Advocacy & Safety - female driver pulls gun on cyclist

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/175366.asp

The bicyclist told police the woman driver pointed a gun at him. She said she only moved it from her purse so she could get her cell phone and call police about the cyclist.

The incident happened about 9:30 a.m. last Tuesday near East Madison Street and 12th Avenue, according to a Seattle police report released Monday.

The woman, 50, told police the bicyclist was traveling in and out of traffic, hitting vehicle side mirrors. As she passed him, she yelled "Jerk."

The woman told police when she came to a stop by an intersection, the cyclist went to the side of her vehicle and yelled "Did you say anything to me?"

"She said she was going to call police, and she reached into her purse to grab her cell phone," an officer wrote in the report. "She said her purse was compact, and her cell phone was buried inside.

"She said in able to retrieve her phone she had to remove her concealed firearm from her purse."

The cyclist, apparently scared by the 9 mm pistol, refused to wait for officers at the scene and said he would talk to officer at another location. Police tried to contact him at the phone number he gave a dispatcher, but he did not return a message to call the East Precinct, according to the report.

The Seattle woman showed police her concealed-weapons permit.

"She said at no time did she point the weapon at (the) bicyclist nor did she make any threats toward him," according to the report. The woman was initially stopped by two officers and held in police custody.

Police returned her pistol after she showed her permit, and she was released from the scene.

Point being?

Point being?

whoever has the gun is the one still around to talk to the newspapers and give their side of the story.

that's the point.

In Arizona it's legal to wear a pistol on the hip (not concealed).

whoever has the gun is the one still around to talk to the newspapers and give their side of the story.

that's the point.


More like whoever attempts to file a false police report usually won't follow through after the fact. The woman talked to the police voluntarily, where is the supposed victim?

In Arizona it's legal to wear a pistol on the hip (not concealed).

Thanks for the random fact. We all get it, AZ is a great state for gun rights.

In Arizona it's legal to wear a pistol on the hip (not concealed).

In Vermont you don't need a permit to carry concealed or otherwise.

More like whoever attempts to file a false police report usually won't follow through after the fact. The woman talked to the police voluntarily, where is the supposed victim?

According to the article the woman was briefly in police custody. There is no mention of what happened to the cyclist. Unless he damaged someone's car it's unlikely any charges will be filed.

She should be more careful. In some states someone doing this might not only find their CCW revoked, but could also find themselves a ward of the state for brandishing.

She should get a concealed carry specific purse to solve this problem.

+1

First rule about a CCW is that NO ONE sees it unless you plan on using it. According to her story for here to make the phone call she had to go past the pistol making it visible. Usually a phone is pretty easy to reach she needs a better method of carrying.

Dames!

Actually, even this is not the best method of carry:

She should get a concealed carry specific purse to solve this problem.

If she were serious about effective concealed carry she would have the weapon concealed on her person.

MMMMMMM a thigh holster under her skirt sounds about right

Letting someone see it is rather close indeed to brandishing. It is showing it off, as how else would anyone know it is there?
California has open carry, but it must be unloaded. Lotta good that would do.
dc

Funny how people's confrontational attitudes change when they realize that the person they are confronting has a capability to respond with deadly force. Everybody is a tough guy when they think they can get away with it. :lol:

The woman, 50, told police the bicyclist was traveling in and out of traffic, hitting vehicle side mirrors. As she passed him, she yelled "Jerk."

This doesn't pass the smell test.

More like whoever attempts to file a false police report usually won't follow through after the fact. The woman talked to the police voluntarily, where is the supposed victim?Not exactly. The police pulled her over after receiving a report of her pointing the gun. The police likely had their guns drawn while doing so. From the sound of it, she never even called police, despite the claim of getting the gun out to get to her phone.

Everybody is a tough guy when they think they can get away with it. :lol:

like when they're carrying a concealed weapon, for instance?

So, the author didn't get the cyclist's side of the story, and anyway the cyclist hasn't even filed a report? What kind of news is this?

Must be awkward when she's picking the kids up at school and her husband calls....

In Vermont you don't need a permit to carry concealed or otherwise.

In Texas it's illegal NOT to carry a gun.

Thanks for the random fact. We all get it, AZ is a great state for gun rights.

As long as we are on random facts, it's perfectly legal to open carry in WA state too. However, that doesn't include while driving a car. To pack a loaded pistol in a car you must have a carry permit. Doesn't make much sense, but there ya go. I would suspect it's also illegal to carry while riding a bike since it's considered a vehicle, however I'm not sure if the law states you can't carry in only an automobile.

Must be awkward when she's picking the kids up at school and her husband calls....

:roflmao2:

According to the article the woman was briefly in police custody. There is no mention of what happened to the cyclist. Unless he damaged someone's car it's unlikely any charges will be filed.

She was briefly detained and spoke willingly. The cyclist did not call the police back when they called him in order to take the report. Very suspicious, especially when he is the complaintant who initially called the police. If his life was legitimately threatened and it wasn't that the woman was just being callous with the gun, you would think he'd have definitely wanted to insure that didn't happen again.

Actually, even this is not the best method of carry:


If she were serious about effective concealed carry she would have the weapon concealed on her person.

From NCIS episode "Friends & Lovers" dialog between Mosad Officer Ziva David and NCIS Special Agent Michelle Lee:

NCIS Special Agent Michelle Lee: I don't know where *your* SIG is, but I'm having trouble walking.

In Arizona it's legal to wear a pistol on the hip (not concealed).

And it's legal to conceal carry with a permit.

A lot of states have open carry laws without permits.

Letting someone see it is rather close indeed to brandishing. It is showing it off, as how else would anyone know it is there?
California has open carry, but it must be unloaded. Lotta good that would do.
dc

Yes, but not every state has brandishing laws. In WV you need a permit for concealed carry, but no permit for open carry. So if the weapon is visible, then it's considered open carry. There's no brandishing in WV.

hehe, a gun in a 'compact' purse.

Wonder what happens when you goes to pay for groceries at the supermarket. Oh, let me just find my purse (wallet).

Better yet, setting the gun down on the counter at her bank to get her wallet out.

In Vermont you don't need a permit to carry concealed or otherwise.

Wait, I thought Vermont was nothing but leftist yuppies and hippies. Guess not. :)

In Wisconsin if you feel you need to resort to violence you better be prepared to shotgun a six pack and pull out your fisticuffs.

I heard the recruitment officer for her local fire department has been in contact with her about a job offer...

She was briefly detained and spoke willingly. The cyclist did not call the police back when they called him in order to take the report. Very suspicious, especially when he is the complainant who initially called the police. If his life was legitimately threatened and it wasn't that the woman was just being callous with the gun, you would think he'd have definitely wanted to insure that didn't happen again.

I too find that to be very interesting. And I would be interested in learning why after making his initial complaint he didn't follow up with it.

And correct me if I'm mistaken but wouldn't a charge of "brandishing a gun" require more then someone simply removing it from their purse so as to get to their cell phone? I mean IF that's all it takes then aren't the thousands of men who carry pocket knives in the same pocket as their money be "guilty" of "brandishing a knife?" When they take said knife out to get to their money?

I heard the recruitment officer for her local fire department has been in contact with her about a job offer...As their Safety Officer.

I too find that to be very interesting. And I would be interested in learning why after making his initial complaint he didn't follow up with it.

And correct me if I'm mistaken but wouldn't a charge of "brandishing a gun" require more then someone simply removing it from their purse so as to get to their cell phone? I mean IF that's all it takes then aren't the thousands of men who carry pocket knives in the same pocket as their money be "guilty" of "brandishing a knife?" When they take said knife out to get to their money?If you got a phone message back from the cops that said "The lady said she did not point the gun at you and since we "police did not witness it, we cannot charge her. But feel free to call us back."

Several cyclist here have gotten similar responses from the cops when motorist have harassed or run us off the road. At some point, cyclist put through this process, just give up dealing with cops unwilling to make an honest effort.

Better yet, setting the gun down on the counter at her bank to get her wallet out.

There is no question that it sounds like she needs to be less careless when handling a gun. Can you imagine if she gets pulled over by a cop and the gun slips out? They don't care if you have a permit or not. They'll have her laid out face down and spread eagle with guns aimed at her long before she will be allowed to explain. Guns tend to make cops a little hypertensive.

There is no question that it sounds like she needs to be less careless when handling a gun. Can you imagine if she gets pulled over by a cop and the gun slips out? They don't care if you have a permit or not. They'll have her laid out face down and spread eagle with guns aimed at her long before she will be allowed to explain. Guns tend to make cops a little hypertensive.

I was pulled over by the USFS in the mountains for speeding on my motorcycle (week before Tour de Georgia which I didn't know so the cops where out getting motorcycles which is was the cop told me). Anyways I had a 44mag pistol in a tank bag that had a handle sticking out and forgot it was there. I had my hand resting 1" from the pistol as I leaned on the bike. He gave me a tag violation (said it was concealed) I had to go to court for.

I got to court and paid my fine and 6 USFS people came to asked me if "I ride with a gun". I got a little defensive thinking they were going to say I couldn't ride with it. They didn't have a problem and we joked around for a bit too. The HMFIC said "Next time you are pulled over. Please don't rest your hand next to your cannon". Apparently the cop saw it when he approached my bike but I forgot about it. He said he didn't say anything because if I didn't have a CCW (which I do) he would have had to taken me to jail and didn't feel like doing that. Though not for having it on my motorcycle since you can have a loaded weapon in your vehicle in Georgia. But because when you pull over you are on Federal land and federal laws (at that time) applied.

With the firefighter shooting and this woman, I wonder how the "carrying on a bike" debates will go?

If you got a phone message back from the cops that said "The lady said she did not point the gun at you and since we "police did not witness it, we cannot charge her. But feel free to call us back."

Several cyclist here have gotten similar responses from the cops when motorist have harassed or run us off the road. At some point, cyclist put through this process, just give up dealing with cops unwilling to make an honest effort.

According to the facts presented in the article the lady called the cops, after she and the cyclist had had words. The cyclist "fearing for his life" left the scene and also called the cops and left his contact information, BUT for whatever reason chose or failed to return the police attempt to contact him.

Maybe he realized that when he told his side of the story i.e. that he was weaving in and out of traffic/parked cars hitting mirrors that he could be charged with a crime.

Also according to the facts presented in the article the woman in question was temporarily detained by the police, presumably questioned and they being satisfied with her answers released without charging her with a crime.

So it falls back on the cyclist for not returning the police call.

So it falls back on the cyclist for not returning the police call.

Bu bu but us Cyclists are perfect and cars are the ones that aren't suppose to be on the road. How could a cyclist be at fault???

In Wisconsin if you feel you need to resort to violence you better be prepared to shotgun a six pack and pull out your fisticuffs.

Open carry is legal in WI, but a weapon in a vehicle as well as a bicycle must be unloaded and cased. Of course we don't even get a gun out until we've shotgunned a six pack.

MMMMMMM a thigh holster under her skirt sounds about right

I like the way this guy thinks. :D



In Vermont you don't need a permit to carry concealed or otherwise. And they have one of the lowest rates of gun crime. And to the south, Massachusetts, with its ultra-strict gun licensing law....Oh never mind. :innocent:


Seriously, it sounds like this cyclist saw the butt of the gun in the woman's purse, decided to make an issue out of it, then had second thoughts about it. If he was riding around, deliberately striking the mirrors of cars, he could have been charged with vandalism.

And they have one of the lowest rates of gun crime. And to the south, Massachusetts, with its ultra-strict gun licensing law....Oh never mind. :innocent:


Look at Switzerland

Switzerland has mandatory gun ownership and they must keep a Sig 550 in the house. My guess is people don't feel so easy breaking into a house knowing there is a fully automatic weapon (Swiss version of the M16) is waiting on the other side.

Switzerland is also very low in violence and when was the last time they were invaded? And then invaded succesfully?

But you're probably right about the cyclist just saw the butt of the gun.

Switzerland is also very low in violence and when was the last time they were invaded? And then invaded succesfully?



The last time Switzerland was invaded was by Napoleon, who was successful.

But the lack of them being invaded has little to do with their militia, and everything to do with their neutrality and the fact that they aren't a convenient invasion route to France. Give Belgium a Swiss-style militia and they will still be quickly overrun by the Germans in WWI and WWII.

In Texas it's illegal NOT to carry a gun.

In Wyoming, the law requires you to shoot at Deer Crossing signs before the hunting season opens, to make sure you can recognize the shape of a deer (versus an antelope or elk,which have their own signs), and that your scope is properly adjusted. This law only applies to hunters under age 21, or those over 21 who plan to drink before they hunt.

What sort of idiot would keep a firearm in their purse such that they'd need to remove it to get to their cell phone? How would that work out in a store...

I think this happened in a Tarantino movie.

When a device requires that you hold it next to your head to be used, knowing that you're holding either a cell phone or a hand gun would be very helpful.