ruined my day of detecting

[allen]

I got up early this morning to go detecting and decided i wanted to hit the quarter corner because it is close to where i live.
I got there around 7 a.m. and i started getting decent signals and was digging the ordinary clad we all find .
At around 8:15 it was getting hot and i was thirsty and started heading towards the car to get some cold water i had in my cooler when i hear a whump, whump, whump, whump sound and here comes a large black helicopted over the tree tops and began landing about 25 feet from my car.
I was like what the heck is going on/
When the helicopter is on the ground out steps three kentucky state police troopers who started heading my way and with serious looks on their faces.
I was like hows it going today, whats going on?
They told me they had a complaint of someone possibly planting marijauna plants and asked me for an identification and wanted me to come to the helicopter for questioning.
I told them i was only metal detecting and i have permission to do so. They ran a check on my license, car registration and serached my car ( with my permission ). After finding nothing they took off without saying anything and was gone.
After that i was like real ready to go home and get a shower.
Hope you all have a better day than i did,
Allen

 

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[Evolution]

Should have asked em if you could go for a ride. Or for them to blow the siren. Dunno but our local medical chopper has freakin siren on it. It's a state law that all ambulances are equipped with a siren so this would include air ambulances too I guess. Pretty funny when they fly over and blow the thing. I guess they could move the geese out of the way though......

Heck yeah. I would have asked them with the most serious look I could muster "Can I take that thing for a spin?"

 

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[True_Metal]

It's only going to get better. Our rights are being stolen away as we speak.

Wait and see if they send you a bill.

 

[romeo-1]

Dude...you could have gotten a ride in the helicopter! I would have waited at least till you were in the air to explain yourself...helicopters rule!

 

[Jack(IN)]

I sure don't understand why these things happen. I have met many who hunt and hope to meet even more and where else could you find a person who digs a gold ring that could be sold for $$$ and they return it, where can you find someone who gives up time to help recover lost items freely We respect history, and cherish those long lost items. Just look at it from a good story to tell years from now!!

 

[Noodle]

Sounds to me like you might have been getting a little close to THEIR stash growing in the weeds .. ah, woods. Never underestimate the power/corruption of the locals.

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Ok, at the risk of getting flamed here.. they were doing their job.. they get a complaint and they have to go check it out. I'm not a cop but I would rather have them out there making their presence known then to never see them at all. Yes, quite stupid that they wasted the time, manning and fuel because someone was digging but on the other hand.. if it had been a legit bust then all the better. People scream "foul" when the cops so up in a case like this because it is a waste.. but they scream even louder when they are late getting to a real emergency or bust... that is a tough job! I don't care at all if some one wants to smoke all day.. but the crap shows up in Middle and Elem schools.. that is a problem.. ok... off my soapbox!! ;-)

Besides.. that is going to be a great story for years!!! ;-)


MonkeyBoy

 

[hollowpointred]

Ok, at the risk of getting flamed here.. they were doing their job.. they get a complaint and they have to go check it out. I'm not a cop but I would rather have them out there making their presence known then to never see them at all. Yes, quite stupid that they wasted the time, manning and fuel because someone was digging but on the other hand.. if it had been a legit bust then all the better. People scream "foul" when the cops so up in a case like this because it is a waste.. but they scream even louder when they are late getting to a real emergency or bust... that is a tough job! I don't care at all if some one wants to smoke all day.. but the crap shows up in Middle and Elem schools.. that is a problem.. ok... off my soapbox!! ;-)

Besides.. that is going to be a great story for years!!! ;-)


MonkeyBoy

i dont have a problem with them checking it out. in fact i would want them too. its the whole expensive helicopter thing that gets me. its an incredible waste of $$ and resources. they should have sent a car.

 

[Mike Moutray]

Ive noticed one man who always watches me as i go up the street towards the school ( quarter corner ) and i think hes the geezer who called on me.
I agree, they shouldve just sent a police officer or two to check it out. But they patrol this area in the helicopters all the time and may have been quicker to drop in on me.
have a good day all,
Allen

I would have told those troopers something like: " No sir! I'm just detecting... but I saw that old geezer up the street hauling a lot of potted plants and florescent lights into his house last night..."
Look at the bright side, your next trip out coudn't be any worse.... HH, Mike.

 

[eathabs]

More than likely they were probably already in the air looking for pot plots when the call came in.

 

[EDDE]

OUR HOBBY IS UNDER ATTACK,AGAIN
[foil hat]JBT alert (jack boot thug alert) [foil hat]

 

[Steve in Michigan]

Hey Allen,

Times like that you just need to laugh and keep on detecting. Don't let it spoil your day. I had the cops called on my about 5 years ago. I was out in a park and here comes two police cars flying into the park and I see them but continue to detect. Then I see them coming my way, so I stopped and said hi to them and asked what was going on. They told me someone called and said there was a guy out in the park with a large knife (my digger). I started laughing and showed them my digging tool which looks more like a trowl then a knife. I just glance over to the condos and I see an old women pointing to her husband my way. So I told the officers that it was probably her that called since it was 6:00 am and no one else was up. I talked to the officers for a few minutes and they asked me some questions about detecting and at the end I gave them my name, address and phone number and told them if they ever need any help finding anything to give me a call. I hae since seen them a couple times and they beep and wave. So it just goes to show you that some people are just ignorant. If they would have watched and seen what I was doing, they wouldn't have had to call the police and waste their time, even thou I made some new friends. So get back out there and plant your pot! HAHAAHA Just kidding! Take care!

Your Friend,

Steve in Michigan

 

[Mirage]

Wow, that would add some excitement to my day.

I probably wouldn't have been too concern if I had permission. If it was a "public" place then I might have been concerned.


Bob

 

[SgtM8411]

you should have told them "I admit it..... I was the second gunman on the grassy knoll !" lol I can top it though. When I was a young Marine stationed in Millington, TN right after the OK city bombings, I was driving through alabama with some friends when we were pulled over by 3 patrol cars (6 cops guns drawn). They shouted at us through a megaphone to place our hands outside the windows. Come to find out that a "Concerned citizen" had seen us at the gas station we stopped at and reported us as meeting the description of "JOHN DOE #2" who was timothy McVeigh's partner in the bombings. We were on base at the time and were of course able to substantiate our alibi but those southern boys had itchy trigger fingers and thought they were going to be heroes. I wanted to go back to that gas station and stomp a mudhole in that "concerned citizens" chest but I can look back and laugh about it today. It's funny how time changes your perceptions of such things. =0)
HH Mike

 

[RevJoel]

I am sorry here, but, "searched my car (with my permission)" is something I would never say or authorize. There are those that would automatically say, "what have you got to hide?". In fact most LEO's are taught to say this to put the citizen on the offensive. I tell them I have nothing to hide, but something very dear and precious to me. It's called the 4th Amendment which protects against unlawful search and seizure. Even at a "license check" if they tell me to get out of the vehicle, I lock the doors on the way out. I had one trooper threaten me with everything he could think of. I held my ground until he called his Sgt. The Sgt asked what the matter was, I explained my beliefs and he said he call the dope dogs; I told him to go right ahead, but when they found nothing I would expect an apology. Sgt looked at me, smile and told me to have a nice day.

Pax Christi
Rev. Joel+

 

[EDDE]

Allen you did nothing wrong in your actions
Well said RJ

Borrowed from * The Constitution Of The United States Of America*
http://www.midnightbeach.com/jon/US-Constitution.htm


Amendment IV (1791)
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

 

[49r Relics]

That is a horrible experience. I once had a sheriff deputy pull up to me and tell me that someone was complaining that I was urinating in public. I am out in a field detecting with no bathrooms around so you really have no defense other than your word. It really made me PO'd that he or anyone would acuse me of that. The more I talked the more he didn't believe me. I then asked for his supervisor to respond and he quickly left.

Other than that, I fully support law enforcement and was a police officer for 4 years back in the late 80's before I went on to become a firefighter. My son and daughter work in law enforcement and my father retired from that same sheriff's dept. But there are always going to be some cops who are jerks. There was one member talking on here last month who said a police officer harrassed him for having a digging tool and said it was a weapon.

HH, Mark

 

[TimC (North Alabama)]

Talk about Rambo want-a-be's, that little stunt was totally uncalled for,

 

[creeper71]

Funny this topic has come up, Yesterday there was a Helicopter hovering over a patch of woods where I live.. So I stop in at a friends garage to asked if they know what is going on..My friend informed me it was probably the drug task force... the helicopter has a device that they can use to determine if there is Marijuana growing in the thick woods.. I do think the cops went over board in your case maybe even borderline harassment..but as for the helicopter it was probably scanning the area for drugs.. Might have even found some growing near where you was at.... that could be why they questioned you...

 

[jgas]

Well, being in the LEO business. I can tell you first hand that the "Chopper" was in the air prior to getting a call on you detecting. There is no possible way they were called by some "Concerned Citizen" that you were possibly doing something illegal. So they just so happened to board a couple hundred thousand dollar whirlygig to come Rambo you and your ground penetrating dirt dig locater. Not going to happen. Chances are they were in the air doing their normal search routines for Cannibas Sativa. Rest assured they know that someone is in that area doing their own form of cultivationional farming! It is not harrassment either. They have a job to do and it sounds as if they did it. Quick stop, albeit unconventional, and they were out of there. Man oh man just think if they would have started back on that chopper without checking you out as complete as possible and as they were just lifting off you decided to pull out the gat from your car and take a few pop shots at them. There are nuts in this world, I come across them avery single day at work.

Bottom line is I would have been laughing and chalked that experience up to a great conversation peice...just as it has done right here..Good luck with future hunts and beware of the booby traps that illegals place to protect their stashes of illegal treasure. Most notably Mexican Gold, Columbian Hash stash and Sinsemelia plantings..... jgas

 

[crazyjarhead]

That would suck for sure. Sorry to hear about that... really. That would mess up anyones day. I bet you thought you were having a bad dream Makes you wonder if someone just wanted you out of there and played a lousy joke on you