I got pulled over today... your gonna want to read this.

[exoduster18]

A huge +1 to IRONFIST.

I may not be 500 lbs., covered in tattoos, or plain just look scary when I'm doing nothing at all, but I follow the same steps that IRONFIST does when pulled over. It's kept me out of trouble, especially in a case of mistaken identity.

 

[moi_self26]

get a pimpmobile = get treated like a pimp.

I wasn't aware that BMW= pimp mobile.

But in either case, what type of vehicle you drive shouldn't matter.

I do think that he handled it completely wrong, and a little regard/respect for the laws could have avoided the problem altogether. But to say that if you drive a certain car you deserve to be hassled is rather absurd.

 

[astrolite]

I think there needs to be some clarity on two items:

1. Did you reach for your wallet without telling the Officer about the weapon?
2. Does WA state law dictate if you need to inform Officers if you are carrying?

In any event, I think he overreacted after he verified you were licensed. I see no reason why he would feel compelled to search your vehicle and you did the right thing by refusing. If they had probable cause, you wouldn't have been asked.

 

[Mp7]

...

just as a sidenote:

Yes, here in Germany the 3-series, M-especially
is the favorite car for pimp-wannabees.
A lot of people have stopped driving it,
because it does carry this conotation of being driven
by eh.... sons.

And yes, it will get u pulled over......

 

[CTPistol]

Wow....a brand new BMW....so they really want to pull you over huh?

Get over yourself. Its the attitude that no doubt will get you yanked out of the car like a wanna be gangsta' everytime.

BTW - there are far nicer cars to pull over than a BMW m3

 

[71Commander]

This is the same kind of bouncy tale that is made up at DU. I don't believe a word of it.

 

[stickslinger]

You guys can be a bit to harsh sometimes.

I had a similar situation one time, I was pulled over for driving without my lights on in the fog! It was 9:30 in the morning, visibility was well over a hundred yards. Now I'll try to keep this brief.

Officer argued with me when I told him I wasn't required to register a particular handgun with my CHP.

Officer argued with me when I told him that there was no national gun registration and all he could find out from his computer was wether or not it had been stolen.

After an actual timed five minutes of the officer fumbling with my 1911 trying to figure out how to unload it, finger on the trigger, pointed at me, the truck, and traffic, I had to stop him and walk him through the process.

Now, I'm a forty year old white guy with a short haircut driving a nice pickup truck with tool boxes on the side because I work out of the truck. When pulled over I turned the truck off, put the keys on the dash, and both hands on the steering wheel. The poor kid honestly didn't know what to do, as he stood there with his hand on his gun, when I asked him how I was going to undo my seatbelt without putting my hand next to my pistol. He puts me up against the truck and calls for backup. And I was VERY polite right up until he was just about to pull the trigger on my truck.

At the time, I went to the same gym as the assistant chief of police. Did I complain? Your dam skippy I did. I also told him I didn't mind paying the ticket as I didn't have my lights on. I understand the need for him to be careful, I wasn't looking for special consideration due to my appearance or status. I just believed none of it was handled in a proper, polite, and SAFE manner. Do what you need to do in order to feel safe if your an officer and I'm armed.

Clint Smith will tell you that the time to figure out how to defend yourself is not when you're getting the snot kicked out of you in the Wal Mart parking lot. I'll submit to LEO's that the time to figure out how to handle a cooperating armed man and SAFELY unload his firearm is not in the middle of a traffic stop!

So, this isn't and shouldn't be about cop bashing but rather how it is our responsibility as good citizens to keep all government agencies honest by bringing it to the attention of others when necessary.

You're a special person if can go through your day without intentionally ignoring some sort of law somewhere, I think it's just about impossible. Should he have put his license plate on? sure! Does that warrant less than curteous or professional interaction with the authorities? NO! I'll also bet that more than one of you has pulled strings before intentionally or not. Just talking around the water cooler can make it up the chain.

I know it's going to mung up the front of the BMW but at least consider the plate.

As a result of my experience, when I see lights again (if I never do)I'm just going to slip the ol' smoke wagon into the console at my side discreetly and not even show my CHP as I will be unarmed. Thus avoiding a similar situation.

So how about we politely discuss ways to avoid similar situations and the proper way to petition our governmental agencies when we feel we have been wronged and quit pointing to the speck in this fellows eye!

 

[Deanimator]

1. I expect the police to obey the law. I expect citizens to obey the law. I expect EVERYBODY to obey the law. If you KNOW you're supposed to have a front license plate, HAVE A FRONT LICENSE PLATE.

2. VERY bad things sometimes happen for no good reason during minor traffic stops. Recently in Salinas, CA, a couple of cops unloaded 15 rounds into a car they stopped for a burned out rear license plate bulb. One of the cops claims he "thought he had been shot" and hence fired multiple rounds into the stopped vehicle. His partner joined in on the fun. Neither of the cops was in fact injured in any way. By some miracle, they riddled the car, but not the occupants, who engaged in no overt hostile acts, and were in fact released without a ticket. In all likelihood they had no idea the bulb was burned out. They still could have ended up maimed, crippled or dead. I have no idea why they didn't.

There are some very unstable people riding around in police cars. Why attract their attention by INTENTIONALLY breaking the law?

 

[JohnBT]

Okay, I vote that we forbid posts by people who were asking for trouble and got it. You know, the ones who put the almost-black tint on the car windows or refuse to use a front plate.

Sure, the officer could have done things differently, but nobody is perfect, so why expect it.

The only question I have is this, what color is the car? The University of Richmond ($50k/year) students in my neighborhood seem to prefer the red BMWs to the silver or white ones. Maybe their daddy picked the color.

John

 

[Geno]

JohnBT:

We already have that provision. The High Road condones NO illegal activity. That the OP knew he violated the law renders the thread pretty questionable in itself.

Great point, and thanks for that reminder.

Doc2005

 

[kimbernut]

Attitude

When the speck in the eye is attitude it appears a whole lot bigger. Proper attitude in this instance, adhereing to the front tag law,would have avoided this whole scenrio. Responsible carry means we do our best to insure we avoid confrontation.

 

[rino451]

Yea, COP probably freaked a little, but until he finds your CPL, you're just another guy with a gun and in his world those guys are mostly bad. The request to search was over the top, but there's a sucker born every day who'll consent so can't faulty him for trying. He also might be looking for something to justify the red tape necessary for cuffing you, but I'm assuming that there is such. Dunno. In the end, you didn't take the ride, so all's well and maybe he learned something in the process about a citizen's rights. He can't be a real turd, or once you said "No." he'd grill you until you said something that would enable him to let you and the DA sort it out. Or a good DA might have this turd on a short leash.

 

[AirForceShooter]

Cuffed in the back of the cruiser and there's valid CCW?
That's over the top.
I drive a Bimmer and i don't expect to get stopped for it. And I don't.

This cop was over the top and deserves a little talking to by his Chief.

AFS

 

[Rockwell1]

At this point the ground has pretty much been covered but I have to agree with post two. If the OP had complied with the law to begin with we wouldn't be having this discussion now.

Stupid laws are still laws. If you don't like the law work within the political process to get it changed. Until then obey the law.

As to the Officer's reaction to the gun, ask yourself how you would react to seeing a total stranger in the apparent act of reaching for a gun?

No warning, no explaination just reaching for the gun I don't even open my glove box with out telling the Officer what I'm doing and why.

I'm not a fan of needlessly informing the Officer I'm armed but if for some reason I had to put my hand anywhere in the vicinity of my pistol I would most assuredly tell the Officer what I'm doing and why and I would wait very patiently until he/she told me it was ok to do it.

Now, having said all that had the OP simply followed Moiself's advice and had his license and registration in his hand when the Officer got to the car we would ,once again, not be having this discussion.

Gotta give this one to the Officer.

 

[Sergeant Sabre]

My father is also friends with the assistant chief of police so I will go and speak with her tomorrow.

What a laugh.

but it wouldnt matter its a brand new BMW M3 they will pull me over for anything...

Oh man! Just how did you know about that? Us cops actually have a list of everybody in our jurisdiction that drives that car and we go sit outside their house so we can pull them over. Supposed to be secret, but now I guess it's out.

 

[Art Eatman]

Hardly any legal issue, really. Shoulda put the front plate on. Simple enough. Arrogance about "I don't like the appearance" is childish.

THR is supposed to be for adults.

 

[Rockwell1]

Couldn't let this one go

He can't be a real turd, or once you said "No." he'd grill you until you said something that would enable him to let you and the DA sort it out.

If you're foolish enough not to invoke your Miranda Rights and continue to answer such questions maybe you deserve to have a little chat with the DA

 

[BornAgainBullseye]

This is how it should have happened. I pull you over. I walk up and ask for id and P.O.I. I notice you are carrying. I already have pistol fighting stance as I have my hand resting on my sidearm. I ask for you to keep your hands on the wheel. I ask if you hold a current liscense for that weapon. I use my better judgement on what happens next. Like I ask where is the liscense. If you say it is in my left cheek pocket, and that is the side you are carrying on..... I ask for you to remove your holster as I remove my sidearm and I tell you to place your holstered gun on the dash. If you comply without making the wrong move you do not get jacked up. Then I get your id and CCW liscense and run them. Your holstered weapon I put on top of your trunk until you check out. Now here is what You should have done. As the officer approaches your window you tell him that you are a CCW and you are carrying. You tell him that your wallet containing your ID and CCW liscense are in your back pocket. You ask the officer how you want to proceed.

 

[CoRoMo]

If you don't plan to abide by the law, you deserve to be caught and punished for it. Then you can just call Daddy to the rescue.

Good luck.

 

[jr45]

ACBMWM3, I know how it feels to be drawn on and it can really be a frustrating and angering event. There is no telling what was going through his mind when he saw the gun, or the movements that lead him to see it. If you feel that he over reacted and want the incident pursued, make sure to find out who the patrol supervisor was during that time and you may want to make a visit to the internal affairs (or the Dept's version of it) and request an inquiry...not sure how your dad can help.

 

[SLMPDcitycop]

This is MY view as a LEO. You were in VIOLATION of the law, by having no front plate. To be perfectly honest, its an arrestable offense. Its up to the officer's discretion if he chooses to arrest you, cite you, detain you for further investigation etc..

The first words out of you mouth being pulled over should be, Sir, I have a CCW or whatever and have a firearm on me. Then he wouldn't have reacted the way he did.

You do come off as a smartass in your posting, but I don't know you as a person.

I think the LEO did nothing wrong. You, on the other hand were wrong.

 

[Rockwell1]

I want to know how an Officer standing slightly behind the driver's window on the left side (as good doctrine dictates he should be) saw the OP's pistol on the right hip between the OP's hind end and the seat.

Also

As the officer approaches your window you tell him that you are a CCW and you are carrying.

I consider this to be poor advice at best. Why do I want to add a bunch of extra varibles to the mix? If it's germane to the stop , yes tell the Officer you are armed. And if he asks you want to be truthfull of course. But beyond that you might as well say "Good morning Officer I'd like to do everything in my power to maximize the time I spend here at the roadside, so let me just mention that I'm armed and get you all freaked out. " " And hey, while I'm at it let me just hand you one more task to accomplish before you clear this stop".

Thanks, no

 

[expvideo]

I'm curious as to how you all feel the officer handled this.
I feel violated. I can understand he saw a weapon and was scared, but he could have asked me to step out of the vehicle ad keep my hands clear of it without holding me at gun point.

What the officer did was against protocol, unprofessional, and more importantly illegal. You have every right to feel violated, and I would ask that you please pursue this issue with the utmost persistance. This officer needs to at least be disciplined. He doesn't necessarily need to be fired, since he might honestly not have known that he was doing something wrong, but he needs to at least be disciplined for this.

What department was it? This is important because some departments have training bulletins and all officers in those departments have been trained that OC is legal.

I live in WA state as well, and I am sorry to hear that this happened to you. I had a bad police experience OCing and now I don't do it.

This is MY view as a LEO. You were in VIOLATION of the law, by having no front plate. To be perfectly honest, its an arrestable offense. Its up to the officer's discretion if he chooses to arrest you, cite you, detain you for further investigation etc..

The first words out of you mouth being pulled over should be, Sir, I have a CCW or whatever and have a firearm on me. Then he wouldn't have reacted the way he did.

You do come off as a smartass in your posting, but I don't know you as a person.

I think the LEO did nothing wrong. You, on the other hand were wrong.

I hope you're just unfamiliar with WA state law, because if you really are a cop and you really feel like this, you need to find a new profession. The cop's actions were illegal. The only thing the OP did that was illegal was not having a front license plate, which is a traffic infraction, not a criminal infraction, and not an arrestable offense in WA state.

 

[Deanimator]

The first words out of you mouth being pulled over should be, Sir, I have a CCW or whatever and have a firearm on me. Then he wouldn't have reacted the way he did.

That's REQUIRED in Ohio. In other places, it's not.

Do what the law REQUIRES, like having a front license plate if that's the case.

If the law DOESN'T require you to announce, don't.

There was a guy from NC who was falsely arrested for a bunch of made up "crimes" in Fairfax County, VA because he notified when he didn't need to. If he hadn't announced without needing to, he wouldn't have been falsely arrested and the city and officers concerned wouldn't be getting sued for falsely arresting somebody for "having hollowpoints", "crossing state lines with a loaded firearm", and "carrying a concealed weapon (with a VALID out of state CHL)".

If you obey the law, you have no liability for doing so. If the cop tries to punish you for obeying the law, then you have a cause of action against him and his department in civil court.

If you obey the law in the first place, your odds of having an encounter with a cop are substantially less. Not zero, but substantially less.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Mistake 1: Buying an M3.
Mistake 2: Refusing to attach your front plate.
Mistake 3: Having a loaded pistol in plain view on the front seat.
Mistake 4: Not covering it with a map when pulled over.
Mistake 5: Not immediately identifying yourself as a permitted carrier with a loaded weapon in the vehicle.
Mistake 6: Bringing your father into this.

Instead of seeing this as a "Who was right/wrong" question, you should view it as an "Extreme Low Profile Fail." The idea is to avoid these experiences, no matter who is "right" or "wrong." The above mistakes caused the Fail.

Sounds like a tourist, to me. Ayuh.