Gun Deal at chinese man theater

[cstone]

A little more description of the cops actions would be interesting.

It sounds like they were responding to a dispatched call. Four cars 35 minutes after the rifle was put away certainly doesn't sound like an urgent call for service. Were their lights activated as the pulled up? Did they hold either of you at gun point? Was anyone placed in handcuffs or the back of a transport vehicle? Once the police had determined that you were no threat, what was their demeanor? Did you get a lecture from any of the officers? How long did the entire interaction with the police last?


Discretion is a valuable skill, however, open display of a firearm, especially an unloaded firearm is not a crime. The police have an obligation to respond and investigate, but we should be careful about giving into the hysteria of the moment.

Be safe.

[glennski]

Gun case, at least to transfer from your vehicle to the buyers, and yes, a more firearms friendly location would have been better.
Remember, theaters run movies during the day on the weekends.
Were you CCing at the time ? And how did the police handle that if you were ?

No we weren't carrying, they did ask.

Also, to the more friendly firearm area, it is my understanding it is illegal to do a private party transaction anywhere where guns are sold, maybe someone can set me straight.

[rondog]

Gotta keep in mind there's goddamn Big Brother cameras EVERYWHERE these days! I've bought a lot of guns from a lot of you guys, and I figure it's just a matter of time before the same scenario happens go me. I always try to keep deals as discrete as possible, keep 'em out of sight.

[glennski]

A little more description of the cops actions would be interesting.

It sounds like they were responding to a dispatched call. Four cars 35 minutes after the rifle was put away certainly doesn't sound like an urgent call for service. Were their lights activated as the pulled up? Did they hold either of you at gun point? Was anyone placed in handcuffs or the back of a transport vehicle? Once the police had determined that you were no threat, what was their demeanor? Did you get a lecture from any of the officers? How long did the entire interaction with the police last?


Discretion is a valuable skill, however, open display of a firearm, especially an unloaded firearm is not a crime. The police have an obligation to respond and investigate, but we should be careful about giving into the hysteria of the moment.

Be safe.

The first car pulled up by him self with his lights on, got out of the car with his hands on his sidearm and asked us to take our hands out of our pockets and put them in the air. Then the other 3 cars came in and 1 had lights on then he shut them off. They asked what we were doing, they asked why we didn't meet at one of our homes to do the transaction. Then they ran our drivers license's. Then two of the other officers went ahead checked out the rifle in the car and another did give us a little of his opinions about doing a gun transaction in public. They then gave us our drivers licenses back and went on our way. I will say, the gun was in plain site for less then a minute in the rear of a parking lot, which i feel is being fairly discreet. I really have a hard time treating a gun transaction like I'm doing something wrong, but that is what it is coming too..

[wreave]

As nice as it would be to conduct a firearm sale in some random parking lot with no questions asked, we are in a tough spot. When conducting a sale of anything to a person you don't know, it's smart to meet in a public place, but inspecting a firearm in a parking lot is likely to bring some unwanted scrutiny.

As others have mentioned, I guess you just gotta do the inspection in such a way that no one driving by even sees what you're doing.

I would be really freaked out if the cops showed up and held me at gunpoint, asked for my license, asked if I had a CCW/was carrying. If no laws were broken, and it's obvious/apparent that no laws were broken, I don't think the cops have the right to ask for any of that - or more to the point, they can ask, but I have the right to refuse. We don't live in a "show me your papers" state... at least not yet.

[rondog]

JMHO, but I feel such a visit by the po-po would call for the utmost in politeness and cooperation. Certainly NOT a time to be uncooperative and start yapping about "rights", or refusing anything.

[blacklabel]

No we weren't carrying, they did ask.

It sounds like you already knew the buyer but a transaction like that is the first place I carry regardless of how well I know the other party.

[Ridge]

Pretty stupid to display a weapon in the parking lot of a theater, methinks...

[Whistler]

Well it looks like it's working, they've managed to place a stigma on perfectly legal transactions convincing members of a gun forum to condone skulking around as though they were conducting a drug deal. A sad day indeed.

[ben4372]

two things. 35 minutes is not super fast, isn't Arapahoe county sheriff's office that far on foot? Who'd thunk it would be less shameful to buy weed than a legal firearm. I bought a juicer in a parking lot from a dude on craig's list. No cops.