How to respond when pulled over with a concealed weapon in Utah

As of late, there have been a lot of animosity toward police officers in the recent events of what has occurred in the Baton Rogue and Minnesota which has led to the tragic event in Dallas. Although individuals are allowed to carry concealed weapons with a permit in the state of Utah and other states, it is important to know how to properly respond when an officer pulls you over when you have a concealed weapon on you.

The first thing to know is that there a lot of police officers that are police officers because they like having that power and authority over other people. It is definitely a power job, a police officer has the power to take away someone’s liberty, which is in my opinion the most precious gift that mankind has.

A police officer also has the power to carry openly a firearm in public. A firearm is a powerful tool. It is a tool that has the power to take someone’s life in seconds. Life is at the pinnacle of liberty. Taking away someone’s life is the highest form of a power struggle. That is also a reason why many individuals carry a concealed weapon.

Instead of just thinking that is for self-defense, there are many people that have the “power mind set” and satisfaction that they have the ability to take someone’s life away in seconds.

Police Officers are trained to protect themselves and others around them. They are trained on what to do in a hostile situation. They go over scenarios on what to do over and over again. Officers also practice shooting very frequently. In fact, officers have to pass certain courses in order to renew their firearms. The problem with this is that now the officer although not intentionally, but subconsciously, is trained to shoot.

It is now muscle memory for that officer whether he likes it or not and whether he has actually shot a human being or not. If an officer points his gun at a person, subconsciously, he is much more likely to pull the trigger.

Also, given the fact of the recent events and past events, many police officers feel and think that the public as a whole have a bad image on them, even though they may have not done anything personally to them.

Finally, officers, always are called to crime scenes where there are hostile situations and where their lives could potentially in danger on a regular basis. What police officers go through every week or even at one scene is something that a normal citizen may have to experience once in a lifetime.

So now we have a situation where an police officer pulls over an individual who has a concealed weapon. Not all officers or individuals have that power play in their minds when they carry but let’s say that these to guys do.

Say the citizen is an average law-abiding citizen with no serious crimes but does problems with authority. Say the officer is your average officer and has problems with people being rude. In this kind of situation, any kind of slight of hand could get ballistic.

An officer could ask for the citizen’s license and registration and see the firearm on their person. In that some motion, the individual could try and grab his wallet and get his license which could be toward the firearm.

An officer could reasonably say that he saw the firearm, saw the person reach for it and pull the trigger. This is a tricky situation and needs to be handled with care. If this citizen gives any kind of negative communication, whether it be verbal or non-verbal an officer could react.

As such, the best way to approach this situation is recognize the innate behaviors of an officer and react accordingly.

No matter how the officer treats you, don’t talk back or reciprocate. If things do get ugly, the police officer will always get the benefit of the doubt over a citizen.

It is important to let the officer know right off the bat that you are carrying a concealed weapon so the officer is aware and will most likely treat you with less hostility knowing that you were upfront and honest with him.

Also, if you are pulled over by a police officer, I would recommend getting out your license and registration as well as your concealed weapon permit before the officer comes to your vehicle and leave them on top of the dashboard in front of you.

If you don’t get them before the officer comes, make sure that your hands are on the wheel of the car towards the top at all times. If the officer asks for your gun after you have showed him your concealed weapon’s permit, you don’t have to give him the gun. There is no reason that the officer should have to seize the gun if it isn’t related to any crime.

This is a tricky situation because you do have your rights, but at times it is hard to explain them to an officer at that time and then we will take it as you being abrasive. Sometimes your life is more important than being right, even if you are on the right side of the law. In that situation, make sure you are wise and not a wise guy.

Reach out to our skilled Utah Criminal Defense attorney for further information on your situation.