My personal experience with cops

Here is my story. I would love to hear some feed back and maybe some stories as well. Thanks and enjoy


A couple of days ago I was waiting to get on a bus in Savannah, GA. At 7:30 a worker told me the bus was going to be an hour late, so I left to go get cigarettes. I tried buying two packs of cigs and the cashier told me 12 bucks. I got a little mad and asked him why it cost so much. I finally gave up and asked for two of the cheapest packs (8 dollars). I left the store pissed that i bought two packs of crappy cigs for the same price as regular cigs back home.

When I got outside of the store I gave a pack to my roommate, all of the sudden the clerk came running outside and told me to stop and started off towards a cop. Not knowing at the time he was talking to me we walked away. When we got back to the station i went out for a cigarette. While smoking a cop came up to me, this is when all the trouble began.

The cop started to put me in handcuffs, i freaked out and asked him what I was being charged with and fought back. He told me he didn't have to tell me, I assured him he did. Then he pulled out his baton and hit me in the leg until I fell to the ground. At this point he still had not gotten the cuffs on me. He held me to the ground until another officer showed up and together they put me in both feet and hand cuffs.

They started questioning me asking what my name was, and I started questioning them asking what I was being accused of. This went on for thirty minutes or so until 2 more officers showed up. One of the new officers asked if I had been drinking, I said no. New officer said "I can smell it on your breath.' I responded "Then do a breathalyser." Never got one, instead he switched it up to, "Then what kind of drugs are you taking." He got the same response but with me asking for a drug test.

About that they told me they were taking me to jail, this is when i freaked out. I started screaming, asking what I was being accused of, and that if they told me I would go with them. It took twenty minutes of them trying to put me in a cop car and me screaming this for them to give up and tell me. I was being charged with resisting arrest. I continued to freak out until they put me in the bandwagon.

When I got to jail they had to drag me inside because I could not keep up with how fast they were walking while my feet where in restraints. When they tried to cut the plastic cuffs off me they had a hard time because they were to tight. So tight that they had to have a nurse come look at me. Then they took all my belongings and put them in a bag. Then I was put in a cell for holding until I could be processed.

Before I was processed they had to make a list of all my stuff and get me to sign for it. Everything was there but my cigs, and my lighter. I was processed and allowed to make a phone call every hour until I could reach someone to bail me out. Seeing as how I didn't know anyone in the area older then 25, I couldn't get bailed out for a while.

Close to 24 hours after I was put in jail I was released. No one had bailed me out I was just released.

My roommate came and got me and told me what they website said I was being charged with and I understood why I was released.

Trespassing at the gas station I had bought cigarettes at.
Obstruction of justice
Public Intoxication ( never took a breathalyser)

I have only meet two cops I actually like. One of them has told me that he has done things he is not proud of. Now I understand what he means by that. Cops think that they are above the law.

They thought that just because I am not 21 that i do not know my laws. I knew and I let them know.

You have a right to know what you are being accused of.
You are innocent until proven guilty.

Thanks for listening
Peace,

Pajjikor


P.S. Mods I didnt know where to put this

Why don't you get a lawyer and sue? That is some bad news for sure and I sure as hell would fight it.

You'll probably have a resisting law enforcement charge too.I really don't know what to say about this.I'm not sure whether I believe this story or not.

reply to post by ventian


my dad know the DA in Savannah. We are working on it.

So daddy's going to bail you out?
Hah your a joke, just like your claims of being surprised at resisting arrest. By your own words, you sounded like beligerent raving druggie/drunk from the very first interaction with the cop. No wonder you were treated the way you were.

No calm cooperation coming from you.

reply to post by Pajjikor

When I got outside of the store I gave a pack to my roommate, all of the sudden the clerk came running outside and told me to stop and started off towards a cop. Not knowing at the time he was talking to me we walked away.

Confusing?? Did you see the clerk coming out and yelling and headed toward cops?


Why did they charge you with trespassing? Seems to me you would have had a prior trespassing warning at this store in order to be charged with that.

reply to post by ThirdJohnAdams


no daddy is not going to bail me out, daddy is trying help me bring this to court so we can get a settlement.

second yes i might have over reacted, but then agian i didnt do anything wrong so yeah I freaked out. I would love to see what you would have done if a cop started to arrest you out of the blue. You would over-react to.

Jam321 I saw him come out of the store yell stop to someone and them him head towards a cop. I just didnt know he was yelling at me, I somehow pissed him off I guess.

I was released from jail because the charges wouldnt stick in court, they just put them on me to put me in jail. The trespassing charge was a joke



[edit on 18-3-2010 by Pajjikor]

Hearing about this way too often. Maybe those who pay the cop's salary could make suggestions of what crimes they encounter that they need police help with.The ordinary citizen is being harassed and driven to hide in his home or risk some kind of police interaction for going about everyday business. I see people every day literally driving like raving maniacs, maybe the police could look for them?

What... I thought while reading this you were gonna get the cops attention for giving cigs to an underager....

Man... I don't what to say. I know they (cops) are a little odd down south, compared to us Northern guys but....

Well, first of all, you do not have the right to resist IF properly notified of the police intentions. As a citizen, you are required to cooperate with the man. Sorry.

2nd, once approached, you do run the risk of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct/obstruction of justice if you start yelling and causing a scene.

Last, get a car. Bus stations are prime targets for cops to run into, what they may deem, unsavory people. Sorry you had the problems and I think you may need to get an attorney due to what you outlined here.

Those dam flexcuffs are a b...h. Good luck in fighting this but I doubt you will get out of the obstructing justice (Disorderly conduct here).

If this is true then you should be able to get a nice settlement and cost the cops their jobs. Don't take it sitting down.

Originally posted by ThirdJohnAdams
So daddy's going to bail you out?
Hah your a joke, just like your claims of being surprised at resisting arrest. By your own words, you sounded like beligerent raving druggie/drunk from the very first interaction with the cop. No wonder you were treated the way you were.

No calm cooperation coming from you.

Thing is, if you arent arrested, how can you resist arrest?

Originally posted by anon72
What... I thought while reading this you were gonna get the cops attention for giving cigs to an underager....

Man... I don't what to say. I know they (cops) are a little odd down south, compared to us Northern guys but....

Well, first of all, you do not have the right to resist IF properly notified of the police intentions. As a citizen, you are required to cooperate with the man. Sorry.

2nd, once approached, you do run the risk of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct/obstruction of justice if you start yelling and causing a scene.

Last, get a car. Bus stations are prime targets for cops to run into, what they may deem, unsavory people. Sorry you had the problems and I think you may need to get an attorney due to what you outlined here.

Those dam flexcuffs are a b...h. Good luck in fighting this but I doubt you will get out of the obstructing justice (Disorderly conduct here).

1)Sorry but this is garbage. You are required to cooperate with the man, IF, they are acting lawfully. If the OP's story is true, these officers were well outside of their rights and likely will be reprimanded for this.

2)If approached by a cop, I can say and do what I want, short of assaulting him physically or verbally. If he does not state the reason he is approaching you, you dont even have to acknowledge him.

3)Again, garbage. Just because a cop decides bus stations are places where bad people hang out, does not change the rights of those in the bus station.

reply to post by anon72


just to let you know my roommate is old enough to buy cigs, but at the time he was on the phone so I got them for him.

I guess i could resist then because any citizen has a right to know what they are being arrested for. The cops didn't tell me just started putting me in cuffs. Plus I was never charged with resisting just obstruction. I probably deserve the obstruction charge, I told them I would have their jobs for what they were doing. Who knows I just might.

[edit on 18-3-2010 by Pajjikor]

This story seems suspect and only because it seems as if large chunks of data were left out.

Anyway, here is my most recent encounter with LE.

LEO: Hello, how's it going?

EMPIRE: Fine thanks.

LEO: Do you go here?

EMPIRE: No I don't, I'm here to pick someone up.

LEO: Who are you here to pick up?

EMPIRE: My nephew.

LEO: Where is he?

EMPIRE: Somehwere in this area because he just called. I don't know his dorm room.

LEO: May I see your I.D.?

EMPIRE: Ma'am is this a consensual encounter?

LEO: Yes.

EMPIRE: No maa'am you can't see my I.D. we have nothing further to discuss.

Fast foward to where my nephew comes out and the officer asks him if he attends. He says yes. She then asks to see his ID and he shows it. Afterwards, she comes back and tries to lecture me about why she did what she did. She said, "shut your mouth" and I looked her in the eye, smiled and said "Ma'am that is very disrespectful." She kept on blabbing and I smiled again and said, "Ma'am that was very disrespectful." I kept repeating this and she stormed off mad. She was red and everything, I swore I saw smoke coming from her ears and nostrils, but I remained calm and smiled.

reply to post by EMPIRE


Some chunks were left out, long boring chunks of conversation that wouldn't change the story. O plus the part that cops dont like when you try to put the hand cuffs infront of you.

reply to post by EMPIRE


This is the perfect example of how to deal with LEO's in a situation where you have done nothing wrong.

Just because they are cops does not mean they are your superior.

Your problem is you bitched about the price of the cigarettes. Two packs for $12? You should be grateful. Here they cost over $10 a pack!

So, you are guilty of being an ingrate.

And, I have to add: LOL at "get a car." Like if you didn't ride the bus you wouldn't be a target for cops. Right up there with "move out of the ghetto if you don't want to be harassed."

[edit on 18-3-2010 by TheComte]

reply to post by TheComte


Lol I guess I am an ingrate.

And I have a car I just dont have a licence. To many speeding tickets.

Lets break this down and all the things you did wrong to make a bad situation worse

The cop started to put me in handcuffs, i freaked out and asked him what I was being charged with and fought back

NEVER EVER fight back, it makes you look stupid and will come up in court to haunt you. I don't care how unjust you feel the police are in their actions but when the court sees you on a dash cam thrashing around and screaming obscenities at the police it doesn't do you any favors.

They started questioning me asking what my name was, and I started questioning them asking what I was being accused of.

This is being verbally combative and also not productive to your case when it undoubtedly goes to court. Answer only with your name and request a lawyer in situations like yours, anything else is just digging your hole deeper

About that they told me they were taking me to jail, this is when i freaked out. I started screaming, asking what I was being accused of, and that if they told me I would go with them. It took twenty minutes of them trying to put me in a cop car and me screaming this for them to give up and tell me. I was being charged with resisting arrest. I continued to freak out until they put me in the bandwagon.

Thats another outburst and likely a second charge of resisting arrest if they feel like being hardasses about it. If you didn't realize that you had already screwed up by resisting them the first time then perhaps you should get informed on how to interact with police.

I'm not saying all police are perfect, and I'm not saying the opposite either, but when you act like you know more than them it sets a bad mood for the encounter and often it only ends poorly. You would be absolutely amazed at how far a little courtesy goes when dealing with law enforcement personnel. Look at like interacting with parents - when you scream and throw a tantrum did it ever get you out of trouble or get you even further into it?

Here is what I know. Cops DO NOT have to inform you why they are putting cuffs on you. Cops usually must have witnessed a misdemeanor crime occur in their presence in order to charge you with that misdemeanor. When the cops started questioning you in cuffs you had not yet been arrested, you were detained. However, cops detaining someone for a misdemeanor crime which did not occur in their presence is wrong.

In essence, I would say your charges will be dropped by the DA. Talk with your attorney as you will be given one if you cannot afford it. You might consider filing a complaint. As to a lawsuit, that is up to you.