Daughter's Encounter With Two LE Agencies

[redlevel]

My daughter was involved in a minor, but potentially serious accident on I-16 Saturday. A buzzard almost came through her windshield. Collapsed the windshield, dead center in front of the driver's seat, and blew glass all over my daughter. The first officer to respond to the call was from Savannah PD. He told my wife and daughter they could sit in his car to keep cool. My daughter informed him that she has a GWL and that she had a small handgun in her purse. His only response was, "That's OK." They stayed in his car for a few minutes, then left it and sat in the shade in the median. The Savannah officer said he was actually out of his jurisdiction, but had responded to the 911 call because he was closer than the Pooler unit, which arrived in a few minutes. The Pooler officer called a tow truck and told my folks he would take them to the airport to rent a car to get home in. (about 200 miles) Since my daughter was driving, the Pooler officer asked for her DL. My daughter gave it to him, then informed him that she was carrying legally. His response, again, was "OK." He wrote the report, then jokingly told my daughter he would have to cite her for killing a protected bird. "You could have at least shot him," he said. She rode to the airport in the patrol unit, with her S&W 442 in her purse.

I was glad she encountered a couple of officers who acted courteously and professionally re the legally carried weapon, particularly in the presence of my wife, who has some serious doubts about our daughter carrying. An unpleasant situation involving an accident was not made worse by officers overreacting to a legal carrier.

Kudos to both these agencies, and particularly the two officers involved.

 

[Jruell89]

Cool! well first off im glad everyone was ok! second the cop was right she should shot his ass =p

 

[mgonza]

Very good job to the officers!

 

[dunkel]

Probably just a nitpick, but is she aware she has no duty to inform in georgia?

 

[Jruell89]

Probably just a nitpick, but is she aware she has no duty to inform in georgia?

+1 But for some reason cops seem to think you do. Rather than them freak out I would tell them.

 

[redlevel]

Probably just a nitpick, but is she aware she has no duty to inform in georgia?

Yep, a nitpick, and I was expecting it.

She is aware that she has no duty to inform. I regularly drill these things with her. She has a fair idea of her rights.

In this instance, she actually called me on her cell phone and asked what she needed to do about her gun. She keeps it in the console normally. A helpful citizen had stopped and called 911. She called me and asked what to do. I told her she needed to get her revolver out of the car, put it in her purse, and at some point inform the officer she had it, because there was no doubt that she was going to be transported in a police car, either to the towing yard, or to the car rental agency. I knew she would feel much better if she informed the officer than she would riding in the patrol unit with a concealed gun, without the officer's knowledge. I think it is/was common courtesy to inform the officer that she was getting in his car with a weapon, as well as common sense. Luckily, she encountered two reasonable officers. I know it could have been otherwise, but I still believe most officers are reasonable.

One of the reasons I started this thread was to point out an instance of a pleasant encounter between officers and an armed citizen. We always hear the horror stories, but I believe most encounters between reasonable people end on a good note.

 

[sovietak474u]

Glad she is ok.

 

[dunkel]

You are right, of course. While there is no duty to inform, there may be practical reasons for doing so. And it is nice to see the cop didn't make a big deal out of it.

Overall, I'd say it went well. Obviously, the most important thing is that she's ok.

 

[Jody13]

Glad everybody is OK. Kudos to the Savannah LEOs.

 

[RIDDLE]

Glad to hear that she is all right!