Right EditionA year ago this New Year’s Eve, John Filippidis of Florida was driving south with his family on Interstate 95 when the Maryland Transportation Authority Police pulled over his black Ford Expedition and proceeded to raid it while his twins, wife and daughter looked on — separated in the back seats of different police cruisers.
The officers were searching for Mr. Filippidis‘ Florida-licensed, palm-size Kel-Tec .38 semi-automatic handgun, which he left at home locked in his safe. (Maryland does not recognize handgun permits issued by other states.)
When the search turned up nothing, Mr. Filippidis, 51, was allowed to go and was issued only a speeding warning.
The incident gained national attention. Mr. Filippidis went on multiple radio programs and described in detail how scared and outraged he and his family were. He wondered: How did the police know he was licensed for concealed carry, and what right did they have to search through his personal items on the side of the busy interstate filled with holiday travelers on that 10-degree day?
“My wife’s hysterical, shaking and crying,” Mr. Filippidis recalled in an interview with The Washington Times. “I don’t have a criminal record. I own a business. I’m a family man, and I tried to explain that to [the officer]. But he had a bad attitude, didn’t want to hear my story. He just wanted to find that gun and take me away from my family. That was his goal, but he couldn’t do it, because I didn’t have a gun, like I told him.”
Mr. Filippidis‘ case earned the support of Second Amendment advocates and subsequent apologies from the MDTA. But an internal police review concluded his stop and search were lawful and did not violate police protocols.
Those findings, however, have not satisfied other out-of-state gun owners, who worry that they, too, have been targeted for minor traffic stops in Maryland because they have concealed weapons permits. Their stories are accumulating.
John Tonnesen IV of Lake Worth, Florida, was pulled over and arrested after a search of his work truck — by the same officer who stopped Mr. Filippidis — turned up his .45-caliber Ruger, licensed in the state of Florida. He doesn’t believe the stop was coincidental.
“It was unloaded and stuffed into a bag far from me,” Mr. Tonnesen told The Times. “There’s scanners in Maryland that scan every tag, and Florida is one of their target vehicles. They’ll find whatever reason they can to pull you over.”
MDTA denies it targets out-of-state gun owners and noted the review of Mr. Fillipides earlier traffic stop concluded the officers did nothing wrong.
“The MDTA Police conducted a review of the traffic stop and have concluded that the stop and subsequent search of the vehicle were justified,” spokesman Jonathan Green wrote in an emailed statement. “The investigation did not reveal any violations of law or agency policy.”
The officer who stopped both gun owners is “assigned to the I-95 corridor where there is a large volume of out of state travelers,” Mr. Green said.
Baltimore-based criminal defense lawyer Paul Kramer says these type of stops and searches happen far too often in Maryland and are a waste of taxpayer money. Mr. Kramer represented a Pennsylvania security officer who was pulled over in the state for speeding. The Maryland officer asked Mr. Kramer’s client whether he had a gun in the car, and once the man acknowledged he did, the officer arrested him for having the gun and the cartridge in the same locked container — not separated, as per Maryland law.
“You think that Maryland would honor legitimate people with guns rather than charging people who are legitimately carrying but doing it incorrectly,” said Mr. Kramer, who was former deputy U.S. attorney for Maryland. “I would think that the police would want to take the time to go after those people who don’t have a legitimate right to have a gun rather than locking up people who have a valid license.
“An otherwise law-abiding citizen can get arrested here. It’s just a waste of officer time and resources. The police should let those people go,” he said.
http://rightedition.com/2014/12/31/gun-owners-fear-maryland-cops-target-traffic-stops/
“How did the police know he was licensed for concealed carry, and what right did they have to search through his personal items on the side of the busy interstate filled with holiday travelers on that 10-degree day?”
Seriously? How did they know?
YOU filled out the paperwork, YOU registered the firearm (with the so-called’ government’), YOU applied for & received the conceal-carry permit (AGAIN, with the so-called ‘government’), and you wonder how they KNEW?
TURN OFF THE T.V., IDIOT!!!
Yep. It ain’t rocket science.
Agreed. LOL
and when your tag is scanned it most likely advises that the guy is a gun owner. We have the tag scanners here in South Oz and I was able to see the data onscreen that they got from scanning my tags and it was extensive. It even classified me a dangerous drug user because of a 25 year old marijuana charge (which is now not a crime here I might add) and every person who might be driving the vehicle.
Some people are too stupid to be believed, uL.
Why would anyone think all these agencies AREN’T tied together?
Over a decade ago the Australian Federal Government built a new data processing centre for the tax office, immigration dept, social security, and a few other big federal agencies(all with separate computer systems). When asked about the problem of privacy and government oversight a spokesman said without a hint of guile that it would be impossible to connect all of the different computer systems together and for that reason data could not be shared between departments.
Yeah, I’d have bought THAT for a nickel.
So I’m an idiot because I have a concealed carry permit and have purchased guns via the “system”?
I was fully aware that doing the aforementioned would put me on a list. If one doesn’t realize their CC permit puts them on a list, they’re a fool. Quite frankly, I don’t give a shit. Governments should fear their people rather than people fear their governments. When they come for my stuff, my response will be newsworthy.
If one thinks they’re posting on these forums anonymously and can’t be found, they too are a fool.
Have trouble understanding plain English, do you? Kindly point out exactly WHERE in my comment I stated he was an idiot for doing so.
I PLAINLY stated he was an idiot for wondering HOW they KNEW.
Kindly wait until the hangover is gone before replying to me again, would you?
Ah yes, I love guys like you.
Learn to properly present a cogent statement and maybe your rants won’t be taken out of the context you intended.
Attacking me for asking you a question only highlights the type of person you are. Then again, you’re #1.
wow…seriously?
You’re obviously illiterate. There is no way anyone with a complete command of the English language could possibly misconstrue the meaning OR intent of my comment. You just came here to make trouble, didn’t you.
And if you think that was an attack, you have no clue how easy I let you off.
I went to a parochial school, NOT public, in the 50’s & 60’s, BEFORE they became full-blown indoctrination centers. I actually received an excellent education. My eighth grade test results revealed I had a 3rd year college level in spelling and reading comprehension. So it looks like you stuck your foot in that big mouth of yours, making baseless accusations. You’re the one with the reading comprehension problem not me, moron.
I’ve been posting here for over 2 1/2 years on a daily basis. I post articles to keep patriots informed about the latest criminal activity being fomented by the NWO. I have NEVER posted as anything other than # 1 NWO Hatr. The other long-time posters (and some newer ones) shortened my user name to # 1, as an expression of camaraderie, so if you have a problem with that, then you obviously have a problem with my friends as well.
Take your sour grapes somewhere else, little troll.
We are NOT amused.
Nice revision, but my answer’s still the same.
“If one thinks they’re posting on these forums anonymously and can’t be found, they too are a fool.”
As if we don’t Know and have discussed that… ROFLMFAO
Tell me, what does CPbu stand for (it certainly isn’t your “given Name”)? Seems, like many of us, you also choose to post “anonymously.” You’re new here. Word for the wise…Don’t come on the site and talk down to us (esp. those of us who have been here from its early days [much less those of us who have been here from its inception]).
Registration leads to confiscation. Why would you believe your enemies when they say it’s not true? The problem is, most people are so blind they can’t recognize when they’re under attack.
Well, I predict that the fuzz in NY, Connecticut. Maryland and other commie states will have a change of heart when they try to seize guns and a few of the fuzz get the feedback from a few folks who say NO. .
Proof is in NYC when the two cops got ambushed and the rest of the force decided to tone down their arrests by some 70%.
Trouble is the pieces of shit in charge just think they can spout orders and don’t have a clue of the feedback of disgruntled folks.
“Proof is in NYC when the two cops got ambushed…”
The real question is… by whom?
They “think” they have a clue based on what their superiors and DHS tell them in their weekly classroom training. Their superiors make them feel like they have special knowledge or training that us ordinary folk don’t have and a majority of them eat it up like a bunch of dummies and believe everything they tell them. Then when someone goes to challenge them on the streets or show them otherwise, they go into denial mode, pretend that you are the stupid one and make up a law to save face.
That’s why they are called pigs. They’re pathetic.
I think gun confiscation will go far easier in the northern states than the southern states. Many if not most of the northern states are completely run by socialist/communist/Marxist asswipes. Please, correct me if I am wrong.
If they wish to seize guns from those of us living in the southern states, I don’t see it ending so well for those attempting to do so. I’m sure many midwestern and mountain states fall into the same category as the southern states. The pacific states fall into the same category as the northern states and will capitulate just as the northern states will.
Rev War II is coming. It’s inevitable.