goose poop
Member
Driving up I270 yesterday morning to do some dog training. I had a double gun case in the car, Benelli for shooting flyers, and an AR to let one of my buddies nephew pop off a few rounds. Cruising along and MSP lights me up, can't figure out why, not on cell, and doing 60. 2 Troopers in car, 1 I believe is a rookie, more latter. SOP they come up on both sides of car peering in the windows, case is in plain sight in the back seat. I am informed that I was pulled over for my cracked windshield. No prob I figure. They take my license and registration back to their car. Now it starts to get interesting, main trooper comes back and asks me if there are any guns in the car, I reply yes, in the case. He asks where I am going, I reply dog training and to the range. He goes back to his car and gets on his cell. A few minutes latter the rookie walks up and asks the same thing. He asks specifically where I am going and I reply Frederick County. He asks again and I reply Frederick County. THEN HE ASKS FOR MY GUN REGISTRATION LICENSE. I reply I have no idea what he is talking about. HE SAYS YOUR REGISTRATION PAPERS FOR THE GUNS. I reply I have no idea as there is no registration or license issued for firearms (except your annual MG registration). He gives me a quizzical/puzzled look and goes back to the car. A few minutes latter the rookie comes back and asks what type of firearms I have in the case. I reply a shotgun and a rifle. He asks what model, and I reply a shotgun and a a rifle. He was not pleased. All the while Trooper 1 is on his cell and multiple cops, mostly Montgomery County cops, have pulled up to see what is going on. At one point I had 3 cars and 5 cops behind me. Finally after 30 minutes Trooper one walks up and gives me an ERO for the windshield and explains with the guns in the car he just wanted to make sure they were REGISTERED to me. Funny as I never showed them to the Troopers as I had no reason to, nor did they ask, to which I would have refused since they had no PC. So how could he have run the Serial Numbers? I think he meant to say he ran my name just to make sure I was not a prohibited person. To which I do not have a problem and told him so. BUT it was bothersome to think MSP would ask for registration papers? Funny how often we see that the LAW knows NOTHING about the Law. Has anyone else encountered this? Been pulled over with firearms in the car? How do you protect your rights against illegal search and seizure? I know a cracked windshield is reason enough to be pulled over, but not enough to search my vehicle. I think they understood that and did not even ask if they could voluntarily search my vehicle. How would anyone else handle the situation, and hypothetically if they asked to see what you have in the case?
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