Elvis wrote:
the number say the officer is much more likely to be shot at by a non CHL[/quote]
No the numbers say the Officer is much more likely to be shot by a gun. After the fact the investigation will find out if the person had a CHL or not. The Point Is, everyone we come into contact with that is armed should be treated as a threat to our safety until the Officer is satisfied that you are not a threat.[/quote]
Elvis, as one peace officer to another, this post and your post about a man with a gun bother me too. I am also a gun guy and have some trouble with this logic.
I understand what you are saying as a peace officer and I think it came across wrong. When you are surprised by a gun at a scene, you need to react for safety. But, at the same time, you also take into account other factors than just a man with a gun, even if you do so subconsciously. You look at where the gun is and what the person is doing (reaching for it or ignoring it, etc.). You even take into account how the person is dressed and acting. I know you do, even when you do not realize it because I train cops for a living. Proof that you do this is simple. What do you do when you stop another cop? I have never told another officer that I have a gun. I have asked if it does any good if I am a cop and I assume he would know I am carrying from that, but that is very rarely right at the start. I get it done as quickly as possible but not trying to seem like I am demanding proivileges I am not entitled to. When is the last time you were stopped and told the other officer explicitly that you were armed (and I do know some cops do just that)?
With the new laws on the books, all of us working in law enforcement better get more used to seeing guns and not panicking at the mere sight. A CHL must tell us, but a traveler never had to. Now, a person can legally have a concealed gun in the car and not tell us at all.There is a chance we might see it by accident and they don't need to have a CHL or tell us first. If you automatically draw on a person who is not breaking the law and not actively threatening you, you might have some explaining to do. As a Chief, how are you going to explain to that citizen who is coming in to complain about your officer doing just that?
An on a different note, I think we may have a difference of opinion on the law. You said in one post that a person with a CHL is always carrying underr the authority of the CHL when the pistol is on or about his person. This, IMHO, is clearly not the case if they are in a car, even if the gun is in a hip holster. As I understand it, a CHL only gives authority when the carrying would otherwise be illegal. Since the law was changed and it is no longer a violation of PC 46.02 to carry in a car, the CHL is not giving authority until they step out of the car. This may be a serious legal question if they are driving into a parking lot that is posted for 30.06. That law only applies when carrying under the authority of a CHL.
As proof that you CAN choose which authority you are carrying under, consider the cops who also have CHL's (it gets them through the NICS check for one thing). Which authority to carry are they using?
Now, I have to admit that the the law about showing us your CHL does not specify just when under the authority of your CHL. If that is what you meant (and it was in that context), the law is explicit that it applies if you have a CHL and a pistol on or about your person. It says nothing about authority. If I have a peace officer's license and badge, and a CHL, I would still be bound to show the CHL, even as i tell them i am also a cop.