WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS — A concealed carrier was pulled over by a deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. After he told the officer he was carrying, the officer asked to see the gun. Once he saw it, he thanked the driver for telling him. The law enforcement interaction proceeded without incident. No one was hurt or worried. Everyone went about their day.
via the Austin Statesman
“I was a CHL holder, showed him that,” said the concealed carrier. “He asked me if I was carrying, and I had it in the center console. I showed it to him and he said thank you for telling me.”
The concealed carrier is an Army veteran and took to social media to kindly thank the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office for the professionalism of one of their deputies. The deputy insists he was just following protocol.
“I encourage people to carry lawfully, and to do it the legal way,” Bell said. “Because in an end result, they could help us out.”
I know a lot of concealed carriers have wrote in voicing their discomfort with the idea of getting pulled over. When police pull over a concealed carrier, ultimately, they just want a safe interaction. In discussions with current and former law enforcement, while their opinions on gun ownership and concealed carry may differ from their own personal experience, ultimately they all appreciated knowing the situation.
Now, depending upon where you’re pulled over, you may or may not be obliged to tell the officer. Some officers may prefer to not know. However, a common underlying theme is this: respect.
When you treat someone else with respect and have a regard for his or her own safety as well as your own, you are immediately inviting a positive interaction. It’s a net benefit.
Now every person — including some law enforcement — may not be receptive to that sort of interaction. That is on that person. You control you. It’s a win-win for all parties.
I’m happy to report when something in the concealed carry community goes right. While we love discussing how some concealed carrier saved someone else or himself, the reality for the vast majority of us is that we just simply need to get through the day. Most law enforcement officers I’ve interacted with have never given me a hard time so long as I abided by the law.
Do that and treat others with courtesy and don’t be surprised when the same is given to you. Good deal. Carry concealed every single day, everywhere you can. Know your state laws well enough to know how you’re supposed to govern yourself when interacting with law enforcement.