firstcavveteran
New member
I feel that it is my responsibility to write and post a story told to me by a very close friend this past weekend. It is my responsibility because my friend has fooled himself into deciding that he, in some way, understands why he fell victim, to what I consider to be, a violation of his rights, and a lawless action by a public servant.
First of all, I can only imagine the pressures of accepting the responsibility as an officer of the law, whether it is with a city, county, state, or federal organization; (i.e., City Police, Sheriff, State Patrol, FBI, ATF, CIA, Secret Service, etc.). I was an enlisted member of the United States Army and the responsibility that came with that position, especially when deployed to hostile environments was what I imagined as, as much as one person could, or ever have to, endure. However, in a combat environment, there are rules, and not abiding to these rules can cause major issues, I would only assume that doing so in the civilian sector is just as stringent. I write this story just as it was told to me, I cannot release my friend’s name, but I will tell you, that as a concerned citizen, I have written a letter to the organization responsible for the injustice. I look forward to any responses.
Let me tell you really all you need to know about my friend. He is 40-something, and retired from the United States Army. Now he is not just any Veteran, and I’m not saying that any other veteran would not be as equally important, but he retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and as a career long Army Ranger, he was a Battalion Commander of such a unit. I can promise you he went to countries that even I have never heard of and probably was responsible for killing more people than I can imagine as well. He is a very good man, and believes in the word Freedom as if it was an entity. He and Veterans’ and current soldiers’ just like him are why we still live in such a wonderful society.
On the day I want to tell you about, my friend admittedly told me that he was breaking the law while driving home from the store after picking up some needed items for him and his wife’s dinner that night. When he left his home, he invited his rather hyper Jack Russell Terrier, “Ranger” to tag along with him. As always, he also carried his primary concealed carry piece, a Government Model Colt .45 ACP.; quite a beautiful sidearm if you ask me even though my weapon of choice is the Beretta Px4 Storm .45 ACP. He carries his Colt in a SuperTuk most of the time but since he was running to the store, instead of taking the time to properly attach the SuperTuk, he used his Blackhawk Serpa Paddle holster.
On his way home, Ranger was being his normal Jack Russell self and decided it be a nicer ride if sitting on his master’s lap. To make matters worse, right after Ranger got on his lap, his cell phone rang. He knew that he had left his hands free set at home since it was going to be a quick trip and admittedly knowing it was wrong decided to answer his phone. He had only been on the cell phone with his dog on his lap for about 45 seconds when he noticed the red and blue lights in his rear-view mirror. He quickly pulled to the side of the road, moved the dog off of his lap, reached for his wallet and placed both hands on his steering wheel.
As the city officer approached his window, my friend offered him his license, insurance, and even though not required by Washington Law, his concealed carry permit as a courtesy that most of us would gladly offer. As the officer noticed the CCL he asked my friend if he was carrying his side arm. My friend explained that he was and that the sidearm was located on his right hip, and in a Blackhawk Level 2 Serpa Holster. The officer asked my friend to step out of the vehicle so that he felt safer because Ranger was barking at the officer making him uncomfortable. My friend complied with the officer’s request and exited the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the officer then requested that my friend allow him to remove his sidearm for both of their safety. If you have ever seen or used or been instructed on the Government model Colt .45 ACP, you know that it can safely be carried with the hammer cocked and the sidearm on safe. When the officer noticed the hammer back, he quickly asked my friend if this was a normal way to carry his gun, with the hammer cocked and a round in the chamber. My friend told the officer it was as the officer removed the sidearm from my friend’s holster. The officer then released the magazine which surprisingly released quick enough to startle him enough that he missed catching the magazine and it hit the pavement.
The officer was now frustrated and examined the weapon and then returned to his car with the hammer still cocked and the round still in the chamber to run my friends information. When he returned to my friends car, he handed my friend his Colt back still with the round in the chamber, the gun on safe, and the hammer cocked. The only conclusion my friend and I have come to is that the officer didn’t know how to clear a Colt .45 ACP, and therefore, in a very unsafe fashion, carried the handgun into his vehicle, and returned it loaded. Not only did the officer not know how to clear a Colt .45, but he also broke a major rule by handing a person a loaded sidearm, even if it was that persons weapon to begin with.
Washington law is fairly clear on this issue. First and foremost, to offer a law enforcement officer the knowledge a pedestrian is a concealed carry permit holder let alone that they are currently carrying is a courtesy only. It is nowhere and no way required by law. Second, the only time an officer can LEGALLY take a pedestrians sidearm is, if they don’t have a permit to carry such a weapon, they were in the process of committing a crime with the firearm, they are mentally unstable (meaning either naturally mentally unstable or chemically (drugs and/or alcohol) unstable) it is not legal for them to own a gun, or the gun they have is not registered to them but to someone else or if they are being arrested for an unrelated crime, i.e., if my friend were going to be arrested for talking on his cell while driving. Other than these and a couple more evident cases such as being ordered by a court not to carry a weapon, these are the only instances in which an officer can LEGALLY take a persons concealed carry sidearm. But to take the weapon from my friend who willingly let him have it and then not be able to clear the weapon and to very “rookie” like walk back to his car with the weapon in his hand cocked and loaded, then kept it that way during the duration of his checks, and then returned the weapon to my friend in that same condition, is not only a violation of my friend’s constitutional right, but it is also a violation of handgun safety and etiquette. Right in-front of the officer, since the officer handed him a loaded weapon, my friend, quickly cleared the weapon and locked the slide to the rear, as to say, what kind of police officer are you?
I have never once heard of this happening before, but I wanted my friend to know that people like this officer are at the basic reason why we find ourselves so close to putting up a fight for our second amendment rights. There are those who say that the Police and Military are the only people who should have guns, or semi-automatic guns, well this proves that when safety is concerned anyone, and I do mean anyone is subject to its failures.
After my friend told me about these incidents, that night at home, I pulled up the Washington state RCW’s concerning the rights of Law Enforcement Officials’ and the rights of the people when it concerns the forfeiture of concealed weapons. After recognizing my initial response regarding the violation of my friend’s rights was warranted and correct, I called him to further discuss the incident and educate him on what the law reads. I told him that he should at least write a letter, but he is honestly afraid of the repercussions. I told him that maybe he could turn it into a letter of concern and willingness to educate the city officers on the operations of several different commonly carried sidearm, including the other handguns he has, and the handguns that I own. He is still unsure about it because of how, “matter-of-factly” the officer acted towards requesting my friend to forfeit his sidearm.
I look forward to hearing many of your thoughts.
First of all, I can only imagine the pressures of accepting the responsibility as an officer of the law, whether it is with a city, county, state, or federal organization; (i.e., City Police, Sheriff, State Patrol, FBI, ATF, CIA, Secret Service, etc.). I was an enlisted member of the United States Army and the responsibility that came with that position, especially when deployed to hostile environments was what I imagined as, as much as one person could, or ever have to, endure. However, in a combat environment, there are rules, and not abiding to these rules can cause major issues, I would only assume that doing so in the civilian sector is just as stringent. I write this story just as it was told to me, I cannot release my friend’s name, but I will tell you, that as a concerned citizen, I have written a letter to the organization responsible for the injustice. I look forward to any responses.
Let me tell you really all you need to know about my friend. He is 40-something, and retired from the United States Army. Now he is not just any Veteran, and I’m not saying that any other veteran would not be as equally important, but he retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and as a career long Army Ranger, he was a Battalion Commander of such a unit. I can promise you he went to countries that even I have never heard of and probably was responsible for killing more people than I can imagine as well. He is a very good man, and believes in the word Freedom as if it was an entity. He and Veterans’ and current soldiers’ just like him are why we still live in such a wonderful society.
On the day I want to tell you about, my friend admittedly told me that he was breaking the law while driving home from the store after picking up some needed items for him and his wife’s dinner that night. When he left his home, he invited his rather hyper Jack Russell Terrier, “Ranger” to tag along with him. As always, he also carried his primary concealed carry piece, a Government Model Colt .45 ACP.; quite a beautiful sidearm if you ask me even though my weapon of choice is the Beretta Px4 Storm .45 ACP. He carries his Colt in a SuperTuk most of the time but since he was running to the store, instead of taking the time to properly attach the SuperTuk, he used his Blackhawk Serpa Paddle holster.
On his way home, Ranger was being his normal Jack Russell self and decided it be a nicer ride if sitting on his master’s lap. To make matters worse, right after Ranger got on his lap, his cell phone rang. He knew that he had left his hands free set at home since it was going to be a quick trip and admittedly knowing it was wrong decided to answer his phone. He had only been on the cell phone with his dog on his lap for about 45 seconds when he noticed the red and blue lights in his rear-view mirror. He quickly pulled to the side of the road, moved the dog off of his lap, reached for his wallet and placed both hands on his steering wheel.
As the city officer approached his window, my friend offered him his license, insurance, and even though not required by Washington Law, his concealed carry permit as a courtesy that most of us would gladly offer. As the officer noticed the CCL he asked my friend if he was carrying his side arm. My friend explained that he was and that the sidearm was located on his right hip, and in a Blackhawk Level 2 Serpa Holster. The officer asked my friend to step out of the vehicle so that he felt safer because Ranger was barking at the officer making him uncomfortable. My friend complied with the officer’s request and exited the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the officer then requested that my friend allow him to remove his sidearm for both of their safety. If you have ever seen or used or been instructed on the Government model Colt .45 ACP, you know that it can safely be carried with the hammer cocked and the sidearm on safe. When the officer noticed the hammer back, he quickly asked my friend if this was a normal way to carry his gun, with the hammer cocked and a round in the chamber. My friend told the officer it was as the officer removed the sidearm from my friend’s holster. The officer then released the magazine which surprisingly released quick enough to startle him enough that he missed catching the magazine and it hit the pavement.
The officer was now frustrated and examined the weapon and then returned to his car with the hammer still cocked and the round still in the chamber to run my friends information. When he returned to my friends car, he handed my friend his Colt back still with the round in the chamber, the gun on safe, and the hammer cocked. The only conclusion my friend and I have come to is that the officer didn’t know how to clear a Colt .45 ACP, and therefore, in a very unsafe fashion, carried the handgun into his vehicle, and returned it loaded. Not only did the officer not know how to clear a Colt .45, but he also broke a major rule by handing a person a loaded sidearm, even if it was that persons weapon to begin with.
Washington law is fairly clear on this issue. First and foremost, to offer a law enforcement officer the knowledge a pedestrian is a concealed carry permit holder let alone that they are currently carrying is a courtesy only. It is nowhere and no way required by law. Second, the only time an officer can LEGALLY take a pedestrians sidearm is, if they don’t have a permit to carry such a weapon, they were in the process of committing a crime with the firearm, they are mentally unstable (meaning either naturally mentally unstable or chemically (drugs and/or alcohol) unstable) it is not legal for them to own a gun, or the gun they have is not registered to them but to someone else or if they are being arrested for an unrelated crime, i.e., if my friend were going to be arrested for talking on his cell while driving. Other than these and a couple more evident cases such as being ordered by a court not to carry a weapon, these are the only instances in which an officer can LEGALLY take a persons concealed carry sidearm. But to take the weapon from my friend who willingly let him have it and then not be able to clear the weapon and to very “rookie” like walk back to his car with the weapon in his hand cocked and loaded, then kept it that way during the duration of his checks, and then returned the weapon to my friend in that same condition, is not only a violation of my friend’s constitutional right, but it is also a violation of handgun safety and etiquette. Right in-front of the officer, since the officer handed him a loaded weapon, my friend, quickly cleared the weapon and locked the slide to the rear, as to say, what kind of police officer are you?
I have never once heard of this happening before, but I wanted my friend to know that people like this officer are at the basic reason why we find ourselves so close to putting up a fight for our second amendment rights. There are those who say that the Police and Military are the only people who should have guns, or semi-automatic guns, well this proves that when safety is concerned anyone, and I do mean anyone is subject to its failures.
After my friend told me about these incidents, that night at home, I pulled up the Washington state RCW’s concerning the rights of Law Enforcement Officials’ and the rights of the people when it concerns the forfeiture of concealed weapons. After recognizing my initial response regarding the violation of my friend’s rights was warranted and correct, I called him to further discuss the incident and educate him on what the law reads. I told him that he should at least write a letter, but he is honestly afraid of the repercussions. I told him that maybe he could turn it into a letter of concern and willingness to educate the city officers on the operations of several different commonly carried sidearm, including the other handguns he has, and the handguns that I own. He is still unsure about it because of how, “matter-of-factly” the officer acted towards requesting my friend to forfeit his sidearm.
I look forward to hearing many of your thoughts.
