Out of State Gun-owner Profiled for Traffic Stop

State police in Maryland have launched an internal investigation into an incident where a man reported being stopped by an officer and asked, “Where is your gun?”

Not 'your were speeding' or any other traffic violation explanation....but where is your gun?

Yes, the Florida man owns a gun for protection but DID NOT bring it with them when they went on vacation in Maryland over the Christmas holidays
He left it in the safe at home while the family was gone


After being followed for about 10 minutes by MD police on New years Eve, going southbound on Interstate 95, they finally were pulled over and questioned about the gun
A couple with their 3 kids, one 13 and 2 twins aged 17

Finally the patrol car’s emergency lights come on, and it’s almost a relief. Whatever was going on, they’d be able to get it over with now. The officer — from the Transportation Authority Police, as it turns out, Maryland’s version of the New York-New Jersey Port Authority — strolls up, does the license and registration bit, and returns to his car.

According to Kally and John (but not MTAP, which, pending investigation, could not comment), what happened next went like this:

Ten minutes later he’s back, and he wants John out of the Expedition. Retreating to the space between the SUV and the unmarked car, the officer orders John to hook his thumbs behind his back and spread his feet. “You own a gun,” the officer says. “Where is it?”

“At home in my safe,” John answers.

“Don’t move,” says the officer.

Now he’s at the passenger’s window. “Your husband owns a gun,” he says. “Where is it?”

First Kally says, “I don’t know.” Retelling it later she says, “And that’s all I should have said.” Instead, attempting to be helpful, she added, “Maybe in the glove [box]. Maybe in the console. I’m scared of it. I don’t want to have anything to do with it. I might shoot right through my foot.”

The officer came back to John. “You’re a liar. You’re lying to me. Your family says you have it. Where is the gun? Tell me where it is and we can resolve this right now.”

Gun owner unarmed, unwelcome in Maryland

Of course, Mr. John Filippidis couldn't show him what didn’t exist, but his wife's failure to corroborate John’s account, the officer would tell them later, was the probable cause that allowed him to summon backup — three marked cars joined the lineup along the I-95 shoulder — and empty the Expedition of riders, luggage, Christmas gifts, laundry bags; to pat down Kally and Yianni; to explore the engine compartment and probe inside door panels; and to separate and isolate the Filippidises in the back seats of the patrol cars.

About an hour and a half later and a warning ticket, they get their possessions back in their car

“All that time, he’s humiliating me in front of my family, making me feel like a criminal,” John says.
I’ve never been to prison, never declared bankruptcy, I pay my taxes, support my 20 employees’ families; I’ve never been in any kind of trouble.
And he wants to put me in jail. He wants to put me in jail. For no reason. He wants to take my wife and children away and put me in jail. In America, how does such a thing happen? ... And after all that, he didn’t even write me a ticket.”


Hmm, no evident reason for pulling them over that's been stated other than when they ran their plates -- a Florida tag spotted in Maryland-- not legit but possible reason
Possible North vs. South kind of mentality as well ???
And if it shows on his record about C&C well, that might have just given the cops their nudge they wanted to get them

Not all cops are bad but there are those that get off on the 'power of the badge'

well some might call that story a version of a police state.....i think police stupidity is a better description....just goes to show why there are so many criminals out on the street the stupid cops are confused as to who is who

This is why the fire arm registry is a bad idea. A cert that one carries with them at all times should be enough.

America is truly going into a police state.

Outrageous.

Wow... They have extreme paranoia issues about guns there, huh?

I'm awfully happy to be in Missouri where there is no registry of ownership, local or state. We don't even have our CCW tied into license bureau records anymore so that wouldn't indicate either. I guess that might prove to be a good thing at some point....

Sad that it's come to worrying like that in some states. Really sad....

Hmm, no evident reason for pulling them over that's been stated other than when they ran their plates -- a Florida tag spotted in Maryland-- not legit but possible reason
Possible North vs. South kind of mentality as well ???
And if it shows on his record about C&C well, that might have just given the cops their nudge they wanted to get them

Not all cops are bad but there are those that get off on the 'power of the badge'

This is not so much about the power of the badge as it is the power of fear being spread by the media and our elected officials. This is what happens when the fear-mongering gets out of hand. It ought to get funny when this gets to court. Somebody may lose their badge.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Wow... They have extreme paranoia issues about guns there, huh?

I'm awfully happy to be in Missouri where there is no registry of ownership, local or state. We don't even have our CCW tied into license bureau records anymore so that wouldn't indicate either. I guess that might prove to be a good thing at some point....

Sad that it's come to worrying like that in some states. Really sad....

Yeah, I was doing some research and that is definitely NOT a pro-gun state
Anti-gun all the way

There was no excuse to traumatize a family like this due to their differences in gun control
And it sure as hell is not their job either as cops to 'profile' people who are registered gun owners, especially attacking people from the South

They probably laughed about it when they got done, thinking how fun it was to scare them and delay them from their trip

And their poor kids, God I feel sorry for what they had to endure

reply to post by snarky412


This isn't cool at all... I just looked up reciprocity status on CCW permits and Maryland is just a crappy little state. There is no other way to put it on this topic.

Maryland Concealed Carry Laws

Scroll down to the bottom and you can see which states honor a Maryland permit and which states Maryland itself honors.

Kinda one sided, huh? I say other states...like all of them...return the favor to Maryland permit holders and see how their state enjoys the backlash from it's citizens when they're made aware of why they suddenly can't carry anywhere outside their state ...as their state honors NO one else's, it appears.

So what was the guy pulled over for? Doesnt state in the article.

reply to post by snarky412


If he had a gun and it was stored properly, what would have happened to him? Arrested for transporting a gun across state lines, a federal crime? The police are the first line of offense and the mightiest force in keeping people divided and at odds with the leaders and 'take it any way you want it' rules they decide to enforce.

reply to post by snarky412


This man has clearly had his Constitutional rights violated. He needs to file a lawsuit to level the PD associated with this. The officer needs to be terminated and charges brought against him.

This crap is getting out of hand.

macman
reply to post by snarky412

 

This man has clearly had his Constitutional rights violated. He needs to file a lawsuit to level the PD associated with this. The officer needs to be terminated and charges brought against him.

This crap is getting out of hand.

Star. My thought exactly. This has to be enough for a mental anguish ticket. Sounds like they wanted a new gun, and decided that this fella's was as good as any. Cops are some of the biggest thieves in the world. I often wonder how much blood money has 'disappeared' from police custody, how much confiscated 'evidence' gets 'lost?' You hear a lot that never gets reported. You have to wonder how much you don't hear...

HomerinNC
So what was the guy pulled over for? Doesnt state in the article.

Maryland troopers do this all of the time. They look for an out of state tag and run it to see if they can find anything. Many states tie their CCW permits to driver's licenses so the gun ownership probably popped up when they ran the tag. Then they assumed he might have his gun in the car so they pulled him over in hopes they could find it and make an arrest.

Reminds me of the Stasi.

States that surround MD, like Pennsylvania and Virginia are very pro-gun and 95 goes right through MD so the police look for out of state tags in hopes of making an arrest over the gun.

This guy was stopped without cause. Isn't that a violation of his Constitutional Rights? Ought to be a simple matter of filing a lawsuit. Sorry John Q. Law. Maybe look for a job in the Custodial Arts. Then you can stop whoever you want by rolling your mop bucket out in front of them as they walk to the restroom at Wendys.

reply to post by snarky412

A check of his license plate would show up him being a gun owner, or as licensed to carry.
Its happened to me before I even could hand my license and permit simultaneously to the officer.

For safety sake and the officer's discretion, its not all that unusual as in which way to ask about it, as they both show up in records at the same time/request.

Urantia1111
This guy was stopped without cause. Isn't that a violation of his Constitutional Rights? Ought to be a simple matter of filing a lawsuit. Sorry John Q. Law. Maybe look for a job in the Custodial Arts. Then you can stop whoever you want by rolling your mop bucket out in front of them as they walk to the restroom at Wendys.

When a vehicle is involved there is no such thing as stopped without cause. "Driving suspiciously" is a court approved reason to pull someone over, and "smelling something" is a reason to search the car.

Completely vague, and totally allowed.

Wrabbit2000
reply to post by snarky412

 

This isn't cool at all... I just looked up reciprocity status on CCW permits and Maryland is just a crappy little state. There is no other way to put it on this topic.

Maryland Concealed Carry Laws

Scroll down to the bottom and you can see which states honor a Maryland permit and which states Maryland itself honors.

www.gunlawsbystate.com...

Neat little map, check out Vermont.

reply to post by Aazadan


Yeah, Vermont is something of an interesting case and exception to the rule. You'd think the left would go absolutely bonkers over such a gun powder society existing in the midst of the Northeast communities...but somehow, it never seems to get mentioned?

Vermont does not issue Permit/Licenses to Carry a Concealed firearm. Vermont does allow anyone who can legally own a firearm to carry it concealed without a permit of any kind.

Vermont Residents can carry in the states of Arizona, Alaska and Oklahomawith just their state Issued Drivers License or State issued ID if they are 21 Years of age and can legally own a firearm.

Source: Handgun Laws - Vermont (PDF File)