So a friend of mine who has her CHL was recently pulled over for not signaling. She kept her hands on the steering wheel, and when the officer came to her car, she handed the officer her licence and CHL licence. The officer became very upset that she did not immediately tell her that she had a weapon in the car.

So my question is: When pulled over, what is the correct thing to do?

What she did was correct

Exactly what she did.

She doesn't even have to show it anymore. I won't.

Thanks guys, I thought she was right.

The cop even made her get out of the car on the highway, which I think is unsafe over something so small. Didn't even give her a ticket, just a warning.

It is always a nice courtesy not just to hand the CHL to the officer, but to let them know that yes you have a weapon and the location of the weapon...

Merely showing the CHL doesn't let them know you are carrying.

Anytime I am pulled over, as a courtesy I let the officer know exactly what I am carrying and where it is......

Now I will say that DPS handles the situation ALOT better than your normal City cops......

Sounds like the cop was either just being an arse or did not know the law herself.

you don't have to tell them, just show them the license. They will ask where it's at.

If someone gives me their CHL or I get a hit when I run the driver's license I always say, "Without reaching for your weapon, tell me where it's at". I've never had a problem.

Once I stopped a car with two ranch hands inside. They had a rifle on the seat between them and the smell of alcohol was coming from inside the truck. They got to grab a handful of dashboard until backup arrived. I tailor my response to the situation.

In response to your question, I don't think she did anything wrong based on your description. It doesn't hurt to declare the weapon or show the CHL. Even though we get a flag when we run the license and you're no longer required to show it, it's not a bad idea to let the office know you're carrying and where....without reaching for it.

Traveling on Texas Roadways with Concealed Handguns
Traffic stop policies vary among law enforcement agencies. Your local police department or sheriff's office can tell you what to expect if stopped while carrying a handgun within their jurisdictions.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers will ask you:

Whether you are licensed to carry a concealed handgun
Whether you have the gun with you
Where the gun is located
A trooper may disarm a licensee anytime he or she feels that safety is at risk. The trooper will return the gun at the end of the traffic stop when the threat to safety has passed.

When stopped by a law enforcement officer, DPS recommends that you:

Keep your hands in plain sight
Cooperate fully with the police officer
If you have a gun with you, tell the officer as soon as possible
Don't make any quick movements, especially toward the weapon
At night, turn on your vehicle's dome light

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/stop.htm



HB 410 Failure to Display

Repeals (in part) the provisions relating to the requirement of license holders to display the license upon demand for identification by a peace officer (§§411.187(a),(c), and 411.205). Failure to display the license upon demand for identification by peace officer will no longer be grounds for suspension of license (currently 90 day suspension). The offense itself remains, albeit without penalty. HB 2730 Article 12A

dieselgeek, love that video clip, great anchor point shot.

Are you saying that regardless if I show my chl when an officer runs my livence it tells him inhave a chl? I don't ALWAYS have my gun with me and wouldn't show it if I got pulled over in that case....but do you think it would be best to show it and tell them you aren't currently carrying?

This is just IMO, but if I'm stopped I hand him both regardless.

X2, I always felt it made them more comfortable to know that I was carrying or not and since I have a chl I'm most likely not a scumbag which might encourage them to not give me a ticket.

Coming from a LEO I'd tell you she did the right thing. But I also don't see anything wrong with having her exit the vehicle. It allows him to have the peice of mind to know she doesn't have immediate access to the weapon.

Just because you got a CHL doesn't mean you aren't a POS. There have been numerous instances where a person has no criminal history and up and decides to attack a Police Officer. Situation dictates as with all things, how the person was acting/speaking and so forth.

The shooting requirements for a CHL are a joke on top of it. Also the fact you are not required to requalify with the weapon after the initial license issueing. No offense to yall but I'm sure there are a lot of people with CHL's that probably haven't gone to the range since they got the license.

Agreed.



The same thing applies to your badge, just because you have one doesn't mean you aren't a POS. There are also numerous instances of police officers in good standing committing all sorts of heinous crimes against the citizenry they are sworn to protect.



The shooting requirements are there mainly to make certain that the licensee is capable of operating the weapon, not to demonstrate combat skills or even demonstrate proficiency. They are set at a level the will allow say a mobility limited senior citizen an opportunity to protect his life. They are not intended to require CHL holders to demonstrate the same degree of proficiency that is required of a typical LEO.

I agree that it would be a good idea for anyone that carries to go to the range and practice, however, the combination of limited mobility/income can make this difficult for some people. I'm glad they aren't refused the right to exercise their constitutional rights as a result.

David

Interesting post. Like you assume every gun you handle or see is loaded shouldnt a cop assume there is a gun in every car? I mean this is Texas. Hell I'm not a cop but I've seen plenty pull people over and they all walk over with a hand on their gun and make sure they position themselves where it's not easy for the driver to shoot them.

The cop in the OP seems like an Ahole. I think when he asks for Lic and Reg and then you hand him that plus your CHL card that should be good. However it's not hard to hand him that and then say I am carrying so that's what I will do. I'm not sure you need to interrupt the cops speech to tell him. Non CHL holders are not required to say anything.

Personally I'd stick to what seems right and on the conservative side of things and that would be to hand him the card along with the other docs he asks for and tell him at that time that I had a gun. If he feels uncomfortable and wants to hold on to it for a few minutes then that's fine. If he wants to be a dick then I'll just keep being nice...if he goes against my rights then I'll still be nice and let his CO know. It would do know good to get in an argument.

Well if you want to carry a weapon all the time I think you should be required to demonstrate the same profieciency with that weapon as LEO and Military. Because if you have to use that weapon it sure be a shame for a shot to go wide and hit an innocent by stander. IMO only prior service military in addition to LE should be allowed to carry concealed in the first place.

How is 50 rounds supposed to insure you can operate a weapon? Any idiot can pull a trigger. That would be like giveing a teen a license after driving for 5 min and not wrecking.

Yes unfortuneately there are still some that are given a badge that never should have the power and responsibility.

She did right

I assume everybody has a gun these days

I've been it the military and have seen people that could'nt hit their a$$ with a m-16 and have seen LEO's that shoot 80% on their qualifing test and think they are the best. Just because your ex-military or LEO does'nt mean you are proficient with a pistol and should be the only ones allowed to carry one. Should the test be harder? Yea probably. If you think it should be then call your congressman.

I always hand them both as soon as the officer gets to my window, more often than not the CHL helps, my father and I have gotten out of many tickets from DPS officers. as for city cops for the most part it makes them very nervous and they don't cut much of a break either, from what I've experienced.

For all of those who want to cop bash try walking up on a tinted out car in the middle of the night not knowing what is on the other side of the glass. See how that feels. Go in to every stop prepared for the worst, are you getting an idea of the mindset now?

I've had a trooper pull me over and I lowered all my windows and kept my hands on the steering wheel. He still had his hand on his gun ready to draw when he approached. Do I make fun of him or do I think there's a guy who is prepared for the worst and relieved when he finds a good person behind the wheel.

food for thought....

I'm glad you only get to enforce the laws that are written, not write them. Your analogy is flawed, firearms in the hands of everyday citizens are used to successfully defend themselves everyday - millions of times per year, depending on whose numbers you use. Your predictions of innocent bystanders gunned down in the street have been proven inconclusively wrong, CCL's are not new, been in place and working to lower overall crime rates (VERY EFFECTIVELY!) for many years.

David

X2

I disagree about only LEO/military carrying, that's ridiculous, and unconstitutional.

As for requiring the course to be more indepth and stringent, yes, definnitely. 70% on that course is easy.

And requalifying should be a rquirement, and with the exact weapon..... unless it's changed recently, you can qual with a 380 auto, and carry a 500S&W.......