Getting pulled over in Arizona.......Awesome!

[gunsandgardens]

Me and my brother both open and conceal carry in our great state of Arizona. We both have the highest respect for for our LEOs and the laws of our city and state. One night, after leaving my house in Surprise AZ, he (my brother) was pulled over for having a busted light for his license plate. Now, even though Arizona does not have a Duty to Inform Law, everyone reading this knows that it is just basic logic that letting the officer know you have a firearm vs. him or her finding it will greatly increase your chances of having a good day. So, needless to say, when the officer (city cop not DPS. Not that it matters) approached the car, he announced that he had a firearm. The LEO proceeded to thank him for letting him know and then asked him if the gun was loaded. My brother usually always keeps his guns "ready" as we like to call it but when he comes over and is around my kids, he likes to leave the chamber empty. Knowing that his gun was still in this state he told the officer, "No. Magazine is full but there is not a round chambered." I ***** you not this was the officers response....."Why not? Do you plan on throwing it at somebody?" Hahaha After a few laughs and a quick lesson on why an unloaded gun is pointless, the officer told him to get the plate light fixed and was on his way. I love this State!

 

[Treo]

I have to agree with the cop on this one. If you're going to carry a weapon load the chamber and leave the damn thing alone

 

[gunsandgardens]

I have to agree with the cop on this one. If you're going to carry a weapon load the chamber and leave the damn thing alone

I agree too and he usually does but when he comes over to play with the kids (I have 3), he likes to take it off and put it on top of the fridge where they can't reach it. Even though they all know gun safety and are fully aware what a firearm is capable of doing, he feels better knowing that it can't be discharged. I am completely okay with this. It just so happened that when he was pulled over, he had yet to re-chamber it.

 

[XfNujNplhaib]

I have a Glock!

 

[Captain K-man]

I have a Glock!

?LMFAO....That's good. I have a Glock too. My mommy lets me play with it, does your mommy let you play with your Glock?

 

[Deserteagle]

I wouldnt have informed him of the gun. Its completely irrelevant to anything.

 

[gunsandgardens]

I wouldnt have informed him of the gun. Its completely irrelevant to anything.

Meh, to each his own. Besides, if he hadn't said anything, the exchange of laughs wouldn't have happened. He probably would have got a ticket for the busted tag light. And I wouldn't have had this story to share.

 

[walt629]

Now, even though Arizona does not have a Duty to Inform Law, everyone reading this knows that it is just basic logic that letting the officer know you have a firearm vs. him or her finding it will greatly increase your chances of having a good day.

I'll play the hard azz 'letter of the law' guy here.... If there is no requirement to inform and they don't ask, why volunteer information? The best action, IMHO, is to answer the questions asked if the LEO has the right to ask them. Quite frankly your brother was lucky this LEO was in favor of lawful carry. If he had a different mindset like "I don't want anyone but me to have the upper hand" mindset, this encounter could have ended dramatically different.

"No. Magazine is full but there is not a round chambered." I ***** you not this was the officers response....."Why not? Do you plan on throwing it at somebody?" Hahaha After a few laughs and a quick lesson on why an unloaded gun is pointless,

I can't agree more with the LEO. Don't leave home without it and one in the chamber.

 

[Deserteagle]

Meh, to each his own. Besides, if he hadn't said anything, the exchange of laughs wouldn't have happened. He probably would have got a ticket for the busted tag light. And I wouldn't have had this story to share.

I used to be in favor of informing as well but the more I thought about, the less sense it made. It may provide you with a nice conversation, or it might ruin your day depending on the cop.

I think informing when not required is pointless. It wastes time by introducing an irrelevant topic. It also makes it seem like you are doing something wrong by wanting to fess up to something so quickly.

And what if you get pulled over by a cop impersonator? Now they know you have a gun which may work against you

 

[NavyLCDR]

Meh, to each his own. Besides, if he hadn't said anything, the exchange of laughs wouldn't have happened. He probably would have got a ticket for the busted tag light. And I wouldn't have had this story to share.

I've gotten stopped twice for speeding. Never told them about my gun. Got let go with a warning no ticket. And there was no opportunity to have a laugh about any guns being carried unloaded. Mine was loaded, anyway.

I still fail to see the fascination with telling police officers about lawfully carried objects. Why not tell them about your cell phone too and have a good laugh about how much you are paying for your plan?

 

[gunsandgardens]

Wow. Some of you guys.......I swear. Just because someone doesn't do something the way you would have done it doesn't make it wrong and doesn't make it a fascination. My brother did what he thought was the right thing to do. Besides, in this state, I'm surprised the cop didn't just say, "And? You and everyone else buddy.". You all have some good points but why does every post on this forum have to turn into a debate? It was just a story to share. Not everyone is going to conform to your personal code of conduct when carrying their weapons.

 

[phone man]

If the guys brother feels the need to inform the cop when he gets pulled I would say it's his business.....I know a few cops and they all say they really appreciate when they're told right up front and they know right away they probably aren't in danger from that weapon then if someone volunteers the information.

 

[gunsandgardens]

Thank you phone man.....I knew there had to be a few rational gun owners on this website.

 

[walt629]

Wow. Some of you guys.......I swear. Just because someone doesn't do something the way you would have done it doesn't make it wrong and doesn't make it a fascination. My brother did what he thought was the right thing to do. Besides, in this state, I'm surprised the cop didn't just say, "And? You and everyone else buddy.". You all have some good points but why does every post on this forum have to turn into a debate? It was just a story to share. Not everyone is going to conform to your personal code of conduct when carrying their weapons.

If you're looking for only the feedback that you think you should get, you're on the wrong site, my friend. Opposing and varied points of view is what makes a site a good one. Getting no other point of view or differing information or suggestions turns a site into the choir section at the local sing song. Boring!

 

[Deserteagle]

I know a few cops and they all say they really appreciate when they're told right up front and they know right away they probably aren't in danger from that weapon then if someone volunteers the information.

The officer would not be in danger from that weapon whether they knew about it or not.

If my gun is in my pocket, it does not make the officer any more safe if I tell him it is in my pocket or not. If anything, it wastes time and puts everyone in danger by informing because many cops will want to take the gun, handle it, and attempt to unload it.

 

[gunsandgardens]

If you're looking for only the feedback that you think you should get, you're on the wrong site, my friend. Opposing and varied points of view is what makes a site a good one. Getting no other point of view or differing information or suggestions turns a site into the choir section at the local sing song. Boring!

I agree with you also. But, like I said, just a story to share. Wasn't looking for feedback or opinions on what everyone thinks was right or wrong about the situation. The name of the feed is "LEO Encounters" not "I Got Pulled Over And Had My Gun, What Should I Have Done Differently?". Don't get me wrong, I love this site and all the information that comes with it including the debates when the topic is asking for it. I don't believe this one was though... Lesson learned I guess.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Now, even though Arizona does not have a Duty to Inform Law, everyone reading this knows that it is just basic logic that letting the officer know you have a firearm vs. him or her finding it will greatly increase your chances of having a good day.

I agree with navy and desert. I wouldn't have responded if you didn't write this in the op...you were asking for it...

Because we will not inform, are you saying we lack basic logic? See what I'm saying...better words would have received better replies.

 

[NavyLCDR]

why does every post on this forum have to turn into a debate? It was just a story to share. Not everyone is going to conform to your personal code of conduct when carrying their weapons.

Really? You are the one who attempted to state that everyone was going to conform to your personal code of conduct when carrying a weapon, to wit:

everyone reading this knows that it is just basic logic that letting the officer know you have a firearm vs. him or her finding it will greatly increase your chances of having a good day.

So why is acceptable for you to attempt to state that you "know" what "everyone reading this" has knowledge of or believes? I expressed that I have seen just as much chance of having a good day by NOT telling the officer about my gun in real life. My personal belief, based upon the stories expressed on this internet forum and others, is that telling a police officer about a concealed gun, when not required to do so, only increases the chances of the confessor to have a bad day, or at least cause more inconvenience.

Thank you phone man.....I knew there had to be a few rational gun owners on this website.

So, just because some of us don't subscribe to the opinion that we should tell strangers about our concealed guns makes us irrational? Some of us feel it is more of an irrational act to tell a stranger about our concealed guns...I mean, why conceal it if you are going to tell people you don't know about it? Is it irrational that some of us believe that a badge and a uniform makes the person wearing them no less of a stranger to us than our garbage collector or grocery store clerk?

 

[gunsandgardens]

Alright alright alright. My eyes have been opened and I do apologize. I did assume something and shouldn't have. I could have chosen my words differently. You are right. After reading back I realize there are a few comments I made that were uncalled for and I should have refrained from saying them. It is also my opinion (and my brothers) that informing the officer is the right thing to do. I should have emphasized that too.... (opinion). I have eaten my words and will bow out gracefully. Once again, this site had proven to be useful for not only firearms practice but etiquette also. Thanks guys.

 

[Spanish Trail]

Your scenario has been played thousands of times and most wind up 'informing' even if they don't have to. Arizona is a great state and has a sense of freedom and common sense more than many places. However, your assumption that: "everyone reading this knows that it is just basic logic that letting the officer know you have a firearm vs. him or her finding it will greatly increase your chances of having a good day" is not a given. I've read a few accounts by LEOs that "informing" on a simple traffic stop complicates things for them. I know you're being respectful and helpful but for the life of me can't see giving a penny more of anything than required to a representative of any level of government - that mentality is an epidemic - so is the degradation to the U.S. Constitution. Do you want to know why we're seen as "sheeple" more than people by many? It's because over a period of time we've capitulated ourselves to various levels of government, unnecessarily. Several segments of government get way too much free press and I think folks are suffering the effects of propaganda poisoning to one degree or another. I have no plans to break laws or harm anyone and if pulled over by an officer for a traffic issue as stated by the LEO, will communicate to the LEO what is necessary and nothing more. They don't want me as a buddy and the feeling is mutual. It's business. The government, regardless the level or position, is business - inherently not one's buddy.

Me and my brother both open and conceal carry in our great state of Arizona. We both have the highest respect for for our LEOs and the laws of our city and state. One night, after leaving my house in Surprise AZ, he (my brother) was pulled over for having a busted light for his license plate. Now, even though Arizona does not have a Duty to Inform Law, everyone reading this knows that it is just basic logic that letting the officer know you have a firearm vs. him or her finding it will greatly increase your chances of having a good day. So, needless to say, when the officer (city cop not DPS. Not that it matters) approached the car, he announced that he had a firearm. The LEO proceeded to thank him for letting him know and then asked him if the gun was loaded. My brother usually always keeps his guns "ready" as we like to call it but when he comes over and is around my kids, he likes to leave the chamber empty. Knowing that his gun was still in this state he told the officer, "No. Magazine is full but there is not a round chambered." I ***** you not this was the officers response....."Why not? Do you plan on throwing it at somebody?" Hahaha After a few laughs and a quick lesson on why an unloaded gun is pointless, the officer told him to get the plate light fixed and was on his way. I love this State!