What to do if you are pulled over by the police

Platapus · 07-23-16, 08:40 AM

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.

Onkel Neal · 07-23-16, 10:47 AM

A little common sense goes a long way.

Gerald · 07-23-16, 11:35 AM

Here in Sweden we have a completely different climate, regarding how it should be acted in confrontations, ok I think this is for the whole, Scandinavia.This is a different way of thinking about the gun laws and emerging situations, but of course there are some areas that have higher crime.

Commander Wallace · 07-23-16, 11:45 AM

Thanks for taking the time to post this thread and the links to the common sense instructions.

Hopefully this will alleviate any misunderstandings.

Catfish · 07-23-16, 11:56 AM

Well here in Germany things have changed a bit.

Some time ago, when you got stopped by the police, it was even expected for you to leave the car instantly, to show some cooperation. You did not need to raise your arms or do anything, just stand beside it and wait. At least in a normal sample control.
Leaving the car was expected to then show the police whether all the security gear was onboard, and that was usually stored in the rear bunk. So you had to get out to open it and show first aid kit, triangular safety reflector and, since a few years, an orange warning vest.

Nowadays it is expected you to remain in the car, open the window and only do what you are told. I guess the recent events have taken its toll. Still most of the people here have no guns, but a bit of pepper spray may also help in difficult situations, or an ordinary club.

Platapus · 07-23-16, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catfish

Some time ago, when you got stopped by the police, it was even expected for you to leave the car instantly, to show some cooperation.

You sure don't want to do that in the US.

Nowadays it is expected you to remain in the car, open the window and only do what you are told. I guess the recent events have taken its toll. Still most of the people here have no guns, but a bit of pepper spray may also help in difficult situations, or an ordinary club.[/QUOTE]

I guess it boils down to two concepts that the officers told me

1. The officer is in control of the stop
2. Follow the officer's instructions as they are given to you.

Armistead · 07-23-16, 11:50 AM

Use good judgement, I've been a concealed carry in Va and NC for years and my few run ins have gone OK. Have more issues when I open carry in a shoulder holster at times metal detecting in certain areas, even one rookie cop walking right up on me gun drawn and pointed at me....

vienna · 07-23-16, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

...

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.

...

Moving around a lot in the car after stopping and before the officer has started to approach the car can be troublesome. I haven't been stopped in years, so I don't know if the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) still does so, but when I used to get stopped, with great regularity, by the LAPD, if I made moves to get my wallet out of pocket or to secure my registration before the officer came up to the driver's window, I stood a very good chance of looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel. The LAPD has undergone some very big changes in how the officers conduct themselves since dumping the previous whacked out chiefs and as a result of a Federal Court Consent Decree, so a lot of the old hyper-paranoia-based methods have been considerably toned down, bu I still would wait for the officer to ask for my documents and then I would tell him where the documents were and that I was now going to retrieve them; I certainly would make every effort to try to keep my movements as visible as possible. I guess the way one responds or acts at a stop sometimes will depend on the customs of the jurisdiction of the stop. There is a street here in LA that passes through four different police department jurisdictions and each is rather different in its methods than the others; I know because I have been stopped by each, once by three of the four in the same day...

Here in Los Angeles, if you are stopped by the LAPD in a two-man cruiser, one officer will approach your car from the driver's side, while the other will approach form the passenger side at a bit of a distance, but he will have his hand on his holstered sidearm. This is just LAPD SOP...

<O>

Jimbuna · 07-24-16, 06:16 AM

Two good and informative videos and as already stated, common sense does help a great deal.

Feuer Frei! · 07-28-16, 06:26 AM

No amount of 'common sense' or yes sirs will make your day any better if you get some cowboy who just got assigned to a precinct after graduating from the Police academy.

aanker · 07-28-16, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feuer Frei!

No amount of 'common sense' or yes sirs will make your day any better if you get some cowboy who just got assigned to a precinct after graduating from the Police academy.

You got that right! Sometimes it doesn't appear to wear off.

I am grateful for law enforcement and support 'blue lives' however with one exception in my long life, every cop I've met in real life has been a jerk. Beginning at age 11 or 12 when I got lost downtown after a dental appointment and asked a cop which direction I needed to go to find a specific street so I could catch the bus back to school, he said, "get lost" or "go away". I eventually found the street 2 or 3 long blocks away.

The good one was a State Trooper who pulled me over for speeding. When I told him that I was 'going with the flow' and had been following a particular truck ever since Indiana (several hours ago), he cheerfully let me go.

I won't go into detail on other bad 'encounters'... too many dumb stories like getting a ticket for going 58 mph in a 55 zone.

I just don't understand the problem. Quota's on white guys for their budgets maybe? My sister's ex boyfriend was caught exchanging sexual favors for letting women off many years ago. Power corrupts?

For many years now one of my best friends on the internet is a cop.... funny : )

mapuc · 07-28-16, 02:22 PM

When I lived in Sweden it has, what I can remember, only happens once that I was told to stop the car.

The rest of these stopping, the police had those "controls" where you had to blow in a tube(alcohol test)and that you have a driving license. Sometimes they also checked your car you are driving.

Here in Denmark, there's a lot of anger against these "control" and here's why

The law that give the police the right to stop a drive is in many occasion given away to another authorities who's standing behind the police

E.g

A person is stopped by the Danish Police, he or she is asked to take the alcohol test and to show the driving license. After the police is finish, they passes "the law" to the next authorities- for example the taxation authorities and then the driver has to do what they are requesting then the taxation authorities passes "the law" to the next authorities

So when a drive is stopped in Denmark he or she could be facing 3-5 different authorities in one stop.

Markus

vienna · 07-28-16, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feuer Frei!

No amount of 'common sense' or yes sirs will make your day any better if you get some cowboy who just got assigned to a precinct after graduating from the Police academy.

Brings to mind an incident from about 1970-1. I was living in one of the many small towns that make up the whole of the Los Angeles area, each with their own police departments, albeit very small ones. I used to work swing shift at a bank data processing center and would get off work at about 1:00 am. It was my habit to go down to a local supermarket where the morning edition of the newspapers would be dropped off in the vending machines outside. The market had closed for the day some hours before. I bought my papers and drove away; I got about a couple of blocks when a patrol car came up behind me and lit me up. I pulled over and saw two cops get out, one about my age (20) and an older officer. The younger cop handled the stop and with great enthusiasm for the task. Since I was a long-haired guy, I got the idea he was seeing visions of his first narco bust or maybe, even, a wild hippie revolutionary caught in the act of planting a bomb at the local supermart. He asked for my ID, gave it to the other officer to run. and then proceed to pepper me with all manner of questions; he even went through my entire car looking for God knows what. Coming up with absolutely nothing, he asked his partner what my ID check turned up; he was crestfallen to hear my record was absolutely clean (and still is, to this day). He then turned to me and demanded, "Have you ever been arrested!?". My answer: "No". He then practically shouted "Why not!!?". That was when the older officer stepped in, telling the young cop to go back to the car. The older cop handed me back my ID, apologizing for the actions of the young guy, saying, "He's new"; I said, "Yeah, I noticed a bit"...

<O>

Fubar2Niner · 07-28-16, 03:26 PM

Run Away:

The Old Gringo · 07-28-16, 08:08 PM

I would like to relay how it used to be done (in the old days). I retired in 1996 (WOW 20 years last April) from a small mid-western town, USA, I was a patrolling officer the first 11 years and chief the final 14.
First I would like to add the huge amount of respect I have for todays street COP, the stress level must be horrendous. Secondly when I was a COP, we (both the good and bad guys) were like children playing a game, no one ever dreamed of a shoot-out. I drew my weapon 2 times during my career, the first as a rookie and it was unwarranted, the second when a girlfriend wanted to shoot her boyfriend for hitting her, and then only after she fired a shot.
But I digress, sorry I suffer from SOMS (Stupid Old Man Syndrome:-) back on point. Daytime stops were pretty straight forward, visibility wasn't a problem and there were many people to observe the situation. Nighttime another story, the officer would observe while calling in the plate if it was an unknown vehicle. Also if the driver and/or passengers displayed a lot of movement. It was assumed they were hiding something, more caution was given. As stated it was a small town, we knew everybody. Normally, we would tell dispatch we were stopping "Johnny Jones".
Thanks for reading this old mans ramblings.

07-23-16, 08:40 AM	#1
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,384 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	What to do if you are pulled over by the police 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. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

07-23-16, 10:47 AM	#2
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,385 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	A little common sense goes a long way. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

07-23-16, 11:35 AM	#3
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,254 Downloads: 553 Uploads: 0	Here in Sweden we have a completely different climate, regarding how it should be acted in confrontations, ok I think this is for the whole, Scandinavia.This is a different way of thinking about the gun laws and emerging situations, but of course there are some areas that have higher crime. __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie

07-23-16, 11:56 AM	#5
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,796 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Well here in Germany things have changed a bit. Some time ago, when you got stopped by the police, it was even expected for you to leave the car instantly, to show some cooperation. You did not need to raise your arms or do anything, just stand beside it and wait. At least in a normal sample control. Leaving the car was expected to then show the police whether all the security gear was onboard, and that was usually stored in the rear bunk. So you had to get out to open it and show first aid kit, triangular safety reflector and, since a few years, an orange warning vest. Nowadays it is expected you to remain in the car, open the window and only do what you are told. I guess the recent events have taken its toll. Still most of the people here have no guns, but a bit of pepper spray may also help in difficult situations, or an ordinary club. __________________ >^..^<*)))>{ All generalizations are wrong.

07-23-16, 11:50 AM	#7
Armistead Rear Admiral Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: on the Dan Posts: 10,880 Downloads: 364 Uploads: 0	Use good judgement, I've been a concealed carry in Va and NC for years and my few run ins have gone OK. Have more issues when I open carry in a shoulder holster at times metal detecting in certain areas, even one rookie cop walking right up on me gun drawn and pointed at me.... __________________ You see my dog don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him. Now if you apologize like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it.

07-23-16, 11:45 AM	#4
Commander Wallace Navy Seal Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Under the sea in an Octupus garden in the shade Posts: 5,316 Downloads: 366 Uploads: 0	Thanks for taking the time to post this thread and the links to the common sense instructions. Hopefully this will alleviate any misunderstandings.

07-24-16, 06:16 AM	#9
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,742 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Two good and informative videos and as already stated, common sense does help a great deal. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

07-28-16, 06:26 AM	#10
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	No amount of 'common sense' or yes sirs will make your day any better if you get some cowboy who just got assigned to a precinct after graduating from the Police academy. __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS

07-28-16, 02:22 PM	#12
mapuc CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Denmark Posts: 20,543 Downloads: 37 Uploads: 0	When I lived in Sweden it has, what I can remember, only happens once that I was told to stop the car. The rest of these stopping, the police had those "controls" where you had to blow in a tube(alcohol test)and that you have a driving license. Sometimes they also checked your car you are driving. Here in Denmark, there's a lot of anger against these "control" and here's why The law that give the police the right to stop a drive is in many occasion given away to another authorities who's standing behind the police E.g A person is stopped by the Danish Police, he or she is asked to take the alcohol test and to show the driving license. After the police is finish, they passes "the law" to the next authorities- for example the taxation authorities and then the driver has to do what they are requesting then the taxation authorities passes "the law" to the next authorities So when a drive is stopped in Denmark he or she could be facing 3-5 different authorities in one stop. Markus

07-28-16, 03:26 PM	#14
Fubar2Niner Silent Hunter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: London. UK Posts: 4,179 Downloads: 279 Uploads: 0	Run Away:

07-28-16, 08:08 PM	#15
The Old Gringo Swabbie Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Northern Mindanao, Philippines Posts: 5 Downloads: 170 Uploads: 0	Retired Chief of Police I would like to relay how it used to be done (in the old days). I retired in 1996 (WOW 20 years last April) from a small mid-western town, USA, I was a patrolling officer the first 11 years and chief the final 14. First I would like to add the huge amount of respect I have for todays street COP, the stress level must be horrendous. Secondly when I was a COP, we (both the good and bad guys) were like children playing a game, no one ever dreamed of a shoot-out. I drew my weapon 2 times during my career, the first as a rookie and it was unwarranted, the second when a girlfriend wanted to shoot her boyfriend for hitting her, and then only after she fired a shot. But I digress, sorry I suffer from SOMS (Stupid Old Man Syndrome:-) back on point. Daytime stops were pretty straight forward, visibility wasn't a problem and there were many people to observe the situation. Nighttime another story, the officer would observe while calling in the plate if it was an unknown vehicle. Also if the driver and/or passengers displayed a lot of movement. It was assumed they were hiding something, more caution was given. As stated it was a small town, we knew everybody. Normally, we would tell dispatch we were stopping "Johnny Jones". Thanks for reading this old mans ramblings.