truck camping and firearms

Good grief. This thread has morphed into some strange territory. Currently, the discussion involves your actions after you have SHOT SOMEONE TO DEATH!!!. You say NOTHING and get an attorney. You are not going to talk the police out of anything. This isn't going to end with a street officer saying "all is good, go on your way". This is going to be reviewed by the prosecuting attorney, probably referred to a grand jury and is going to require lots of sworn testimony. There will likely be a civil suit filed against you by the deceased family alleging wrongful death. No matter how silver tongued you think you are, you are in over your head. In no way will you be able to talk yourself out of the process, but you could very likely hang yourself with an off the cuff remark. An attorney is a MUST!

Man, this sure went to left field and curved into foul territory.....

OP, if you feel the need to have a firearm(s) with you at all times, maybe travelling to Baja area, (which is still Mexico), is not you best choice. JMHO......

Grit dog wrote:
^And to that I say you've never really been involved with the police when you're presumed guilty and are innocent.
The cop is not who you need to provide evidence that your innocent to.

I have not been involved with the police in such a scenario. All I can do is get the best training I can find in case I ever do.

And three of the best trainers in the business have told me that prosecutors frequently - not always, but frequently - ask the cops for their opinions, what their "gut" is telling them about you. This can become one factor in whether the prosecutor tries to charge you or not.

Given the fact that a successful defense is gonna cost me $50,000 to $100,000, money that I'm never gonna get back, what have I got to lose by trying to establish positive vibes with the responding officers? Is it really gonna hurt for them to say "It feels like a righteous shoot to me."?

^And to that I say you've never really been involved with the police when you're presumed guilty and are innocent.
The cop is not who you need to provide evidence that your innocent to. They're no more apt to believe you than the man on the moon. Not their job. At least in my experience. Cops are humans too and they form their own opinions rather quickly AND are underhanded about it. Period. Been there, done that.
Thought after 25 years with no run ins with LE, save for speeding tickets now n then, that cops were honest and after the real story.
I found out a couple years ago that that was not the case, but rather they were out to support their theory and make sure the courts could collect some good revenue, and nothing more. This was a very minor, clear cut situation that cost me 3 days off work (3 court appearances), $1500 for a lawyer and a $500 fine that was negotiated down from some trumped up amount and the "infraction" I plead to was not even related to what they charged, but it wasn't going away until I agreed to pay up somehow to pay the court system to support the other delinquents that don't pay.
BTW, this situation involved 2 different states and IF I had actually committed a violation, it would have been with the "other" state, not the one that charged me. I talked to the State Patrol in the "other" state and they supported my position and actually stated the same to the agency in the state I was charged. Didn't matter. The charging state had formed their theory and we're getting paid one way or another. My lawyer just kept it from being a total lynch mob of sorts.

Given this for such a minor violation I would never "say" anything without representation. That was my first and second mistake and everything I said was turned around by LE.

04fxsts wrote:
Now to be fair there are also some lawyers that will advise to say nothing and only ask for a lawyer.

I also trained with Mas, LFI 1 and LFI 2.

As Mas pointed out, the average lawyer has never defended an innocent man, and has no idea how to defend a self defense shooting. So I'd take stuff you see on YouTube by "lawyers" with a large grain of salt.

When the cops roll up on the scene and literally find you standing over a body with a gun in your hand, well, there are only two roles in this little drama, victim and perp. The guy on the ground is doing a VERY good imitation of a "victim" which will tend to make them assume YOU must be the perp. The last thing you want is to sound like you are saying "I ain't talking, copper, I want my mouthpiece."

By saying you want to swear out a complaint, you are shifting yourself into a third category, "complainant". And by pointing out evidence and witnesses, it really helps to make you look like an innocent person trying to co-operate with the investigation. All this helps.

By the way, the one phone call thing is a joke. You can call anyone you want, just gotta call collect usually.

Ask to use your personal cell phone. Your attorney should be on it.

spoon059 wrote:
By the way, the one phone call thing is a joke. You can call anyone you want, just gotta call collect usually.

I took my training back around the year 2000, or maybe a year or two earlier, with the man who was probably the foremost trainer in the country at the time. So it's certainly possible that things have changed somewhat since then.

But it's interesting that you can speak with absolute certainty about what's going to happen in every jurisdiction in all fifty states.

Me, I'm going to continue to assume that I'll only get one phone call and I'll make sure that call counts. If I wind up getting more calls, that's gravy.

I'm gonna say all this is a hypothetical situation and will always be for 99.9999% of people.
If you happen to be the 0.00001% and draw the short straw and sht goes sideways, you're still better being judged by 12 than carried by 6, so, whatever at that point.

Now if you're raising your chances of punching someone else's ticket vs your own, then maybe memorize whatever helps you sleep at night.
And to those that talk all about what/how/when/where they carry.......shut up already. That's kind of like announcing that you're ghey, in a biker bar, except dumber.

04fxsts wrote:
2. I am having chest pains! I think I am having a heart attack!

Just cannot agree with that, when you get to the hospital they will know if you had a heart attack or not.

Yes, they will diagnose you with a panic attack. That is understandable under the circumstances. In the meantime, it stops you from being questioned.

04fxsts wrote:
You have tied up the EMT's and an ambulance that could possibly have been needed somewhere else. I have my own five steps that I got from Mass Ayoub a well known expert in this field.
1. That person attacked me.
2. I will sign a complaint.
3. Those people were witnesses.
4. There is the weapon.
5. I am too shook up at this time to answer any other questions but will give a statement after I have spoken to an attorney.


#1 Explains why you shot the person.
#2 Helps give you credibility.

#3 Lots of people will not come foreward on their own because they just don't want to be involved.

#4 Weapons can dissapear if not secured, in some nieghborhoods a handgun won't bounce twice before someone has it in their pocket.


Now to be fair there are also some lawyers that will advise to say nothing and only ask for a lawyer. You will have had a traumatic experience and all kinds of thoughts will be going through your mind. You need time to get yourself calmed down and your thoughts together. Jim.

1. Being attacked does not necessarily mean you feared for your life.
2. If the guy is dead, you don't need a complaint.
3. If witnesses were there to begin with. And, if they are still there when the police arrive.
4. I bet the cops already have the weapon before you say a single word.
5. This is the only one of yours that I agree with, and then only because of the attorney bit at the end. The police don't give a rat's patootie if you are "shook up." They will continue to question you anyway.

You stick with your 5, I will stick with my 3. (The EMT's are coming anyway because of the guy who just got shot.)

ldsmith48 wrote:
We have been active trk camping for the past 3 years. I have always carried two firearms. We are working towards going full time this fall. Would like to go to the baha area in mexico this winter. Would like to hear from anyone as to ideas in storing the weapons while in mexico. I will NOT take them into mexico, unless there is a legal way to do it I hear of folks going down there to hunt and taking the guns with them I guess. Last fall we were denied access to Ft Campbell, because we had firearms, and no place to put them off post. Short of taking camper off truck and leaving it somewhere. I am a vietnam combat vet, and 15 years in law enforcement, Just not comfortable not having a weapon for self defense.

Simple solution
If youre not comfortable without guns,,go only where you can legaly carry those..