LEO encounter at Home Depot in Allentown

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Pa. Patriot

Patience, grasshoppers...

Works for me.......

I do need to get a set of contacts like the Master.... I'm sure that I would freak out the sheeple when I'm in the Giant.

.

[snoman]

Originally Posted by truecrimson

"...but I'm going to disarm you for safety until we get this sorted out."

Obviously, the gun is safest when it's still in the holster, and I'm uncomfortable handing my pistol to anyone, even an off-duty cop. What do ya'all think of saying "I'm not letting you have this unless you arrest me." Or asking him to walk you to your car and leaving the pistol there. Or demanding to see an on-duty cop????

[Falcon118]

Originally Posted by snoman

Obviously, the gun is safest when it's still in the holster, and I'm uncomfortable handing my pistol to anyone, even an off-duty cop. What do ya'all think of saying "I'm not letting you have this unless you arrest me." Or asking him to walk you to your car and leaving the pistol there. Or demanding to see an on-duty cop????

Then I believe that you will be under arrest, right or not.

[snoman]

It's just that I'm uncomfortable handing my loaded pistol to someone who may not be familiar with it. Look at the "professional" LEO in Scranton just the other day that shot himself in the hand, though I realize that pistol went off accidentally When am I no longer responsible for it?
What if the guy is BSing me and isn't a real LEO? I've seen people dressed as LEOs at Halloween parties and they sure looked realistic. How do I know? Let's face it, the safest place for that pistol is in its holster. Once it's removed from its holster, it just became a lot less safe.
I was thinking it would be better for that LEO to walk the guy outside and have him place his pistol inside his vehicle or the police patrol car, but then I'm also thinking if a crime wasn't committed - leave him alone. Unless you know he's doing something illegal, don't even talk to him. I believe its wrong for the police to seize private property unless a crime was committed and the person is being arrested. Would it not be better to simply wait for another LEO (or 2-3) that is on-duty and can prove he is indeed a LEO?
So, I'm back to my original question - would it not be better for me to (respectfully) demand to be arrested before I give up a loaded firearm? I'm thinking if the police are reluctant to arrest me its because I've done nothing illegal.
If, after I've been arrested, it's found out I've done nothing illegal, can I nail them for false arrest?

[Falcon118]

I understand and am fearful of someone that doesn't know how to safely handle my firearm taking possesion of it as I always am +1 when carrying. The problem is that if you up the ante so to speak with the officer, right or not, you will be arrested. You may be able to persue legal options at a later time, but the immediate problem for you is that you will be in custody and have a long hard fight ahead of you. You don't have to cower in fear from a LEO, but if you do challenge them in the way your post was written, you WILL be in the back of squad car and booked.

[akapjr]

I was talking to an Allentown policeman tonight.He said that he has heard the whole story of this encounter.He believes it went too far.He said that the LEO that was involved thought he was doing everything right....But he also told me that the the entire force has had a class on open carry..They now understand it is legal..Most of them did not know this...He said that they were all shown a Pa open carry flier like the one I gave him a few months ago..So maybe now we will not get hasseled in Allentown..He said they were given an example of a woman in the Lancaster area open carrying at her childs soccer game and they should be cautious about who they stop...I hope Bethlehem police also get schooled from within.

[GunLawyer001]

Originally Posted by akapjr

I was talking to an Allentown policeman tonight.He said that he has heard the whole story of this encounter.He believes it went too far.He said that the LEO that was involved thought he was doing everything right....But he also told me that the the entire force has had a class on open carry..They now understand it is legal..Most of them did not know this...He said that they were all shown a Pa open carry flier like the one I gave him a few months ago..So maybe now we will not get hasseled in Allentown..He said they were given an example of a woman in the Lancaster area open carrying at her childs soccer game and they should be cautious about who they stop...I hope Bethlehem police also get schooled from within.

In a perfect world, the citizen here wouldn't need a lawsuit to vindicate his rights, he'd get a public apology and some free Police Academy range time, and a voucher for his next two speeding tickets.

People screw up, cops screw up, but adults are supposed to make it right.

[reverserboy]

But he also told me that the the entire force has had a class on open carry..They now understand it is legal..Most of them did not know this..

It's too bad that it took a lawsuit to get LEOs in Allentown properly trained on how not to harass a peaceable citizen who's doing nothing unlawful.

Guns are big in PA. About..what..over a half million LTCFs....what I'm told is more deer hunters than any other state & what I'm told is the highest number of NRA members??? Any cop in PA should know the UFA as well as he knows the motor vehicle code or whatever they call the laws that govern vehicles.

[truecrimson]

Originally Posted by akapjr

......I hope Bethlehem police also get schooled from within.....

Bethlehem police are already aware. They were the first department to acknowledge receipt of a training memo.

[Ten*K]

Originally Posted by truecrimson

Bethlehem police are already aware. They were the first department to acknowledge receipt of a training memo.

strange that in a city where officers know the law and citizens are armed we managed ZERO homicides in 2008. maybe the Anti's are *gasp* wrong?