CFL Teen arrested for "resisting arrest"

[Keith A]

This was posted on a local Facebook group, and thought I'd share this to see if anyone could help. Here's the FB link, and I've copied the text of his message below.
https://www.facebook.com/theperpinan...type=3&theater

On this morning’s group ride, something unusual happened. My son and another teenage rider, Javier Lopez, were pulled over by a Seminole County (FL) Sheriff, and Javier Lopez was arrested for “resisting arrest”. The teens had been off the front of the group in a breakaway for approx. the last 20 mins and were holding a 25 sec gap. When they approached the left hand turn that would put them onto Florida Ave, my son stopped and Javier slowed and proceeded to roll through. They then proceeded to kick back up to speed as they were trying to maintain their breakaway gap. This is when the Sheriff, who was on the other side of the turn, took off in pursuit to pull them over. The rest of the group came to a stop then we all proceeded to continue chasing them. Approximately 25 sec later we came up on the teens on the side of the road, Javier already in handcuffs and my son asking why his friend was being arrested. The sheriff said “why didn’t he stop? I told him to stop.” My son replied, “we did stop as soon as we realized that you were trying to pull us over.” The sheriff insisted that he had yelled at them at the stop sign and that Javier was, in essence, “fleeing the sight of the traffic violation.” Although the group of cyclist tried to explain the situation, the sheriff said, “Today’s not the day for a road side jury.”

They took Javier away, arrested him, and he is currently being detained in a jail cell. His bail is set at $8500 and he will probably spend the night in jail unless... his father, who is also a cyclist and was there on the ride, finds a bail bondsmen today.

I understand enforcing the law, however, I do not understand the actions these sheriff’s carried out today. Why ruin the life of a good kid, who is in essence a child, with a criminal record? This should have been, worse case scenario, a traffic violation. Ask yourselves how many times you have slow rolled through a stop sign in your vehicle or your bike. Should this be how you’re treated? Or worse, is this how you would want your child treated? As cyclists, we should always follow the laws of the road, but we should also stick together when situations like these arise.

If anyone out there can help, or knows someone who can, please reach out to me via DM and I will put you in contact with Javier’s father. Thank you!!

P.S. I have video and can provide the footage if it helps in any way.

[Blue Jays]

The cyclists were arrested in the midst of a race?
Was this a traditional roadrace or was it a criterium?
Officers should have seen all the racers and understood.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by Blue Jays

The cyclists were arrested in the midst of a race?
Was this a traditional roadrace or was it a criterium?
Officers should have seen all the racers and understood.

I understand this to have happened during an organized ride, not a race. I could be wrong though.

[Keith A]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

I understand this to have happened during an organized ride, not a race. I could be wrong though.

I believe this is correct.

[robt57]

Not having actually witnessed, not wanting to assume over reaction on Ranger Rick, which it sounds like is possible...

[wc1934]

A bogus arrest and $8500 bail for rolling thru a stop sign/resisting arrest?
Makes me so angry!!

[dddd]

Since this is the US, the kid will get to go before a judge over this matter at least.

Bummer if he really didn't hear the officer ordering him to stop.

A resisting arrest charge could follow any deliberate action that makes an officer do extra work in order to effect an arrest.

[mjb266]

Good lord, if I hear a siren, it’s because a cop is chasing a car or racing to a crime scene. I’d never assume it was me. If I were in a spirited group ride breakaway, and slightly hypoxia, I’d be even less likely to assume the cop was addressing me.

The cop is being an ass. I’ve heard of driving while black...but this seems like a case of riding while brown.

[dddd]

Originally Posted by wc1934

A bogus arrest and $8500 bail for rolling thru a stop sign/resisting arrest?
Makes me so angry!!

This probably had happened the week before, and the week before that.
All of which made the officer "so angry" when it happened to him again!

I don't know, maybe this officer has a weak voice, but I have witnessed road users and others conveniently pretending to not notice that an officer was trying to get them to stop. I vaguely remember doing this myself once, on a bike, in White Plains about 35 years ago. I more clearly remember the officer being in a rather Joe Friday or drill seargeant sort of mood when I finally stopped.
Another thing is that so often it is people with warrants (i.e. failure-to-appears) who do this kind of thing, and which causes officers to perhaps pursue them more vigorously.

[dddd]

Originally Posted by mjb266

Good lord, if I hear a siren, it’s because a cop is chasing a car or racing to a crime scene. I’d never assume it was me. If I were in a spirited group ride breakaway, and slightly hypoxia, I’d be even less likely to assume the cop was addressing me.

The cop is being an ass. I’ve heard of driving while black...but this seems like a case of riding while brown.

Whoa, you should get a job with the media, they love that sort of talk!

My bet is that next time, hypoxia or no, that kid will stop when told.

I can't believe any of us here are making excuses for what they did not see. This is just a third-hand recollection, no?

[FlashUNC]

Thrill of the day for Barney Fife there.

[dddd]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Thrill of the day for Barney Fife there.

I've seen that sort of thing too, once had a very excited ranger cop put a billy club in my motorcycle spokes and take my keys after I pulled over immediately, then took him several minutes to regain composure over my crossing a 30' stretch of dirt between fire roads.
Turned out though that he may have thought that I was the guy who had them out with the helicopter a day or two earlier.

I used to do the Coffee Republic training ride every Saturday for years, and we got pulled over a couple of times. But I had seen the sort of things done by riders which I knew would bring in complaints to the town, county and state patrols. And we never tried to sneak away, so no tickets, just had to endure the lecture!

Since this case involves bail, I am assuming there is much we don't know about. Could very well have had to do with there being visual contact between the young Mr. Lopez and the cop, which made his flight seem the more agregeous, and/or an attitude/acknowledgement problem when he finally stopped and was confronted. I'm thinking both. Short of those possibilities, I can't see the 8k bail having been set by the judge.

[rustychisel]

You weren't there either and now you assume facts and interpret.... it's a worry, I say...

Originally Posted by dddd

..... And we never tried to sneak away, so no tickets, .....

so in the light of that I'd suggest you're being somewhat egregious in your commentary. Pot kettle black.

[mjb266]

Originally Posted by dddd

Whoa, you should get a job with the media, they love that sort of talk!

We are not a police state, and dragging a KID in Lycra who was RIDING A BICYCLE ! Does nothing buy destroy goodwill. That kid isn’t going to help out law enforcement in the years to come. Neither will his friend. Instead they will avoid the cops and recount stories of that cop to their buddies.
That could have been a conversation with the kid about how folks with warrants act, with a release at the end of that conversation...but what the hell...it’s a guy on a bike in full Lycra kit...if he rolled the stop sign, ticket him and be done.

[Peter P.]

I can understand why the police would perceive 2 cyclists riding with what looks like intense effort, as trying to flee a police officer.

The kid will likely appear in juvenile court and the judge will use discretion in casting a verdict/sentence. That's what judges do.

The takeaway should be these group rides should not be races with stop signs and the temptation to "roll through".