Meeting the Search Warrant Team

[evltwn]

We live in the country, at the end of a quarter mile driveway shared by another home, both behind a locked gate. After a trip to town grocery shopping, we arrived to find the gate wide open and a strange car visible. Upon drawing even to the neighbor's house several more vehicles came into view, marked Sheriff's cars and a half dozen armed men.

Since the driveway was blocked and also because one of the officers indicated we should stop, I complied. When I exited the car I identified myself and told the deputy I was legally carrying a concealed weapon. He asked me to "assume the position" on the side of one of the cars, asked where the weapon was, and then disarmed me. He unloaded the gun, and put it on the hood of the car. He identified himself and told me his crew was serving a search warrant on the neighbor's home. He asked for our id's and asked some questions about our neighbors.

When he had the information he wanted, he returned the bullets, then the empty revolver, and asked if I would not load the gun until I was back at my home. The officer was polite and respectful the whole time and we were not offended or treated rudely. They even closed the gate after they left. Looking back at the whole thing, I guess it is not very newsworthy, except to illustrate that it was not a hostile confrontation, and that they did their job professionally and courteously.

Read More

 

[soberups]

I probably would not have taken it upon myself to tell him that I was carrying, but I would have been honest about it if asked. Sounds like he treated you with the same courtesy and respect that you gave to him. Good for you that the incident ended with no issues or confontation.

 

[Dipstick]

Kudos to you also for doing your part to make it a courteous and professional encounter! Officer/Deputy you dealt with probably has a good opinion of Concealed carry citizens today! Um, what about them neighbors????

 

[clearconscience]

I would probably not with hold any info about carry if the police are already on edge and serving a warrant. They are on high alert and you don't know what their serving a warrant for. I would rather have a good encounter by being up front and honest about carrying then have them search you and find it or telling them after an interaction.

When your in a situation like that good citizen or not any gun is a gun that can kill you and take you away from your family as an officer. I always put myself in their position. I would want to know up front. You don't have to tell them, of course that's your decision. I'm a gun lover and I carry, but if someone carries a gun into my house I want to know before you come in. I have no problem with it. But I want to know right off the bat. I would offer the same respect to others.

 

[fd15k]

So they left the person defenseless in the area with a potentially dangerous criminal being around. Very nice of them.

 

[Bam]

Why the hell would you tell him in the first place? You essentially invited him to search you and created a hassle that could have been avoided.

Oregon is don't ask, don't tell. If a LEO doesn't ask you, don't tell them.

What happens, happens. Don't invite it to happen, because you opened your mouth.

 

[Dunerunner]

I would guess the OP reloaded before exiting his vehicle and entering his home. If not, Why not?

 

[FarmerTed1971]

Um, what about them neighbors????

x2
?

 

[evltwn]

PDX, this wasn't a traffic stop. This was a warranted search, lots of guns, battering ram, the whole nine yards. I come on the scene, and they are wondering who the heck I am, not a passerby, as only two houses on this particular driveway. I did what I consider the smart thing. Tell them up front, id myself, etc. They interviewed us for about 15 minutes, about the neighbor. Did you think it might put them in a better mood for THEM to discover I was carrying? Tell you what, when YOU are in this position, pontificate your little heart out. As it was, it worked just fine...for me, at least. The neighbor? Well, not so much.

 

[dmancornell]

That's what you get for talking to the cops, an involuntary groping.

Next time keep your mouth shut.

 

[MountainBear]

Despite what dmancornell and his ilk have to say, it sounds like you handled yourself very well. You thought ahead and made sure there was no chance of an incident with them "discovering" you were carrying a concealed weapon. Great Job!

 

[dmancornell]

Wow, just wow. Yes let's congratulate OP for making sure the cops won't "discover" his CCW and forget that the cops have absolutely no legal reason to ever make that discovery to begin with.

Great job getting violated for no reason whatsoever.

 

[MountainBear]

Wow, just wow. Yes let's congratulate OP for making sure the cops won't "discover" his CCW and forget that the cops have absolutely no legal reason to ever make that discovery to begin with.

Great job getting violated for no reason whatsoever.

So you're chastising a guy for acting responsibly? Go troll elsewhere...

 

[dmancornell]

So you're chastising a guy for acting responsibly? Go troll elsewhere...

LOL @ acting responsibly, tell that to Brian Aitken's mother: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Aitken

 

[MountainBear]

LOL @ acting responsibly, tell that to Brian Aitken's mother: Brian Aitken - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not sure where the two are related, no one called the op in to let the police know he had guns in his possession and was distraught? He found himself in a highly charged felony warrant situation and made the reasonable choice to let the LEO's know he was legally carrying. There was no trouble, there were no issues, everyone went away satisfied and safe. Where is your issue when everyone won?

 

[dmancornell]

Not sure where the two are related, no one called the op in to let the police know he had guns in his possession and was distraught? He found himself in a highly charged felony warrant situation and made the reasonable choice to let the LEO's know he was legally carrying. There was no trouble, there were no issues, everyone went away satisfied and safe. Where is your issue when everyone won?

Because getting groped and disarmed = winning. You set an awfully low bar.

And the Aitken incident is related because even seemingly the most innocuous interaction with LEO can have horrific consequences. You'd be stupid to think that with the byzantine maze of bureaucratic laws, that some career hungry cop wouldn't take advantage of someone's harmless mistake.

The best course of action is to avoid all interaction. Even this cop agrees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc

 

[Contract_Pilot]

What ever you do... do not talk to the police!! Even if you think it is harmless chit chat.. LEO's are not your friend and not there to help you in this BS Society! If they are serving a warrant I would assume they know who all the neighbors are and what they drive.

"asked some questions about our neighbors"

Remember, Anything you say can and will be used against you not for you.. Now you place your self in a position of being used as a witness aginst your neighbor depending on what you told the LEO...

 

[MountainBear]

He basically voluntarily disarmed himself. He told the officer where it was. No one was hurt. No problems happened. That's a win.

I'm sorry dman. I've read your rants regarding LEO's around here for quite a while. Usually I try to avoid personal attacks, preferring rather to attack a persons position, but all I can figure is that you're paranoid. I'm sorry your life has made you this way, but you just aren't worth arguing with. You're arguments are disjointed and rooted in conspiracy theories. You aren't worth reading. IGNORED.

Sorry for the thread hijacking.

Ohh, and for the brief time I was in LE, I considered everyone my friend until they proved otherwise...

 

[dmancornell]

You aren't worth reading. IGNORED.

 

[humdrum]

I feel the OP made a rational and smart decision regarding the circumstance. If things were happening next door to me and out in the open I woud be forthcoming with the L.E. on the property. Much better than having them come to your door to ask a question after the initial interaction and having them get edgy and untrusting because now they find out that you were armed during the initial chat. It happened once to me and even though all was legal it didn't help matters when I answered the front door while wearing my holster. You did good evltwn, and you saved face for the ccw crowd.