ATF seizure attempt

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WOW!!! Mr. Fed doesn’t like the treatment he and other officers give to normal citizens.

No sympathy.

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Something doesn’t smell right here. I have a hard time believing Mr. Fed didn’t do something to deserve the treatment he received. In 99.97% of the cases, police just don’t rough up people for no reason.

I also have a problem with the ATF in civilian garb. And the ATF enacting a confiscation without the knowledge of the local jurisdiction. Kudos to the homeowner for not opening the door and contacting local authorities.

When the truth comes out, CMPD will be exonerated.

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It would appear at first blush that the PD Officers were told that someone was impersonating a Federal Agent and they responded accordingly (assuming the individual had a firearm). That the Fed argued with them and (More than probably if my experience is any indicator) got a bit huffy and put out. That the Fed didn’t realize the PD were serious and just comply was entirely his fault, that he resisted the handcuffing (because he failed to comply) was also his fault. I’m also quite certian that he did not go willingly into that squad car if he had to be “pulled” in.

The real question is, did the homeowner end up being found in violation for possessing a firearm that he wasn’t allowed to own.

I have had very pleasant encounters with Federal Agents and more than a few not so pleasant ones, Fed’s seem to get just a bit more “Tude” when they are questioned by local LEO. What is really funny is when one pair of Fed’s run into two other Fed’s in the house they came to investigate/question. That is a story for a camp fire and scotch.

Cheers,

Craig6

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What are they supposed to wear?

I would suggest a nice orange jump suit for this one, and for any of the others that have similar inclinations… :upside_down_face:

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Hey Kevin, in my opinion … how about a uniform? If you’re going to be serving a warrant or confiscating firearms, first and foremost you should be identifiable. A uniform with a big old badge affixed to the front. There’s no way I would yield my firearm to a guy in a polo shirt with an ID tag dangling on a lanyard.

The feds work for us, We The People. When they encroach on private property and threaten our Second Amendment rights, I think it’s only reasonable they are identifiable. I think it’s only reasonable they notify the local Sheriff.

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Civilian clothing… the FBI wears suits… US Marshals wear suits… or jeans and sports jackets…

They wear uniforms if they are the uniformed service… like the Secret Service… some are in suits… and some or uniformed.

If you are serving a warrant… you do not need to be dressed in SWAT gear.

Two issues here. One being according to the story, the individual was not legally allowed to have the firearm that was alleged to be in his possession. The second being, he had an ID on a cord around his neck… ID, badge, or some other identification… according to the story, which may not be totally accurate, when the ATF agent knocked on the door, the individual inside did not even answer the door or ask who it was… they immediately called 911.

I am not a fan of federal agents, but before I condemn one for their actions, I think it important to know the complete story… and the idea they all run around in uniforms… are we going to demand detectives on the police force and Sheriff’s Department stop wearing suits and wear uniforms?

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Sad for the Agent. Good for the resident. Sounds like a good call on his part. But I do not understand the cops treatment of the Agent.

Consider, the accusation was the individual in the house was not legally allowed to have the firearm he allegedly had.
Not sure it was a good call … as that suggests a drug dealer who has federal agents at their door can call the local police…

Not enough details in the story to actually know… was the individual actually illegally in possession of a firearm they were not to have? was the ATF agent serving a valid warrant… did the individual in the house answer the door or just look out and see an ATF agent … with his identification on display… and refuse to answer the door and call 911 with a false story …

Not enough information.

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The World May Never Know.

Kevin, you said it best … not enough information! I automatically lean on the side of the local authorities … police and sheriffs. At the bare minimum, they should have been made aware that a confiscation was about to take place. It would have ended much better for Mr. Fed. Good posts sir!

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Agree. Not enough info. Blue on Blue incidents occur from time to time, mostly due to lack of communication or miscommunication. Having been a fed for 27 years, including working on task forces with BATF, I can see a scenario like this. The homeowner buys a gun having completed a NICS check. Follow up finds a disqualifying item…any one of the questions on the 4473. The matter lands on the desk of either a Special Agent-gun toter, or an Investigator from the regulatory side, Industry Operations. The Agent/Investigator decides to tackle the issue head on and by himself, visits the homeowner’s residence to try to establish some rapport and talk the homeowner into surrendering the weapon on a receipt for disposition. Maybe he has an administrative seizure order in hand, but definitely not a criminal search and seizure warrant. The Agent/Investigator wears some official ID on a neck chain. The Homeowner is able to read this because per the story, he calls 911 and reports the “badge number.” Who knows what the homeowner told the police dispatcher. There Mr Murphy and misinformation comes in. The cops show up expecting to find a crazy person impersonating an officer, or maybe just a crazy person pounding on the door. Not enough info again. The cops treat the unsub as potentially dangerous and restrain and detain for their safety and his. What happened after the agent/investigator was released. Did he consult his supervisor, write a report, did management reach out to PD management to straighten out the situation? Sounds to me like the agent/investigator did not get a resolution to his satisfaction and filed an individual court action. Perhaps his bosses did not appreciate that and placed him in an unarmed administrative role. Again way too little info. At any rate, poop happens.

As to uniforms, Special Agents don’t have them. We did haves “raid jackets” not politically correct today, but items of clothing with distinctive identifying markings, like “Federal Agent”/ “Police”, FBI, ATF, HHS OIG, etc. We even wore BDU’s and tactical rigs for warrant roundups and high threat situations. Most of the time it was civvies, whatever was appropriate for the environment. We had second badges to wear on the belt near our weapons, or on a neck lanyard.

At any rate, having been there and done that, I am a little sad that some would take glee at this fellow’s predicament, but also sadly understand that people do and say what they do. Luckily no one was killed in this situation. As in USCCA training, always comply with the commands of authorities, particularly if they are aiming lethal weapons at you. You can always try to resolve things, in court for example, after the fact and live to tell about it.

And so it goes…

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Great post sir!

I agree… local Sheriffs… and then local police… but I have good ones mostly around here…but the police departments are sometimes questionable.

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Just a couple of questions. 1st is it wrong to call 911 for info &/or leo to show up. 2nd do all these folks have cards ( business cards for lack of better word ). I’m also not a trusting soul.

I got a 0 dark 30 cop knock one night by 2 Secret Service agents because I had called the Secret Service office to ask if a certain individual was a Secret Service agent. The man in question went into a friend of mines store in street clothes driving his own personal car. Flashed a badge and told him he needed to see all of his cc receipts for the day. Then walked out with them. When my friend said he needed those, the guy turned and asked him " Are you interfering with a Federal Investigation. So as guy was leaving my friend got his tag # and called me.

I used to be a Workman’s Comp. Investigator for a pretty big Insurance Company.

So these 2 Secret Service Agents start hectoring me over how I know so much about this guy and that he is Secret Service. I asked them is this how you want to have this conversation? They looked at each other and said what do you mean. I said like an interrogation? If so go get a warrant I will see you after I have gotten my attorney and shut the door.

A few seconds later they knock again, and this time are more courteous. I invite them in, get them some coffee, and explain everything their fellow agent had done wrong and how I found out everything about him. Brought them my file on him. Now he was supposed to be working undercover but decided to use his own car because it was more fun.

As they were leaving, I told them my friend expects all those CC receipts back by close of business today. He got them to except for the one the Secret Service needed.

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If the homeowner truly believed he was at risk, then 911 is appropriate. If not sure, then non emergency number and ask for a uniformed officer. The government does not require its employees to carry business cards, nor to leave one at every encounter. Many do. I bought my own. On the other hand, all LEO’s unless working undercover, carry credentials and most but not all also have badges. From the original story, the writer actually saw the agent’s badge including the number. As an aside about cards, I was once a defendant in a law suit involving a vehicle seizure along with others. The plantiff was a deputy sheriff who had bought a non compliant grey market car and got my name from my business card that he saw on the desk of a sheriff’s investigator who was working with our task force. The case was removed to Federal court, the government substituted for the individual defendants; the government prevailed in forfeiting the car and the deputy’s complaint was dismissed.

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Paul1, I am not sure. The Columbus LEO’s have 2 recent examples of what will likely be charged as murders. One of the victims was a CHL holder.
They need to clean up their act. I’m a huge supporter of LEOs, but they need to police their ranks better.

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