A Second Amendment advocacy leader has released video of his encounter with Sandy Springs, GA police during a traffic stop. Daniel Almond, founder of Restore the Constitution (which includes what the Brady Campaign’s Paul Helmke described as a polite armed Second Amendment rally among its achievements) was pulled over for speeding and a broken light over his rear license plate. That’s when he was ordered out of his car to submit to being frisked.
This is me getting stopped by Sandy Springs PD for speeding. The second thing the officer asked me, after asking for my license, was if I had any firearms. I responded that I was choosing to exercise my right to remain silent on that question. That answer prompted the officer to have me get out of the car for a pat down. The officer told me that the reason for his question (about firearms) was because I had a “right to carry” sticker on my car. Yes, he actually said that. It’s a sticker for Georgia Carry.org (GCO) Although the audio isn’t 100% clear for that part, you can clearly hear him reference the sticker when talking to me and to another officer. Additionally, it appeared as if “back up” had been called, because there were 3 police right cars behind me and two more across the street. In the end, I got a ticket for speeding and for not having a working light bulb over my license plate.
The video is embedded in the sidebar to this column. Aside from the officer referencing the sticker as a cause for his notice and concern, you can hear background conversation among police monitoring the situation, beginning at around 5:50:
Is it a militia sticker or something, or what is it?
No, it’s right up there on the left. It’s a Georgia right-to-carry sticker.
Have you seen them before?
No, uh, yeah, I’ve heard of it. They’re the ones fighting the…you know, the airport, they don’t want any guns on airport property, and they’re the ones that fought and said “No, we’re allowed to”…so yeah, they’re good, they’re good…uh…a good organization…just got some weirdoes in it, I guess…
We discussed the airport situation in this column yesterday. As for the “weirdo” comment, why was that an appropriate remark in this situation? Almond certainly conducted himself lawfully and peaceably throughout the encounter. If anyone was acting weirdly, it was the one who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution who evidently views expressions of support for its principles as probable cause to forcibly grope a citizen. Along with the ones who don’t see anything wrong with that, who did not intervene to protect the citizen’s rights.
And there’s another matter we’ve discussed before in this column when I asked “Did SPLC just make it dangerous to have a ‘conservative’ bumper sticker?” and further asked:
What this video does is intentionally widens the “us vs. them” divide between citizens and police, heightens the paranoia, and makes the most innocuous of encounters much more dangerous. Now...something as simple as having a political bumper sticker on your car, supposedly protected speech, takes a heightened alert situation and urges police to view non-leftist political sentiment as a potentially lethal personal threat. Because with all the conflation, what message will be enough to trigger a protective reaction?
I wonder if an NRA sticker would do it? Is this not a real-world example to prove the answer is "Yes"?
Is this another way ginned up prejudices inserted into law enforcement practices can chill free expression by those who advocate the individual right of peaceable people to keep and bear arms? Consider all those police cars Almond reports that arrived as “backup.” Do you want to take the chance for a simple traffic stop to result in this?
And do you think Almond would have been searched and detained outside his car for the duration of the stop had he been sporting a “Support Your Local Police” bumper sticker?
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A matter of resolve
Last year at this time, I came up with a series of New Year’s Resolutions to count down the days until January 1. Since they’re pretty much evergreen, I’m going to refer to them again this year, as something for newcomers to this column to consider, and as a reminder for those of you who have been long-time readers. Here’s today’s:
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In his own words
I gave a recap on Wednesday's Trigger Sports LIVE! episode as a supplement to yesterday's column. American Trigger Sports Network's James Towle gives further details:
- NRA Spokesperson Rachel Parsons reports on 16 year old Montana girl disciplined for leaving her unloaded rifle in trunk.
- The Florida council shooting video that the anti-gunners love to hate.
- Don King stopped at airport for live ammunition/Brian Aitken - seven year prison sentence may be pardoned before Christmas: David Codrea reports.
- World's most recognized female hunter, Pamela Atwood, live, from her Trophy Room, explains her love of a .454 Casull.
- Mark Walters, host of Armed American Radio, questions motive of SCI-FI author's altercation with cops: video clip
- American Heroes Challenge, Part II - Las Vegas-> Strength, Endurance, Accuracy: Trigger Sports FILE video clip
All this, and more, at www.atsn.tv - The #1 Network for Trigger Sports! On your computer, 24/7, when YOU want to see it!
Event DVD's available from the ATSN.tv store.
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Help wanted--inquire within
Regular readers: Please help me spread the word by sharing Gun Rights Examiner links with your friends via emails, and in online discussion boards, blogs, etc.? (Also note “Share” options, below.) Then get more commentary at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance.
Comments
I'm glad he came through ok... but just imagine how different it could be if he had been armed at the time. They might have killed him.
Incredible.
The cop is scum.
So, if a car has some liberal type of bumper sticker, shouldn't that car be searched -- like for pot, a corked Chianti (open container, after all), some sort of civil disobedience plackard, communist espianage paraphernalia, ... ? How's that list for exhibiting bias, ha ha! The liberals scream when cops pull over cars based on racial profiling (bothers me too), where is the ACLU when a political group is targeted?!
Someone over at IRC using the screen name "comwalk" put it best years ago. From IRC archives (with comments added by me in brackets):
Remember, here in the U.S.A, we have reached a new age.
NOBODY is responsible for their own actions.
Remember that.
Holy s**t! I killed somebody! Bob made me do it! [censorship added]
Bob: Joe made me do it!
Joe: I blame the media!
Media: Videogames.
Videogames: Personal responsibility?
Personal Responsibility: [Away From Keyboard]
Some concession COULD be made that they were "following orders/protocol," but that argument doesn't hold much water when considering that every officer swore an INDIVIDUAL oath to uphold the Constitution, which makes it their individual responsibility to prevent transgressions like this.
Expecting that to be the case is probably an exercise in futility, though....
where have you been? it's been well known for decades that if you have a NORML bumper sticker, you WILL be searched for drugs.
That's plainly wrong of them. I'd like to see that substantiated, because I just did a search on terms "norml bumper sticker police search" and the first and only related hit I saw on the first page went to this article cuing on your comment. I did see one story link where they apparently did it in 2008 for Infowars/Ron Paul stickers--but regardless, any true freedom advocate I know would be just as appalled if NORML stickers also triggered that response, and if you can get me some corroboration, I'd do what I could to tie that in to the concerns I have over this issue.
The cops are trained that any pro freedom propaganda is dangerous to them. The average American thinks any significant concern about liberty is "weird". Cops are just average Americans with an extra dose of propaganda, so I'd say they handled it pretty well.
It's my understanding that here in IL there is a district court that has ruled that an NRA sticker alone is probable cause to search a person and the vehicle; the IL Supremes have declined to take the case. I haven't revisited the issue for a few years and forget the specifics, but believe it was near Champaign. Don't you dare exercise your rights in IL!
I think this article has more to say about police management and it's policies when they are filtered down to rank and file. A mistrained cop in proper cause, a cop allowed to interject his personal beliefs in the performance of his job, and a cop who knowingly or not violates a citizen's rights (first amendment in this case for the bumper sticker) is a clear indication of what management is hiring and how they are training these officers. We should be going after their bosses adn once the bosses are replaced then the cops will either adapt to proper rules of engagement or be gone. Fire the police chief and his managment and bring in new if you want to change the situation. Also eliminate pensions and benefits to no more than what is average for the average citizen in the county. Then law enforcement won't attratc every lazy low life in the country to put on a badge.
This why I don't have any NRA stickers on my car. You are not only tipping off the police that you might be armed, you are also tipping off the criminals. I think it's better when nobody knows I'm armed.
Lucky he wasn't holding a garden hose nozzle...
So now exercising your First in support of your Second and then invoking your Fifth can get your Fourth violated and infringed too!
Yeah I was wondering about that, I always thought that exercising the 5th was no probably cause for a search. WTF?
As much as I'd like to support Oath Keepers, why is it we never hear of one of these officers interceding for the citizen whose rights are being abused? Or a supervisor responding and getting the errant cop to release the detainee? As a former San Diego police officer, I'm beginning to think that there are so few true Oath Keepers that you might as well ignore the group. Today it seems the police are all about "law enforcement", even when what they are enforcing is not against the law.
If they want it to be about "us vs them", when push comes to shove, it will be. Don't look for help from the citizens you have abused, boys and girls, when the gangs light you up or the cartels cross the border.
There are NO oathkeepers.
Every single Badge wearing mound of fecal matter is already enforcing unconstitutional laws every day. What, exactly, would make you think that this would change at all?
I would bring to your attention the cowardly retrograde charge of the soi-disant oathkeepers in regards to the RTC rally.
jselvy you got that right, I did a post on another forum awhile back speaking to this... The Oath Keepers organization did major damage to themselves by backing out on us at the first RTC rally outside of D.C.
If one peruses the news/activism sites you very rarely see stories about Oath Keepers anymore and I think a large part of it is due to their (non) action at the Gravelly Point Rally.
I have taken part in most of the major RTC rallies and the behavior of all the LEO's involved have been great and very Pro-2A... these are the people we have to reach out to.
I spoke to a SWAT Officer after the Virginia Rally, and he was impressed with what we were doing, He said that about 80% of his department respected and supported what we were doing. This type of statement has been made by LEO's at every single rally I have attended.
There are many good LEO's out there, they just have to be dragged to the forefront and forced to clean up their squad rooms... or also be swirled down the bowl with the thugs in their departments.
But as for the "average" citizens and gun owners, If you want a push back on these unconstitutional laws and behavior... then get off your butts and get in the street!
Either you stand for your rights or be prepared to watch them be removed and /or disregarded.
Q: Why do dogs lick themselves?
A: Because they can.
Why do even the best LEO's routinely ignore/trample citizens' civil rights? Same reason.
They also apparently receive little or no training on the subject of civil rights boundaries other than the pervasive training on "Mirandizing" detained suspects.
What is needed is a SCOTUS case, something on the order of the Miranda decision, that informs all law enforcement officers and adminsitrators that they will be held accountable for violations of ANY civil right, not just those protected by the Fifth Amendment.
DDS -- NRA Life Member
If you don't wish to attract the attention of officer friendly.....#1 Don't speed #2 Maintain your vehicle...simple yes??
Absolutely, once a cop stops you there is nothing you, or anyone else can do to stop the cops from doing anything they want up to an including killing you if they feel like it.
I see neither the speeding ticket nor the burned out light citation being disputed.
The Sandy Springs, Ga, police force can be assured I will never drive through their town. Why? I have a life member NRA sticker on my vehicle! This officer should, at the least be reprimanded and made to forfeit his pay for two weeks! Personally, i would fire him. One would think this kind of prejudiced action would not happen in a Southern town in GA, but it did.
I hope Mr. Almond will sue the Sandy Springs police and the city; they cannot be allowed to get away with this liberal prejudiced action! If nothing is done you can almost be assured it will happen again.
Sandy Spring police: "From our cold dead hands!"
I always thought you had to be in good physical condition to be a police officer.
Fact of the matter if this guy contacted the FBI to do their jobs and look into civil rights violations, you have to wonder if they would. My hunch is this is more proof that the federal government is feeding the food for thought that is dividing LE from citizens and making the mind set of US v Them. The same kind of thought training by the ones in charge to the Brown Shirts.
Folks we have a very clear picture of some serous issues that are only going to grow into larger issues. Ask yourself this, are police today what they were 35 years ago when they were Peace Officers?
Always get out of the car after you get stopped. They will put you back into the car. Obviously comply. This just illustrates that being in the car or out of the car has nothing to do with their safety when they eventually want you out of the car to do an illegal pat down or search of the vehicle. I always ask, when they want to know other things other than what you were pulled over for, is this a traffic stop or is this a weapons and drug search. They will always say, " This is a traffic stop. Do you have any blah, blah, blah in the vehicle." I always say, " If this is a traffic stop, I only answer questions pertaining to the particular traffic offense which I'm suspected of committing."...This is where they start screaming for you to get out of the vehicle....Do what you want at this point...but I always say I fear for my safety because of all the screaming and stay in the car. You REALLY need all this recorded. I wouldn't do this without a recording. Their next step is to what? Break your windows to get you out?...Supreme Court never said they could do that. As if they do and I'm arrested, an illegal arrest it is and I'm staying in jail as long as I can. Then I'm getting an attorney and suing the hell out of them...1 day in jail don't cut either...need to stay in for a couple of wks.
Again, IL is a law unto itself; it is illegal to record a LEO performing his duty; they don't want any would-be Rodney King-style press. Thanks again, Chicago.
The Sandy Springs Police -run by a rabid, despotic little Lib Mayor- r as bad as their Atlanta PD couterparts. But FRET NOT! Layoffs, layoffs, layoffs... Justice is sweet, aint it! : )
October 22, 2002, 10:08 AM EDT
NEW ORLEANS -- A National Rifle Association sticker was not enough justification to warrant a police search of a pickup truck for a gun, a federal appeals court has ruled.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that police in a Dallas suburb did not have probable cause when they searched Jeffrey L. Estep's truck and found a pistol in a case.
"Indeed, if the presence of an NRA sticker and camouflage gear in a vehicle could be used by an officer to conclude he was in danger, half the pickups in the state of Texas would be subject to a vehicle search," the majority wrote.
Estep, who had been stopped for speeding, sued three officers in Garland, Texas, over the March 29, 1993, search and his subsequent arrest for a weapons violation.
According to the court record, Estep heard one officers tell another that he suspected a weapon was present because of the NRA sticker on his truck.
"And do you think Almond would have been searched and detained outside his car for the duration of the stop had he been sporting a “Support Your Local Police” bumper sticker? "
Only if it had a picture of a noose on it.
No pun intended, Bubba needs to miss a few meals and snacks. If paranoia were a requirement for the job, then all requirements were met. If you carry a gun and don't know about gun organizations and issues, you are indeed dumb. According to the video, the cops were real bonafide geniuses
Welcome to the new Amerika!
Remember the MIAC document that said gun owners, veterans, Ron Paul supporters and others including people displaying the Gadsden flag and certain types of bumper stickers are suspected terrorist?
The guys lucky he didn’t get shot, after all the officer would have gotten a 2 week paid vacation.
Bottom line is this country is a sick puppy and its not going to stop until we stop it.
Look at the New ATF rules for reporting multiple purchases of long guns in the name of stopping crime in Mexico. It won’t do a damn thing except catch some innocent person in a web of government corruption.
I'm trying to think FEEL like a LefTard, so I'llplay devil's advocate.
Cop spends years eating donuts and being told "safety" is #1 priority." Killing an innocent is ok - so long as we can later claim you "followed policy." "Gun-nut" sticker on car, occupant refuses to answer questions about guns.
What would we expect this cop to do? Given countless examples of brutality, I have to say "this was about as good as it gets."
Courts have held that NRA-sticker isn't "probable cause" for a search -- but then THIS WAS NOT (legally-speaking) a "search". It was what they euphemistically call a "pat-down."
He didn't reach in pockets, not inside clothes - just felt for weapons OUTSIDE clothes. He also gave a clearly articulated reason: "You wouldn't answer my questions about weapons, so I'm going to pat you down to ensure both of us are safe while we conclude this stop."
Courts have approved this!.
As I understand it, GA law allows keeping a gun pretty much anywhere in your car, but the sticker says clearly "I'm carrying."
Personally, I think one should be able to display a "f&(# the police" or even "the only good cop is a dead cop" sticker -- and be treated like any and every one else.
But this is NOT where we live any more, people.
We're screaming about a -- frankly pretty minor -- symptom here, when we SHOULD be attacking the DISEASE. (continued next comment)
(Continued from last comment)
The CANCER that's killing our country is millions of collectivists.
Note: not "...ism" -- I said "collectivISTS."
THE PEOPLE are the problem. THEY are the reason Daniel got treated like a criminal. They're also to blame for all the rest of this sickness pervading our Republic.
They're not "good people with different opinions" -- they're adherents to the -- *THE* -- most evil ideology ever to infect our planet.
They want nothing less than to pervert the morals of your children, to rob them of their inheritance, and to literally enslave them.
Yet you still invite these sick monsters into your home?
You still do business with them or anyone who hires them?
You still treat them with courtesy when you see them on the street?
No. McCarthy was RIGHT!
They. Are. The. ENEMY - and it's long past time we return to treating them as such.
When collectivism again earns social shunning, business blackballing, and the suspicion and scorn of all right-thinking Americans, we will have little to fear from their sick ideology.
We must excise this cancer, every single "cell." If even one is still around it will grow again, and it will not stop until their host - our Republic - is dead.
Hence, we must eradicate them from our society - or drive them into such deep remission that they can never threaten us or our way of life again.
God help us -- and God Save Our Republic!!
Still waiting for any kind of LEO reaction to the nice MOLON LABE sticker, in proper Greek of course, that graces the rear window of my truck. Then again, I drive a nice rig and obey traffic laws...and most of the local LEOs know who I am and that I am not a dangerous nut. May have to travel to expect any kind of response.
David,
I appreciate all the articles you submit. I have to say a couple of things about the video.
1. I have a CCL in a different state than Georgia so I don't know what the laws there
(perhaps you could tell us why this is so outrageous.)
In my state, if you don't IMMEDATELY state you have a licensed weapon (when you have one)
you are in violation of the law. Period. End of story. No debate.
2. Speaking for the officer (I am not a LEO) he had a legitimate reason to stop the
driver in the first place, was also completely respectful to the driver (the driver likewise)
and kindly offered to show the laws the driver violated. Even though the officer did pat down the
driver, the officer did not conduct any "illegal" search of the vehicle.
What I saw was that the officer stopped a traffice violator and night and asked "reasonable"
question of possession of a weapon (although maybe not entirely in is right as you appear to be
saying) and responded in a "reasonable" way when the driver declined to answer. It's that simple.
Does Georgia have some Constitutional Carry where they don't have to reveal possession?
The local law enforcement in my state support my right to carry and I support the Law Enforcement.
Thank you.
Protesters at pro gun rallies wind up with my spare NRA stickers. It looks nice placed next to the Kerry/Gore or obama bumper stickers.
Now that's a great idea!
Being so down on all police officers is not in anybody's best interest.Most police officers are very courteous as well as very professional. With all the nut jobs out there that they have to deal with they have no choice but to be very vigilant when interacting with the general population. It is my opinion that anybody with a CCW, and yes I am licensed in most all states, should be more than happy to do what ever is necessary to demonstrate to the officer, that they are no threat to them. People with the attitude that "I just dare you to even blink at me" probably should not be armed in the first place. Police officers deserve our respect, not a #u$* YOU attitude!
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