Have cops ever pointed a gun at you?

Question

While working as a carpet cleaner as a kid, I was behind a shopping mall at night in the van. Cops tip-toed up to the van. I heard them coming, grabbed a large wrench (thinking they were bad guys) and almost jumped out to get the drop on them. I peeked first, and the gun was so close to my head, I didn't see it at first. Then I could see down the barrel.

The cop ordered me out of the van, and he was shaking like a leaf with his 9mm jittering in his hand. (This was REALLY disturbing.) He said low and shaky, "Don't F'n move..." I said high and squeaky, "I'm not." The other cop had a shotgun.

It was a bad situation. I could have been a statistic. They marched me into the store at gunpoint to verify my story, and the crew said, "This guy with us? Never seen him before...." Cops got tense again. Then the crew started laughin.

I didn't think it was funny. Cops left without an apology even.

PS. We were all "white" racist idiot.

I understand the cop's position; the situation was circumstantially bad. Had I acted unwisely, they could have justifiably shot me. The other side is that they could have gotten therapy for "feeling bad about it" and I'd still be dead.

Moral: Don't work as a carpet cleaner at night while in college.

I understand the police side. As I said, it was a justifiable shooting.

As for taking a life, sure, absolutely devastating. Haunted forever. No one wins.

What was most scary for me was how amped the cop was.

Answer 1

Yes, my friend. You were in a bad situation. People die or get shot every week over these kinds of things. That's too bad. A cop is taking no chance. I didn't. I wouldn't expect any of them too either.

Read what J T said. He is right. As a Policeman, it is tuff to shoot a man, even when justified. You have to live with that for a lifetime. You think that would be easy? hahahaha. You simply have no clue. In the big cities, you see people toying and playing with cops? They are moron idiots. I would only say one thing and I will not elaborate. If a person mess with a policeman just to tease or harass him, he is a fool. A police Dept, can make your life a living hell on earth. Trust me when I say this.

Example. read below me, read what this jerk bonethugg writes. It is jerks like him is why Police won't take the time to mess with people anymore. He thinks he is a cool dude. he is a punk loudmouth jerk, that is all he is. He and his crone buddies and ruined any relationships with Law Enforcement. Thats too bad.

Answer 2

Yes, and rob me, and try to pick a fight with me. Then take me to jail. This happened in Albuquerque, NM. I am a mellow person, and I am anti-violence. I've also seen them beat people up several times, all homeless except for one guy who they had handcuffed his hands and feet together behind his back. They kicked the poor boys face in, and he was helpless. I get mad every time I think of it.

Then there was the cop who came into my office one time. I was a welfare caseworker at the time. He told me how funny it was when he arrested this homeless guy for loitering, and would take his ID away. Then a few days later, the guy would get out of jail. The cop would see him, ask for ID, and arrest the homeless guy again for no ID and take him back to jail. That cop thought it was really funny. I told him I didn't think that was funny, and I had work to do.

The list of abuses goes on that I have seen with my own eyes.

I have to add that I have seen good cops too, cops that listen to people's story, and try to get the facts right. Cops that don't 'go by the letter of the law', but do the right thing for the situation at hand. I don't believe in prejudice against any group because there are good and bad in every group. Nevertheless, I have seen many more bad cops than good.

Answer 3

The only thing I have to say is----unknowingly to the police you had a wrench. This could of been a gun. Had this been a gun and the police did not have theirs out the police could of been shot. The police approached the situation with caution due to the nature of the call. You never know what to expect, just think ........you had a weapon even thou your intent was not to use it on the officers. what if someones intent was to use it on them knowing they would come check on you.
Police are put in these types of postions. As for an appolgy, look at your story. They were in fear for thier lives too.

Answer 4

I once had a conversation with a cop, in which he said (almost verbatim), "I know you won't understand this . . . but if I'm in a situation and it's your life or mine, I'm going home to my wife and kids. I don't care if you're innocent."

And he's right; to this day, I do not understand that. These guys (and ladies) put on the badge and expect us to bow down to them and feel all misty for how they put their lives on the line every day. But then they get out on the street, and they'd sooner shoot you than look at you, and they think they're justified in behaving this way.

And here's the real kicker -- if you defend yourself against the aggression of a cop, even if he doesn't identify himself, you are screwed.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad encounter. It's not unusual, unfortunately. Cops are government-funded gang members.

Answer 5

When I was in high school (1970's), our whole family was a bad case of rubber-neckers. We lived in a quiet neghborhood, so our interest was piqued when search helicopters were shining their lights into our yard.

Like the common idiots we were at the time (I have graduated to being an uncommon idiot), Mom, my brother, my little sister, me, and the dog all piled into the car to follow the helicopter.

"There! There!" we shouted.."It's turning down Elm!" Mom followed our directions....it was night....the neighborhood quiet, except for multiple helicopters...sis in her p.j.'s...all of our eyes glued to the sky...

Then Mom stopped short and we all yelled, "Mom! It's going that way! Hurry!" She was quiet and we all stared at what she was staring at....a S.W.A.T. team guy on his belly with a rifle pointed in our direction....we looked up the street and saw the S.W.A.T. van....or whatever the name of the police rifle-guys was....

Heehee...that cured us. We turned the car around and went home.

Turns out, there'd been a robbery at a local theater....the burglar came to our neighborhood and shot a guy (not fatally).....

Answer 6

Why should they apologize to you for doing their jobs?

The shaking is caused by adrenalin and is uncontrollable.

As I try to caution people, NEVER argue with a man with a loaded weapon, badge or no badge. He might shoot you.

I've had similar experiences on the other end of the firearm.

The thought of taking someone else's life is far more disturbing than the thought of losing your own.

Answer 7

No...it wasn't law enforcement...but it did happen to me...and God is good...because I must have had my Angels with me that day. I managed to keep my cool, look him calmly in the face and say nice and cool like, "Look, you don't want to do this (as though I knew something he didn't)...you don't know me...and I'd reconsider, if I were you." He gave me a long hard look...and then kept moving. I had the jitters for almost two hours afterward.

I sure can relate to you! You were "tested"...to say the least. Scary, huh?

Answer 8

Dat's Pacman fo ya, alwayz quick to reach fo da gat.....they probably thought "Cops" was filming them for a new episode. U got my deepest sympathies....seriously.

Answer 9

I'm white, so I don't have to worry about the cops pointing guns at me.

Answer 10

No, I never had any kind of problems with the Police.