I was pulled over the day after I got my CCW license for CO
Hey guys,
I had an interesting interaction with Lakewood PD one day. I had just gotten my CCW license and decided to take my motorcycle out for a spin to have lunch with my gf (now my fiancee!! :mrgreen: ). I had turned off from my street onto the next primary road (still a sideroad) and watched the officer watching me as I was doing 40 in a 30...not even noticing the stopped school bus with red lights and stop sign activated on a perpendicular road. Yeah that was bad and sure enough, his lights came on and he pulled me over. At first I thought I would pull into the gas station just another 100ft up to go to the pump but then waived him over into the gas station and to the side.
Man was I nervous! He came walking up and the first thing I did was to admit guilt and apologize profusely for speeding...then he informed me of the bus (yeah, he had to inform me of it). To this day, I still don't remember where the bus actually was but I don't remember seeing it in my peripheral...I must have looked like a wide-eyed dork without my helmet on (another stupid move but God has been good to date) to the Lakewood PD guy I passed.
I was so nervous I think he saw it, so when I pulled out my ID (same side as my concealed Sig 225) he saw my firefighter badge on the flip side. The tone of the siutation changed immediately when he happily asked me if I was Denver Fire. I explained I am a transfer from NY. He was a moderately stocky (more built like a linebacker, just short comared to me at about 5'2") and black. He said he's not going to give me a ticket but just going to run my license to see if there was anything that might cause an issue here. He came back and as he went to leave I just had to ask him if he knew I was packing. He said, "sure. it comes up when I run your plates but I'm not concerned because I didn't read danger in this situation. Then he turned and gave me his contact card and we chatted for a couple minutes like we've been friends for a little while and we both drove off.
The nervousness didn't leave me until I got to my gf's work 20 minutes away. I guess I have one of those sensitive "fear of God" consciences and the video playing through my mind if he'd differently how my gf would have come to the scene to ID me in hysterics.
Phew, he was a really nice guy though. I think what helped me is that I admitted I knew I was in the wrong right up front, my firefighter badge and finally my CCW license actually seemed to reassure him. Now the LEO's know who I am, not to mention being in the list on CSP applicants. I laugh with friends about this today but it's probably the one and only time I've ever been so nervous I felt kind of scared in my life.
KC - I applied to CSP last year and didn't get on even though I passed everything, just didn't score higher than the rest of the 1500 or so applicants...not many spots available. Would you like to send me an email to meet your personal acquaintance? I would like to reapply for CSP next year and am currently applying to Lakewood, JeffCo, and Golden to date. I think I'd rather be Denver in some ways but I've got some time before the app process opens back up and I know some of the guys there so I can get a real-deal feel for what happens in the daily life of an officer. I would like to do a ride-along with CSP someday soon. If you email me I can ask you if you know a mutual CSP friend of mine who just recently lateraled to Commerce City.
One more interaction with Boulder (undercover at that!)
A friend of mine and I were going to scout out our hunting grounds back in mid-August and stopped for coffee He was open-carrying drop-leg- tactical style with my Sig 225. I figured we'd be ok because Colorado is an open-carry state. He doesn't have his concealed carry permit yet (if he ever wants to get it anyway). We weren't there but 5 minutes when I noticed a chain reaction happening. The store owner disappeared, two guys with a radio came in and left it loud enough for everyone to hear which I fireured out was a police band. I didn't think much of it until...
On the way out of the coffee shop we had two Boulder undercover stop us, showing badges (and lifting their shirt hems to show their pieces) and asking to talk with us. They called for backup imediately because I noticed a big black SUV pull up out of the corner of my eye and two guys step out. One white, and wearing a goatee, the other black, both thin athletic-looking but built and with attitudes written all over their face. I figured out wuickly they wanted something to go down. The two original guys, coffees left inside they had ordered began talking with us. I remember my friend saying it was his second amendment right, politely, no worries. the guy questioning me told me it was illegal to carry a firearm in Boulder. He asked us both where we were headed to, to which we replied to hunting grounds.
The officer talking with meth then pushed the issue about carrying is illegal which I then told him unless you're carrying concealed legally. He then asked me if I was armed so I told him yes, but legally. He asked me for my CCW license, I produced it (I was packing deep concealment) easily without ever going near my carry. He radioed it in and while he did so, I noticed everyone was wearing their badges on their lanyard-attached wallets. So, me, figuring I wanted to be part of the guys, produced my (firefighter) badge on my own lanyard-attached ID wallet. I was also thinking it's better then putting it back in my pocket and it's easy access when they figure out I'm legit and give me back my licenses.
They radioed me in, figured out all was cool and that was it. They let us go, no more questions and I bid everyone a good day and to be safe. The two ruffian backup guys gave me the sneer and cold eyes.
I think the store owner had to about wet himself when I pulled and hung my badge around my neck like the cops but that didn't occur to me until after I drove away. I was more concerned about the situation at hand.
So looking back on the situation, I wouldn't have done anything different and I can understand the attitudes of the officers, officer-safety and coming off as tought guys. The demeanor was a little more relaxed when they had checked me out but I will never forget the looks I got from the backup undercover guys.
Those are my two interactions with LEO's regarding a possoble problem. If there is any more interaction with these guys in the future, I want to be in uniform as a PoPo myself, Fire Marshal (Arson Investigator), or Game Warden, or off-duty with my LEO ID on me along with my badge and firearm.
