When a cop says to stop

[bobswire]

I was wondering on the outcome of this incident.

http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/when-cop-says-stop?page=0,0

[WickedWheels]

good question

[54ny77]

good grief if the cyclists' version of that story is true, i hope they sue every cop involved to kingdom come personally and professionally. those are just bad apples, period. power trip thugs with a badge, and gives the profession a terrible name.

but yeah, to the op question, if a cop in any way blinks lights, chirps the siren or somehow makes direct contact, stop and pull over. period. never, ever talk back to 'em and play a roadside clarence darrow in lycra. you won't win in that venue.

i've been asked to get pulled over on several occasions over the years and each time no harm no foul, simple respectful answers and we both go away satisfied with the outcome. it ain't rocket science.

[bobswire]

good grief if the cyclists' version of that story is true, i hope they sue every cop involved to kingdom come personally and professionally. those are just bad apples, period. power trip thugs with a badge, and gives the profession a terrible name.

but yeah, to the op question, if a cop in any way blinks lights, chirps the siren or somehow makes direct contact, stop and pull over. period. never, ever talk back to 'em and play a roadside clarence darrow in lycra. you won't win in that venue.

i've been asked to get pulled over on several occasions over the years and each time no harm no foul, simple respectful answers and we both go away satisfied with the outcome. it ain't rocket science.

This,though it irks the heck out of me but better to bite the bullet than receive one. Having said that the greater and vast majority of cops are doing a good job in a very difficult position.

[#campyuserftw]

I cannot read the entire story, I'm at work, but one only needs to watch one episode of COPS on tv to know what the police endure and do for us. Nobody is perfect, there are bad apples on every tree (look at the amount of female teachers sleeping with young male students in America). If a police officer tells me to stop, I stop. Once I stop, I would have the ability to talk to him/her/them.

[bargainguy]

It's getting to the point I want to start taking my smartphone with me on rides, just to capture video of such incidents as evidence.

[ColonelJLloyd]

How about contacting the author?

[merlinmurph]

This line pretty much sums it up:
Back on the night of Ryan's booking, Tony says that the Deputy informed Ryan's parents that he didn't know what he was going to charge Ryan with, but he had to charge him with something, so he sat down with a copy of the code book and looked for the appropriate statute. For the next 30 minutes, the Deputy searched for something to charge Ryan with, but couldn't find anything.

Regardless, you can't have people deciding on their own whether the cop has a right to obey his order. Yeah, I know, we've had cop discussions in the past. But first, you have no idea why the cop is asking you to pull over - none. Would you refuse to pull over if you were driving your car? Didn't think so.

Pull over, see what he has to say, and go from there.

In this case, there seems to be an issue whether the cop even asked them to pull over.

Enjoy your cop-free ride,
Murph

[54ny77]

a handful of years ago i got pulled over by an englewood cop who, once he got out of his car, went absolutely ballistic and was popping veins on his forehead while yelling at me. i honestly wondered what was going to happen. prior, he came flying outta nowhere (having seen me emerge from where i did on my road bike), blared the sirens, and came screeching to a skidding halt blocking me (it was impressive driving, to say the least).

i immediately stopped, got off my bike, stood there and took off my glasses and simply stated that i was in the wrong and i apologize (i was riding up a road i shouldn't have (cars ok, but no bikes permitted), but man it was a fun steep switchback!). that greatly diffused the situation, and from that point on he just lectured me for a bit and told me to not do it again, then took off. it could have been much worse--tickets, fines, points on license (guess what? bikes are vehicles and subject to the same consequences as car violations), court time, etc.

no harm, no foul. that's how it should work.

[Elefantino]

Sense and sensibility. Works most of the time.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . Anybody know anything about the ultimate outcome of all the court cases?

BBD

[54ny77]

poor training/response protocol for that cop (or local police force) is a large reason for stuff like what happened to the cyclist in that article.

i mean come on, using vehicle as weapon, engaging while in a firing stance, use of tasers, threat of lethal force , inability to use (let alone check its functionality) a collapsible baton against a teenager and/or an adult cyclist on the side of the road/sidewalk who are clad in lycra and bike shoes?

that cop is a bonehead par excellence. he's an embarrassment...unless the rest of the local force are just as inept.

[weisan]

. . . Anybody know anything about the ultimate outcome of all the court cases?

BBD

outside settlement. details kept confidential. cyclist affected went on record to say he was satisfied with outcome.

[AngryScientist]

yea, the truth there definitely lies between the stories of both parties. a real mess there, for sure.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . if Officer Friendly is still on patrol there?

BBD

[TimD]

Methinks that as a population they'd be a little less excitable were they not jacked on energy drinks / steroid "stacks".

My last motor vehicle stop was by an under-25 LEO who very mistakenly thought I'd blown a stop sign. His eyes were bugging out of his head, the veins in his neck were sticking out. This in broad daylight in a very tony Boston suburb where there is essentially zero street crime.

I calmly explained that the stop line had been effectively moved back 50' by the presence of a tandem-axle, bright orange, utility bucket truck complete with rotating orange beacons, which happened to be parked immediately adjacent to the stop sign and on top of the stop line. Not sure how he missed that.

Lay off the juice, dude, I'm not really a credible threat to your town...

[Fixed]

I cannot read the entire story, I'm at work, but one only needs to watch one episode of COPS on tv to know what the police endure and do for us. Nobody is perfect, there are bad apples on every tree (look at the amount of female teachers sleeping with young male students in America). If a police officer tells me to stop, I stop. Once I stop, I would have the ability to talk to him/her/them.
+1
Cheers

[goonster]

one only needs to watch one episode of COPS on tv to know what the police endure and do for us.
The coolest thing I learned from watching many episodes of COPS is that they love to yell "Relax!" while five officers are sitting on the arrestee.

The most worrying thing about this particular incident is that in the officer's own account there is absolutely no justification for application of (non-lethal) force with the Tazer and baton.

[martl]

Shocking story, at least the court showed some common sense.
Not too uncommon, though. In my home town, a year ago the town police did a nightly control on correct lighting. A fella who rode along tried to escape the cops (later it turned out he was under the influence of alcohol), was tackled and fell with his head at the curbstone. Last i heard, 3-4 weeks after the incident, he was still in a coma.
Riding without a light is an infringement and fined with 10€.
The cop was cleared in court as he had the right to use force and couldn't foresee the grave consequences.

Another fellow who rode his bike on a frozen lake in a park which had a "keep off! danger" sign on it had a dispute with a mounted police woman. He rode off, got pursued and brought down in full gallop...

[druptight]

As mentioned above, it appears they settled out of court. I'm curious if the officer is still employed....

http://www.ohiobikelawyer.com/uncategorized/2010/07/tasered-cyclist-settles-civil-rights-lawsuit/

Of particular interest from that site, defendants being the policemen being sued:

"Defendants denied liability and discovery proceeded, including the taking of several key depositions, and it was learned that key evidence – including a videotape from the scene of the Tasering - had never been provided to Patrick’s criminal or civil lawyers."

[#campyuserftw]

The coolest thing I learned from watching many episodes of COPS is that they love to yell "Relax!" while five officers are sitting on the arrestee.

The most worrying thing about this particular incident is that in the officer's own account there is absolutely no justification for application of (non-lethal) force with the Tazer and baton.

Crystal Meth is a helluva drug. I watch COPS once in a blue moon. Nearly 90% of the arrested are drunk, on meth, crack, cocaine, selling meth, crack, cocaine, DWI, violent...and violent before the COPS show up. Nearly 50% of the time the COPS show up, the arrested attempt to flee, or fight the police. Nearly 25% of the arrested have a loaded, illegal pistol in their car, on their person, or they threw it onto the road as they sped away.

Try to watch the show again with open eyes, or try a different POV. I for one am amazed at the police's self-restraint. Tazers are a great, non-life-threatening way to make the bad guy stop their violence. Nearly 90% of the time the ones who are tazered begin to whimper like a puppy, apologizing, whining, whereas moments earlier they were acting like a Tiger Shark on Steroids and Meth.

I see/hear police yelling, "relax" to the tazered, fallen dirtbag, in an attempt to not have-to tazer them again; if someone, any citizen wants to be drunk, DWI, flee the police at high speed, have meth, crack, cocaine in their system, drugs or weapons in their car...they have given away many of their rights pertaining to freedom. Put these recidivistic druggies away and how? Give them all a room with free meth labs, where the can smoke to their hearts stop beating.

Drugs, guns and violence are the citizens fault. Getting tazed is a gift. It gets the dirtbag arrested, passively, with a chance to enter rehab and see the light. How many meth heads quit? A handful. When one looks at violent crimes in America, meth, crack, cocaine, drugs, alcohol, and guns are at the scene perhaps what, 75% of the time? These elements are a risk to my own safety, and yours. Not a tazer gun.

[rustychisel]

Drugs, guns and violence are the citizens fault. Getting tazed is a gift. It gets the dirtbag arrested, passively, with a chance to enter rehab and see the light. How many meth heads quit? A handful. When one looks at violent crimes in America, meth, crack, cocaine, drugs, alcohol, and guns are at the scene perhaps what, 75% of the time? These elements are a risk to my own safety, and yours. Not a tazer gun.


in what way is any of this cr4p relevant to the situation as outlined?

[jpw]

i've never been pulled over by the police.

last week a car overtook me, pulled across my line, and then did a 5 yard wheels locked slide to a halt to block my progress. the driver then jumped out and threatened to "take my head of with a spanner" if i ever hindered his progress again on 'his' road (this being an open public road in a quiet residential area).

His justification? He's was in a hurry to get home and i don't pay road tax.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Wow. I think you have a responsibility to report such incidents.

[jpw]

Wow. I think you have a responsibility to report such incidents.

true. i'm still thinking about doing that.

i got home and composed an email describing the entire incident, with all the essential details, and posted it back to myself. so i now have a time stamped document for future reference should this particular fool ever interfere with me again on that road ( a road i use regularly).

i am thinking about getting a bike cam to document these sort of incidents, which sadly are becoming more common place. Only yesterday another fool tried to scare me off the road with willfully dangerous driving. i'm wondering if it has anything to do with the time of the year, some pressure people feel with the approach of Christmas?

[ColonelJLloyd]

I dunno. I was thinking about a call to 911 or the local station with the license plate number. I've done it when a car or motorcycle is driving erratically.

[sales guy]

I live in Ohio. We have cops purposely try and run you off the road up in northern Ohio. It's crazy.

And I've said it before, people feel bikes are toys. Lance did good in that respect, he got people thinking differently. But he came back and focked it all up. And then he told half the truth which killed it more.

[thirdgenbird]

Here is my random and similar experience.

Several years ago, I was wearing rollerblades and sitting on a bench near our town square. I happened to be having a conversation with my mother who was sitting right next to me. A cop ridding a bike (on the sidewalk) approached us and instantly started laying into me about how I wasn't supposed to rollerblade on the sidewalk. I politely asked him if this was a recent change because I had not seen any signs or heard of any regulation changes. He instantly got ticked and said if i continued to mouth off he was "going to drag my down to the station and arrest me". I can remember it crystal clear to this day. He yelled it loud enough to cause a crowd to gather. The then proceeded to tell me that my rollerblades were a safety threat to other pedestrians. I asked him again if this was a city ordinance and and asked if it applied to bikes while pointing to the the one he rode up on. He never gave me an answer. He pushed through the small group of witnesses and rode away. I followed up on things, there was no law or ordinance outlawing my actions.

His justification? He's was in a hurry to get home and i don't pay road tax.

Did you ask if he does the same thing to tractors and electric cars?

[goonster]

Getting tazed is a gift.
Your family must really be looking forward to Christmas! :eek:

Like the poster above, I fail to see how your bizarre rantings are relevant to this thread . . .

[EricEstlund]

The most worrying thing about this particular incident is that in the officer's own account there is absolutely no justification for application of (non-lethal) force with the Tazer and baton.

"Less" lethal. Tasers and batons have absolutely be used to deadly effect.