(WCBD) – There were two deadly officer involved shootings this week. One happened in Falcon Heights, Minnesota which is near Minneapolis and the other in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. These two events drove us to ask the question – How should you interact with officers if you are pulled over while legally carrying a gun?
We went to ATP Gun shop & Range and talked to the guys who teach the class you need to take in order to get a concealed carry permit (CWP). We asked them what they teach people to do in the event they are stopped with a gun in the car.
In South Carolina, the law requires you to show the officer your permit with your driver’s license if the gun is on you when you are stopped. However, the law does not lay out any specific steps you should follow before or after handing over your information.
Bill Hayes teaches the class you need to take to get your permit allowing you to carry a gun on your person. Here is what he teaches the people in his class.DO:
- Keep your hands on the steering wheel
- When the officer comes to the window tell him that you are a CWP holder and that you are armed
- Ask the officer what he/she would you like for you to do?
- The officer may ask you to hand over your weapon until he/she is finished. If so, grip your weapon in a non-traditional and non-threatening way
DON’T:
- Rummage around your car
- Reach for your driver’s license allowing the officer to see your weapon before you tell him/her about it
- Do not put your license and registration in the same place as your weapon because you will have to get into that
- Move quickly-When you move do it in slow deliberate motions.
