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Update: Video Added, LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

15K views 222 replies 71 participants last post by  Malum Prohibitum 
#1 ·
Video of incident added: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAUCIBNA ... r_embedded

You can hear the officer mention something about his "Georgia right to carry sticker on his car."

Does anyone know how to enhance the video and take away some of the loud radio traffic that muffles what the officer was saying? If anyone does, please message me or let me know.

This is a good example of how to deal with a LEO stop, but I keep my pistol on my side so I don't think this would have helped me much.

I guess this just goes to show that having a GCO sticker on your car can get you taken out of a car and patted down for weapons. Of course, I don't know what he would have done had he found a weapon or seen it in plain sight.

This was written to me by a friend who is a GCO member, but doesn't post here. I thought I'd post it for all to see here. Just to help us out, and let everyone know that LEOs know what GCO is, and also that you may be asked to step out of your car and patted down if the officer notices your sticker.

I also have a sticker on the outside of my car.

As I was driving home from work last night at around 11 PM heading north on Roswell Rd inside the perimeter, I was pulled over by a Sandy Springs PD cop who had clocked me with his radar gun. He first asked me for my license, which I gave to him.

The next words he spoke were "Do you have any weapons?"

I stopped a few seconds to think and said, "I'm going to exercise my right to remain silent on that."

The cop then asked me to get out of the car so he could pat me down. As he was patting me down he said the following:

"You're making me nervous. The reason I ask if you have any weapons is because I saw the Georgia Carry sticker on your car."

I guess my sticker and my refusal to answer the weapons question did make a few people nervous-- when I looked around I saw three police vehicles behind me and two more parked conspicuously across the street.

All in all, the cop did a "plain view look" inside the windows of my car but didn't go in for a full search. I got a ticket for 52 in a 35 (I thought Roswell Rd was 45) and for not having a light on my license plate(?!). I don't ever get out of speeding tickets anyway, so I doubt anything would have gone any better had I made nice and answered his question about weapons in the first place.
I don't know if he's going to get the dashcam video, but if he gets it and posts it on the internet, I'll post it as soon as I get it.

He also should have said, "Sir, I do not consent to any searches." He didn't put this in the email, so I'm assuming he didn't say it

Updated: GCO didn't see anything that was too serious with a questionable pat down, even though the officer specifically mentioned the GCO sticker was the reason he asked about weapons, asked him to step out of the car, and patted him down. This coming from the GCO member themselves.

I'm still going to try to persuade him to get the Dashcam video just for his records, and plus I'd like to see and hear everything that went down.

I'm still going to try and persuade him to talk to the chief officer about this situation.

He told me that he would like to do something, but just doesn't know what to do. He definitely told me that a lawsuit is out of the question, because of his finances. Someone would have to do it pro bono. He would have to find an attorney that thought he even had a case, and according to one, they don't think he has a case. If anybody knows of an attorney who is willing to look at the case, and may think about pro bono, let me know. Other than that, this is just about stopped in its tracks.

I believe the case law already mentioned has to do with a deep full search of the automobile for firearms, which the officer did not do in this situation. Just a patdown.

I'm not saying what the officer did was perfect, but I think officers can do a pat down for weapons just because of the ole' "officer safety." Don't quote me on that, though.

The officer in this instance did not do a full and deep search of his car. Only a plain view search, which is of course, legal.

Maybe I can persuade him to at least get the video for it. I would like to see it, and I'm sure others here would like to as well. Let me know what all of you guys think about this.

Thanks for all of the support everyone. :righton:
 
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#2 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

The right to remain silent means he wont answer a question that would incriminate him... which means, I did something wrong and you cant make me tell on myself. I have and will continue to use, "there are no illegal weapons (or substances) in this vehicle". Sometimes the lump a drug or substance question into the weapons one... so that gets put there too. Of course "I do not consent to any form of search to my person or property".
 
#3 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

I posted a case on here where the Ninth Circuit held that searching a man or his truck because of an NRA sticker was wrong.

Essentially, this jackass is claiming that being a GCO member means that a person is likely to shoot him. I sure would like to see more.

It is NOT just the presence of the firearm. I can guarantee you he does not manhandle and grope police officers whom he stops.
 
#4 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Similar to having 4:20 stickers on your bumper and then getting searched for drugs without consent. [-X

311 lyrics of the song: Offbeat Bare-Ass

I will tell a cop that I know my f*****g rights
And we can match wits all night for real
He said if I had nothing to hide
Then of course I wouldn't mind if he looked through our ride
Uh, no I'd really rather you didn't
And no we don't have guns hidden
We stood there for a while continue to decline
Firmly, I didn't lose my mind
I didn't let him break me he's just another human
Not a bit of shame in what we were doin' that day
He couldn't make us stay
We had our s**t together
It don't matter whether
We sport the dread locks or a shaved head
Or if we have a sticker from the dead

I said a better verse rehearsed about the roughneck curse
Last week I keep an even keel and bow in place
And face the music every minute
/been a fan since 1992
//OMG I'm getting old.
 
#6 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

I doubt that all Leo's know what GCO is.
 
#7 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Im a huge 311 fan. Favorite band by far. And you, sir, just quoted my favorite song 8)

AV8R said:
Similar to having 4:20 stickers on your bumper and then getting searched for drugs without consent. [-X

311 lyrics of the song: Offbeat Bare-Ass

I will tell a cop that I know my f*****g rights
And we can match wits all night for real
He said if I had nothing to hide
Then of course I wouldn't mind if he looked through our ride
Uh, no I'd really rather you didn't
And no we don't have guns hidden
We stood there for a while continue to decline
Firmly, I didn't lose my mind
I didn't let him break me he's just another human
Not a bit of shame in what we were doin' that day
He couldn't make us stay
We had our s**t together
It don't matter whether
We sport the dread locks or a shaved head
Or if we have a sticker from the dead

I said a better verse rehearsed about the roughneck curse
Last week I keep an even keel and bow in place
And face the music every minute
/been a fan since 1992
//OMG I'm getting old.
But I have yet to have a gun related encounter with an officer. Reading this forum definatly has me knowing what to say and make sure that I am in the right though. Thank you GCO :righton:
 
#8 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

it could stand for any one of these:

Acronym Definition
GCO Global Children's Organization (Los Angeles, CA)
GCO Google Check Out
GCO Georgia Carpet Outlet
GCO Ground Communication Outlet (aviation)
GCO GeorgiaCarry.org (firearms website)
GCO Global Clinical Operations
GCO Government Concept of Operations
GCO Geotechnical Control Office (Hong Kong)
GCO Group Compliance Officer (job title)
GCO Golf Course Operator/Owner
GCO Gun Control Officer
GCO Grand Commander
GCO Garbage Collection Overhead
GCO Greeley Chamber Orchestra (Greeley, CO)
GCO Government Contracting Office
GCO Game Cards Online

submit new definition
 
#9 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

This is prolly a moot point but i think its south of either abernathy or johnson ferry is when it goes down to 35. north of those areas is 45.
 
#10 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Too bad familiarity with Georgia Carry didn't translate into familiarity with State v. Jones. I can see where a GCO sticker might translate into a higher probability of an armed occupant, I just can't see where it would translate into the "dangerous" part of the equation for the Terry stop/officer safety pat down.
 
#12 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Priest said:
The right to remain silent means he wont answer a question that would incriminate him... which means, I did something wrong and you cant make me tell on myself. I have and will continue to use, "there are no illegal weapons (or substances) in this vehicle". Sometimes the lump a drug or substance question into the weapons one... so that gets put there too. Of course "I do not consent to any form of search to my person or property".
I agree Priest, and I will continue to say that exact phrase. "There are no illegal weapons or substances in this vehicle." Along with "I do not consent to any form of a search of my person and property."

I really need to work on the last part of that phrase. "any form of a search of my person or property." I like the ending of that.
 
#13 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Malum Prohibitum said:
I posted a case on here where the Ninth Circuit held that searching a man or his truck because of an NRA sticker was wrong.

Essentially, this jackass is claiming that being a GCO member means that a person is likely to shoot him. I sure would like to see more.

It is NOT just the presence of the firearm. I can guarantee you he does not manhandle and grope police officers whom he stops.
MP, I did a quick search on "ninth circuit NRA Sticker" and didn't come up with anything. Would you happen to remember then name of the case, or have a link to that case?

I would like to read it. Also, I would like to send that case to the GCO member and show him that his 4th amendment rights may have been violated due to the search of his person.

Also, would State v. Jones apply in this case?

I am going to urge him to get all related video and radio traffic, as well as contacting the Chief LEO officer for Sandy Springs and discussing the "NRA sticker" case with him. If State v. Jones also applies, I will urge him to discuss that case with him as well.
 
#15 ·
#16 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

chainsaw123 said:
it could stand for any one of these:

Acronym Definition
GCO Global Children's Organization (Los Angeles, CA)
GCO Google Check Out
GCO Georgia Carpet Outlet
GCO Ground Communication Outlet (aviation)
GCO GeorgiaCarry.org (firearms website)
GCO Global Clinical Operations
GCO Government Concept of Operations
GCO Geotechnical Control Office (Hong Kong)
GCO Group Compliance Officer (job title)
GCO Golf Course Operator/Owner
GCO Gun Control Officer
GCO Grand Commander
GCO Garbage Collection Overhead
GCO Greeley Chamber Orchestra (Greeley, CO)
GCO Government Contracting Office
GCO Game Cards Online

submit new definition
I'm sure the rifleman in the logo goes well with most of those definitions. :shattered:
 
#17 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

The sticker doesn't say, "GCO" on it. It actually says, "GeorgiaCarry.Org."

I'm sure when the see the Patriot with the rifle, the "Carry" part, and "Protecting Your Rights" they can put two and two together, if they don't already know what GeorgiaCarry.Org is.

I'm sure GeorgiaCarry.Org is getting enough talk around the water cooler with all the lawsuits and pro-gun legislation that they've helped become law.
 
#18 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Some of you may remember a post about 6 months ago where a friend and I were fishing a stream in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Rangers bushwhacked their way into the stream to find us, because according to them " I noticed your sticker[magnet] on your truck - are you carrying a weapon?"

So, I don't doubt that story one bit.
 
#19 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Aaaannnd.....that is the major reason why I don't have gun stickers on my car. The other ones being I think it makes the car more likely to be broken into (by people who might think there would be guns inside) and more likely to be keyed by a hoplophobe in my liberal town.

I've never been stopped and asked about guns, but I'm debating between the following answers:
-The 'no illegal guns' response. :cantsay:
-"Well, of COURSE I've got guns in the car. It's my constitutional right to, isn't it?! I've also got a legal carry permit for when I'm not in the car. Do you need to know if I've got any gas in my gas tank as well?" ...then smile and look at him like I think he's a bit slow to even have to ask such an obvious question. :roll:
 
#21 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Just because I maintain a low profile, doesn't mean I'm 'self-denying my 1A rights'.

I also don't put signs in front of my house saying I own guns, have a nice computer, that my wife has a little jewelry, and that the combo to my spare key box is XXXX. I don't have a sticker on my car that says, "I like to drink hard cider." I even have my doubts about the birder sticker on my car, because I'm a little concerned someone might try looking in there for expensive binoculars.

Low profile doesn't mean coward - at least in my book. It means that if the situation calls for it, SURPRISE! Bet you didn't know I had a gun! (I'm not talking about surprising LEOs, I'm talking about bad guys, just so I'm not misunderstood). I don't advertise the fact that I carry unless I have a reason to. What's so bad about privacy?
 
#22 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Owl said:
Hey man, if you want to self-deny your 1st amendment rights along with the others, that's ok by me.

I do feel you have a point about the break-ins, although a smart thief might figure you'd have it on you. But there aren't really many of those around, are there? ;)
The 1st amendment is about freedom and choice. Choosing not to speak is is an exercise of your rights. It's when you are forced to do something that you are denied rights.
 
#25 ·
Re: LEO Encounter- GCO Sticker Patted Down

Malum Prohibitum said:
The issue is, however, that we should not be afraid to display it because we fear the police. There is something wrong with that picture.
Back in the middle of August my wife was involved in a fairly bad car accident (no one was hurt) on Dallas Hwy in Paulding. The responding LEO (GSP) was very nice and professional, but spent a good 45 seconds looking back and forth from her to the GCO sticker on her back window. He never asked. :D
 
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