Gun search question at traffic stop based on NRA sticker

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  • Darkseed

    Member
    Sep 23, 2011
    18
    Columbia, MD
    I was pulled over this evening as my drivers tail light was out (which is ok - had no idea). BUT after asking for license and registration i was asked how many guns were in my vehicle. I replied none. By this point there were 4 patrol cars behind my vehicle. I was asked if i would consent to a search, which i did not consent to. Cop went and ran my details, issued a repair order, and sent me on my way. My question is - is this 'fishing' legal - i got the sense my reply to the question could have turned this into a full blown search, detainment etc. I was merely driving home from work with a tail light out and an nra sticker on my car, dressed in business attire...
     

    Armadillofz1

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 25, 2012
    4,874
    DM-42
    you gave them permission to search. I always say no. If you are clean, let them waste their time on it. Your right is your right

    *edit* i mis-read. you did NOT give permission. thats a different matter
     

    Darkseed

    Member
    Sep 23, 2011
    18
    Columbia, MD
    They didn't search, but given it went from 'routine traffic stop' to '4 cars requesting vehicle search for weapons' in lesz than 2 minutes, it felt very escalatory. In future i will have my phone recording somewhere, as the experience was very educating as to the stance MSP took toward a law abiding citizen...
     

    Armadillofz1

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 25, 2012
    4,874
    DM-42
    I had a similar event happen when i was delivering papers a few years back. I was pulled over, and asked if i would consent. i told them no. After calling in a K-9, they claimed he alerted (amusing because I'm strictly straight edge, no booze, nothing), and they pealed my truck open like a 3 month old rotten onion (small grateful dead sticker on the back window). Every possible item IN my car was dumped on the ground (which was great because they found my old deck of nudy cards i thought I'd lost). funny how they didn't search me. Judge was visibly annoyed and threw out all the BS paper they hung on me.
     

    Armadillofz1

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 25, 2012
    4,874
    DM-42
    Oh, and scotland yard didn't believe me that i was delivering newspapers. Covered in ink from bagging them, 2500 pounds of bundles papers in the back, and 2000 empty plastic bags hanging from my rear view mirror. Yes Hoco.
     

    Kagetsu

    Active Member
    Feb 4, 2009
    448
    I always wanted to have stickers on my car. But after hearing that yes, a "This vehicle protected by Smith and Wesson" was probable cause for a search. I won't display pro-gun of political stickers. A lot depends on the cop and the judge but I don't need the prejudice. :sad20:
     

    OrbitalEllipses

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 18, 2013
    4,139
    DPR of MoCo
    I always wanted to have stickers on my car. But after hearing that yes, a "This vehicle protected by Smith and Wesson" was probable cause for a search. I won't display pro-gun of political stickers. A lot depends on the cop and the judge but I don't need the prejudice. :sad20:

    Precisely why I don't have stickers. It's a sad day when you feel stickers could make you the target of profiling etc. because we all know hardened criminals and drug dealers run around with Gadsden stickers. :sad20:
     

    Blackstar65

    Active Member
    Jun 27, 2010
    994
    Yes it's legal we can ask you anything we want. You gave the officer a reason to stop you. Yes your sticker may have led to the police response. Is it right. I can't answer that not enough details.
     

    DC-W

    Ultimate Member
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 23, 2013
    25,290
    ️‍
    Got stickers all over my new car which had an out of state temp tag (piece of paper in back window) for 3 weeks and had lady liberty with an AR on my old integra plus a host of other stickers and a loud exhaust... No stops in Baltimore county or anywheres else. I mean not to dismiss your account, OP, but stickers alone don't bring along 4 squad cars.

    Having said that, I've seen plenty of normal and 'clean' cars with plenty of squad cars behind...
     

    jkeiler

    Active Member
    Mar 25, 2013
    536
    Bowie
    Yes it's legal we can ask you anything we want. You gave the officer a reason to stop you. Yes your sticker may have led to the police response. Is it right. I can't answer that not enough details.

    Um no you can 't and or at least shouldn't unless there is reasonable suspicion of an offense or you need to for safety reasons. Busted tail light alone does not do that. Nor does NRA sticker which also raises 1st Am issue. If officer saw something in the car suspicious or that suggested driver might be armed that is different.
     
    Almost every time I've been pulled over I get the standard "any thing in the vehicle I should know about?" or "any drugs or weapons in the vehicle?".All of my vehicles have stickers and there have been times they triggered conversation after/during the stop but that's it.Sounds like he was just some gung ho rookie or someone who keeps failing the sargeant test.
     

    Mr H

    Banana'd
    My cars are slathered in stickers, and even though my wife (works in lower PeeGee) says she gets tailed from time to time, there has only been one 'issue' in these years.

    She was pulled over several weeks ago for "driving on the shoulder" where the lines were recently redone to reduce an access lane that had been there for years.

    Long story short, the MSP who pulled her over gave her the 3d degree, called her a liar, and was generally pissy over it. Ended up just giving her a warning, but she was madder'n a wet hen when she got home.

    Point being, even a white-haired teacher lady with a perfect driving record is convinced her treatment was due to being Pro-2A
     

    ironpony

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2013
    7,191
    Davidsonville
    Curious, if one is on the way to the range with a pistol and broken tail light and tells the Leo this is that grounds for reasonable suspicion search? And what about answering the firearm question yes equals search no equals ?
    Seems as though if you legally have a firearm than that means you will be detained and searched.
    Nothing against LEOs and nothing to hide. I was approached while shooting on my atv and the only question was what caliber I was shooting and Have a nice day.
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,158
    It seems weird to me that MSP would pull you over since the ICC has its own little police force of maryland transportation authority police. I could see them ganging up because they have to be bored out of their minds policing that little road. I wonder if a group of MSP troopers were headed back together for shift change or something?

    No stickers for me of any kind. Too many haters out there.

    Did your NRA sticker say, "Stand and Fight"?
     

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