Close Encounters of the LEO Kind

Posted by Lance Earl of Lance Earl, LLC on November 20, 2012

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In my attempts to provide you with a usable article at least weekly, I sometimes struggle to find a meaningful topic. But at other times, life experience serves up the topic of the day. Such is the case now.

Recently, I traveled to Rexberg, Idaho to present the DallyPost Tactical Target to the United Sportsman's Club. The meeting went well and people were awesome. Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

At 9:00 PM, I found myself driving home in the dark in a driving rain and in a hurry to be home at the end of what was to be a thirteen hour day. In my peripheral vision, I noticed a highway patrol vehicle on the side of the road. A quick glance at the speedometer showed roughly eighty-five miles per hour. Grrr, I thought as I waited to see just how this would play out.

In the summer of 2010, Eric Scott was fatally shot by police outside of a Nevada Costco. Police were called when a Costco employee noticed that he was carrying a gun. Scott had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and was not breaking any laws by having the gun on his person.

What happened next is somewhat unclear. Witnesses say that Scott was shot while reaching for his wallet and that he never pulled his firearm. Police say that he pulled his gun. Most of us will never know exactly how things went down. Did Scott really cause the incident or did the LEOs over react? What is clear is that something went horribly wrong.

This incident does compel every armed citizen to carefully consider what their actions will be when confronted by a police officer. One fact is perfectly clear, your firearm will cause LEO to go to a higher state of alert, as it should. Knowing this, one must have a plan of action.

I continued down the freeway, but now at the legal limit. I started to think that I might get away free. Because of the torrential rain, I could see only headlights in my mirror and was unsure if the officer was following. About the time I started to breath easier, he lite up my world.

Having previously considered this situation, I knew exactly what I would do, and I did it. My pistol was in a Kidex holster slipped between the seat cushion and the center console with the top half of the gun exposed. This keeps the grip positioned near my right thigh. When I got the car stopped I flipped the dome light on, checked that my jacket or something else was not covering the pistol, turned the radio off, rolled the window down and placed both hands on the steering wheel.

The officer arrived and asked for my license and registration. Without moving my hands, I answered "Yes sir, but first, I need to inform you that I have a handgun on the seat next to me". He adjusted his position, took a good long look and said, "Thank you, I appreciate that". Again, he asked for my license and registration. Without moving my hands, I informed him that I could not get to my wallet without reaching past the pistol. He answered, "I see it, just get your wallet and don't touch the pistol". I then carefully delivered my license and registration without further incident.

The bad news... 86 in a 75. Apparently, this officer does not give warnings.

Regardless of who was at fault in the Costco shooting, Eric Scott could have prevented his own death by following a few basic rules which include, freeze with your hands in clear view and well away from your weapon, inform the officer that you have a concealed weapons permit, inform the officer that you are armed and tell him exactly where your weapon is, do not move without the officer's permission, and above all, remain perfectly calm.

If you choose to be armed, you and you alone must accept certain responsibilities. One of these responsibilities demands careful and thought-out actions that you will take with regard to law enforcement. Your correct actions protect your life, the lives of officers, and the lives of bystanders. Your failure accomplishes just the opposite. The right to bear arms is not only a right, it is a responsibility.

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Comments

Comment by: Tom Young 2012-11-29 07:47:51 Good story. I had a similar experience between Aberdeen and American Falls. I removed my pistol and put it in the glove box, and in doing so, removed my seat belt. I explained that to the officer, that I didn't want to cause any stress, so I relocated the gun out of reach. The officer was more perturbed by the fact that I was not wearing my seat belt, than the fact I had a gun. Reply by: Lance Earl 2013-01-16 17:30:54 Go figure