PA state trooper disassenbled my gun during traffic stop

**Joe88XJ** · February 7th, 2018, 12:45 AM

Hey Guys.....I have never had this happen to me until tonight and I honestly cant believe it even happened. I am on my way out of the City of Reading when I get lit up red and blue, so I
pull over put my interior light on and wait with hands on steering wheel. Officer approaches and asks me for the usual license insurance registration. I said to him calmly that I have a
license to carry firearms and have a handgun in holster on left hip and have to reach close to it in order to get wallet out ( I always forget to get wallet out ahead of time).

He pauses for a
few seconds then asks me if I mind if he removes it from my person while we conduct the traffic stop. Its not really a request even though he said it as nicely as he did. I said sure he says
where is it, I say on my left hip in a safariland 6000 holster and that he should be familiar with the holster. he opens van door and removes gun, thanks me for letting him know I had it.
Tells me my tail light on passenger side is burned out. I said ok ill get it fixed asap I have bulbs with me. He goes back to cruiser. His partner watched from passenger side whole time and returns to cruiser. Few min later officer returns on my side partner on passenger side. Officer stated he was giving me a warning for tail light get it fixed asap, I said I would right away.

Then he says to me, "my partner has diassembled your gun and will put it on the passenger seat", he then asks, "do you know how to put it back together or should I have my partner reassemble it for you?" I looked at him and was puzzled, I thought I understood him but I have never heard of this, I said "What? disassembled as in removed the slide? Officer says "yes" I am shocked and I just said " no don't worry about it " So his partner opens passenger side door and says to me " I don't know you , I don't hand assembled guns to people I don't know, here are the parts for your glock on seat and here is the barrel". He hands me barrel and closes door. they leave. This is ridiculous! they removed the slide barrel and recoil spring from slide and handed me the gun in pieces!! I can easily put it back together but that's not the point. I am calling the pa state police to complain. Its one thing to unload my gun, but to take it apart!! ridiculous!

**Daycrawler** · February 7th, 2018, 12:50 AM

You should be pissed and file a complaint. Some guys are afraid of their own shadow and it sounds like you met one tonight!

**RenoV8** · February 11th, 2018, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Daycrawler

You should be pissed and file a complaint. Some guys are afraid of their own shadow and it sounds like you met one tonight!

With all of the police being shot at and killed within the last few weeks...it doesn't surprise me. Even where I live these guys travel solo, but always have backup on the late night calls.

Is this going to be the new normal? Who knows. But I will ask you this...if you were pulling someone over, in a shady part of town, would you take a couple extra steps to protect yourself or just ignore the precautionary steps and carry on?

Until the Left stops whining about everything going on and the activists stop harrassing police, get used to it. This is what they want...

**Sgt.K** · February 11th, 2018, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by RenoV8

But I will ask you this...if you were pulling someone over, in a shady part of town, would you take a couple extra steps to protect yourself or just ignore the precautionary steps and carry on?

If you want to take an extra step then be a prick and toss the magazine into the back seat when you return the firearm you had no right (though, apparently, you have a court-protected policy) to seize in the first place. That will take the motorist extra time to reload before possibly turning his gun on you - in retaliation for taking his gun and being a prick during a traffic stop. Hmmm, ok, still not perfect...

Regardless, you (generic Officer Friendly) are not a certified gunsmith. Knowing how to perform operator maintenance of *your* duty weapon, in a controlled location, with nobody around in the line of fire, is a far cry from finger f#$%ing a loaded, unknown piece on the side of the road. I've had my 1911 removed and cleared against my wishes once before. The next officer who, after being reminded that the safest place for all of the firearms on scene is holstered with their triggers covered, still insists on doing so is going to verbally describe for me - in advance, in detail, and in order - the necessary steps to safely clear it or I will be "requesting" someone who can.

My 2¢

**Williamsmith** · February 11th, 2018, 12:05 PM

If there is a bone to be picked it won’t have anything to do with the temporary confiscation of the firearm. The OP consented to that even though he implies that the tone of the request suggested it wasn’t an option. Even so, the police do have a concern once they become aware of a loaded firearm that can be produced in seconds to be used against them. The permit simply provides a defense against the violation of carrying concealed. However, an off duty police officer being stopped would probably not be disarmed. Depending on the nature of the neighborhood....there’s is a small chance he might be disarmed. Bakers get free bread, right?

But there are Troopers who are certified Glock armorers. Few and far between but they exist. It is possible that the OP ran into one of these guys I suppose. I don’t believe you will find any indication that PSP trains it’s officer to disassemble firearms on traffic stops. In my opinion, that was something this guy decided to do on his own.

There was an easy way for them to avoid all this. With two officers at the scene, one could have returned to the patrol car and issued the written warning....the other remained with the OP. The firearm could have simply been handed back unloaded. The reality is that most Glock owners can reassemble their handgun in 15 seconds. It’s four pieces. The OP probably had an extra magazine. If he did and had evil intentions, he could be engaging the officers within 20 seconds of being given back his pieces, and they would either be seated in the patrol car or have their back turned.

I see the concern from the point of view of a single officer. From two, not so much. That’s why I thought it was an unnecessary step to take that has more downside to it than benefit.

**Manxdriver** · February 7th, 2018, 12:53 AM

Thanks for letting us ass-rape you, citizen. Go on now and enjoy your evening. Hahahaha

That's what they were saying as they drove away!

If you don't ass-rape their careers in return, you DESERVED it! And they will continue to pull that shit!

**SevenMilePete** · February 7th, 2018, 01:30 AM

Maybe you should carry your wallet on the right? And not say a word about your weapon?

**Emptymag** · February 7th, 2018, 01:57 AM

"Thanks for letting me know, but you can not be trusted, so we're tearing your gun apart - just be glad we didn't shoot you to be sure you couldn't hurt us."

Sheesh. Why didn't they draw their weapons, call for backup, place your gun in your trunk, and force you to drive off with both hands above your head while steering with your knees?

**Krichardson** · February 7th, 2018, 01:57 AM

I have heard of this happening before...guess it's not just rumor.

**Bang** · February 7th, 2018, 02:11 AM

I can see the part about not wanting to hand you a gun that you could shoot at them as they are walking back to their vehicle as making some sense, but the offer to put it back together for you negates that position. What nonsense. You can register a complaint and receive a PR response.