A "Cop" Encounter of the Third Kind

[Mtbkski]

Was driving home along a major highway. Falling asleep due to the fact that I had worked night shift and then short slept myself so I could run out to Greensburg early in the morning. I had to get off the highway for a while.

I pulled off 219 onto a ramp, then started back up the ramp again when I pulled over and laid the seat back and decided to get in a cat nap. I was asleep about 30 minutes when I woke to someone tapping on the side window. It was a local LEO.

I awoke, a bit confused. Then remembered I had pulled over to get in a cat nap. I put down the window and the officer smiled and said, "Well you aren't dead. That's a good thing." I chuckled and told him I needed a nap after short sleeping myself and driving all morning. He said "No problem, but do you have any ID on you. I told him yes, and then said, " I also have a pistol on my right hip."

He moved back a step and slowly placed his hand on the butt of his pistol. He then calmly said, "If you don't mind, would you remove the pistol and hand it to me. That way I know I won't get shot and neither will you." He didn't say this smartassed in any way. In fact he said it very politely and with tinge of humor. I wasn't offended in any way.

I reached down and pulled my XD SC from my Crossbreed Supertuck. I did this with by grabbing the top of the slide and not the grip like I was drawing the pistol. I then kept it pointed at the floor of the car, dropped the magazine on the passenger seat, then racked the slide and let the round fall onto the seat, I double checked the chamber one more time, let the slide down, squeezed the trigger to drop the hammer and handed the pistol to him with my hand on top of the slide, butt first.

As he took my pistol, he looked at me and said, "Sir, that is the safest and most professional handling I have ever seen on any vehicle stop I have ever made involving a handgun. And after 11 years, I have dealt with a lot of firearms in vehicles. I want to thank you for that. I am very impressed."

He walked back, and got on the radio. Came back about 5 minutes later. He handed me my pistol back, the slide was now racked back and locked open. "Sir, I just want to thank you again, for how safely you handled that pistol. I truly appreciate it. You have a good day and if you want to go back to sleep, your more than welcome."

I was impressed with how professionally he handled the situation. And I guess all those times of going over in my head what I should do if I was ever stopped paid off. Cause when I did all this, I was still have asleep and didn't really thing about it. I just did it. I give my first encounter with an LEO while carrying a big +10.

[RocketFoot]

Sounds like a good encounter. But may I ask why you just didn't lock the slide back after clearing the chamber? Just curious...

[Ozone]

How would you handle that situation, if you were carrying a revolver? I don't know cause I'm new..so thats why I'm asking.

[Mtbkski]

Sounds like a good encounter. But may I ask why you just didn't lock the slide back after clearing the chamber? Just curious...

I thought of that too, as I was handing it to him. Duhhh. I know I should have locked the slide back, why didn't I. But then I realized why I had done it. I had gone thru the drill for clearing my pistol at the IDPA and USPSA shoots that I do. Drop magazine, show clear, slide down, hammer down, holster. Just goes to show you that I wasn't totally woke up yet, and I may need to stay away from the IDPA shoots for a while.

[RocketFoot]

Well...either way, you done good! And to get a compliment from the officer is a big plus too! Congrats!

[Emptymag]

Fascist, anti-gun, pigs.

He had no right to...



I figure it will come up so I thought I'd get it started on a humorous note.

As I read that, I was thinking, "I'll bet nobody has ever cleared a gun and presented it to that officer like that".
I'll give you a thumbs up.

[Bersa45]

That is exactly what you do at a IDPA shoot. I just got back from one in West Union Ohio with the TDI folks down there. TDI is Tactical Defense institute. You should drop a line at the State Post of how professional the officer was. Recognition letters are always a good thing to send and recieve

[4XLT]

great job on the clearing of the pistol while still half awake. i woudl also reccomend a letter to the local barracks where this happened , hopefully you got the officers name if not then just a general thanks for training them right kinda thing..

[imperialism2024]

Sounds like a good encounter, but...

I wonder what the officer was doing in his five minutes back in his car on the radio. Running your LTCF? Or running your serial number through the illegal PSP sales database?

[JoeWilliams]

How would you handle that situation, if you were carrying a revolver? I don't know cause I'm new..so thats why I'm asking.

It's even easier with a revolver. Just open the cylinder, pop the rounds out, and hand it over.