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LEO Near Miss: Missed gun on seat during routine traffic stop

Voluntary, non-disciplinary officer safety initiative allows law enforcement personnel to read about and anonymously share stories of close calls

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LEO Near Miss allows law enforcement personnel to read about and anonymously share stories of close calls or “near misses.”

Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss is a voluntary, non-disciplinary officer safety initiative that allows law enforcement personnel to read about and anonymously share stories of close calls or “near misses,” which provide lessons learned that can protect fellow officers in similar situations.

The following submission involves a missed gun on a seat during a routine traffic stop.

Event Summary

During a routine traffic stop, I asked the driver for his license, registration and insurance and returned to my patrol car. Upon running the driver’s license, dispatch advised me of warrants for the subject. I requested backup and waited for another officer to arrive. When cover arrived, I approached the stopped vehicle in an appropriate manner with cover and maintained good officer safety throughout the contact.

I placed the driver under arrest and searched him. The subject was then placed in a patrol car, and I proceeded to search the vehicle. During the search, I found a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum located on the seat next to the driver. Originally, neither the cover officer nor I had spotted the firearm, as we stayed back behind the B pillar between the front and back windows.

My cover officer later talked with the subject, who said he “planned on shooting the stopping officer.” Had I not waited for cover, I likely would have been shot. The cover officer and I followed appropriate safety precautions and department procedures during our approach to the car, and we were able to execute the arrest safely.

Lessons Learned

  • Maintain situational awareness and exercise appropriate officer safety tactics at all times, especially during “routine” calls where there can be a tendency to become complacent.
  • Unless exigency exists, request and wait for backup when interacting with wanted subjects.
  • As a routine practice, officers should back up (when available) officers performing traffic or pedestrian stops, even if backup has not been requested.

How to submit your near miss

Support this critical officer safety initiative by reading and sharing the near-miss stories and lessons learned that your fellow officers have shared, and consider sharing your own near-miss experiences at LEOnearmiss.org.

Established in 1970, the National Policing Institute, formerly the National Police Foundation, is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit research organization, sometimes referred to as a think-tank, focused on pursuing excellence in policing through science and innovation. Our research and applied use of research guide us as we engage directly with policing organizations and communities to provide technical assistance, training, and research and development services to enhance safety, trust, and legitimacy. To view our work, visit us at www.policinginstitute.org.
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