Cop advice????

**The_Wretched** · 04-12-2009, 08:22 PM

So I leave my laptop in a park then I realize it. So I'm driving thru late night traffic. Not a lot of cars. Switch lanes... speed limit is 45 I was doing about 50 or 55. Get pulled over. I happen to stop in front of a popular spot. He asks me for my license/registration/insurance. I start getting it out. Once its out, he asks me "Are you gonna tell me about your driving"... I politely say... "I'm sorry I..." he cuts me off and says "ok good you're not going to lie to me". He asks me to get out... so I do. He asks me to stand outside my car. He goes in his car. 5 mins later he come back and says kinda mumbles... "****** going to jail for reckless driving". I say "I'm sorry I didn't...".... cuts me off again and he says "do you need me to f*cking repeat it again, I said that you are this close to getting arrested for reckless driving."... I say "Can I explain something"... he cuts me off again and he says starts yelling even louder. "There is no f*cking excuse for your the way you were driving, all you are going to do is PISS ME OFF, and you don't want to piss me off, sign it!!!" So I sign, and he then throws the envelope on the floor. He yells "get out of my f*cking sight before I change my mind!"

So I pick up the envelope, rush to get my documents back into my wallet... at this point I'm friggin' scared... not because I'm a puss... but because this guy is obviously losing it. I wasn't rude, I wasn't in anyway shape or form disrespectful. In my head I was thinking... this guy can beat the sh*t outta me and I can't do anything about it. So I just shut up and just wanted to be polite. One of his cop buddies shows up in his patrol car and he still yelling about me... "This f*cking reckless driver has the f*cking nerve to say sh*t!"

Once I'm in the car and driving away... I realize the copy of the citation is NOT in the envelope. He threw it on the floor. So I picked it up of course. But no copy of the citation. He wasn't in uniform. He was in a patrol car, but not in uniform, badge not visible to me. He didn't explain the citation or what he was ticketing me for. He just wanted me to sign and "get out of his sight". It was very rushed and unprofessional. WTF???

Was I in the right? No of course not. But I don't think I was reckless driving and sure as hell didn't deserve to be treated that way. What should I do???

Complaint and have Internal Affairs review the incident?

This was like right out of a movie. Part of me wants to do something. He screwed up on a couple of things right???

Any of our good boys in blue care to chime in?

**86 IROC-Z** · 04-12-2009, 08:29 PM

I think of it this way:

Unless I was seriously injured to the ends of a large lump sum settlement, I will do my damnedest to stay out of court, regardless of the reason.

Pay the fine and hope you don't get a dick next time.

**ezwip** · 04-12-2009, 08:29 PM

The world is not fair. Just drop it.

**The_Wretched** · 04-12-2009, 08:32 PM

it's 3 points on my license... i can at least lodge a formal civil complaint against him.

**86 IROC-Z** · 04-12-2009, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by The_Wretched

it's 3 points on my license... i can at least lodge a formal civil complaint against him.

The points should be reduced or dropped if you take a DD course.

**ezwip** · 04-12-2009, 08:35 PM

You can show up in court and fight the citation that's no big deal, but they aren't going to care about him yelling.

**INMY01TA** · 04-12-2009, 08:49 PM

I take every ticket I ever got to court. Always get the points taken off. Were you actually given a ticket for wreckless? That's tough for him to prove. I'd fight it.

**1MileCrash** · 04-12-2009, 09:00 PM

if it were me i'd call the department and ask to speak to the shift commander from the nite that the incident occurred and ask if you can come down to the department and discuss it with him or her there. be polite and calm and explain what happened. just be very careful what you say. let him know that you were being cooperative but that the more you tried to be cooperative, answer questions, and explain things to the officer the more rude he became. also expalin that you were afraid of what was happening because he was not in uniform.

if the shift commander is a decent individual they will do their job professionally and file a report about it and perhaps the officer will get a disciplinary action regarding it. will he drop the ticket or anything like that? no...probably not. but if you don't report it there's no telling how this officer acts at any other time on or off shift and it's your duty as a citizen to report the actions of the officer...who is a public servant and you pay his salary.

but...that's just what i'd do. i wouldn't fight the ticket...but i'd talk to the shift commander.

**Modulistic** · 04-12-2009, 09:05 PM

what you got was a demonstration of your freedoms! Just shut up and take your freedom.

**rbob93** · 04-12-2009, 09:18 PM

Did you find your laptop??

**0rion** · 04-12-2009, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by 1MileCrash

if it were me i'd call the department and ask to speak to the shift commander from the nite that the incident occurred and ask if you can come down to the department and discuss it with him or her there. be polite and calm and explain what happened. just be very careful what you say. let him know that you were being cooperative but that the more you tried to be cooperative, answer questions, and explain things to the officer the more rude he became. also expalin that you were afraid of what was happening because he was not in uniform.

if the shift commander is a decent individual they will do their job professionally and file a report about it and perhaps the officer will get a disciplinary action regarding it. will he drop the ticket or anything like that? no...probably not. but if you don't report it there's no telling how this officer acts at any other time on or off shift and it's your duty as a citizen to report the actions of the officer...who is a public servant and you pay his salary.

but...that's just what i'd do. i wouldn't fight the ticket...but i'd talk to the shift commander.

I agree. That's what I would do. I wouldn't go there and mention a word about getting the ticket reduced or anything. I would do the exact opposite. If the ticket comes up I would inform them that I'd already paid the fine ( which you should do) and at this point you're trying to prevent this type of thing happening to someone else. File a formal complaint and at least get it on record of how he acted so that down the road if he does it again or worse there will be a paper trail of his history.

**JoshieDoom** · 04-13-2009, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by 1MileCrash

if it were me i'd call the department and ask to speak to the shift commander from the nite that the incident occurred and ask if you can come down to the department and discuss it with him or her there. be polite and calm and explain what happened. just be very careful what you say. let him know that you were being cooperative but that the more you tried to be cooperative, answer questions, and explain things to the officer the more rude he became. also expalin that you were afraid of what was happening because he was not in uniform.

if the shift commander is a decent individual they will do their job professionally and file a report about it and perhaps the officer will get a disciplinary action regarding it. will he drop the ticket or anything like that? no...probably not. but if you don't report it there's no telling how this officer acts at any other time on or off shift and it's your duty as a citizen to report the actions of the officer...who is a public servant and you pay his salary.

but...that's just what i'd do. i wouldn't fight the ticket...but i'd talk to the shift commander.

I agree with this but I would explain what was up to the commander what was going on and how BOTH of you were in the wrong and try and get the ticket dropped and move on and lesson learned.

**ss~zoso~ss** · 04-13-2009, 08:20 AM

just another stupid / power tripping cop, the way he acted is not professional, and there is no excuse for it

**irishpenguin13** · 04-13-2009, 08:25 AM

it was just somebody acting like a cop to get your signature so he can forfeit fake checks in your name.

**DrMilhouse** · 04-13-2009, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Modulistic

what you got was a demonstration of your freedoms! Just shut up and take your freedom.

**Detroit Power** · 04-13-2009, 09:31 AM

If it was in an area you drive through regularly, if you file a complaint I'd expect to get pulled over regularly by him based on your description of the officer and his actions.

**sunsetorangess** · 04-13-2009, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by 1MileCrash

if it were me i'd call the department and ask to speak to the shift commander from the nite that the incident occurred and ask if you can come down to the department and discuss it with him or her there. be polite and calm and explain what happened. just be very careful what you say. let him know that you were being cooperative but that the more you tried to be cooperative, answer questions, and explain things to the officer the more rude he became. also expalin that you were afraid of what was happening because he was not in uniform.

if the shift commander is a decent individual they will do their job professionally and file a report about it and perhaps the officer will get a disciplinary action regarding it. will he drop the ticket or anything like that? no...probably not. but if you don't report it there's no telling how this officer acts at any other time on or off shift and it's your duty as a citizen to report the actions of the officer...who is a public servant and you pay his salary.

but...that's just what i'd do. i wouldn't fight the ticket...but i'd talk to the shift commander.

+1 I know it sucks but if you dont take a stand god only knows what this punk will do on his next traffic stop.
If your being truthful there are so many violations on his part its un-real. Im studyin law right meow on my way out of the military. Dont accept some BS answer and find a solution..
J

**The_Wretched** · 04-13-2009, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by rbob93

Did you find your laptop??

yeah !!!! thank god!!! i'm a financial advisor who's got millions and millions of financial info on it. (my external drive was in the case too...)

the laptop is worth $3k on its own.

**ss~zoso~ss** · 04-13-2009, 03:21 PM

well think of the ticket as a cheap price to pay considering you didnt loose your expensive laptop and data!

i'd say you made out alright out of the deal.

where'd you leave it in the park BTW?