Off duty handgun

[Alael]

Hi, I'm a french cop (border police) and I've heard that US policemen are allowed to carry a weapon even they are "off duty".
In France we are allowed to take our handgun (the one the administration lends to us) at home, but we are not allowed to carry it off duty, nor carry a personnal weapon (like a back-up gun) neither on duty nor off duty.

How is this in the USA?

And if someone attacks a policeman "just" to steal his weapon, are the US policeman allowed by US laws to shoot at him?...In France if the attacker doesn't show his will to kill the cop, but just to steal the weapon, we are not allowed by french laws to shoot at him.

I'm discussing with others french cops about an female colleague who was attacked this week when she coming back her home after her duty with her handgun at her side, the attacker rob her gun and ran away.
Lot of my colleague think that we should not take our weapon at home but in the safe at the office. I think that the problem is not to take our handgun at home, but it's because bad guys in France don't fear to attack policemen because our laws "protect" them.

[Ranger__101]

In the US a bill was passed called HR 218 and you can search on line for the full text of the bill. It basically allows all recognised Law Enforcement Officeres to carry a firearm off duty. There are a few exemptions and exceptions as with any law but in general all LEO's are able to carry off duty.

As for protecting ourselves lethal force can be authorized on the fact that we can not be sure that once the person would gain access to our firearm that we would not be in danger.

Just think of it.. You are going home and some one takes your weapon from you. What are you going to do if they attempt to use your weapon on you? At that point you don't have any way to defend yourself so it's imparative to defend yourself before any problems can arrise.

[valycop]

Alael if someone tries to disarm me I have to believe first and foremost that the person is going to use the pistol against me. I can't stop and say "are you just going to steal my pistol?" As far as carrying backup weapons it depends on each individual agency as to whether they allow their officers to carry a backup gun. My own agency allows backup pistols to be carried by narcotics officers, but the regular patrolman can not.

[samseed101]

As stated before, we can carry off duty. I use a Glock 22 on duty and carry my personal Glock 27 off duty. They both fire 40 cal.

As far as deadly force... If someone is attempting to obtain my weapon, then it is easy to articulate that the person is going to use it against me, thus deadly force is indeed authorized here. I am going home at the end of my shift. I'm not going to risk my life based on an assumption that he will not kill me once he disarms me and takes custody of my loaded weapon.

[Alael]

Thank you for your answers, you are lucky in the USA that the laws side Police, here I have sometime the feeling that it's the opposite, journalists always point at Police when a colleague have to shoot a bad guy, and they give lots of explaination even excuses to peoples who try to kill a cop...And a policeman who use his weapon always have more troubles than bad guys who often aren't punished very severely.
For exemple 1st of feb. 05: near Paris, a guy of 18 years old tryed to run over a cop with a car, and lightly wounded him, this was punished of 8 months defferred sentence, and nullification of his driving licence (it was his first time, so the judge was kind with him)... :mad:

Some politicians here even had talk about disarming Police, like the Bobbies. I wonder if these ones even could put a target in our back with the words "free to shoot" on, and these same peoples talk about not to follow example on the USA.

Here, a child under 10 years old never goes to jail even he murders someone.

[fatboyjim154]

British police will be armed sooner or later. Sadly it's just a matter of another one of us getting shot to push it that way.

Now that we have more protection given by the health and saftey laws.
In theory an officer could sue the job or government for failing to provide him/her with adequate protective and defensive equipement.

[chewy]

Hi, I'm a french cop (border police) and I've heard that US policemen are allowed to carry a weapon even they are "off duty".
In France we are allowed to take our handgun (the one the administration lends to us) at home, but we are not allowed to carry it off duty, nor carry a personnal weapon (like a back-up gun) neither on duty nor off duty.

How is this in the USA?

And if someone attacks a policeman "just" to steal his weapon, are the US policeman allowed by US laws to shoot at him?...In France if the attacker doesn't show his will to kill the cop, but just to steal the weapon, we are not allowed by french laws to shoot at him.

I'm discussing with others french cops about an female colleague who was attacked this week when she coming back her home after her duty with her handgun at her side, the attacker rob her gun and ran away.
Lot of my colleague think that we should not take our weapon at home but in the safe at the office. I think that the problem is not to take our handgun at home, but it's because bad guys in France don't fear to attack policemen because our laws "protect" them.

Yes, we are. even us "Border Police" are allowed to carry our issued weapons off duty. You should come work for us

[Deputy Joe]

In France if the attacker doesn't show his will to kill the cop, but just to steal the weapon, we are not allowed by french laws to shoot at him.

If someone takes your gun, what it the appropriate action? Retreat?

[207]

bad guys in France don't fear to attack policemen because our laws "protect" them.

That's one of the problems that's in need of a change.
My agency, a university PD, issues the Glock 23 as the duty weapon and I'm also issued a department Glock 27 as a back up / undercover / off-duty weapon. Currently the only weapons that are required to be kept at the PD are the AR-15's but, I have one of my own at home anyway.

female colleague who was attacked this week when she coming back her home after her duty with her handgun at her side, the attacker rob her gun and ran away
What type of holster are you issued?? By this statement there appears to be an issue with either firearm retention by the holster, the officer, or both.

[tpd_six]

That is absolutely ridiculous, how are you supposed to know what they plan on doing once they have your weapon? My state passed a recent law making it a first degree felony to even attempt to disarm a peace officer, and yes, deadly force is justified.

Officers in the U.S. have pretty much always been able to carry off duty in their own state. The new law allows us to carry nationwide. Most of the guns in my department are privately owned and not issued. Our rifles and shotguns stay in our cars, which are also taken him with us.

[ChesCopPodz]

My theory is that if he's dead, he can't explain that he didn't want to hurt you, but only take your gun

[txinvestigator1]

Hi, I'm a french cop (border police) and I've heard that US policemen are allowed to carry a weapon even they are "off duty".

psst. In the US, many states even allow non-police officers to carry concealed handguns. :eek: :D

[P01IC3M4N]

in Texas, we have a law against even trying to take a weapon from a peace officer; and that includes all weapons, not just firearms.

i carry a variety of different weapons off duty. i carry 5 firearms at work. also in Texas, it is perfectly legal for any citizen to carry a shotgun or rifle. you only have to have a special permit for a concealed weapon, but police are exempt from all weapons laws.

[Alael]

wow,..... here all citizens who want to have a personnal handgun, and even policeman, are allowed to have it just for sport purpose. And if it is used in self protection, the authorisation will be nullified and the keepeer can't possed handgun anymore.
Someone who wants to have a handgun for sport shooting (even policemen, I had to do it too) have to go to a shooting club at least 6 mounth before having to ability to ask an authorisation, and also have to bring to police a medical certificate which testifies that tha person is able to practise shooting, to testifie that he has a vault to put the handgun he wants to buy in and hope that his request is not rejected.
And once he has his handgun he have to go shooting every 2 mounths, if not he isn'tallowed to keep hi weapon and have 2 month to sell it to a gunshop or a person who have an auhtorisation to buy and to keep handguns, or give it to an special gunsmith to be destroyed.
Before 1939 in France people was able to buy and to carry gun like in the USA, but in 1939 a government fear that people get insurrected because of thei politic so their change laws to prohibit firearms, and when nazis came on France in 1940, people who wanted to resist were already disarmed by french government 1 and half years before.

Here some politicians want to make people to believe that violence is caused by firearms, and they want to prohibit all firearms legally kept by citizens, the outlaws who illegally have AK automatic rifle won't be annoyed by these laws...

[steelcityk9cop]

wow,..... here all citizens who want to have a personnal handgun, and even policeman, are allowed to have it just for sport purpose. And if it is used in self protection, the authorisation will be nullified and the keepeer can't possed handgun anymore.
Someone who wants to have a handgun for sport shooting (even policemen, I had to do it too) have to go to a shooting club at least 6 mounth before having to ability to ask an authorisation, and also have to bring to police a medical certificate which testifies that tha person is able to practise shooting, to testifie that he has a vault to put the handgun he wants to buy in and hope that his request is not rejected.
And once he has his handgun he have to go shooting every 2 mounths, if not he isn'tallowed to keep hi weapon and have 2 month to sell it to a gunshop or a person who have an auhtorisation to buy and to keep handguns, or give it to an special gunsmith to be destroyed.
Before 1939 in France people was able to buy and to carry gun like in the USA, but in 1939 a government fear that people get insurrected because of thei politic so their change laws to prohibit firearms, and when nazis came on France in 1940, people who wanted to resist were already disarmed by french government 1 and half years before.

Here some politicians want to make people to believe that violence is caused by firearms, and they want to prohibit all firearms legally kept by citizens, the outlaws who illegally have AK automatic rifle won't be annoyed by these laws...

God bless the second ammendment!