Out of State LEO Encounters
Out of State Leo Encounter.
My very first LEO encounter while CCW came unexpectedly in Florida on vacation. I was packing a 38 snubby as I drove my friend’s car to a bank ATM to withdraw cash for breakfast. I punched in all the right numbers into the ATM and it literally ‘spat’ out my sixty dollars… on the ground! Yep, the machine did not retain them to wait for me to grab the money but threw them into the wind! I quickly opened the door and retrieved two of the twenties on the ground. One twenty floated in the wind backwards. I put the car in reverse and with my eye on the bill and the door opened I proceeded to bang the car door into the offending ATM. Crash! That’ll teach that faulty ATM!
Well, my friend will never lend me his car again, I thought. I drove in Puerto Rico for miles and miles and nothing! Come to Florida and with in 3 miles of my friends house… crash! Also, some tech must have fixed that ATM machine well! :evil:
Well, the bank manager called the police and I parked near by waiting for my first LEO encounter while carrying.
I pulled out all the required ID stuff plus my Utah CCW license and waited for quite a long time. [The Colorado CCW looks like it was made on a home computer… because it was! At least the Utah one looked very official.] I rehearsed my words carefully in my mind and practiced everything my instructor taught me. Hands visible at ten and two… check!
When the LEOs finally arrived on scene they chatted with the bank manager and then they approached my parked car. A lady officer approached my window. [I later found out that she was a rookie in training] I repeated what I had practice a hundred times in my mind. “Officer, I would like to inform you that I have a concealed weapons permit and I am armed!” She stared, and reached slightlyfor her weapon. She said “What?” I repeated my well rehearsed line. “Where is the gun?” she said. “On my right hip” I replied. She proceeded to instruct me to keep my hands visible and slowly exit the car where she would remove and hold my weapon till she acquired all the facts. I complied.
With her supervisor watching [and instructing] she grabbed my belt at the back of my pants, had me turn around and place my hands on the roof. [What a sight, a five foot two officer holding and frisking a six foot two guy!] After again asking where the gun was she lifted up my already tucked out shirt and could not figure out how to undo the thumb strap that secured my snubby. She proceeded to take my gun and then check my pockets for knifes. :?: [Go figure] Many people milled around and watched the “spectacle”! Where were to “Cops” cameras when you needed them!
The lead LEO asked me if I had a Florida CCW and driver’s license. I said that I was not a Florida resident but my Utah CCW was valid in Florida. He took my word for the fact that Utah CCW was valid in Florida. After a very long wait, they told me that I could go and handed me back my gun. We chatted a bit about the lead LEO’s Dad having a Florida CCW and carrying in Georgia. They thanked me for being so cooperative with them and apologized for the delay because of training the rookie cop. With out any further ado I was let go. :P
My friend’s car suffered some damage that I am liable for. Close encounter of the worst kind… with an ATM machine………
