Is this standard opporating procedure?

[88GT]

I want to go home to my family at night, and I'm sure that officer does too.

Then every traffic stop should begin with a drawn weapon from LEO and end with a dead driver. Just to be sure.

 

[Destro]

I am not the only civilian who responds to an overt threat in kind.

You have your reaction, the people have theirs

 

[ModernGunner]

Well, I've been to two funerals of Officers KIA during 'routine' traffic stops. So,I I personally don't care if every Officer that stops, or potentially stops, me has their gun in their hand. The Officer doesn't know me, know my vehicle, etc. so they have no way of knowing who they may or may not be dealing with. I might be just another 'innocent citizen', I might be the scumbag that just robbed the local convenience store, murdered the clerk, and that crime has not yet been discovered.

IMO, there's apparently some folks that interpret due caution as 'insecurity'. That's on them, not the Officer. There was, obviously, no 'intimidation' on the part of the Officer, as the gun was out of sight, at least to the driver of the stopped vehicle.

On the other hand, when stopped by a uniformed Officer in a marked squad, you do know who you're dealing with, negative rhetoric aside. So references to 'doing the same' is, really, either simple argumentative rhetoric, or paranoia. If it's argumentative rhetoric, that's fine, that's what discussion forums are for. If it's paranoia, then a serious review and assessment needs to happen immediately to determine that person's mental state, and whether they have the sensibilities required for carrying a firearm in public.

The Officer appears to have acted entirely appropriately based on the situation as it existed at the time.

 

[Expat]

I have answered my front door like that before.

 

[milton]

Then every traffic stop should begin with a drawn weapon from LEO and end with a dead driver. Just to be sure.

I must have misread where it said the driver was shot.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Well, I've been to two funerals of Officers KIA during 'routine' traffic stops. So,I I personally don't care if every Officer that stops, or potentially stops, me has their gun in their hand. The Officer doesn't know me, know my vehicle, etc. so they have no way of knowing who they may or may not be dealing with. I might be just another 'innocent citizen', I might be the scumbag that just robbed the local convenience store, murdered the clerk, and that crime has not yet been discovered.

IMO, there's apparently some folks that interpret due caution as 'insecurity'. That's on them, not the Officer. There was, obviously, no 'intimidation' on the part of the Officer, as the gun was out of sight, at least to the driver of the stopped vehicle.

On the other hand, when stopped by a uniformed Officer in a marked squad, you do know who you're dealing with, negative rhetoric aside. So references to 'doing the same' is, really, either simple argumentative rhetoric, or paranoia. If it's argumentative rhetoric, that's fine, that's what discussion forums are for. If it's paranoia, then a serious review and assessment needs to happen immediately to determine that person's mental state, and whether they have the sensibilities required for carrying a firearm in public.

The Officer appears to have acted entirely appropriately based on the situation as it existed at the time.

Just because they are clearly an officer does not mean we know who we are dealing with

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Just because they are clearly an officer does not mean we know who we are dealing with

So how many instances in Indiana of a compliant motorist being shot by the police?

How many instances of an imposter with a marked car and full uniform shooting a motorist?

 

[churchmouse]

I have answered my front door like that before.

I always do.

 

[T755]

Amazing. For those that say that "i want to go home at night" is bs, see your buddy in a box lowered in the ground and see how it changes your world view. No one is Karnack and can guess whats in the drivers seat. Stop thinking the police are some grand new world order army hell bent on violating your rights. As screwed up as things can be here at times, its pretty good compaired to the left or Bloomberg Coast. There are people in the world that want to kill others at the drop of a hat because they flipped the lights on and walked up to their car.

 

[LANShark42]

I want to go home to my family at night, and I'm sure that officer does too.

^^This. And you're right. You have NO IDEA what that LEO was facing...

 

[cromus]

I don't see anything wrong with what the officer was doing. From your story, didn't sound like he was using the weapon to intimidate the driver. For all we know, the driver was never aware the weapon was drawn. Traffic stops can be more dangerous than most of us regular citizens assume.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I don't see anything wrong with what the officer was doing. From your story, didn't sound like he was using the weapon to intimidate the driver. For all we know, the driver was never aware the weapon was drawn. Traffic stops can be more dangerous than most of us regular citizens assume.

Stop using traffic stops as an investigative tool and for ticketing people for all of these silly infractions.

 

[Destro]

Stop using traffic stops as an investigative tool and for ticketing people for all of these silly infractions.

everybody knows bad guys don't drive cars

 

[88GT]

I must have misread where it said the driver was shot.

You also missed the sarcasm.

 

[88GT]

So how many instances in Indiana of a compliant motorist being shot by the police?

Surely you can do better than that. Compliant shouldn't be the standard.

 

[KG1]

You also missed the sarcasm.

Sarcasm on Ingo? Ya don't say.

 

[88GT]

Sarcasm on Ingo? Ya don't say.

From me no less. Some people just don't make the connections.

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

You have your reaction, the people have theirs

Um...... Destro, just so I understand You, Is this a death threat?

Of course you are going to say no, but look how fast a drawn weapon escalates matters right here on the web..... How toasty can it get on the street?

You are showing right here where your head is, and your attitude for the citizen on the street. This is a reaction of a man that I won't trust with a gun drawn behind my back.

There have been a couple of officers respond honestly with their rationalization for doing this thing, and that is what I was wanting to know when I started the thread. Now comes Destro, hopefully just being flippant,. to show us what the kind of officer I am worried about thinks of MY life and safety.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

From the IMPD General Order 1.30 - Use of Force:

1. Nothing in this directive precludes an officer from un-holstering a firearm in a dangerous or life-threatening situation, such as serving a high-risk warrant, building search, felony vehicle stop or other situations where the presentation of a firearm is a reasonable use of force.

So basically an IMPD officer can unholster their handgun any time they feel it is reasonable to do so.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Um...... Destro, just so I understand You, Is this a death threat?

Of course you are going to say no, but look how fast a drawn weapon escalates matters right here on the web..... How toasty can it get on the street?

It's pretty clearly a reference to the fact Indiana still has a death penalty, and murdering someone can get you in that strappy table. You say you wouldn't stop and say you'd respond to an overt threat and the implication sounds pretty close to saying you'd shoot a cop for having his gun out as he walked up to your car. What would you do on a felony stop? Where the guns were actually pointed at you?

I answered you honestly, but I will also say if a motorist fled and then escalated the situation by pulling a gun because of some paranoid fantasy of police randomly shooting compliant motorists, if I'm the cop I'll shoot you and if I'm the jury I'll vote to put a needle in your arm. That's not a threat, that's a fact.

So the simple lesson is, of course we both want to go home. So pull over when I'm behind you with lights and sirens and do what I tell you to do for the duration of the traffic stop. Stop pretending its reasonable to assume I'm pulling you over to murder you or that I'll negligently shoot you with a gun behind my leg, where if I negligently shoot anyone it'll be me. Then neither of us gets shot, arrested, or executed...and we both get to go home.