How do I protect myself from an authority figure?

[Wanabe]

Before I start I have nothing against LEO and I understand almost all of them are people with great integrity, but even you as officers have to admit there are those bad apples and I am looking for advice on how to protect myself from a individual who is using this position to proclaim himself as super cop or whatever his agenda is.


I was driving out of state today with a friend of mine and we were pulled over in his Mercedes for speeding 76 in a 65 on a interstate. The officer was very rude and made us get out of the car and accused us of drinking when we had not drank anything. We are both 22 and were very polite they gave him a Breathalyzer and he passed with no alcohol level because we did not drink. He did not have his license on him because he lost it and ordered a new one. He did have his passport and his license number.

He ran the license number and came back saying that he was lying about his license because he was just issued one 5 days ago, but apparently he could not put 2 and 2 together that it was ordered 5 days ago.

The cop then frisked him tossed him in the back of the cop car and was extremely aggressive. He then tore his car apart and tossed all of our luggage on the ground out of the bags and everything in the trunk searching for something. He did not find anything and ended up telling us we are lucky and gave him a ticket for speeding and not having his license on him, and left his car destroyed and everything on the side of the road. I understand that the tickets were deserved but everything else was very excessive and im guessing they must have had some issue with him driving a new $70,000 at the age of 22. I know first assumption is drug dealer but he runs a construction company working 60 hours a week so he can drive that car and neither of us have ever had even a minor run in with the law except for a few tickets from 2 years ago.

Now my question is. Is there any one we can report this to and is there even a point.
He should not be aloud to act like this and im sure he will be doing it again if he hasn’t already since we drove off. We were both terrified especially me because I have way to much to loose because I would like to pursue a career in LE and by the way he was acting their was no telling what he would come up with.

Once again I am not trying to get on anyone’s bad side. I just need advice on what to do when a LEO is abusing power.

[mcsap]

MOST PD's have a formal complaint process. Mine has one that you can do via our website. My suggestion is that you find the website first and look for their info. Then follow up by either filing a written complaint and or talking to a supervisor.

I might add that verbal complaints are not given the same credibility as a written one. It is EASY to call and make a complaint about the police and you can't be held to making a false statement like you can if you do it in writing.

The officer certainly has rights as well and in order for the complaint to be given proper attention , it should be in writing. And it should not be done in a vengeful tone as that speaks of revenge instead of true concern or complaint.

[mobrien316]

Your friend ordered a driver's license five days earlier, but it hadn't come yet?

I've never heard of that. In Connecticut you go to the DMV, wait in line, and get a license.

What happened between getting pulled over and the search of the car? Something had to happen for the officer to establish probable cause that a search of the car would yield evidence or contraband.

Your post seems to be a selective intrepretation of events and, as such, it is difficult to believe.

[Fury]

Did the meenie weenie police officer hurt your feelings?

[InTheEnd]

To protect yourself from authorities obey the law. Your best bet is to cooperate and be on your merry way.

[ChesCopPodz]

Sounds like if anyone has a complaint to make, its your friend. Nothing really happened to you

[TX-LEO]

Now my question is. Is there any one we can report this to .

If you believe you were treated unfairly, contact the department in person, and ask to speak to a supervisor. If you want to file a complaint, ask the officer and ask how to do so. You will have to do this in writing most likely. Do not simply call the PD and moan and complain about the Officer as this makes you look stupid.



And......


If you came in here simply to vent, and try to get us to say the Officer did something wrong, forget it, and find somewhere else to troll. This is ask-a-cop, not hate-on-a-cop.

[Group9]

File a complaint with his agency. They will come and interview you and your friend, and the officer and try and figure out what really happened. If they determine the officer did something wrong, he will be disciplined. If they determine he acted correctly, but just searched you guys on the wrong day, they will pass your information on to the narcs.

[Johninaustin]

First thing, you need to build a giant wooden badger.:cool:

[Wanabe]

Thank you for the help and yes it is primarlaly my friend who needs to make the complaint and no nothing happen between searching the car and putting him in the back.

No the officer did not hurt my feelings but he should not be aloud to do whatever he wants to innocent people, but it seems like you love that power? As for the coment of follow the law? I hardly consider 11 miles over the speed limit a harsh enough crime to tear someones car apart. If you are sitting there saying that then you are just as bad as he is. Ticket for speeding fine but get over yourself.

Anyway im not here to start a fight i have been on this forum for a long enough time i just think its pethetic how some react when i am just trying to get help. Our fault or not you were not there, so just answer the question or dont and once again thank you for those who helped.

[BJJVad]

..so just answer the question or dont..

I thought you were trying NOT to instigate a fight? Giving ultimatum's and designating people's response's to your post is not a right of this forum. However, a LEO's response whatever it may be, is appropriate as long as they are not doing it to verbally abuse, threaten or any other violation of the Agreement of Terms of Use.

That being out of the way, we as LEO's reserve the right to question your perspective because even though you may feel you are right, it seem to us your story is not everything you say it is and here's why...

For the majority we are not going to go toss someone's personal property around, whether it's a 90 YO Grandma or a 22 YO kid driving a Mercedes. The most of us are not going to risk our careers or job searching your vehicle without Probable Cause.

I would sift through the advice given to you and react appropriately. Glad to see another active member of this site, but not one that gives the LEO's ultimatum's when they come here voluntarily on their own free time.

mcsap gave you probably the best advice. I would suggest you reread it.

..And it should not be done in a vengeful tone as that speaks of revenge instead of true concern or complaint.

[ChesCopPodz]

Is there something you can do? You can report it, but just like when police go on calls, we don't usually take reports made by someone because of something that happened to someone else. The victim is the one who has to make the report. Unless your friend makes the report as well, there's not much that will happen.

And just for the record, it's not uncommon for one person to be put in the police car when it's two subjects and one officer. Keeps stories from being overheard by the other party, and if a fight breaks out, it keeps the other person from helping beat the officer.

[Samuel]

Me personally, if one is going in the back, everybody else is going in the back too... ;)

[Jay7376]

Not having your license with you while driving is an arrestable offense in Michigan. I routinely place people in the back of my cruiser when I discover that they do not have their license in their possession.

I can then search the vehicle incident to lawful arrest. I do this all the time. If I am satisfied that I have confirmed their identity, I release them with a citation. If I cannot confirm their identity, off to jail they go.

Believe it or not, people lie to the police. It does not matter if they are driving an 83 Cutlass or an 08 Mercedes.

[Wanabe]

BJJ you are right i def. went about the responses the wrong way. I just took it as "screw you the cop was right no matter what happen because we do no wrong." and there are some not many who really view LEO like this. I have seen it first hand by many friends of mine who are LEO.

I am the type of person who tells it how it is about 2 years ago i was driving with a girl who i am pretty good friends with. We are on the the HOV lane and my lazzy butt was sleeping laid back because it was a long day in school and we were on our way home. Anyway she was pulled over because the officer did not see me. Apperntly she isnt very smart and decided to pull over in the middle of the lane because their was no shoulder. The cop quickly pulls on the side of my door and starts yelling profanity at her and telling her to pull to the left you stupid b**. He then got out of the cruiser flipped out some more and let her go.

So she goes and tells her uncle who is a cop and makes a big deal, next thing you know i have detectives calling me asking question. I tell them yes he did use those profanitys and did loose his cool but he had every right to because she was unintentionally putting every one in danger and he had to some how get her to listen rapidly. I told them maybe he could have handled it better but at the moment im sure in his mind that was the best way and he prob. felt bad making her cry afterwards (weather he did or not is not the point)

Anyway what i am getting at is i understand sometimes an officer may go overboard and it is excusable and sometimes it may seem excesive and it isnt. In this situation i believe he was wrong and the force was completly unnesasary and i think comments such as obey the law, and did the police officer hurt your feelings and he just caught you on the wrong day are just wrong and shouldent be said but whatever im over it and im sorry i jumped at them for it because i do not want to instigate a fight, and i will take mscaps advice and pass it along to my friend.

Thank you for your time. and sorry my grammer is complete crap i just typed all that on my cell phone lol (not that its much better when i dont)