What to do if you are pulled over by the police

[Platapus]

The Loudon County Virginia sheriffs office has published two you tube videos explaining what to do if you are pulled over. The second video is for those drivers who are legally carrying a concealed weapon.




I think this is an awesome idea. However, in talking to several officers over the years about this very topic, I would like to pass on what they told me.

Open your windows if possible
Turn on the overhead light if at night
Turn the engine off and put the keys on the dash where the officer can see them
Take your wallet out and place it on the dash
Place both hands on the steering wheel and keep them there.

Concerning informing the officer that you are carrying concealed; I have heard different opinions from different officers. If you don't have a concealed permit and are carrying open, I would follow the instructions in the video.

There are relatively few states that require you to inform the officer that you are carrying. Most states that have carry permits require you to tell the officer when they ask you. This is how it should be done.

The reason is that the officer is going to ask you a series of questions and govern his or her actions accordingly. This is one reason why you answer the officer's questions and only the officer's questions. Any time you introduce information into the conversation you are disrupting the officer's routine.

In Virginia and I assume in all states where there is a carry permit, the police will know if the registered owner of the car has a permit. At the appropriate time the officer will ask you if you are carrying and where the weapon is. Having a weapon on your right side and your wallet on the right side may not bode well.

This is why the officers I talked to suggested that you pull your wallet and place it on the dash.

But in any case, I applaud the sheriff's office for producing these videos.

Both the citizen and the officer want to leave the stop alive.