Positive LEO encounter in CA

[Husker Harley]

As I am driving home last week I pass a CHP officer sitting on the side of the road who immediately pulls in behind me with red lights on. I sigh to myself knowing exactly what this is for. As I knew I wasn't speeding, it could only be because I didn't have a front license plate on the car (sports cars look much better without them). The lady officer walks up to my car confirming exactly what I suspected. She asks for my license, registration and insurance. In California you only have to tell them you are carrying if asked. I inquire if it is ok to step out of my car as I had all of my papers in a pocket behind the front seat. She nods and as I'm getting out of the car asks, "You don't have any weapons in the car, do you?" I look at her as calmly as I can and say, "Not in the car, but I do have one on me." Her eyes got kind of big as she looked at me. "You have a weapon ON you?" I replied the affirmative and proceeded to pull my CCW from my wallet and give it to her with my hands in plain sight. "Where is it at?" she asks. "On my right hip." I reply. So I give her all of my paperwork and she goes back to her car adding, "Go ahead and get back in the car and keep your hands where I can see them." I climb back into the car, keeping my hands on the steering wheel. She comes back to my car and hands me a fix it ticket for not having the front plate on. Gives me back all of my paperwork and walks back to her car. Nothing else was said. Now, this being relatively rural Northern California, CCW holders are not entirely uncommon. I'm sure it would have been a different encounter if I was driving through San Francisco or LA, but hopefully not. I have to hand it to her for being professional and not hassling me about carrying. I've heard stories from other CCW friends of mine who have been harrassed and frisked, almost to the point of having their guns confiscated through no fault of their own. Here's to hoping I don't get pulled over anytime in the future, but if I do I hope that officer handles the situation with the same professionalism and courtesy that this officer did.

 

[Felix]

Thanks for the story.

 

[Treo]

seems to me the whole episode could have been avoided by obeying the law but hey, that's me

 

[Felix]

seems to me the whole episode could have been avoided by obeying the law but hey, that's me

Oh, owned (my grandkids say that when playing online video games). Tough climate here but you might give a guy a break for his first post! :triniti:

 

[Naybor]

Good post, Husker Harley.

Here in Oklahoma, we only have the back license plate. A lot of people do put "vanity" front plates on, but I do agree some cars just look better without them.

BTW, welcome to the forum.

 

[handgonnetoter]

Good to hear at least some stories of police not freaking out over something that is not illegal like CCW permits and the fact that you were within your right to be armed. Good for the female cop. I wish her well.

 

[santa]

leasantry: Welcome to the forum from eastern Washington.leasantry:

 

[Lowjiber]

Thanks for the post. Having lived in California for three years, I can assure you that most LEO personnel will hassle you...especially on the coast from San Francisco to San Diego.

Good post, Husker Harley.
Here in Oklahoma, we only have the back license plate. A lot of people do put "vanity" front plates on, but I do agree some cars just look better without them.

I now live in Nevada. My wife has a MX-5 that doesn't have a bracket for a front plate. In Nevada, there is a recent change to the law that simply says that if a car did not come equipped with a front license plate bracket, the owner is not required to display one. Of course, such an accommodating amendment wouldn't be expected in California...it makes too much sense.

 

[Desert Dude]

Thanks for the post. Having lived in California for three years, I can assure you that most LEO personnel will hassle you...especially on the coast from San Francisco to San Diego.


Wow Lowjiber, I live in California and carry a CCW every day. Can you, or anyone else for that matter, be a little more specific as to being hasseled by "most LEO personnel will hassle you". I'm only interested in actual encounters where you, or they, were "hasseled".

Thanks in advance. I'm waiting to here from all of you.

 

[mark555]

Grew up in California...now live in Kansas we are a bit more understanding about CCW here. I was in a traffic accident about 6 mouths ago 2nd person in line that got rear ended...gave the officer my license (we don't have to unless asked but always do as a courtesy) he later called my cell to find out what I carried and when I carried turns out he did not carry off duty very often and wanted advice.:smile::smile::smile:

 

[disneyr]

I carried in California for many years and while doing so tried to stay "under the radar" in or out of the car. I always did my best not to give any LEO a reason to pull me over. The only time I was pulled over was when I was being deployed to Panama PCS and had the windows of my Nissan Pathfinder tinted in another state for use in the tropics. I was on leave in California before shipping my vehicle out of Alameda to Panama and flying out myself.

I was on I-5 driving north through Tehema county when a CHP facing the other way on the other side of the large median crossed quickly and turned the whoopie lights on. I wasn't speeding but there were no other cars on the road so I new he was pinging on me. I pulled over, rolled down completely the front and back windows and sat there with my hands on the wheel. The male CHP came up from behind on the passenger side with gun drawn pointed down on his right side. He peeked in my rear passenger window saw my hands then asked why my windows were tinted. I told him I was a military officer and was shipping my car to Panama within a week. He asked for my registration (I still had Cal plates) driver's license and military ID. I gave them and my military orders to him and he went back to his car. After about 5 minutes he came back with a fix-it ticket and said I would have to pay the fine (as I recall about $50) and verify that the tinting was removed from the front windows before I could clear the fix-it ticket. I told him the car would be out of the country and the state within a few days. He gave me some attitude and said "well you better get this ticket cleared quick or you won't be able to ship the car"! I knew he was wrong on this, the military doesn't give a rat's ass about tickets or even license plates when shipping cars. If you have the orders, they ship it.

I ended up going to the CHP office north of Redding, CA for a possible chance of clearing the ticket w/o having to remove the tinting. Worth a try right? I asked to see the senior officer and a CHP captain came out to the front desk to talk to me. I showed him my license military ID and my orders and explained the stop for tinting. He looked at my orders and the first thing he said was "Hey, my son is in the Army and is deployed to Panama! Small world!" Can't get much luckier than that! He said he would take care of the ticket and he did. No fine, no tinting removal required.

I was carrying the whole time with a ccw issued in Shasta County but nobody ever asked me about a weapon. Good times!

 

[CathyInBlue]

Were you in uniform? A military man in uniform almost looks out of place without a sidearm.

 

[disneyr]

Were you in uniform? A military man in uniform almost looks out of place without a sidearm.

No not in uniform. Jeans, tennis shoes, t-shirt and a jacket if I recall correctly. I agree about a uniform looking a little out of place without a sidearm though.