Ask a police officer anything!

[Artemis]

Depends how cute you are, so I'm guessing you're good

I'm in the most recent page of People Behind Characters. You be the judge :P

[Artentreri]

Eh, you did break curfew though.

Don't forget, police aren't emotionless robots. We all have things that affect us differently. Maybe the last time he let a kid skate on curfew he got in trouble over it. Think it sounds ridiculous? It happened to me. I broke up a house party and got investigated by internal affairs because of it.

Instead of being a jerk, I let the kids (who were all outside and sober, by the way) go their separate ways. No noise citations, nothing. When one of them came home 45 minutes past curfew the mom filed a complaint that I didn't do my job.

So my answer after that? Everyone gets a curfew citation now. All because of one mom and her kid I tried to cut a break to. It takes me about 5 minutes to write the cite and saves me an investigation by the rats squad.

Maybe that guy had a similar situation. Never know.

Ok...but what I'm asking is, is it police procedure to keep a kid in handcuffs for 20+ minutes while he has a seizure?

[DirrrtyJess]

Are cops nice in your state?... Cops are total toolbags down here

Got pulled over for going 1 mph over the speed limit, the cop was like

"Son, do you know how fast you were going?"

"Uhh 40?"

"Think again, 41."

*Starts playing with his weird creepy alien mustache*

He gave me a 25 dollar ticket -.-..........



Additional information: I was driving down a very steep hill, in a very heavy car, the fact that I was only 1mph over was a miracle.

Only one explanation for that.

Attachment 4747

Sorry its long.
I always wondered this....
But once at work this officer was going down a busy street, he flipped the lights and did a U turn. This girl behind him was at least 7 seconds away and when he did the U turn, he slammed on his breaks, causing her to hit the back of his car.
So I sat and watched and when she got out of the car I saw her run over there and ask if he was ok... She went to get her insurance and.was about to take pictures, then he started screaming at her to get back into her car. She started crying and then there were about 2 motorcycle cops and like 7 police cars there... THEY were taking pictures and questioning the girl. She had to be frightened, I couldnt imagine.
I walked over there and explained to an officer he flipped a U turn in the middle of the busiest street in this city nd she was at a distance.... I THOUGHT WITNESSES WERE A GOOD THING! Aparently not?? They told me to go back the way I came and that she illegaly hit a cop car... CAN THEY EVEN DO THAT?!?! She got arrested... Which is COMPLETELY ridiculous. And I called up to the department from which theyre from to explain to someone higher up... And they acted like they knew nothing of this...

Wtf would you do in that situation, I just need to be convinced that not all officers will lie and not put someone in jail to save there ***.

Couple of things - and again, I can only apply the laws I'm familiar with - if you say she was 7 seconds back AND he activated his emergency lights, it could be argued that she was following too closely.

7 seconds is a long time. If you can't come to a complete stop in 7 seconds there's a problem. In my state, the law for following too closely applies to the following vehicle, regardless of what the speed limit is. If you can't stop in a reasonable amount of time/distance then you're following too closely. There is no provision for the speed limit.

Secondly, you don't know what she got arrested for. Maybe she didn't have insurance, a valid license...maybe she had warrants, unpaid traffic tickets...the car she was driving could have had switched plates, maybe stolen...point is that you don't really know what she was arrested for. That's kind of a critical thing, you know?

If I was driving along, I get an emergency call so I activate my lights and someone 7 seconds back can't stop...I'd probably be a little miffed. I don't know about screaming, but whatever. A safe following distance increases with speed, and it's up to the other motorist to adjust that. The lead vehicle can't do much about it - police officer or not.

I dont know how to quote stuff, new to this.
But is it still right for him to not let her out of the car and go on about like its a normal wreck?
And I understand 7 seconds is a ways away... But its a 4 lane street, 5 o' clock traffic is horrendous... He didnt even make the full u turn, he dam near hit a suburban and a taxi while doing this....
I dont see why he didnt just slow down... Wait... flip his car around... Then turn his lights on?
Sometimes I feel like these police officers (not all) get stuck with writing tickets and sitting behind buildings waiting for people to screw up.... So they feel like they have to do something cool via almost hit some people then slam on their brakes to have a girl hit their car. HE DIDNT EVEN GO TO WHERE HE WAS GOING.! It obviously wasnt so important to the point he had to do all that unneccesary crap.

[maiohwmai]

Ok...but what I'm asking is, is it police procedure to keep a kid in handcuffs for 20+ minutes while he has a seizure?

I can't speak for everyone, obviously. However, I'd probably take a person out. There are a lot of things to consider though.

Here's the deal: once I have you, you're my child. You're my responsibility, my liability. What if it's all a ruse, a clever attempt to deceive me, and as soon as I open the door you bolt? Sounds silly? Maybe. Probably. I do know this - I'm not a doctor, I don't have seizure meds, and the backseat of my ride is a far safer place for you during an episode than the middle of the street. There, you're in a contained place - a place I can safely monitor you. What if a bystander/friend gets hurt during an episode? That's not so outlandish, and I can promise...PROMISE...that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. Not that it'd even get that far; the city would pay out that claim in a heartbeat.

So to answer your question, I would say no. However, there is no static procedure for such things. Some of what I listed sounds crazy, but nevertheless crazy things happen. Sounds like you had a bum experience though, and that sucks.

I dont know how to quote stuff, new to this.
But is it still right for him to not let her out of the car and go on about like its a normal wreck?
And I understand 7 seconds is a ways away... But its a 4 lane street, 5 o' clock traffic is horrendous... He didnt even make the full u turn, he dam near hit a suburban and a taxi while doing this....
I dont see why he didnt just slow down... Wait... flip his car around... Then turn his lights on?
Sometimes I feel like these police officers (not all) get stuck with writing tickets and sitting behind buildings waiting for people to screw up.... So they feel like they have to do something cool via almost hit some people then slam on their brakes to have a girl hit their car. HE DIDNT EVEN GO TO WHERE HE WAS GOING.! It obviously wasnt so important to the point he had to do all that unneccesary crap.

All valid questions. I'll hit 'em one at a time.

Based on my very limited grasp of the scenario, I would assume we're talking about a two-way street. We've also got two vehicles in a wreck in the middle of busy thoroughfare. Like my last comment, that other motorist is that officer's responsibility. If she's moving around a busy street while other vehicles are moving, she's in a bad position to maybe get hurt. Again, I can promise you that's a lawsuit that department loses every time. Think about it - "your honor, this sworn officer of the law willfully allowed my client to essentially break the law by jaywalking and by his failure to take action he allowed my client to be hit by this other vehicle." Factor in that officers can be sued personally in civil court these days (you know, where you can lose your retirement, your car, your house...) and I don't blame him at all for getting her back into her vehicle. As for the screaming, I've taken a position against that from the start.

Traffic conditions sound rough. I won't argue that his maneuver may have looked dangerous, but I would point out that he was at least careful enough NOT to hit the Suburban and the taxi. If the conditions were that bad, sounds like the other motorist should have been equally careful.

Why did he turn around in the first place? Neither of us will ever know. Shooting, accident with injury, elderly person had a heart attack? See, things like this are a double edged sword. On the one hand, a fast, decisive response with an assertive traffic maneuver gets criticized. A slow, overly calculated response to a call that may involve a life or death situation gets criticized. Lose/lose, no? Also, in your first post you said he hit the lights and THEN attempted the U-turn. Now you're saying it's the other way around?

As far as him not going to wherever he was trying to go, that's because some chick smashed into him. A city-owned vehicle (read: a tax payer-owned vehicle) just got involved in an accident. Certain procedures have to be followed. Besides, another unit probably picked the call up for him.

And look, I know it sounds like I'm propping up all of the "bad" actions of these officers. I'm not. I'm just trying to offer angles that a lot of times civilians overlook.

[Sapient]

Only one explanation for that.

Exactly what I was looking for

[mackjack]

What do you think of this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik

Summary: a law professor/criminal defense attorney saying never to talk to any police officer under any circumstances.

[maiohwmai]

What do you think of this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik

Summary: a law professor/criminal defense attorney saying never to talk to any police officer under any circumstances.

Probably a smart thing, overall.

Then again, one should be careful when accepting any type of legal advice. After all, it's your butt on the line, not some guy in a video.

I'll give you a simple example.

• 4 people in a car
• Driver commits a minor traffic infraction (stop sign, fail to signal, whatever)
• During the course of the stop, 2 grams of meth is found in the cup holder in the center console
• No one claims ownership of it

My job is no different than anyone else's. First, I don't want someone to take a charge that they don't deserve. Second, my job is no different than any other in that I don't want to have any more work than is necessary - there's always something better to do. Plus, I give it how I get it. If you make me work for it, I'm not going to be in any position to try to help you out later on when the cuffs go on.

So what can I do?

OPTION 1
Well, everyone can catch a felony since the dope was in the open and it can be reasonably explained that everyone had open and free access to it. That's called constructive possession. But that kinda bugs me because A.) It likely isn't community dope and B.) that 4x the amount of paperwork. If it isn't yours, you can argue the charge at trial...I've seen people beat it. However, the arrest is still good, you aren't entitled to compensation for your time spent in custody and regardless of what anyone says, the arrest is still on your record even if there's no conviction.

OPTION 2
I can charge the driver. It's his car and therefore it's his dope. Now this doesn't bug me for a few reasons - A.) We all know the driver knew it was there and B.) when you drive scummers around in your car, bad things happen. Then again, if it isn't really his then the owner gets a walk.

OPTION 3
I can find someone who wants to talk. That means the right person gets the charge and I don't have a stack more paperwork to do. It also means that someone in the group still has some semblance of human decency left by doing what's right and sparing everyone a charge. Who I'm gonna go for first? The one who's sweating, visibly shaking or scared, a female, or the college kid with a lot to lose. Is it a jerk move? Maybe. But answer this: if it isn't yours, you keep your mouth shut about it, would you rather the cop sweat someone else to save you the charge? Also, if you're the driver and you go to jail that means your vehicle goes to car jail. Where I work, drug charges are cash bond only unless a judge approves. If you get popped over the weekend you either need cash to get out of jail or wait it out until late Monday to be arraigned. Meanwhile you're building charges at the impound lot. That yahoo in the YouTube video doesn't care...shoot, he'd probably love for you to pay him his $400 per hour fee.

Bottom line - either way you go you can get burned or you can win. Obviously if you admit to guilt on a charge I can't overlook, then you're stuck. If you prefer to clam up and not cooperate then the hunt is on. I'm no different than anyone else - I don't want anyone making my job any more difficult than it has to be.

But like I said, there are some crappy cops out there who don't care. They'll pop everyone as soon as look at them. You never know who you're gonna get though, so I would suggest honesty. If you're wrong, you're wrong and you should assume the worst. At that point, what have you got to lose? If it were me I'd try to stack the deck in my favor by not making things any tougher than they had to be.

But that's just my opinion...and I'm not a suit and tie trying to earn someone's business.

[DirrrtyJess]

Well who pays for the damages to the tax payed vehicle?

[uwantaides]

I have a question!!! Ok are there certain colors of cars and types of cars that cops look for? Like a sports car or a color red? Ive heard they catch the eye more so they get more attention..

[maiohwmai]

Well who pays for the damages to the tax payed vehicle?

In your first scenario (lights THEN U-turn) she would be at fault. Officer put his lights on to let everyone around him know "HEY GUYS, I'M ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING HERE!" I would say it worked because an uninvolved pedestrian party (ie you) paid enough attention to see the whole thing. Too bad she didn't.

I have a question!!! Ok are there certain colors of cars and types of cars that cops look for? Like a sports car or a color red? Ive heard they catch the eye more so they get more attention..

Good question. I think that transcends police though...I think that speaks to human psyche and social norms.

I usually work nights (though I do flex to days/swings sometimes) so typically I cannot see THAT much detail unless I'm up on you. Particularly if I'm running radar - that thing will pick up your vehicle moving LONG before I can see make/model/color.

[maiohwmai]

You guys kept this awful tame.

Kinda figured you'd push the envelope a bit.

[StompArtist]

Hey I got a question.

If you have a carry conceal in Texas and somehow end up in a different State, let's say Louisiana. Can you still carry? If not, what do you do with the weapon?

[Snakespeare]

LOL! in my brand new red sporty Chevy I got pulled over for doing 1 mph over the limit because I gassed it to pass a truck that was throwing stones. I only got a warning (an actual ticket that said warning on it) but the officer walked around the car admiring it for about 5 minutes first. I think he pulled me over to check out the car itself. It was the model NASCAR was using at the time. Same car, when I crossed the Canadian border got a thorough search. Again, it was a new model and hot off the showroom floor (yeah, I got a discount for that). It was red and I waxed it loving by hand, so it did attract attention. I bet you would have seen it at night!

[Artemis]

Cool story bro.

[PL Playa]

Cool story bro.

LOL!!! Kids in my school say that way too much

[maiohwmai]

Hey I got a question.

If you have a carry conceal in Texas and somehow end up in a different State, let's say Louisiana. Can you still carry? If not, what do you do with the weapon?

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/adminis...eciprocity.htm

That's a link for Texas reciprocity.

But if you were ever curious I would just call the state agency who issued the permit and ask them about whichever state you're going to. Then I'd contact a similar agency in the state you're going to visit and confirm that with them. Get names and badge numbers (if applicable) of those you speak to.

If their answer is no, and you still want to have it with you, ask them their laws on possession other than concealed carry. Some states require ammo and weapon to be transported separately, some states (New York for example) at one time required you to own a target permit just to keep one in your home. They may still do.

Above all, permit or no, please tell any officer you come in close contact with that you have a gun in your car or on your person. We don't like surprises.

LOL! in my brand new red sporty Chevy I got pulled over for doing 1 mph over the limit because I gassed it to pass a truck that was throwing stones. I only got a warning (an actual ticket that said warning on it) but the officer walked around the car admiring it for about 5 minutes first. I think he pulled me over to check out the car itself. It was the model NASCAR was using at the time. Same car, when I crossed the Canadian border got a thorough search. Again, it was a new model and hot off the showroom floor (yeah, I got a discount for that). It was red and I waxed it loving by hand, so it did attract attention. I bet you would have seen it at night!

Actually, it's kinda hard to see that detail at distance because we have those amber street lights...you'd be surprised how that throws things off. Sounds like a risky reason for a stop. Not saying it didn't happen, but that's kinda shady.

[Piosidon]

Cool story bro.

...tell it again

[OvigorothO]

What is the most minor offence that u can do to get a day of jail time? (dont worry its just a question)

[StompArtist]

Good thanks. And yes I always tell the police officer about the firearms not about ti get shot by mr nervous over a stop sign. Lol

[maiohwmai]

What is the most minor offence that u can do to get a day of jail time? (dont worry its just a question)

Where I work, everything is either a felony or a misdemeanor. While it would take an extreme circumstance, you could go to jail for anything.

However, our jailers typically won't bother misdemeanors. They just don't accept them...won't even buzz us in to drop off. DWIs and domestic batteries are about the only misdos they take on a regular basis.