A Dark night of Beekeeping, Hollow Points, and the SAPS.

I see what looks like a uniform. I too put my hazards on and dip my lights and then exit my car. Quickly. (No I could not pull onto the Tar road due the traffic) I am extremely jumpy. I step to the side of my vehicle and 5 police officers approach me in an extended line one of them identifies himself by his name and that he is from SAPS. He is more to the right of the other cops. My mind is racing. I have read too many stories of fake cops. One cop has a 870, another an R5 or R6 the rest have pistols. The cop approaches me and asks if I have firearms in the car.

My alarm bells are ringing. I truly am expecting the worst. Against my will I reply that I have one on my hip. I cannot remember the exact sequence of events, I think he reached for it first. I said to him I would take it out of the holster and hand it to him. He said no he would take it. I again insisted that I would do so and he said “No!” stood behind me (My arms were partially raised) and lifted it out of the holster. Honestly I thought I was going to be shot. I twisted around to monitor him with my gun. He unloaded it and looked at the hollow points.

Without the use of expletives: Being disarmed is a really bad sinking feeling! He asked for my licence and I said to them that I was reaching for my wallet. After some digging in my wallet I found my licence and handed it to him (My reading glasses are in the vehicle) He remains behind me stooping into the beams of the headlights, so that he can try match the numbers. He declares that it is not the correct licence. I am more than scared and jumpy at this point. I ask/tell the cops that I am reaching into my pocket for my EDC torch.

I cannot remember if I hand over the torch or if I light up the licence and the pistol. After a while the officer acknowledges that the pistol matches the licence. Somehow I notice that he is displaying a lot of interest in my “Hollow Points” (Can guess what is coming……?) I am then told that the HP’s are illegal. I honestly cannot believe what I am hearing. This is the stuff that I have read about and other unfortunate souls have experienced, yet now it is happening to me! At this point psychologically I have had enough, and get an idea that perhaps the cops are perhaps who or what they say they are: SAPS on patrol. I then quite firmly explain to them that HP are not illegal for civilians, but that they are for SAPS. I add that it is quite sad as it denies SAPS the tool to deal with shootouts. After a few minutes of “Hollow points are legal/ Hollow points are illegal” I must have convinced the 5 of them as my GLOCK is handed back, slide locked back, mag out minus the chambered round.

For some reason I do not load up immediately: Prudence or stupidity? Then I am told that my OWB holster has to be in IWB holster. Again irritated but a bit more confident that I am not going to be shot I inform that the GLOCK has to be covered not concealed and that a jersey covering the holster and the GLOCK are sufficient to meet the FCA.

They accept this. I am then questioned as the retention of the holster. I demonstrate by raising and lowering the GLOCK in holster hearing the comforting sound of kydex on it. It is then agreed that the holster does retain correctly. I am then accused of being under the influence. I again state that I had told them earlier that I had consumed a beer when they had asked me.

Then I am accused of handling a firearm whilst under the influence, again I reply that I am not under the influence AND if I did handle the firearm it was under their instruction AND that I was the one who had pointed out that I had gun on my hip when they had asked about guns in my car. I emphasise that I have co-operated with them throughout. This carries on for a while and I say that if they are convinced of this they must do what they must do.

I also encourage them to contact some of the local Community Police who could confirm my story as to my identity and what I was doing at the time. After what feels like minute of silence the policeman who appeared in charge and had disarmed me said “Ok” and said I could go. Feeling relived I invited them to look at some of the honeycomb in the rear of my car (Stupid/unnecessary in hindsight.) They had a look and then seemed even more satisfied with my story.

4 of the 5 Policeman (2 Females and 3 Males) walk back to their vehicle. One of the males came back and told me that he had lost his torch. He had spotted my headlamp lying near the honey in my boot.

To be honest, I said he could take it.

So….the results for me where:
1. I was badly shaken.

2. The loss of 1 HP and the headlamp.

 I have a bit more to say on the subject since the time has elapsed, however I might say it in a different thread, suffice to say I am posting this that you may learn from it. As from my perspective it could have gone very very wrong. (No doubt my perception of the SAPS did nothing to help my cause. However I do not believe it be un-justified. However in life that is how it goes, we will always be victims of our stereotypes whether they are informed or not.) I intend to post this on other internet forums for the reasons stated above.

If the story can be told from the cops perspective.

They stopped a vehicle in an area that has presently seen lots of crime. Possibly they linked my vehicle to the farmer who owns the same vehicle. The time of night was also "dodgy hour" during a weeknight and an officer did identify himself. The way they stopped de-bussed from the vehicle and fanned out was also correct if they were in fact looking for a suspect? The officer also disarmed me, without pointing me etc. Would you let a suspect touch his hand over his own gun?

All well and good so far.

Bottom line: From my perspective is that because of MY perception of the police and the fact the general violent crime rate my nerves were strung out! Obviously the police cannot (yet) read our minds yet this would have played a massive role in my fight or flight response. Looking back two parts of the initial encounter stand out for me: When the police vehicle stopped its hazard lights came on. If it was a deception it was a good one as it gave me pause as to my next action. When I saw a figure dressed in blue after exiting the vehicle this gave me further pause as to whether this was an attack or not. From then on it was (as previously stated) my perception of the SAPS that kept my nerves taught. Except for unmarked vehicle and the ignorance of the law on the questions mentioned, the Cops did everything right. My loss of trust in the SAPS could have been fatal. This is the point of this post. Do not become a victim of your stereotypes or perception.

I nearly was.