What Do You Do If the ATF Comes Knocking at Your Door?

True. True. My cousin is a fed. He has some interesting stories….

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That too!

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My point in all this is don’t be confrontational. A simple “I want to speak to my lawyer first”, should send them packing. If they have a warrant you will see it. If they don’t they have to back off and you have said nothing confrontational. There is nothing recorded except your courteous request for counsel. Save the tape!

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Except I believe, if they want in the house they are getting in the house. All they have to do is espouse probable cause! They smell, see or heard something! “Sir, step AWAY from the door”, too many movies, more like too much Brandon!
As soon as you disagree, you’ve become confrontational and obstructive!

I do respect and admire the work of law enforcement, but things have changed. As soon as I mention lawyer, they will feel I have something to hide! That’s attitude enough for some with the God complex with a little Napoleon thrown in for good measure!

My EX son-in-law is a cop with an extreme God complex, only he can save you. Furthermore, from his lips, cops can do whatever they want in the moment! They can explain away everything later! The average citizen has no say, when a cop says “step aside”. You either move or be moved!

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Very true. My relative that is a retired officer related one incident where he was trying to clear an area wheere the police were going to set-up a prostitution sting - they did not want observers while they were staging it. One man refused to leave. He told the guy that if he did not leave, he would arrest him. The man asked for what? He replied, I will find something when we get to the station. The man left. He realized that he was serious.

My relative mentioned that there are so many laws that he was bound to find something to charge him with, if he needed to. He then spouted off some arcane laws as examples. One other point to mention, this was a high crime area, so the guy was likely accustomed to dealing with police.

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For another perspective on ATF morality:

FOPA 1986 Violation?

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I like to think that my response to the statement “We can get a warrant if we have to” would some something like “Why don’t you go ahead and get that warrant? Then I’ll be happy to cooperate. That way we’ll both have a nice official paper trail to reference in the event of any future prosecution, litigation, or other legal proceedings. Everybody wins.”

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Oh, sorry. While you were out getting a warrant, I had a boating accident…

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Answer the door with your smartphone’s video camera turned on and being held by a spouse, roommate, child, neighbor, etc. Then ask and record answers to the following (and later post it on Youtube):

  1. What are you looking for?
  2. Why are there more than __ of you, armed and wearing body armor? You are scaring me.
  3. May I inspect and have a copy of the papers you are referring to in your visit to me today?
  4. Am I under arrest? What am I suspected of doing that warrants the ATF’s attention and a personal visit?
  5. How do I know you are with the ATF? I’d like to call the local ATF office to verify your claims of identity. May I do so without first consenting to a search or allowing you to enter my house?
  6. Do you have a warrant? If no, why not?
  7. If I refuse to allow you to enter and search my house, do you intend to return with a warrant? What are the consequences for me if I refuse to answer questions or consent to a search of my house, person, etc?
  8. I wish to exercise my 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination and consult with my attorney first before I continue to speak with you. May I leave your presence to do so, so that I may have a confidential communication with my lawyer?
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Nah that makes you a rancher or a cattle rustler

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I ordered three boxes of straws, now that is a true straw purchase!

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Only in California

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Can you even purchase straws in Cali now? You should be required to show that you properly disposed of those straws in a manner that won’t hurt sea life!

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Only if they were plastic… :sunglasses:

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Actually, a few weeks back there was a pounding on my door at around zero dark thirty. I managed a “Whaa?” and somebody yelled back “AlcoholTobaccoandFirearms.” By that time, I was thinking a little more clearly and yelled back “I didn’t order anything…”

In all seriousness, though, if they’re coming for you, they’re not going to pause and politely knock…

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For you youngsters out there, that is Shelley Fabares talking to Paul Peterson on the Donna Reed Show before she became the girlfriend on Coach. OK, a bunch of you will have to look up Coach, too. Oh, well.

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You just reminded me of my age. :neutral_face:

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I guess I am not as old as I assumed I was… :sunglasses:

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