A seemingly minor news story caught my eye. The headline from MyNewsLa.Com claimed “Too close to Biden: Cops Arrest Man Who Allegedly Had Gun In Car.” The headline is misleading, it suggests that this person was arrested because he had a firearm in his vehicle while being too close to the Vice President. Not true. In illegal in California to have a loaded gun in your car no matter what the circumstances, whether you’re near a high ranking government official or not.
Under California Penal Code Section 25610, a firearm can only be transported in a vehicle if:
1) The person is not lawfully prohibited from possessing a firearm and
2) The firearm is unloaded and stored in a locked container.
A “locked container” can mean the trunk of a vehicle. But it does mean the glove compartment or the center console (even if you could somehow lock that). There are slightly different rules for long guns and legal assault weapons.
Just want people to be clear that and not be misled that this person was arrested because he was too close to the Vice President (although being near a secure location with a firearm or any weapons is a very very bad indeed) this person was arrested because he allegedly was improperly transporting a firearm in his vehicle. The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney will likely be file a misdemeanor charge against him.