TCA § 36-3-620 — Seizure of weapons in possession of alleged domestic abuser
AI-assisted research summary: Law enforcement officers must seize certain weapons in domestic abuse cases and may seize others in limited arrest-related situations.
If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a criminal offense involving domestic abuse against a victim, as defined in § 36-3-601, has occurred, the officer shall seize all weapons that are alleged to have been used by the abuser or threatened to be used by the abuser in the commission of a crime. Incident to an arrest for a crime involving domestic abuse against a victim, as defined in § 36-3-601, a law enforcement officer may seize a weapon that is in plain view of the officer or discovered pursuant to a consensual search, if necessary for the protection of the officer or other persons; provided, that a law enforcement officer is not required to remove a weapon such officer believes is needed by the victim for self defense. The provisions of § 39-17-1317, relative to the disposition of confiscated weapons, shall govern all weapons seized pursuant to this section that were used or threatened to be used by the abuser to commit the crime; provided, that if multiple weapons are seized, the court shall have the authority to confiscate only the weapon or weapons actually used or threatened to be used by the abuser to commit the crime. All other weapons seized shall be returned upon disposition of the case. Also, the officer shall append an inventory of all seized weapons to the domestic abuse report that the officer files with the officer's supervisor pursuant to § 36-3-619(e). The officer's supervisor shall include the appended information on seized weapons in the compilation of data that the officer's supervisor forwards to the administrative director of the courts pursuant to § 36-3-619(f).