Detained and disarmed by the PPD today.

[thirtyonebravo]

So, I finally get to join the detained/disarmed by the PPD Club…

I went down to Philly to pickup my mother from the Greyhound station at 10th/Filbert. As I drove up, she was waiting out front. I pulled up and parked on the street, popped the trunk, got out to put her suitcase in the trunk, and was about to get back in the vehicle when a bicycle PPD officer approached me, asking if I was a cop.

I said no, I'm not, and he proceeded to question me why my weapon was openly showing and give me the 3rd degree about it. He told me it was illegal, and I said, while it wasn't intentional that it was showing - it was most certainly not illegal. This went on for few, and of course my mother wouldn't shut up (even after I asked her several times), joining into the whole thing accusing him of harassment and whatnot.

I really wouldn't say it was harassment at all, beyond the fact that he was giving me a hard time, telling me false laws, and even asking me if I had the paperwork with me, for the weapon. I mean, seriously.. yeah I'm totally gonna keep my sales receipt with me on the time… *rolls eyes*

So, I'm detained, and disarmed. The original officer takes my weapon to another cruiser and they run my license, LTCF and the weapon's serial to see if it's stolen. While that's happening, my mother and I are standing there with a couple officers, one of whom again starts giving me the 3rd degree and treating me like a child and giving me cliche anti-carry arguments.

I told him it wasn't intentionally showing; I was just in a hurry leaving the house, put on the weapon (in an IWB holster), and jumped in the car. It just wasn't fully covered, was caught on the shirt - however it was NOT illegal. The other officer, a bit nicer and more personable, eventually starts a conversation with me about my weapon (Sig P220), and we get into what they're carrying and about their eventual switch to the .45 also.

So… time goes by, the original officer that stopped me comes back over with my weapon, unloaded and slide open, carrying it by a couple of pinched fingers, with a limp wrist. He gives it back to me, and tells me not to reload it in their presence. As I'm about to leave, of course my mother starts at it again with the harassment accusation, and the officer is replying back that he had the right to challenge me, etc. I'm trying to get a word in there, agreeing with the officer (except for the falsifying laws part), getting her to come along and tossing in some condescending "thank you, have a nice day" remarks along the way.

Again, I wouldn't call anything harassment, beyond telling me it was illegal, either intentionally or just out of naivety of the law.
He did have the right to challenge me, but as the phrase goes, generally said from a LEO to a citizen, "ignorance of the law is no excuse" - it goes both ways, and I'm sure there's a law about falsifying laws/misrepresenting them too.

Well, I think that's about it. No arrests or further incidents, and we just got in the car and left.

[BimmerJon]

Man, Philly is really heating up!

You were detained for no reason and illegally searched/disarmed. Throw in some official oppression and we got a typical day

Filing a complaint?

Learn your rights, stop agreeing with officers and confirming their illegal behavior is appropriate. What they did was completely inappropriate

This was NOT a good encounter. Glad it wasn't worse for you.

PS: The "good cop/ bad cop" act is so predictable its corny

[ddefazio]

Man, Philly is really heating up!

You were detained for no reason and illegally searched/disarmed. Throw in some official oppression and we got a typical day

Filing a complaint?

Learn your rights, stop agreeing with officers and confirming their illegal behavior is appropriate. What they did was completely inappropriate

This was NOT a good encounter. Glad it wasn't worse for you.

PS: The "good cop/ bad cop" act is so predictable its corny

He just needs to let his mom speak for him

[thirtyonebravo]

Man, Philly is really heating up!

You were detained for no reason and illegally searched/disarmed. Throw in some official oppression and we got a typical day

Filing a complaint?

Learn your rights, stop agreeing with officers and confirming their illegal behavior is appropriate. What they did was completely inappropriate

This was NOT a good encounter. Glad it wasn't worse for you.

PS: The "good cop/ bad cop" act is so predictable its corny

Well, he did have the right to ask me for my license and LTCF, but he got a bit out of hand and went over the line on other things.

As for filing a complaint, I'm not sure. I was thinking about sending a couple dozen of the flyers out his department, sent to his superior, and a letter discussing the officer's ignorance of the law and overstepped authority.

[BimmerJon]

Well, he did have the right to ask me for my license and LTCF, but he got a bit out of hand and went over the line on other things.

Why do you think he had the right to ask for those things?

As for filing a complaint, I'm not sure. I was thinking about sending a couple dozen of the flyers out his department, sent to his superior, and a letter discussing the officer's ignorance of the law and overstepped authority.

Flyers won't help unless you want to help them test out their new shredder, they don't care about the law.

Hell, even an official complaint might not do anything unless you keep pushing and escalating it.

Glad you're safe (and not held at gunpoint)

[thirtyonebravo]

He just needs to let his mom speak for him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMPWWrCbDN4

"What she say to you, peanut?"

heh.

[ViperGTS19801]

You got it easy, bud. At least these guys followed the damned law and internal directives. The one cop was kindof an ass for telling you laws that don't exist, but the things that come out of the mouths of Philadelphia Police officers these days seem to be inaccurate more often than not anyway.

You have every right to file a complaint about his behavior, what with the whole telling you carrying in Philadelphia is illegal.

[thirtyonebravo]

Why do you think he had the right to ask for those things?

ok, lemme rephrase that that :-D wouldn't he, being that I was technically open-carrying, even though Philly does illegally preempt state laws on various things, I'd still fall under that jurisdiction, no? Even if I wasn't in Philly, I was observed, technically concealing a weapon, when I got out of a vehicle... so I would have needed a LTCF for that.

[ddefazio]

ok, lemme rephrase that that :-D wouldn't he, being that I was technically open-carrying, even though Philly does illegally preempt state laws on various things, I'd still fall under that jurisdiction, no? Even if I wasn't in Philly, I was observed, technically concealing a weapon, when I got out of a vehicle... so I would have needed a LTCF for that.

Did he check your Drivers License before leaving to make sure you could drive away?

[bogey1]

my mother wouldn't shut up (even after I asked her several times), joining into the whole thing accusing him of harassment and whatnot.

REP TO YOUR MOTHER....