Surviving Police Encounters

[natertot]

With lots of hype lately about police and police related deaths, I thought I would write a tidbit about surviving police encounters. This is based off of my personal experiences with police as well as my professional experiences that I have had in working with them on and off for almost eight years.

Rule number one: Know the law and don't break it. If you are obviously a law breaker (Read: Criminal) just know that getting killed is considered an occupational hazard for your field and my recommendation is to change jobs (Read: Get a job) as soon as possible. Aside from criminals, there are lesser offenses as well that can draw you in needless contact with police. Speeding, vehicle equipment malfunctions, jay walking, etc. are all examples of things that are not considered criminal, but are laws that can still be broken and therefore, put you into contact with your local police. It happens to us all, eventually.

Rule number two: Be respectful. Whenever you have contact with police, it is not beneficial to be argumentative, condescending, snarky, or irate. Most police will take the time to listen to you. If you feel there is a misunderstanding (Read: the officer is wrong) you can explain it to them, just be careful to not be argumentative or display an attitude. Making cops jokes, cussing, and yelling will never help your cause, even if you are 100% in the right. Cops make mistakes just like everyone and if you can respectfully convince them of the mistake, they will drop the issue. If you can't convince them, maintain yourself and take advantage of that court date. Lose your cool and you can end up somewhere between the slammer for disorderly conduct and the morgue because the officer felt threatened.

Rule number three: Don't be antagonistic. Yes, you have rights. This does not mean that you need to be antagonistic in asserting your rights. When you shout "I know my rights!" or "Get a mother *%*($# warrant!" that is being antagonistic. This will usually be viewed as a challenge against the officer which encourages them to really see how well you know the law and how many things they can charge you with. Simply saying, "Sir, I understand that you have a job to do, but I do not consent to a search without a warrant. Any further discussion on this matter will require my attorney being present" will get you a lot further. A statement similar to this shows the officer that you have respect, you know your rights, and puts the officer in the position of having to deal with an attorney/lawyer and most officers try to avoid that as much as possible.

Another aspect antagonism is how one requires respect in return. No one should have to deal with an officer that is out of line, but it does happen. Telling an officer to "show you some respect" or the similar will always hinder your position. I had a State Trooper (won't say which state) pull me over one time and he had a heck of a potty mouth that went hand in hand with an attitude. After a few minutes of it, I asked for a supervisor and of course he wanted to know why. I respectfully explained that his attitude and language were unprofessional to his position and disrespectful to me and that I felt the situation should be handled by his supervisor to ensure a positive encounter for everyone. He then denied his actions which then prompted me to remind him that the situation was audio and video recorded and this recording could be obtained through public records requests and then be disseminated to media outlets. He then went back to his cruiser for a bit. When he returned he apologized and had a much better attitude which allowed both sides to conclude business is a positive manner.

Rule number four: Body language is just as important as verbal language. You can show respect and not be antagonistic, but still find yourself on a steel slab if your body language is out of sorts. It is okay to be nervous, but try to keep a logical mind. Keep you hands in plan view, maintaining eye contact, not passively resisting commands, etc. can show the officer that you don't have poor intentions of running or fighting. If you don't understand something, respectfully tell the officer you don't understand the directions but still wish to comply. This is especially trying if there is a bit of a language barrier. I once witnessed this at a hospital I worked at. There was an individual from the inner city that lacked proper English skills and a Hispanic officer that seemed to barely speak English herself. After watching the situation degrade for about ten minutes, I gently intervened (my position allowed me to do so) and explained to the officer that it might be beneficial to get a more "street savy" officer on scene. That remedied the situation.

Rule number five: Don't be afraid to request another officer, supervisor, or your attorney. If the situation is deteriorating and you've followed all the rules, ask for another officer, supervisor, or a legal representative. There is never any shame in doing so and having more people will also insure the person in the correct position whether it is you or the officer.

Following the law, being respectful, not being antagonistic, demonstrating positive body language, and requesting others presence when necessary are all sure ways to ensure you survive a police encounter. You might get that ticket or be arrested, but at least you will live to see your day on court.

[Rick]

Good post. You can also set the stage before the contact. If pulled over at night flip on your dome light. That little courtesy let's the LEO know you have nothing to hide and shows him/her exactly what you are doing as they approach the vehicle. Of course, if you are busy hiding contraband you might want to forego the light. Ladies, make doubly certain the officer is really LEO before flipping on the light.

[natertot]

Rick, you have a good point when it comes to setting the tone on a traffic stop. Dome light on is good in conjunction with hands on the wheel and the window at least rolled down half way. Also, as soon as you see the emergency lights, turn on your hazard lights and a show a significant decrease in speed. This will demonstrate your willingness to comply, even if it takes a little bit to find a safe spot to pull over. If it is rainy out and you're on the highway, pull underneath a bridge for cover if you can. This will always earn you points with a LEO.

Also, ensuring the person is an actual officer is always good, for either sex. Most states' laws require that cars used for traffic stops have emergency lights, police decals, and government plates. Officers are also required to be in uniform and should have a department issued photo ID immediately available upon request. Ask to see it if there is doubt. If the car or person don't match up, question it heavily. Also, try to pull into a busy area where lots of people are present. Gas stations, large retail stores, and fast food restaurants usually have a lot of foot traffic and are pretty good places. This will dissuade a person if they are not LEO. Another sure way is to call 911 from a cell. Your call will go into a local dispatch center, of which a real police officer would have already informed them they where there on a stop with your vehicle. If 911 verifies that the person is an officer, you have all the assurance you need.

[BENESSE]

Good post. You can also set the stage before the contact. If pulled over at night flip on your dome light. That little courtesy let's the LEO know you have nothing to hide and shows him/her exactly what you are doing as they approach the vehicle. Of course, if you are busy hiding contraband you might want to forego the light. Ladies, make doubly certain the officer is really LEO before flipping on the light.

Say you're on a stretch of a highway or a road less traveled. It's night time. You get pulled over. The police car is 15' behind you...the officer is walking toward your car. How do you make sure the officer is the real thing without jeopardizing yourself but remaining respectful?

[natertot]

Say you're on a stretch of a highway or a road less traveled. It's night time. You get pulled over. The police car is 15' behind you...the officer is walking toward your car. How do you make sure the officer is the real thing without jeopardizing yourself but remaining respectful?

You can call 911 the moment the emergency lights come on. Take a little time to find a safe spot to pull over, but make your intentions clear that you are doing so. Once stopped, the officer is going to take a few minutes to fully run the plates on the car and get background info on the registered owner(s) to see if there are any wants or warrants. Then the officer will get out and approach your car. This will all take at least five minutes to do. More than enough time for 911 to verify the officer.

[finallyME]

Whenever I was pulled over, the cop took his jolly time before approaching my vehicle. I guess that would also be an indication. If he approaches immediately, something might be amiss.

[natertot]

Whenever I was pulled over, the cop took his jolly time before approaching my vehicle. I guess that would also be an indication. If he approaches immediately, something might be amiss.

Not necessarily. The Officer could be waiting for additional units.

True story. I was on a ride-along with a department one time. Things were slow, so the officer was running random plates to see if he can get a hit on anything. We pull up behind a vehicle on the highway and the officer runs the plates like all the others. The plates come back to that vehicle with the registered owner having multiple warrants, including homicide and assault on a police officer. This is in the middle of nowhere and it take about 20-25 minutes before a few more cars show up. The police conducted a felony stop (Ordering each occupant out of the car one at a time, having them walk backwards towards the police car, getting them on the ground, then cuffing them.) on the entire family. Turns out, the officer I was with was one digit off on the license plate which came back to a vehicle that was the same make, model, and color. The family that was pulled over was just on their way to a theme park. A simple mistake followed by a heck of a coincidence that could have turned bad if the family hadn't been cooperative.

But back to my point. Officer will pretty much always take a few minutes before approaching, but if they take a real long time, then something is probably amiss. I have never known an officer to immediately approach a vehicle.

[Rick]

B - Make the call. The 911 center that handles your call can either explain to the officer your concerns or, if they don't have the same frequency, send a unit they can communicate with to assist. Better safe than sorry. If the officer is legit they may even pull along side so you can see their car. It's often hard to see behind you with headlights, spotlight and or strobes so they understand the drill.

"Yeah, so anyway, I gotta go. I got a car pulled over. I'm good for $200 on break-a-leg in the third? Thanks."

Sometimes they are preoccupied.

[MrFixIt]

Let's also take a look at the perspective of the LEO. It's possibly night, on a lonely stretch of road, and you are pulled over for *insert alleged offense here*.
He has no idea at that moment if you are a law abiding citizen, a drug dealer, psychotic murderer or what.
I've been on a few ride alongs myself, and some situations were quite unknown, intensifying the adrenaline rush.

[natertot]

Let's also take a look at the perspective of the LEO. It's possibly night, on a lonely stretch of road, and you are pulled over for *insert alleged offense here*.
He has no idea at that moment if you are a law abiding citizen, a drug dealer, psychotic murderer or what.
I've been on a few ride alongs myself, and some situations were quite unknown, intensifying the adrenaline rush.

Yep. Timothy McVeigh who did the OK City Bombing killed more people, injured more people, and cause the most property damage ever by an individual in US history. How did he get caught? Minor traffic violation......... (He had no license plates on his car....dumb donkey )

[Seniorman]

From the point-of-view of a police officer, there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. Here is why.

https://www.facebook.com/ticoj/posts...5&notif_t=like

Sometimes, the person who is stopped is not necessarily "Mr. Nice Guy."

S.M.

[hunter63]

Might be naïve, but any time I have been stopped, .....and mostly deserved it...have always dealt with the occasion by.....

Remain calm, hands in sight, courteous, doing what you are told, seems to work the best.

If you aren't doing anything wrong....You shouldn't....repeat, "shouldn't" have anything to worry about.

[natertot]

Hunter, most of the time, that is true. There are agencies and some individual police that have a different set of "standards" though. In my neck of the woods, state troopers are always jerks (to put it nicely). Even local LEO hates the troopers well known attitudes. Also, my county sheriff and his posse tends to lean anti-second amendment which leads to very interesting situations.

I do not see your experiences as naïve though. I see them as being the overall typical experience because an overwhelming majority of agencies and officers in the US operate they way you have experienced.

[hunter63]

Well, not looking and acting like a punkazz a -whole....might have helped?

[Tokwan]

Yep..a good post and very practical..even though I used to be a Senior Police Officer..(equivalent to the rank of Lieutenant in an American Precinct,) whenever I am stopped , I always showed my respects to them...they have the authority which i do not have now..hehe ...I always found that if you respect them, they tend to respect you too...Fortunately, the Police in Malaysia are all Federal Officers..and our law is streamlined across the country. All our gun controls are the same, traffic rules the same...everylaw except for the Syariah (Muslim)law..are streamlined.

[xjosh40x]

I was law enforcement for 3 years as a deputy sheriff. And all the post that are listed are great bits of information. And one bit of advice. If you get pulled over and you have a firearm, and the officer ask, dot lie. In Mississippi it is legal to have a firearm in your vehicle loaded without a permit as long as you're not a felon. And if you have a concealed permit and you are asked my LEOs about it don't lie and don't reach for it. Just comply and calmly let them know where it's located. Law enforcement deal with criminals with gun all the time so when they encounter an individual with one weather they are within the law they become weary.

[natertot]

I was law enforcement for 3 years as a deputy sheriff. And all the post that are listed are great bits of information. And one bit of advice. If you get pulled over and you have a firearm, and the officer ask, dot lie. In Mississippi it is legal to have a firearm in your vehicle loaded without a permit as long as you're not a felon. And if you have a concealed permit and you are asked my LEOs about it don't lie and don't reach for it. Just comply and calmly let them know where it's located. Law enforcement deal with criminals with gun all the time so when they encounter an individual with one weather they are within the law they become weary.

First off, it is illegal to lie to the police. You can decline to answer, you just can't lie. Second of all, it is best for each individual to check their local and state laws and follow them, especially pertaining to firearms.

[rebel]

After working the prison, sheriffs office, military and fed. Don't get in my space. Period!

[Tokwan]

First off, it is illegal to lie to the police. You can decline to answer, you just can't lie. Second of all, it is best for each individual to check their local and state laws and follow them, especially pertaining to firearms.

Yep..but its legal to lie to your wife...and illegal to decline to answer to her....hahahahaha

[xjosh40x]

It is a crime to give false information. But when I was a deputy I had good people who were afraid to tell a cop they had a weapon. After I found it and explained that they are within the law to have it they were relived. And after I told them I could take them to jail go false information and a illegal concealment of a firearm they realized not to lie. Some people are just scared when it comes to the badge. Don't be. Cops are humans too and have understanding and compassion although the media often portrays a different picture.