Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Police treat pro-gun bumper sticker as probable cause for pat down(GA)
Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 17 December, 2010 | David Codrea

Posted on 12/18/2010 7:08:11 AM PST by marktwain

A Second Amendment advocacy leader has released video of his encounter with Sandy Springs, GA police during a traffic stop. Daniel Almond, founder of Restore the Constitution (which includes what the Brady Campaign’s Paul Helmke described as a polite armed Second Amendment rally among its achievements) was pulled over for speeding and a broken light over his rear license plate. That’s when he was ordered out of his car to submit to being frisked.

In Almond’s words:

This is me getting stopped by Sandy Springs PD for speeding. The second thing the officer asked me, after asking for my license, was if I had any firearms. I responded that I was choosing to exercise my right to remain silent on that question. That answer prompted the officer to have me get out of the car for a pat down. The officer told me that the reason for his question (about firearms) was because I had a “right to carry” sticker on my car. Yes, he actually said that. It’s a sticker for Georgia Carry.org (GCO) Although the audio isn’t 100% clear for that part, you can clearly hear him reference the sticker when talking to me and to another officer. Additionally, it appeared as if “back up” had been called, because there were 3 police right cars behind me and two more across the street. In the end, I got a ticket for speeding and for not having a working light bulb over my license plate.

The video is embedded in the sidebar to this column. Aside from the officer referencing the sticker as a cause for his notice and concern, you can hear background conversation among police monitoring the situation, beginning at around 5:50:

(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: banglist; car; codrea; constitution; examiner; gun
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 next last
To: Cap'n Crunch

Oh, and I just saw the “no lighted plate” citation thrown in for good measure. Now I know it’s a humbug.

100% fishin’ expedition.


21 posted on 12/18/2010 7:43:04 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch (Rush Limbaugh, the Winston Churchill of our time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

Frickin losers with a badge.


22 posted on 12/18/2010 7:43:38 AM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously..... You won't live through it anyway.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged
Bullsh*t. How many armed criminals are going to run around with pro-RKBA stickers on their vehicles?
23 posted on 12/18/2010 7:44:01 AM PST by Dead Corpse (III%. The last line in the sand)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged

The cop was acting unreasonably.


24 posted on 12/18/2010 7:44:14 AM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously..... You won't live through it anyway.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom; marktwain

I’ve been pulled over by almost every police in the metro Atlanta area. I always volunteer that I’m carrying. I never got hassled. Not once.


25 posted on 12/18/2010 7:44:32 AM PST by Vigilantcitizen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: susannah59

I highly recommend the website handgunlaw.us as a starting point for researching the laws in the various states.


26 posted on 12/18/2010 7:45:14 AM PST by susannah59
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Bryanw92

You are right. Those 95% of piss poor cops really give the other 5% a bad name.


27 posted on 12/18/2010 7:45:36 AM PST by Illuminatas (Obama - Dumber Than Bush!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: The Comedian

Paul Blart....wannabe


28 posted on 12/18/2010 7:46:48 AM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously..... You won't live through it anyway.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: old curmudgeon

Ditto. That’s what I learned in my cc class.


29 posted on 12/18/2010 7:56:16 AM PST by pepperdog (Why are Democrats Afraid of a Voter ID Law?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Cap'n Crunch

You must work for a small muni in St Louis County


30 posted on 12/18/2010 7:57:51 AM PST by coprtim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged
“The cop was acting within reasonable limits”
Please tell me this is a “/sarc”
I can't imagine the tickets covered the costs of having backup.
They were probably hoping to get a chance at paid administrative leave.
31 posted on 12/18/2010 7:58:44 AM PST by Colvin (Proud Owner '66 Binder PU, '66 Binder Travelall,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

NEVER TRUST COPS - COP MENTALITY IS GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE. A few years ago, I had to drop off my car at my mechanic’s garage late at night and then walk home about a half mile away. After stopping me at gun point and having me on the very muddy and cold ground with my hands behind my head, they said that they were checking that I wasn’t abandoning a stolen vehicle. After 15 minutes and when they were satisfied that I was OK, I had to walk the rest of the way home in thoroughly soaked and muddy clothing.


32 posted on 12/18/2010 8:11:10 AM PST by BuffaloJack (The Recession is officially over. We are now into Obama's Depression.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged
The cop was acting within reasonable limits.

No, he wasn't. Advocating for concealed carry is not against the law. Refusing to answer a question is also not against the law. Searching without a warrant is against the law and don't give me that BS about probable cause. The constitution says you can get a warrant to search with probable cause and says nothing about being able to search without a warrant with probable cause.

The judge, whoever he was, who made the original probable cause ruling needed to have his a**ed jailed, for the ruling is entirely unconstitutional.

33 posted on 12/18/2010 8:14:42 AM PST by calex59
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom

Well its not too bad here but I wouldn’t say one of the most pro 2nd ammendment states. In GA you cannot open carry unless you have a CCL. Half the cops don’t even know the rules. My fiancee’ had a Gwinnett County cop tell him a few months ago that he could open carry but later he found out that is not true. I used to live and work in Sandy Springs. Its a real Yuppie area so the cops there are probably not into the pro gun stuff. Overall I think the cops would be happy if none of us had a gun.

Hopefully with the GA legislature having almost a GOP supermajority we will see some additional improvements in the gun laws here.


34 posted on 12/18/2010 8:17:16 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Vigilantcitizen
I’ve been pulled over by almost every police in the metro Atlanta area.

Jeez VC, maybe ya outta slow done a little bit?

:)

35 posted on 12/18/2010 8:25:07 AM PST by 2111USMC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Bryanw92

I think your estimate is unreasonably high. 10%? Much too high, IMHO.


36 posted on 12/18/2010 8:31:53 AM PST by magslinger (Samuel Colt, feminist. Making women equal to men for over 150 years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: School of Rational Thought
School of Rational Thought said: "It he was stopped for other reasons, but was asked about firearms because of the sticker, there is no problem with that."

There is no justification whatever to ask ANYTHING about guns. There is no answer that a person can supply that would justify lack of a search if the officer is justified in searching.

37 posted on 12/18/2010 8:37:44 AM PST by William Tell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: 2111USMC; Vigilantcitizen
Have you ever driven in the metro Atlanta area? If you drive the limit you'll get run over.

As for the other, volunteering is one thing, being grilled on the subject is quite another. I have met police officers that I would be quite comfortable letting know that I am armed. They are a rapidly declining minority.

38 posted on 12/18/2010 8:46:27 AM PST by magslinger (Samuel Colt, feminist. Making women equal to men for over 150 years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: old curmudgeon

It is in Michigan but not in Indiana.


39 posted on 12/18/2010 8:52:51 AM PST by Rappini ("Pro deo et Patria.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged
The cop was acting within reasonable limits.

That depends on which jurisdiction you are talking about. Nazi Germany, USSR, Obama's New World Order, oh, yeah! The USA? Not on my watch.

40 posted on 12/18/2010 8:52:54 AM PST by magslinger (Samuel Colt, feminist. Making women equal to men for over 150 years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson