Yesterday we spotlighted a story about a Florida family driving through Maryland and mysteriously being targeted for a police stop. They were questioned about owning a gun, detained, searched, their car contents emptied – searched, and after approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours of detention during the search they were released.
Obviously for the driver, John Filippidis, and his family, this was alarming. What would prompt the Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MTAP) to randomly select their vehicle?
Because the first question to Mr. Filippidis was about his gun ownership, and the police search for the gun was based on his gun ownership, the Florida CCW permit that Filippidis holds was identified as the most likely impetus for the stop, questioning and search. [His firearm was locked in a safe in his Florida home]
This strikes us as highly alarming – so we contacted MTAP and we immediately filed public records requests to research what took place.
However, our interest has also spurred numerous contacts, tips and directions to help understand what’s going on. We now know where else to look to find out what exactly is going on. Mr. Filippidis’ experience is merely the tip of the iceberg.
What is written below explains how the family was targeted; why the family was targeted; and what intentions were behind the MTAP engagement. (more…)