Often it is intent that counts. If you carry something like wasp spay or a baseball bat with the intent of possibly defending yourself then it may be deemed by the police, court, or jury that you had intent to harm someone. If you carry the same objects for some other legitimate reason, kill a wasp nest in you truck, knock on your tires to see their relative inflations and then just happen to spontaneously use them for self defense without any previous intent you are in a much better legal position. Your story matters. None of this has a universal clear result in any case. Just avoid telling people you are an aggressive paranoid with tendencies to violence. That never helps.
Take it from a former LEO. NEVER consent to a search without warrant, and never speak to a man with a badge who is asking you about an incident, without your attorney present. I know the "if you have nothing to hide" argument, but that is BS. If you are being questioned, and it is more than name, address, and DOB, and what you saw someone else do, then you need an attorney. What you think you are saying and what you are saying are two very different things. Excited utterances can be used against you, the miranda is only for officers who are questioning you, it is not for what you are volunteering. What you think you did and what you actually did are generally speaking two very different things. Don't be scared to exercise your 5th amendment rights, your attorney will prepare a statement for you. And if you are carrying a weapon, make it the most benign weapon you can find. The very first thing a prosecuting attorney is going to do is accuse you of wanting to harm someone, and that you were looking for trouble when it happened. You baseball bat that has "EQUALIZER" engraved on the side of it will be fully displayed on the evidence table. Same thing with your pearl handled, engraved pistol with Zombie Killer bullets, or a ladies pink handgun. -just saying
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Isn't it funny how those who are or have been law enforcement can spot "alfa hotels" in a crowd in mere moments AND the aforementioned "alfa hotels" know exactly when they have been spotted and by WHOM! No wonder they leave! LOL
Yes this is amazing the almost super intuition that you can gain when working with these people. And when you get to question them, it is even more amazing that you can read every line between their crazy logic. LOL, ditto, It is true that "they know they have been spotted, and they know by whom". If you don't spot it, they will often tell you if you listen.
