Cop Talk: Why Police Officers Know That You Don’t Talk to Police

Your faith and national origin also play HUGE factors these days in how they treat you....I know of an incident where a green eyed light skinned Arab man that happened to be Muslim from the UAE on a visit to his sister here in the states. He went through a yellow light. We all know you CAN go through a yellow light BUT the officer said it turned red, and when the man told the officer it was yellow the officer arrested him for "unlawful arguing" roughly handled him AND when he got into the jail he could hear some of the officers joking around about how they were going to "take out the terrorist". Needless to say he had to pay a huge fine and it took 5 years of appeals (they kept moving the dates on him hoping he wouldn't be able to show up) for him to finally be left with a misdemeanor on his record even though he did nothing wrong. The arrest was not valid, he was not read his rights, the charges were made up, and he was ticketed for a non existent violation. All for being Arab and Muslim while driving. BUT you wont hear about cases like this on the news, because the media doesn't want you to see how others are treated.

Where did this happen? There are a lot of shady small police departments, especially down south. Has he talked to an attorney about suing the pants of them? Sometimes that's the only way to teach these guys a lesson.

SSG (Join to see) - Having also studied law and doing term papers of Mapp vs Ohio, on illegal searches and Miranda vs. Arizona, on confession or admissions both these cases arose from Police abuse of the system. In a Military Court Martial the first case to apply the standards of Miranda was the United States vs Tempia. (CMR, Court Martial Reports) which was decided 5 months after the Miranda ruling. Speaking of Southern court, one an FBI Agent was arrested in one of their traps, He never told them who He was. Federal Law Enforcement officials later returned with a federal arrest warrant (Violation of Civil Rights) for the arrest of the judge and the Sheriff and took the judge right off the bench in His own courtroom as well as the Sheriff and handcuffed them right there in open court as they took both into Federal custody.

While it's very good on your how you handled it, MSgt Morris, you're in Texas. I would have been in handcuffs or worse in that situation.

Another thing even with the lights and siren You still have to use caution when entering an intersection, You still have to see to the safety of others using the road. It is not an exclusive right of way. I'm a retired Police Officer and in 40 years of full time Military and civilian Law Enforcement never had a motor vehicle accident on duty except for at one point having a vehicle crash into me when I was the 5th car in a row on a left turn lane and stopped at a red light. That car had passed 10 other cars on the wrong side of the double solid yellow line to hit My marked Police Cruiser. I didn't lose it, make comments or even raise My voice. I exchanged papers as the law says any operator should do and called for another Police unit to investigate the accident. It turns out the operator had 3 pages of driver history on the computer check. I had no driver history at all for any accident or offense. I had just finished having the police vehicle washed and I vacuumed it as well and had just left the car wash. The operator was issued a traffic citation by the investigating Police Officer.
As to someone talking back I've stopped people I would not have cited if a poor attitude hadn't been shown, they would not have been stopped at all if there had been no violation. If I'm not sure but think there was a violation I won't stop them, as far as I'm concerned that ts already reasonable doubt. The original issue was the violation nothing else, I'm not above verbal or written warning but Your response can make a difference on how I choose to handle the situation. The first thing I always do is tell a person why I stopped them before I even ask for a driver's license and registration. I feel they have a right to know why they were stopped and that answers that question right off from the beginning. For speed unwritten Dept policy was not to stop anyone on any road that wasn't at least 15 miles over the speed limit which was also my standard. Road conditions and traffic volume also were factors I took into consideration. We did not have different rule for different people, the standard was universal and the bottom line was a safer experience while operating Your motor vehicle. Being fair reduces most confrontations but there is still a job to do and most people have no contact with the Police except for motor vehicle violations.

A1C Doug Towsley - And even if You manage to save Your career Your credibility with the court is finished, nothing You say from that point on will be listened to. I have seen Police Officers who although maybe the arrest was valid lied to try and nail a conviction down and got caught. The result was unless there was another witness that could be believed to back up their testimony everything they brought in after that was in question and often thrown out. If You stick with the facts and only answer the question asked there is only one story to keep track of , the truth. No conviction is worth selling Your own reputation down the drain and if the individual is a habitual offender then someone else will get him, if He doesn't repeat then the problem is solved. I also felt if I wasn't sure on the scene of an offense then there was already a reasonable doubt, I would only proceed into charging an individual if I was 100% certain. Often they just plead guilty or if it went to trial the were usually found guilty. I would never want to be a judge, I don't have to make the decisions they do, The Police are the reporting agency justice is the job of the court base on what is reported and testified to in a court of law.

That's the best option. I try to do the same, but I encourage people living in my area to get arrested and then to call me to represent them...lol