another run in with law enforcement.

i think i've begun a tradition of posting everytime i have a run in with law enforcement.
the most recent just happened about an hour ago.
i was walking into the grocery store, a local sheriff was right behind me, i held the door for him, nodded my head in greeting and said, ' go right ahead officer.'
the guy just walked by without so much as eye contact.
he ended up right behind me in line. i know the lady cashier, so spoke a bit with her while she checked me out.
it took about an extra 30 seconds, when she was done with my stuff, for her to ask how my dad was, whose been in the hospital.
the sheriff was visibly getting impatient, so i just grabbed the bags and answered while walking away.
as i pulled out of the lot the sheriff was right behind me.
he followed for a couple of miles and slowly got closer and closer and closer.
i just kept driving, but when he got within a couple feet of my bumper, i held up my cell phone backwards and snapped a few pictures, including one with the camera on zoom.
there are no statewide laws, and there is also none in this arearegarding use while driving.

Cell phone, text messaging legislation news: No distracted driving legislation was approved during New Mexico’s 2011 legislative session. The House did OK Rep. Antonio Lujan’s bill outlawing texting while driving, but it died after clearing a key committee in the Senate.

anyhow, as soon as i did this he hit his lights.
i pulled over, grabbed all the info he'd want and asked him why he was pulling me over while i handed it too him.
he accused me of wreckless driving.
i didn't say a word. he then asked me to get out of the car. i asked why, he didn't say anything while he opened my door.
he asked me again, so even if it was a mistake, i exited the vehicle.
he reaches in and grabbed my cell phone off the seat, held it up and asked if i took pictures.
yes, officer, i did, you were 2 feet off my bumber without lights on and i perceived that as a threat to my safety.
he holds out the phone and asked me to delete the images.
'sure, officer, but i already sent them to everyone in my phonebook, so it won't do much good'.
he then told me he needs to search my vehicle, which is actually my dads, and registered to him.
i purchased it for him a few years ago because he really needed a reliable car, he's in his early 80's.
i politely refused, 'officer it's not my vehicle, so i can not give you permission.'
he tried the being in possession of it yada yada.
i didn't budge, officer, you already went in and took my cell phone.
right then a truck pulls over and a buddy of mine gets out and walks over.
'officer, why have you pulled david #$(*^&% over?'
my friend owns a resteraunt here and knows everyone, including me and my dad and all the police.
the officer once again looks visibly impatient.
he hands me back my phone, walks over, gets in his cruiser and splits at a high rate of speed.
i talked with my friend for a couple of minutes and we went on our way.

question, name the last time you were within, say, 10 feet of law enforcement.

I used to be married to a deputy, does that count?

You should post the pictures you took here on ATS.

reply to post by rubbertramp


About a day ago. He was in my house. He stopped by to see how everything was in my neighborhood and how I have been doing.

Originally posted by mileysubet
You should post the pictures you took here on ATS.

i thought about it, but decided it was not a good idea.
you can clearly see his face in the shot i zoomed in on him and the others could be zoomed by others.
sorry, but all i need is for it to somehow get back to him and the sheriffs department.
if i was ticketed or things escalated that was the plan, but this is small town n.m. and i don't need to be disapeared.

Its awful how they use traffic stops to rape you. They'll just keep pushing and pushing going through your stuff and groping you and trying to play little mind games until they either get to go all the way or you shout "NO!" at them.

And for your act of defiance you get beat or hit with erroneous charges.

To make it even worse what little faith you may have left sitting there cuffed to a pole expecting exoneration while the cops figure out what, if anything, they can charge you with there's a DA out there who'll try to sell you a plea bargain to some catch-all charge that has nothing to do with anything yet serves to ruin your life pretty effectively.

I wonder how far it would have gone if your friend in the truck hadn't driven by.

Let me help you out.

My Father was a Cop...All his friends were Cops...I grew up with Cops.

Cops hate one thing. A written complaint.

If they know you won't hesitate to document their BS...Most will back way down.

Or, they will take you out and have you dig your own grave.

Either way....The harassment stops.

I'm surprised he even let you hold the door for him. I've attempted to do that and get a threatened look like i'm gonna grab their gun from behind.

It's amazing the way the perceive and treat citizens, looking at them with contempt and as if they are the "enemy," always eyeing everyone as if everyone was a criminal element. Granted, they do have to be wary and on guard but to sacrifice simple humanity and dignity is getting ridiculous. Your experience just shows the mentality of a large number of cops, just LOOKING for an excuse--or intimidating long enough to FIND a excuse. I too have tried to be nice (occasionally) to a cop and get pretty much he same treatment (although not as severe, such as following), but maybe this type of genial behavior toward cops is so uncommon that it makes them even more suspicious.

I once heard a cop say that if you follow someone long enough there will eventually be a legal, valid reason to pull someone over--and these jerks will do just that.

I just hate how cops' attitudes seem to have come to the "everyone is a suspect" "everyone is a potential threat/enemy" mentality that is so un-American that it makes it hard to NOT think one is living in a police state, especially when one of the most powerful legal perceptions is the "lawful order." Practically anything can be a lawful order, even the most absurd, simple because a cop gives it--and the legal system largely backs this.

What sized town do you live in, OP?

Originally posted by whyamIhere
Let me help you out.

My Father was a Cop...All his friends were Cops...I grew up with Cops.

Cops hate one thing. A written complaint.

If they know you won't hesitate to document their BS...Most will back way down.

Or, they will take you out and have you dig your own grave.

Either way....The harassment stops.

I have heard of people going to a police station to file a complaint, and when asked to identify themselves, and they refuse, they are arrested for failure to identify. I understand that one must (usually) use one's identity to file a formal complaint, but to be arrested for failure to identify oneself or produce id at a police station is, regardless of the (supporting) law on identification (in some places), just insane.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

I wonder how far it would have gone if your friend in the truck hadn't driven by.

not sure, but i have no doubt it would have at a minimum ended up with me in cuffs and a drug dog circling the car.
there was nothing to find, but still...........................

reply to post by Liquesence

What sized town do you live in, OP?

the area i live in specifically has about 25 people, but there are a few small towns nearby that range from about 2000 to 5000 inhabitants.
losest bigger town is about 45 miles and contains about 15000, i think.

regarding the rest of your reply, i couldn't agree more, i gotta' quit being so nice. i nod and say hello to everyone in passing, i stop for people whom are broke down and i hold the door for anyone, including sheriffs.
around here people actually wave at each other in passing on the road.

Actually, I got pulled over the other day.

I live in a small town. I was out to dinner with a good friend. I had a glass of wine with dinner. When I went to the parking lot to leave and drive home, I noticed a police car following me all the way to my friend's house. I told my friend that we had just been followed all the way home by the police and that's why I'd been driving so carefully. As I was dropping her off, she asked me to come in and check out some new things she had done to the house. I went in for about 30 minutes and then left to go home. About 200 feet down my friend's street,, the police car began following me again and continued to do so for several miles until the lights came on and I pulled over to the side of the road.

What this all means is that the police car sat in the parking lot of the upscale restaurant we were visiting, watched me get into my car (volvo wagon---not exactly a conspicious mobile) followed me to my friends house, sat there while I went in for a half hour and waited for me to come out. Then this woman cop followed me almost all the way home before turning on her lights.

I couldn't believe it. It really felt like entrapment and she was going to an awful lot of trouble to catch someone doing something wrong.

My inspection had expired. She must have noticed that in the parking lot of the restaurant and followed me around seeing if she could catch me doing something else since she now had a reason to pull me over. I explained that I needed a new catalytic converter, that it was ordered, and I'd be fixing my car very soon.

She let me go but I was really unnerved by the whole thing.

Seriously? Don't these police have anything better to do?

reply to post by MRuss


usually there is no excuse needed they'll just make one up.
i refuse to so much as get in a car that is not leagal, let alone drive one.
i keep up to date on everything and check constantly to make sure all the lights work and there is nothing that will give them the excuse to pull me over.
i'm a great driver, i know, everyone says that, but i am.
i have 2 things on my record, one was wrecking a truck because a huge bull elk got in my way and was given a choice between the elk, a semi truck and a cliff. i chose the elk.
the other isn't really on my record, but a guy slid on ice through a stop sign and nailed me.
he tried to blame me when the cops got there, but my skid marks explained everything, i couldn't avoid him.

Originally posted by rubbertramp
reply to post by Liquesence

 

What sized town do you live in, OP?

the area i live in specifically has about 25 people, but there are a few small towns nearby that range from about 2000 to 5000 inhabitants.
losest bigger town is about 45 miles and contains about 15000, i think.

regarding the rest of your reply, i couldn't agree more, i gotta' quit being so nice. i nod and say hello to everyone in passing, i stop for people whom are broke down and i hold the door for anyone, including sheriffs.
around here people actually wave at each other in passing on the road.

Don't let that bully stop you. Continue your random acts of kindness . Namaste