[E.Marquez]

If you want to see how common it is, then do you want to know about LEO contacts where the person was not disarmed?

I think I can cull that data from existing posts.

Thanks

You could probably get a better sampling though if you added a poll to the topic.

A poll provides limited ability to respond to a leading question. Not my intent, so this..

Poll added.. If the answer is no,, just select that in the poll.
If the answer is yes, select that in the poll then post a response in forum with the details as requested.

Initial post revised to say all that (I think) IANAL, nor a professional pollster.

Thanks

[E.Marquez]

i have been in maybe 3 or 4 traffic stops since and only once was i disarmed but it was only because he gave me a ride (non-arrest) after impounding my truck, lol. In this case, the fort worth officer removed the weapon from my side himself, and put it back himself which was kind of strange beings i was pocket carrying. He said this was policy, but again I was taking a ride in his squad car. The other times they just asked me to keep my hands where they can see them, that is all.

Thanks..
Not in the data catagory Im looking at.. In custody and transport.. is a bit different the disarmed at a traffic stop..

[E.Marquez]

Only happened once, out of maybe 4 or 5 times stopped (this was during first year CHL was passed). I was stopped, in tandem with another vehicle, for speeding. The officer approached the vehicle in front of me first, and spoke with the driver for a minute, then came back to my vehicle where I sat with window down, hands on wheel, holding my DL and CHL ready for him. He was a younger officer, very polite, and upon seeing the CHL, he asked if I had a gun in the vehicle and where it was located. I told him I had one in the console and one in the glove box. He asked what they were, and I told him a .45 in the console and a .38 in the glove box. He said he was going to handle the other driver first, and he'd feel more comfortable if I'd step out of the vehicle and stand in front of it while he handled the first driver. I said sure, and stood there until he released the other driver and came back to me. We talked a couple of minutes about the car I was driving and how fast it was and how fast I was going, then he issued a warning ticket and said he appreciated my courtesy and that he was having to get used to the idea of other people legally carrying. He laughed and said he realized that the people who told him they were armed were probably not the ones he should worry about , but he just hadn't adjusted to it yet. I told him I understood, and thanked him for the warning.

So I would count this as a NO, as you were not disarmed, simple asked to separate yourself from the weapons in your car. Effectively the same end result I understand.. but NOT the data group being researched.

Thanks for your response though.

[JP171]

i have been in maybe 3 or 4 traffic stops since and only once was i disarmed but it was only because he gave me a ride (non-arrest) after impounding my truck, lol. In this case, the fort worth officer removed the weapon from my side himself, and put it back himself which was kind of strange beings i was pocket carrying. He said this was policy, but again I was taking a ride in his squad car. The other times they just asked me to keep my hands where they can see them, that is all.

Thanks..
Not in the data catagory Im looking at.. In custody and transport.. is a bit different the disarmed at a traffic stop..

the poster said he was NOT in custody, but merely being given a ride due to his vehicle being towed. so by what criteria are you dismissing this anecdote? or is this poll like the CDC studies?

[E.Marquez]

i have been in maybe 3 or 4 traffic stops since and only once was i disarmed but it was only because he gave me a ride (non-arrest) after impounding my truck, lol. In this case, the fort worth officer removed the weapon from my side himself, and put it back himself which was kind of strange beings i was pocket carrying. He said this was policy, but again I was taking a ride in his squad car. The other times they just asked me to keep my hands where they can see them, that is all.

Thanks..
Not in the data category Im looking at.. In custody and transport.. is a bit different the disarmed at a traffic stop..

th poster said he was NOT in custody, but merely being given a ride due to his vehicle being towed

Call it what ya want... But if your vehicle is impounded and you’re in a cruiser... being disarmed is not in the same category as being pulled over for a traffic violation and disarmed..

To me, that report is still a no.... and it's my request for info..

[snatchel]

Yep, twice.


1: Under what circumstances?
a) Traffic Stop, Speeding. <5 mph
b) Traffic Stop, Stop Sign.

2: Was the weapon removed from you? or were you allowed to remove it and hand it over to the officer?
a) Officer asked me to step out so he could remove it
b) Officer asked me to remove it slowly from holster, and hand it to him--grip first

3: Did the officer state the reason for disarming you? if so what was it? (safety, serial number check)
a) removed for his safety, SN checked
b) no reason given

4: Did the officer at any point say or indicate the disarming was a department rule, policy, recommendation?
a) no
b) no

5: Where did this happen and what department?
a) Ranger, TX--DPS
b) San Angelo, TX--SAPD

Both cases I was definitely in the wrong. Both cases, I informed the Officer I had a CHL as soon as they came up to my window, and handed my DL/CHL first. Both cases the officers were professional, but I did not like being disarmed. I wasn't going to argue though--not on the road.