At one point, Platt said, the driver of the Ford Expedition pulled up, pointed a handgun and said: "I am going to kill you."
...The driver, Stephen M. Gaskin, was an off-duty Manatee County sheriff's deputy who has worked for the department since 1999. His gun was seized as evidence. But Gaskin was not jailed.
No, of course not.
But we all know what would have happened had Mr. Platt been the "only one" doing the waving...
Speaking of cops and guns and their attitudes towards civilians carrying, check this out - http://forums.officer.com/showthread.php?t=87148
ReplyDeletesome quotes from the Only Ones:
'With all due respect....
The constitution was written when slavery was popular, kicking indians off there land was cool and when women didnt have the vote. Times change buddy. The 2nd amendment is somewhat outdated. When it was written firearm ownership was a nescessary part of life. Today it is far less so. Forgive me if I show very little, if any sympathy, for the guy who is seperated from his firearm for all of 15 minutes.
I may only be a student, but that does not make me stupid. I know I have alot to learn, but it doesnt take 20+ years on the force to know that disarming a citizen on a traffic stop is a reasonable and safe thing for an officer to do.'
'If you get disarmed, deal with it. You will get your gun back when the stop is done and over with. No harm, no fowl. You can be away from your gun for the 15 minutes you are issued a citation. So sorry if you feel that infringes on your holy second amendment right.
Its for officer safety and for yours. Deal'
'Why because officers are concerned about there safety? You are just as much a threat to a LEO with a CCW as the guy who doesnt have a CCW and is carrying....Arrogance? Again about there own safety? I had no idea officers wanting to insure that there own firearm is the only firearm at a stop is somehow bad....Again why? You are away from your firearm for all of 15 minutes. Does this hurt you on some deep personal level? You seriously need to seek help if you cannot stand to have your gun taken away from you for all of 15 mins while an officer conducts his or her duty...Speak for yourself. It is a privilage to carry a concealed firearm. You are the one abusing the privilage by getting all bent out of shape about something that is not an unreasonable action in the slightest.'
'Having a CCW, to me, doesn't make you any different than anyone that's being stopped on a traffic stop. Regardless of the situation, YOU HAVE A GUN, AND GUNS ARE USED TO KILL PEOPLE. Its as simple as that.
What if you decide that you've had a bad day and that you don't want a ticket from the LEO that's giving you one, It only takes a split second to snap and make a bad decision that will cost u the rest of your life, and possibly the LEO that you or anyone else decides to fire at.
Asking why you need a gun in the first place is a good question, but i see know reason to ask if I disarm you and hav in in my possession. As long as you comply with their demands, I doubt an LEO would "throw you over the car" for fun.
Just the fact that you say that as soon as its not against the law not to tell an LEO that your armed, that you wouldnt tell him/her, makes me want to disarm you anywyz because regardless of how you feel, they don't know what their walking up to when they approach your car, its a rolling JackNTheBox analogy.
All in all, I'd say get over it, they're not violating your rights, just doing their job within their departments policy, and making sure they go home to their families when they get off of work, regardless of how "embarrassed" they feel in front of them when they get there. Its 15 minutes without your gun. Deal with it man, sorry.'
'Sorry you were mortified....
Yes I would disarm your wife, grandmother, uncle or aunt.
If you do as I say you wont be "thrown on the hood".
How you "feel" does not concern me..'
(end of quotes from page 1)
I feel safer already just knowing that our tax dollars pay for such protectors alla cross this land of the fee and home of the slave... er... uh...