Just got pulled over while walking

[HitHard69]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys, I dig your little experiment.

In the US this encounter is known as a stop. Law Enforcement can stop you based on reasonable suspicion and detain you to breifly question you.


[/ QUOTE ]
It's actually called a Terry Stop (From Terry v. Ohio) Any reasonable suspicion and the officer can stop you, question you, detain you, and if he feels he/she is in danger, frisk search. Not a full search but just a quick check for weapons.

As to your situation, the officer shouldn't have called you guys dicks, but you two shouldn't have acted like them either. A simple "On our way back from getting some donuts" would have been fine. This guy was just doing his job.

One other side note...Not sure how old you guys are/look, or if there is a curfew in Canada for minors, but here in the US (atleast Illinois) if an officer has a reason to believe you are out past legal curfew, you must produce a valid ID/proof of age.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys, I dig your little experiment.

In the US this encounter is known as a stop. Law Enforcement can stop you based on reasonable suspicion and detain you to breifly question you.


[/ QUOTE ]
It's actually called a Terry Stop (From Terry v. Ohio) Any reasonable suspicion and the officer can stop you, question you, detain you, and if he feels he/she is in danger, frisk search. Not a full search but just a quick check for weapons.

[/ QUOTE ]

What constitutes a 'reasonable suspicion' is what is important. Walking back from Tim Horton's with coffee cups in your hand at 2am should not be deemed as being suspicious. Claiming 'Reasonable suspicion' does not give the cops carte blanche to violate your rights. At the very least, the cops would have to let you know what they 'reasonably suspect' that you are doing which allows them to search you.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys, I dig your little experiment.

In the US this encounter is known as a stop. Law Enforcement can stop you based on reasonable suspicion and detain you to breifly question you.


[/ QUOTE ]
It's actually called a Terry Stop (From Terry v. Ohio) Any reasonable suspicion and the officer can stop you, question you, detain you, and if he feels he/she is in danger, frisk search. Not a full search but just a quick check for weapons.

[/ QUOTE ]

What constitutes a 'reasonable suspicion' is what is important. Walking back from Tim Horton's with coffee cups in your hand at 2am should not be deemed as being suspicious. Claiming 'Reasonable suspicion' does not give the cops carte blanche to violate your rights. At the very least, the cops would have to let you know what they 'reasonably suspect' that you are doing which allows them to search you.

[/ QUOTE ]

If the OP was arrested, the cops would have to demonstrate they had "reasonable suspicion" or the charges would be dropped. My wife has won a number of cases with this argument.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

Good, don't let him run you over. Reminds me of the constructive dialogue when I was arrested on the airport in Belarus. First:

5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong
5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.

etc. etc.

KGB-officer with better English arrives. Dialogue goes as follows:
KGB-officer: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.

etc. etc.

KGB-officer: You are free to leave, but if you break these rules again in future you will be in trouble.
Arnfinn: See you later.
KGB-officer: Have a nice trip. Sorry for the problems (!).

Upon which she followed me through every checkpoint, the guards tried to check me, but she just told everyone to back off, so that I did not have to show either my luggage or passport or anything.

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
Good, don't let him run you over. Reminds me of the constructive dialogue when I was arrested on the airport in Belarus. First:

5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong
5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
5 guys with machine guns: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.

etc. etc.

KGB-officer with better English arrives. Dialogue goes as follows:
KGB-officer: You have broken this and this rules. We have proof. You are under arrest.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.
KGB-officer: We have proof.
Arnfinn: No, I haven't done anything wrong.

etc. etc.

KGB-officer: You are free to leave, but if you break these rules again in future you will be in trouble.
Arnfinn: See you later.
KGB-officer: Have a nice trip. Sorry for the problems (!).

Upon which she followed me through every checkpoint, the guards tried to check me, but she just told everyone to back off, so that I did not have to show either my luggage or passport or anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's bloody scary!

[RunDownHouse]

I guess I was the only one that thought this was pretty stupid?

Yes, he was unprofessional and an [censored]... but you really were being a dick. I got the feeling that you would have pulled your little stunt regardless of his attitude, and that's wrong for a variety of reasons.

I think its worth explaining worself if the alternative is police never questioning suspiscious activity. I think you just wasted 20 minutes of his time so you could feel like a big, swinging dick. I think that, even if you were dead set on playing this little prank, you could have handled it better.

[Transference]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess I was the only one that thought this was pretty stupid?

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand your point but I like the story for a couple reasons.

One is that people rarely bother to ask what their rights are. Even people who can't stand cops tend to turn into sheep when anyone in a uniform starts asking them questions or telling them what to do. Stories like this at least get people thinking a little, sometimes cops are investigating a legitmate concern, but sometimes their abusing their power and sometimes you can get yourself into trouble when you don't have to and/or you shouldnt be.

Second things like this expose major weaknesses in law enfrocement training. There are many ways this could have been handled by the cops better. After OP said no comment they could have explained the reason they asked or why they were stopped. They could have expressed concern that they would get where they were going safetly. Hell, they could have said you know what, you don't have to tell me anything put im trying to protect the people of this neighborhood and as a courtesy to them and to me help me out.

Instead the cops got beligerant and turned what could have been a freindly encounter into a nasty one. Now people think the cops are dicks, the cop think people are dicks and things can just escalate.

Probably if this is reported nothing will happen, maybe just a slap on the wrist. If many people make similar reports hopefully at some point the agency will reevaluate their standards and training.

The best thing is to take some time and actually learn what your rights are, but if you are stopped I think people should tactfully be sure that the are treated fairly and respectfully while protecting their privacy.

[jakethebake]

You crazy Canadians.

[Alobar]

There was a similiar thread to this like a month back, that resulting in some very awesome discussion IMO. After that thread I decided that if I ever get hassled for absoultely no good reason at all (i.e. a situation similiar to yours) that I would take the same line of action you did. Good stuff.

And yeah, I would DEFINATELY file a report or make some sort of complaint, as the way he acted was just total bullshit. I know all cops arent like that, but he really goes to show exactly why the steroetype that cops are nothing more than bullies with a badge, exists.

[touchfaith]

[ QUOTE ]
4am this evening

[/ QUOTE ]

4am is morning, not evening.

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, I live in Canada.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wait...maybe not.