Originally Posted by truecrimson
The wrap up to our weekend in Philly was accompanying my fiances family fishing in the Delaware river at Frankford Arsenal. I was OC as usual. I had asked if the fishing area/park was local, state, or federal, and was told local.
There were a few other people fishing when we arrived, and backed into a spot. Monicas brother and I set up the chairs, got out the food and drinks, and he showed me how they rig for fishing in the river. He got his line in the water, and I got Monica's rerigged for the different type of fishing, then passed it to him for baiting. Then I began working on rerigging my line. By this time we've been there about 30 minutes setting up. It was a new rigging method for me, and it took a couple of tries, and watching her brother to get it.
I was working on mine when this large Hulk Hogan looking guy (not uniformed) walks up to me. I said "Hi", and he immediately said "I need you to cover that thing up!" It took a minute for my mind to catch up, and that was a minute too long for him. He asked if I had a "permit". I said yes. He immediately launched into a tirade of how OC isn't legal, an LTCF is for concealed only, he is a LEO and doesn't carry openly, there are children here, etc, etc, etc.
PA Patriots advice on not speaking to LEOs was moot as I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I don't remember all the details, but I do remember he was rude, angry, authoritarian, demanding, physically menacing, and threatened to call park rangers, state police, and 12th district police, and handcuff me himself. I kept trying to say it's legal, but he kept cutting me off. I offered him a brochure, and he refused. He never asked me to identify myself, or to show him any documents.
I asked for name and badge number and he gave me his card (Eastwick Bike Patrol 12th District), and said "If you want to bust balls, I can bust balls". I said I just want to write a letter. He launched into another tirade against OC, and about ball busting, said he was a LT with Narcotics, then said the magic words; "This is a federal reserve.", and he threatened to call the Federal Park Rangers and have everything from my car to my fishing gear confiscated.
At that point I caved. I was out of my territory, and for all I knew it might have been Federal land. I figured it would be better to comply and research it later, rather than be headstrong but wrong and screw myself. So I went beyond compliance, took off my gun and holster, and placed them in the glove compartment of my vehicle.
That seemed to satisfy him, and shortly after he left. Monica was almost in tears during the incident, and very upset afterward. Even now she doesn't want to talk about it. She is afraid I am going to ruin our lives with this. After a while she loosened up again, and we had a good time fishing. She caught 3 stripers, and a red eared sunfish. I caught lots of seaweed.
Upon arriving home I began researching whether it was indeed Federal land, and contacted Rich, and Greg about it (thank guys). According to their translation of the info we can find it is in fact not Federal Land, and I'm pissed. To top it off, when I started looking into where to mail the letters I discovered that the "Eastwick Bike Patrol 12th District" listed on this jokers card is not a division of the PPD, but a community watch type organization. I called the 12th District to confirm and was told that "Eastwick Bike Patrol" are not LEO, and there is no one with this gentlemans name working in the 12th district at all, let alone overseeing community watch programs. He is not a sworn LEO.
Well, that's it as best I can recall. I'm livid right now, and upset that I caved in to a civilian crime watch asshole.
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July 21st, 2008
Re: My first (non)LEO encounter
7-18-18, 1-4-3
I really hate reading about folks impersonating us (and all the other crap some of us tend to do).
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