Sorry this is so long...

Jaeger · #1 01-07-2009, 06:18 PM

This actually happened to me a couple of years ago but since I just joined the site I thought I'd share.

First a little background. CCW's in California are issued by either the Chief of Police or the County Sherriff depending on where you live. Generally speaking the further north you go in California, the more "gun friendly" everyone, including LEO's, becomes. California CCW's are honored (despite what the people in San Francisco think) all over the state.

My county Sheriff is a HUGE advocate of our rights to carry. If you can pass the requisite testing, including a range test, pass the background checks and express a legitimate reason you feel the need to obtain a CCW, you will be issued one. My legitimate reason was that I leave home during dark and return after dark for work.

At any rate, I was working in a neighborhood in Chico, conducting some survey work for my employer. A resident of the neighborhood saw my vehicle (strange to the area) and saw me (a stranger in the neighborhood) walking from home to home in the middle of the day. This aroused his suspicions so he called the Chico PD who sent an officer out to investigate. The officer approached, started asking me questions about what I was doing and why I was there. Up to this point I have absolutely NO problem with anything that's happened. I'm glad citizens look out for their neighborhoods and I'm glad LEO's actually show up to check these calls out.

As soon as the officer allowed me the chance to say anything I advised him, per the training received in my CCW classes, that I was a permit holder and that I had a loaded weapon on my hip. At that point the entire attitude changed. He immediately demanded to know where the weapon was. I told him, again, that it was in a holster on my right hip. I asked him if he'd like to retrieve it. He said no. He asked for my permit, my driver's license and registration and proof of insurance then, keeping me in sight, backed to his car where, I assume, he called for another unit. He stood there beside his car until a second LEO arrived. The newcomer parked about 30 feet from the original officer, got out of his car, walked toward the original officer and asked what was going on. Their conversation, yelled at about 25 feet went like this:

Officer 1, in a VERY loud voice "This guy is carrying a weapon."

Officer 2 "He can't do that unless he has a permit'"

Officer 1 "He has a permit."

Officer 2 "Then what's the problem?"

The entire time I'm sitting in my truck, door open, hands in plain view, holstered .45 still on my hip. Watching the neighborhood crowd that has gathered buzzing about how I'm armed. After about 15 minutes, both officers approached me again and the original officer told me that "Just because you have a permit you can't carry a gun." and that I had made an "already dangerous situation more dangerous by introducing a loaded weapon." I replied that my permit, issued by the county in which I lived and approved by the state we live in DOES allow me to carry a weapon, that his job was to enforce the law whether he agreed with it or not and that if the "situation" was dangerous it was made far safer by my presence with a legally owned and carried firearm. He then told me that he was waiting for a call from the city attorney to see if I "might have broken part of the municipal code." After about 20 minutes he informed me that I was free to go but that if the city attorney came up with anything, they would issue a warrant and that he planned on calling the Sheriff's Office in my home county and getting my permit revoked. He also said he was going to flag my vehicle license so that any time the Chico PD saw me in the city, they'd know I was a CCW holder and that I should be prepared to surrender my weapon at any time to one of their officers. I told him it was the law that I do so and reminded him that I'd offered to do just that with him. At no time during the contact did I become belligerent, agitated or upset. I just sat there and smiled at them the entire time.

As soon as I was away, I called my SO's office and informed them what was going on. They asked several questions. Had I brandished the weapon, had I threatened anyone, had I told anyone other than the officer I had it? When I responded "No" I was told not to worry about it.

I found out later that when the Chico PD officer called and had to admit that I had broken no laws, he was told that I had responded as trained, that I had acted appropriately and that the Sheriff had no interest in revoking my permit. Period.

When I took the renewal course for my CCW back in November I found that I'm now part of the curriculum in our county. It was weird but gratifying to hear my instructor relate the story and then say "... and that's exactly how you should handle this kind of situation."

One hour and fifteen minute contact with Chico PD. End result, one very frustrated PD officer. Six months later there's a picture on the Chico paper's front page of some officers making an arrest. The picture shows two officers handcuffing a suspect, with a K9 there as well. Back beside his patrol car, CAR-15 at his shoulder, finger on the trigger and weapon pointed directly at the backs of the 2 officers doing the handcuffing stands "my" Chico PD Officer. I called their Chief's office and suggested he should train his officers about weapon safety since Officer X was "obviously making a dangerous situation even more dangerous by introducing a loaded weapon and pointing it at his colleagues' backs".

Red Hat · #2 01-08-2009, 06:02 PM

Good story! Education goes both ways...

PascalFleischman · #3 01-08-2009, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaeger

I called their Chief's office and suggested he should train his officers about weapon safety since Officer X was "obviously making a dangerous situation even more dangerous by introducing a loaded weapon and pointing it at his colleagues' backs".

Now THAT'S funny....

tattedupboy · #4 01-09-2009, 10:17 AM

While it is unfortunate that you had to be subjected to this, I'm glad to see that everything turned out ok for you.

gdcleanfun · #5 01-09-2009, 11:30 AM

Imho, that officer needs some PR and some HR education, more detention training, and an attitude adjustment. Congratulations on handling your side of the situation quite nicely, calmly. Job well done.

Stratus41298 · #6 01-19-2009, 02:36 AM

Wow. That's scary. Anybody seen the video where the cover officer fired and almost shot the contact officer handcuffing a perp on the pavement? I'm scared at the lack of training of some police officers. They're supposed to be better trained than my 8 year old cousin.

Glock Fan · #7 01-19-2009, 02:46 AM

Weird stuff happens all the time. Unless the officers are members of a specialized unit, they train maybe twice a year with their standard sidearm. If they're lucky, they get additional training with a shotgun or carbine rifle. Things like this happen. As citizens it's our right and responsibility to speak up when it does.

I'm glad that the OP's encounter went off without a hitch. It's funny that the new media got such great "incriminating evidence".

gf

Jaeger · #8 01-22-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stratus41298

Wow. That's scary. Anybody seen the video where the cover officer fired and almost shot the contact officer handcuffing a perp on the pavement? I'm scared at the lack of training of some police officers. They're supposed to be better trained than my 8 year old cousin.

You mean the one here? I have not had time to verify that this isn't faked.