Be careful when you leave America
A Pennsylvania corrections officer who says he was the victim of a car accident in New Jersey ended up facing charges himself when he told police he had a handgun.
Raymond Hughes told The Associated Press on Friday that he and his wife were on their way home from a concert and dinner in Atlantic City last month when the crash occurred in Glassboro.
He told police he had a handgun under his seat, and officers secured his personal 9mm Glock handgun while he went to the hospital, he said. But days later, he was charged with not having a New Jersey permit despite having a license to carry in neighboring Pennsylvania.
“I’m one of the good guys,” Hughes said. “Now they’re trying to make me one of the people I protect society from.”
February 22nd, 2016 at 6:33 pm
“I’m one of the good guys,” Hughes said. “Now they’re trying to make me one of the people I protect society from.”
Welcome to the club, Skippy. How does it feel, now that you know what the rest of us have to deal with? Or did you think that a cop should be treated as special?
February 22nd, 2016 at 8:22 pm
What Lyle said.
February 22nd, 2016 at 8:45 pm
Something is not right here.
LEOSA (18 USC 926B) specifically states: “An individual who is a qualified law enforcement officer and who is carrying the identification required by subsection (d) may carry a concealed firearm . . . ”
So, either Pennsylvania correctional officers are not LEOs under Pennsylvania law, or he’s not a “Pennsylvania correctional officer” but an employee of a private company that houses prisoners for the state, or he was arrested because the gun was in his car and not on his person, or he ran afoul of NJ’s magazine restrictions, or (not likely at all!) the NJ police and prosecutors don’t know or care about the law.
NJ’s usual procedure when finding an out-of-state LEO who is covered by LEOSA is to hold him for several hours, jerk him around, then let him go. It’s like the NJ state sport.
We’re not getting the whole story here.
February 22nd, 2016 at 8:46 pm
I forgot to add, “or he wasn’t carrying his ID that showed him to be a CO.”
February 22nd, 2016 at 8:55 pm
1811-Correctional Officers that do not operate in a law enforcement capacity are not covered by LEOSA. This is a perfect example why it is a good example to know the law instead taking a friend or co-workers word on it.
Regardless, I believe his charges were dropped this afternoon.
Not that I would stop in Jersey for anything.
February 22nd, 2016 at 9:06 pm
Jeff in DC:
Thank you. I knew we weren’t getting the whole story.
February 22nd, 2016 at 9:10 pm
If you live in NJ call U Haul today. Escape while you still can.
February 23rd, 2016 at 6:01 am
Why these states should be boycotted.
February 23rd, 2016 at 10:30 am
Yep, “corrections officer” is not a police officer, no matter how much they wish it were true.