Posted on 07/23/2017 8:34:46 AM PDT by digger48
PHOENIX (AP) — Gun-friendly Arizona is trying to avoid deadly encounters between police and people behind the wheel by teaching armed drivers how they should handle themselves when they are pulled over.
Arizona, which allows residents to carry weapons without permits, recently changed its rule book for the road in a bid to avoid confrontations such as the one that killed Philando Castile. The Minnesota man, who had a gun permit, was fatally shot during a 2016 traffic stop after telling an officer he was armed.
Arizona is among a small number of states instructing drivers on what to expect during traffic stops. It appears to be the first to use its driving rules to address situations in which motorists are armed.
Democratic state Rep. Reginald Bolding said Castile's death inspired him to seek changes to the state's driver's manual. He said the revisions were necessary because Arizona does not require gun permits and some owners have not been trained to handle firearms.
"The goal was to create a set of standards," Bolding said.
The new edition of the driver's manual, published about a month ago, advises drivers with guns to keep their hands on the steering wheel during traffic stops and tell officers right away that there's a firearm in the car.
It also tells drivers not to reach for anything inside the vehicle without getting permission first. And officers can take possession of guns, for safety reasons, until the stop is completed. The firearms would be returned if no crime has been committed.
Lawmakers in Tennessee, Virginia and Illinois have enacted laws over the last year that require driver education courses to teach people how to react when they are pulled over. Unlike the guidelines published in Arizona, none of the laws explicitly mentions what to do when armed motorists are stopped.
The revision in the Arizona manual would mostly be seen by those who are getting a driver's license for the first time. Most people who move to Arizona and have a license from another state don't have to take a written test. That's also true for Arizonans renewing their license.
The changes in Arizona happened without a law being passed. The Department of Public Safety worked with Bolding to produce the new guidelines.
"It all comes down to safety," said Quentin Mehr, a spokesman for the state police agency.
Arizona's gun laws are less restrictive than other states, allowing people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit in most places. Gun owners are seen with some frequency in public places with guns holstered on their hips.
Will Gaona, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said it's not a bad idea to tell drivers what to expect when getting pulled over. But the manual's new section does not include descriptions of a driver's rights, he said.
For instance, the rules say a driver can be arrested for disobeying an officer's order. Gaona said the rule book should tell people that they have a right to refuse an officer's request to search a vehicle.
"You also need to tell them what their rights are — not just what you think they should do, but also what they are allowed to do," Gaona said.
In the Minnesota case, the officer said Castile was pulling out his gun despite his commands not to do so. Prosecutors said the officer never saw the gun because it remained in Castile's pocket until paramedics removed him from his car. The officer was acquitted of a reckless-homicide charge.
The material from the new section of the Arizona manual could appear on driver's license tests, said Doug Nick, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division, which produces the rule book.
He shouldn't have been. Watch the video. Basically he shot the guy because he "waved his hand in a circle" according to the affirmative action Mexican cop who should never have worn a badge.
And if you say I'm being judgemental about Mpls cops, ask Nadine Damond...
“and officers can take possession of guns, for safety reasons, until the stop is completed.”
___________________________________________________
Screw that!
Maine is also a Constitutional Carry state. A guy I know who owns his own heating and plumbing business was pulled over by a cop on a busy road.
The first thing the cop said to him was, “Do you have a gun?” But the police officer did not take it from him.
Under Maine’s Constitutional Carry law, which took effect two years ago, a citizen, when they have an encounter with police, is supposed to inform the officer that he (or she), the citizen, is carrying a firearm.
So far, no problems that I’ve heard of at all.
For safety reasons, looks like it should be the other way around:
And officers motorists can take possession of guns, for safety reasons, until the stop is completed. The firearms would be returned if no crime has been committed.
I’m from a conservative area of CA and have a ccw permit, which is hard to get in much of CA. The permits are good state-wide but are usually issued by a sheriff or police comish.
About 20 years ago I was in the San Fran bay area and encountered 2 cops and as required in CA, I notified them I was armed and had a permit. Their response was to throw me on the ground, wrestle my gun from, handcuff me, put me in their cruiser.
This all lasted about an hour while they and their dispatch tried to find a reason to arrest me. They were real angry when they couldn’t.
So, I feel that cops need to be taught how to handle armed citizens, not the other way around.
It’s wrong for police to learn from license plate data that you have a pistol permit. After all you’ve already been vetted as a worthy citizen.
The scrubbed video or the original?
A few months ago I was pulled over by an Arizona DPS officer. He asked me, “Do you have any guns or weapons in the car?”
My reply: “I am lawfully armed.”
His response was laughter and “that’s the best answer I ever heard,” and he proceeded to let me off with a warning.
Maybe they should make cops watch reruns of Adam-12.
-PJ
It's wrong for police or anyone else to learn ANYTHING from license plate data. The time is here to end the public display of a unique license plate that can be scanned and photographed without consent of the lawful carrier.
What we should have instead of a license plate is a sticker or generic identifier on the vehicle indicating the vehicle is legally registered. ONLY upon probable cause should the vehicle driver/owner be compelled to show the unique vehicle registration information to a police officer.
My word that was part of my CCW training over 2 decades ago. Course Top Brass in Millington, TN is run by 2 retired LEO.
Being a resident of Az I can tell you that there is already a standing difference of “respect” for citizens when they are pulled over. For officers in Az the question of “if” a driver is armed or not isn’t there like in other states were carry is not legal.
In Az it is assumed EVERY driver is legally armed as a citizen and the courtesy and respect factor with most officers during approach and interaction is a hundred fold. You are automatically considered “Equal” and the high authoritarian complex is not as prevalent.
Love it...
“If you are legally allowed to possess a gun, you may carry it openly in your vehicle. In addition, you may carry a concealed weapon in your vehicle as long as you disclose its presence to any law enforcement officer who detains you based on reasonable suspicion of an offense and asks you whether you are carrying a concealed weapon. (Arizona Statutes § 13-3102(A).) You do not need to disclose the existence of the weapon if it is contained in a visible case, holster, scabbard, pack, or luggage; or if it is in a storage compartment, map pocket, trunk, or glove compartment. (Arizona Statutes § 13-3102(B).)
No property owner may prohibit you from legally carrying a firearm in your locked vehicle, or in a locked compartment on a motorcycle, as long as the firearm is not visible from outside. (Arizona Statutes § 12-781(A).) The laws pertaining to carrying a firearm in a vehicle on school grounds are similar, except that the firearm must also be unloaded. (Arizona Statutes § 12-3102(I).)”.
I always sit mine on the dash in open sight or inform them “out of courtesy” that it is in the glove box. Some may secure it, some do not... It is the Officer’s discretion with this.
I have a friend who is a Private Investigator who was staking out a person in Detroit last year.
He was in an old beater van in a typical run down neighborhood when 4 cops in a Charger pulled up alongside and asked what he was doing there and if he had a gun.
Although armed with his M&P, he told them “no”, not wanting a hassle.
All four, in unison screamed at him “WHY THE HELL NOT??? DON’T YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN DETROIT??”
“and officers can take possession of guns, for safety reasons, until the stop is completed.”
Proper safety requires unloading the firearm first. This simply invites accidents with multiple people in a somewhat tense situation, handling a loaded firearm.
I hope you sued those two jackboots in the SF Bay area.
The NRA or similar organization should have given you a free legal team.
If it’s in a holster they usually don’t unload it, They just pull it out and sit it on the top of the car until they are done. Most now approach on the passenger side so that it is easier for them to do this safely for both parties.
The same is true in NC. If you are carrying and confronted by a cop, you MUST advise that you have a CCW.
Beat it pal.
You want to play your flame war stalking games do it to someone else.
LOL! I can actually believe that!
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