Did everyone miss the 'short chase' part of the article? After that, I'm sure the leo had cause to check the gun. Just my opinion, of course, but MOST times people doing nothing wrong don't get a lot of hassle from police-types. Most likely the cop checked the gun for his own safety (not knowing why these guys didn't pull over immediately) and then found the extra rounds.
I'm not saying the law isn't b.s., but there's more to this story than the number of rounds in the magazine.
Nope I did not miss the "short chase" comment; but it makes little difference to me as to the stupidity of the law itself that forbids loading of more than 7 rounds into a mag (gun) that was legally built to hold 10, 14, or 17 etc.... If the LEO did have to give true chase well that would indeed change the dynamics of the situation and in many (most?) states when a car is stopped the "detention" applies to all occupants. But it also does not give the LEO the right to go "fishing" for violations either as that is what counting of the rounds amounted too. Taking possession of the gun for officer safety is one thing, as is removing the mag and round in chamber; but counting of rounds is entirely another...
As to the comment "MOST times people doing nothing wrong don't get a lot of hassle from police-types" have you kept up with the crazy laws that "the people" in some of these states have to live under? How about the "unregistered ammo" that might land a man in jail for 1 year for 1 EMPTY (FIRED) brass cartridge and another year for an unfired but "dead" shotgun shell?
This is where my true outrage lies in the fact that this is no longer America the Land of the Free as we the people are being dumbed down to living under the restrictions of a Police State....