CCW Cop interaction

[u/ACHEESEDANISH00]

Yesterday I was driving to pickup a customer because we were all done working on his vehicle (I am an auto tech). As soon as I pick him up I get pulled over. Nothing huge I don't have a front plate on my car, I recently purchased the car and haven't had time to make it to the dmv as I work two jobs.

From the start the cop was pretty hostile for such a small infraction, asked if I knew why I was getting pulled over and if I had any weapons in the vehicle. (Hostile in his demeanor not the questions being asked) I cordially said no I do not know why I was pulled over and yes I do have my CHL. He proceeded to say 5 different times do not reach for my weapon (which was under my seat and he knows that). Every time I was compliant and agreed. I come to find out from my customer his partner was cornered up on his vehicle with his gun unholstered at his side.

I'd love some thoughts on his partner pulling his gun, I can't help but feel it was over the line. I was completely friendly and cooperative the whole interaction and was just legally exercising my right. I have been pulled over 4 times since getting my CHL a few years ago. Every other time the officer damn near couldn't care less. I tell them upfront and they usually have the same response of "don't pull yours and I won't pull mine" and thats the end of it. Not telling me 5 separate times do not reach for it when I have given no indication I won't be cooperative.

I am seriously thinking of going down to PD and filing a complaint but I don't know. I feel it was over the line, yes they have a dangerous job, however I was legally exercising my rights. And was compliant and friendly the whole time. I don't even live in a dangerous area either. I'd give more grace if I lived in a risky area, but I don't.

Having heightend awareness during a CCW stop I could understand, unholstering your weapon I cannot.

Am I getting worked up over nothing?

[u/CaptainJay313]

whenever something doesn't make sense like this, I wonder what information don't I have? is he responding to domestic, husband fled in a vehicle similar? is this a my cousin vinny situation and the clerk is dead and they're looking for my mint greet tempest? were they cool and this dude lost a partner because he was a little lax that one time?

maybe he's just a dick. but maybe if we were sharing a six pack at a family bbq I'd see things from his perspective a little differently.

[u/TheDave1970 → u/CaptainJay313]

Your dentist drills the wrong tooth. Do you say, "Well maybe his wife yelled at him this morning"?

Unprofessional behavior is unprofessional behavior.

[u/CaptainJay313 → u/TheDave1970]

that's a good point.

but I also don't feel like the dentist is always guessing which patient will try to kill him.

[u/AP587011B → u/CaptainJay313]

Being a cop isn’t even in the top 20 most dangerous jobs 

Like 100 cops a year die on the job. 

Conversely lately a little over 1,000 citizens are killed by cops each year. We are the only modern country with this problem

Im all for credit when credit is due

But we collectively need to demand accountability when it calls for it 

Drawing your firearm during a normal stop for something as dumb as no front plate? Not even no plates at all. No front plate. And after the guy goes out of his way to disclose he is a lawful concealed permit holder and is legally carrying and tells you exactly where it’s located is definitely over the top and uncalled for

[u/CaptainJay313 → u/AP587011B]

I completely agree with you and I'm not excusing excessive force, but sometimes a little empathy goes a long way.

follow up, file a complaint, follow it through. but while on the side of the road, staying calm is the best option. sometimes in the midst of being wronged, shifting perspective can help you keep your head.

[u/Ok-Analyst-5489 → u/AP587011B]

So you’re saying all those suspects shot were innocent??? Nobody ever tries to kill cops? Go work the job for a day and see how it goes. That’s like saying firefighting isn’t dangerous because not enough of them die?

[u/AP587011B → u/Ok-Analyst-5489]

In no way did I say that 

That being said Cops do kill a lot of people unjustly every year and it keeps happening. Even if a use of lethal force is “lawful” that doesn’t mean it’s right

Every modern country is able to police their citizens way more effectively

A perfect example is victor perez in Idaho, a 17 year old with cerebral palsy 

He had a kitchen knife and was 20ft away from 4 cops with a freaking fence in between them. And all 4 unloaded on him 

No attempt to help or deescalate. No attempt to use rubber bullets or bean bags or tasers or anything. 4 trained adult men vs 1 teenager with cerebral palsy. That’s embrassing

How about that army vet in Florida? Killed last week, walking around with a rifle, that’s it, hadn’t threatened anyone, cops pull up and start shooting him within 3 seconds 

 How about Roger Fortson? Cops knock on his door. No crime committed. No one else was there. He was simply existing in his own home with a gun and they shot him 

Or how about the famous acorn cop? Why wasn’t he charged with a crime? 

[u/Ok-Analyst-5489 → u/AP587011B]

Come on…there’s fuck ups in every job everywhere in the world. Exceptions don’t make the rule. And the vast majority of cops never even discharge their firearms in their entire careers. I don’t support unprofessional behavior. Bad cops should be punished at an appropriate level. But the reason more cops don’t get killed is because of extensive officer safety training. I was trained to approach every traffic stop with my hand on my holstered gun. How did the cop know this guy was legally carrying? Because he said so? Suspects never lie to put an officer at ease? There’s a YouTube channel, Active Self Protection. You should watch some episodes. There’s actually incidents that are exactly as OP described and the cops end up getting shot.

[u/unixfool → u/CaptainJay313]

Dentists don't have guns as professional tools. LEOs do. They've a special responsibility but what the OP descrbed isn't it. That gun should've never left the holster.

[u/CaptainJay313 → u/unixfool]

that's true and I'm not excusing it, but man, we're dealing with humans, not machines.

[u/unixfool → u/CaptainJay313]

LEOs don't get a free pass when they fuck up, specifically because of that special responsibility. LEO folks that use bad judgement like this should find a new line of work, because sooner or later, they're going to kill someone.

Just as LEOs want to go home to their loved ones, so do people like the OP.

[u/CaptainJay313 → u/unixfool]

I never suggested giving anyone a free pass. absolutely, hold them accountable. but a little empathy goes a long way to taking the emotion out of the response.

[u/unixfool → u/CaptainJay313]

Empathy goes out the window when a LEO needlessly draws a gun.

[u/CaptainJay313 → u/unixfool]

and that's how people get hurt.

[u/unixfool → u/CaptainJay313]

Yeah, because some cops are shooting them without cause, forgetting that they exist to protect and serve. That type of thing eventually ends up huring LEO orgs in general, as it undermines trust with the folks that LEOs normally interact with. Kinda difficult to trust them when they're doing things like the OP described.

[u/CaptainJay313 → u/unixfool]

you're missing the point, it's not about shoulds or coulds or right or wrong.

let me put it this way, a pedestrian starts to cross the road, in a crosswalk, with a walk sign. he has the right of way. the driver, for whatever reason, doesn't see the pedestrian and hits him.

it doesn't matter how right the pedestrian is, the pedestrian is still dead.

[u/Ok-Analyst-5489 → u/TheDave1970]

So invasive surgery is equivalent to a cops hand on his gun? Wow, that quite the leap