midnight rain

Just wondering cause this happened to me and I thought it was complete bull****. The guy pulled me over, bitched at me for not pulling over quicker, and then started interrogating me, asking me questions like if I had knives, guns, or drugs on me. When I answered no, he started asking if I was sure and what's in the glove compartment and my bag, etc. etc. Bear in mind that I have never been arrested or even cited or anything. Clean as a whistle record. He sees this when he scans my license and stuff, yet calls for backup AND does a thorough search of me and my car.

This ****ing normal? Next time I'm making sure they don't search me without probable cause.

ThePhanastasio

That's really lame, but I have seen things like this happen around where I live before - I think a lot of the time they're pulling people over because their cars match descriptions of wanted people.

One time, it was around midnight and my friends and I were headed to the park to walk, and we got blue lights. We were confused, because we'd not been speeding, our registration was up to date, we were driving in the county the car was registered to, and everything.

The state trooper walked over to the car, peered in, shone his flashlight in everyone's faces, and asked where we were headed. We completely honestly answered that we were going to the park to walk around.

He then asked my friend who was driving to step out of the vehicle, and another state trooper pulled up.

One of the troopers interrogated my friend behind the car, patted him down, and all of that good stuff, while the first guy leaned into the window and asked us for proof that we were over 18 and all of that good stuff. We handed him our IDs, he looked at them, then handed them back.

Then, he walked behind the car with the other trooper.

After ten minutes, they let my buddy back into the car - and they never even gave us a reason for pulling us over.

He said that they just patted him down and asked him where he was coming from, where he'd been, if he owned his car, and all of that. They never even checked his insurance or registration.

Apparently, though, there was a wanted fugitive who'd last been seen in a car matching that description, who was also roughly the same height and hair color of my friend. We found that out the next day from a friend of ours who works with the city police department. They just let us go, but it was really weird.

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Janszoon

I hear you man. Cops like harassing young guys. When I was 17 some ass pulled me over for "an irregular lane change", whatever the hell that means, and did the exact same thing to me that you're describing. Grilled me about weapons and drugs for no reason, searched my car, gave me a super hard time about the set of tools that I had in the trunk (normal car repair stuff), then eventually just let me go once his little power trip was satisfied. I actually had similar encounters with cops on a couple of occasions. It's total bullshit but the good news is they seem to stop harassing you once you get above, say, your mid-20s.

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midnight rain

That was actually the first thought that ran through my head about having the same vehicle. But where I come from is pretty low crime, most likely they were trying to meet their quota.

I was just glad I didn't drive my other car today, if ya namean.

midnight rain

Yeah his eventual reason (he claims) for puling me over (after doing all the searching and questioning and stuff) was that I don't have a front license plate. Which I would've totally understood, if not for all the other crap he grilled me about. Not to mention he was driving behind me for a good bit (an intersection or two) before he flashed his lights, so I have no idea how he'd see that I didn't have a front license plate. Definitely a power trip, the cop that came for 'backup' was much cooler about it.

ThePhanastasio

Haha!

But I don't live in a high crime area, either. It's a city of about 22,000 people, and the median age is the upper-thirties.

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Freebase Dali

Well, your state has a pretty explicit "stop & identify" law in which you're required to give identifying information and such, but that's predicated on there being a valid reason for you being stopped or detained.
In your case, since there was none, you probably didn't legally have to answer any questions and just could have asked if there was a reason for you being stopped and, if not, were you free to go.

Most people probably don't want to test things like that and end up consenting to largely unfounded stops and interrogations. They'll even consent to searches, like you did, because that option probably seems more appealing than going head to head with a pissed off cop.
But yea, at the very least, you could have just said no to the search. If there wasn't any probable cause, he damn well would not have been able to obtain a warrent and you'd have been on your way.

One trick they like to use is, when you decline a search, they call for backup with a K-9 unit and let the dog out to sniff around the vehicle, which doesn't classify as a search. When the dog gets interested in something in the vehicle, they now have probable cause to search it for drugs (and anything else they find during the process).
But still, being temporarily detained to the point where you're sitting there long enough for a backup unit to arrive, having had to show your identification and answer questions, you had to have been detained based on some infraction.
The fact that there wasn't one, or that the officer didn't notify you of one, doesn't mean he was breaking any laws...

It just means you basically sat there out of the kindness of your heart because you're interested in chatting with police and having them rummage through your belongings. Had you wanted to leave, you probably could have.


Edit:
Just saw your response about the front license plate. If that's a valid state thing where you are, then sure, he had reason to pull you over. (although he probably should have stated that reason first, or you should have asked, but it was obviously a cover for the fact that he, in fact, does not have X-ray vision) Not for the search though. That was all you, buddy.

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s_k

I've once been pulled over to check if my paperwork was in order.
I don't mind them doing this, but they can at least have the decency to be friendly and tell me what's going on.
All they said was 'papers!' and 'watch the motorbike when you drive off, will ya?'.
I just had to answer "you shouldn't have put it behind my car in the first place then, should ya?".
Asses.
I ****ing hate cops.

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Astronomer

I've been pulled over for random license/breath tests but I've never been interrogated like that before for no reason. The cops here are very friendly and reasonable, though.

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I've been pulled over 3 times in the past year and a bit. First time I barely remember, didn't need to get out the car or anything.

Second time I was delivering 21st birthday party invitations for my mate, to all my invited friends houses. I parked outside the house (which everyone does) and started to head in and the police came and questioned **** out of me. Asking where I was going why I was out so late (it was like 11pm) and pointless **** like that. I had the girl with me whose party we were delivering invitations for, when I said the car was my mums and I'd borrowed it they asked if she was my mum. Hilarious. Still laugh when I think back.

Third time I had about a dimebag of my half quarter left and they took it away from me :'(. They were sound though, said they were going to fine my cousin and he'd have a criminal record but nothing has come through so they must've been trying to scare us. Hopefully anyway. Could be doing with that dime bag right about now. haha.

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