Pulled Over by MSP/Guns in Car

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?

Poop

Sorry you had a shitty day Mr Poop.

That shit is not funny

I think you handled it well and a phonecall to their boss at the local barracks is in order

Well, I personally know a policeman. He read a list of my registered firearms to me off of his cell phone.

I'd also have letters out to my Delegate and State Senator. This indicates very poor training on the part of the MSP. Totally unsatisfactory considering that these people are armed and have considerably more leeway in the use of deadly force than any ordinary citizen.

Where they asking if you had guns in the car because they saw the case or because they ran your name and WE are flagged as gun owners?

He could have been from somewhere where a FOID card is necessary and thats the norm.....who know's. You didn't get a ticket and there was no search.

This happened yesterday, in Maryland? Are you sure this is not a story from pre war Germany? It is sad what we are becoming.

Nothing to see here,.......move along......

Sorry to hear about this. We should expect better from MSP. Probably just some inexperienced troopers trying to cover their behinds, but still unacceptable behavior on their part. You handled it well.

You should have asked him for his nazi party ID card.

Nah, on second thought that may not have ended well.

It did happen yesterday, approximately 1030am. They asked because the case is large and was in plain sight. I definitely do not have a problem with them asking as I have nothing to hide. But damn if I was going to give them any more info than that. It would not be the 1st time I called the barracks. I actually initiated an investigation into a trooper who gave me lip after blowing my doors off doing 100 plus with no lights and sirens and didn't like me flashing him. Investigation started with an email to MSP head of OIA and ended with the Barrack LT at my house getting my side of the story. I think I will contact them and discuss. Their lack of training will get someone hurt legally, financially, and or physically at some point in time.

They asked questions and you answered wisely. Nothing the LEOs did broke the law.

Just because they ask question you think are dumb and uneducated does not mean they don't know what they are asking. If you assume they are stupid you might say something in anger or informative to lead to PC for a search.

They have been instructed to confiscate as many firearms as possible.. this was long anticipated. No point in calling they will get a gold star for the effort.

mpdc4511 said:

He could have been from somewhere where a FOID card is necessary and thats the norm.....who know's. You didn't get a ticket and there was no search.

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What kind of training do you guys get with regards to what the laws are? It would seem to me if you are going to enforce the law, you need to know it. If you pull someone over who is from another State and he has a loaded handgun in the glove compartment, will you let him go because "that's the norm" where he's from? If I can't plead ignorance, I don't expect the police to be able to do so. Just my POV.

clandestine said:

They asked questions and you answered wisely. Nothing the LEOs did broke the law.

Just because they ask question you think are dumb and uneducated does not mean they don't know what they are asking. If you assume they are stupid you might say something in anger or informative to lead to PC for a search.

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What they asked didn't make sense. So you are saying that they are just breaking his balls then? I would give them the benefit of the doubt and say they don't know the laws the way they should. Giving someone a hard time for the sake of doing so is ridiculous.

Regardless of how you look at it, based on the story, the cops were wrong.

Every officer I have spoken to regarding firearms and transporting them seem to know the laws...and they are for arming citizens. Then again, I live in Frederick and we are country folk.

teratos said:

What kind of training do you guys get with regards to what the laws are? It would seem to me if you are going to enforce the law, you need to know it. If you pull someone over who is from another State and he has a loaded handgun in the glove compartment, will you let him go because "that's the norm" where he's from? If I can't plead ignorance, I don't expect the police to be able to do so. Just my POV.

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Well i am 100% different being in D.C. but I will tell you 99% of cops and citizens in D.C. think the tint law is the same in DC as it is in MD but in actuality the tint % in DC on the front is 70% (basically no tint) not the 35% that everyone thinks.

Plus boss the academt is only 6 months......you think we can learn all the laws in 6 months. Were human too and prone to mistakes. I've pulled people over for expired registrations and then when approaching the car realized that they have the correct MD sticker on the back it's just not in the upper right hand corner where it usually is. They have kept all their stickers and put them around the plate and I didn't see it.

mpdc4511 said:

He could have been from somewhere where a FOID card is necessary and thats the norm.....who know's. You didn't get a ticket and there was no search.

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In nyc cops ask all kinds if questions that have no basis in law.. they do it to gage the reaction... if you are hinding something you are likey to say something like " its at home when in fact " it does not exist. An honest person is more likely to say " I don't have one ". They may then extend the bluff to see " if we can clear this up without a formal report ". .

It pays to know the law. But it does not pay to opine on what the law is... again honest persons are less likely to fall for it.

Its a lie detector of sorts. By now we should all have at least one lawyer we can call.

Sorry it has come to this but it has. .

omegared24 said:

What they asked didn't make sense. So you are saying that they are just breaking his balls then? I would give them the benefit of the doubt and say they don't know the laws the way they should. Giving someone a hard time for the sake of doing so is ridiculous.

Regardless of how you look at it, based on the story, the cops were wrong.

Every officer I have spoken to regarding firearms and transporting them seem to know the laws...and they are for arming citizens. Then again, I live in Frederick and we are country folk.

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Made sense if they were fishing. Just because you don't like the question or think its ignorant does not mean they don't know what they are doing.