Man Gets Arrested For Making Joke In New York City

Originally posted by defcon5
Depending on the state its called various things, but it basically comes down to Interference with a police officer during the performance of his duties, and is a violation of the law:

N.Y. AGM. LAW § 369 : NY Code - Section 369: Interference with officers

Any person who shall interfere with
or obstruct any constable or police officer or any officer or agent of
any duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals
in the discharge of his duty to enforce the laws relating to animals
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not
more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars,
or by both.

Which is a misdemenor, that allowed them to then require his ID under NY’s Stop and Identify laws:

§ 140.50 Temporary questioning of persons in public places; search for
weapons.

1. In addition to the authority provided by this article for making an
arrest without a warrant, a police officer may stop a person in a public
place located within the geographical area of such officer's employment
when he reasonably suspects that such person is committing, has
committed or is about to commit either (a) a felony or (b) a misdemeanor
defined in the penal law, and may demand of him his name, address and an
explanation of his conduct.

Which was followed by him refusing, then resisting, that allowed for his arrest. They will also most likely stick him with other stuff as well, such as inciting a riot, as an example:

§ 240.08 Inciting to riot.

A person is guilty of inciting to riot when he urges ten or more
persons to engage in tumultuous and violent conduct of a kind likely to
create public alarm.
Inciting to riot is a class A misdemeanor.

In a nutshell he is mainly guilty of a POP offence (Pissing off the Police), but you can see how they can nail you for just about anything, and still be in the right. Point being that the police know how to work those laws, they know how to evoke a wanted response from folks, and they are quite practiced at doing so. Therefore, unless you know this stuff as well as them, don’t provoke them.

edit on 4/16/2011 by defcon5 because: (no reason given)

I think they made a good call..a very good one.

The guy was provoking and making fun of the guy with the bike. If cops stopped him for doing something illegal and took his ID to give him a fine why should some other civilian step in and say anything?!

Its not like someone saw that police is letting him go away without a fine!! No he had to be a smartazz and start to lecture the guy on the bike.

If the cop stopped him for nothing and asked for an ID why shouldn't he? The guy was trying to avoid them by walking away. Thats pure arrogance.

Next time he will mind his own damn business.

Someone other guy on a bike would get pissed off if someone came to him and started to lesson him on his bike "manners" while the police is already fining him and would attack that prick.

When a police officer has stopped someone, or has them in custody, like the guy on the bicycle was stopped, then the police have assumed responsibility for protecting him against others. The other guy did not just make a crack and keep walking, he walked back to within a few feet of the bicycle with a bag in his hand, with the possible intent to prove how special forces he was. The instant a person does not do what a police officer has directed them to, like move along, then they have broken the law. There was no way the wise cracker was going further without being carded.

Like a story of a black man stopped while driving home one day. The cop cards the driver and tells him he can go. Black man was furious and an attorney. He pushed the case and found out the cop actually stopped him because his car was very nearly the same make and type used in a shooting where a person had been killed. Cop knew that often descriptions of cars could be slightly incorrect and also stopped the guy because the had just run the red light. The cop approached the car the first time, alone and not knowing whether the person in the car was going to shoot. He said his radio told him the perp in shooting had been apprehended while he was running the license of the driver, who he realized was not the type of person who would have murdered someone. As the black man seemed to in a hurry and already agitated, he gave him a verbal warning about running the red light. The attorney replied, later, in his complaint against the officer, "As I was driving up to the light, I saw the officer looking at me and felt certain he was going to stop me. I was not watching the light very closely and it may changed as I got to the intersection." The black driver, a lawyer, verified, through his own contacts, that there had indeed been a murder nearby that day, and the suspect were both black and driving a car similar to his. He told the officer, "I would not have been so angry if you had told me at the time that you really stopped me because of a murder, or how you approached my car with your hand already on your pistol."

I can get wise cracker might turn his back while pulling out his ID, Cops can sometimes see money in a wallet, when an arrested person gets his wallet back, the booking people will tell him there was no money. Take his stuff and go out the door to the street or go back to a cell. Turning your back to a police officer who has you stopped and seeming to hide what you are doing with your hands, that is a sure way to make the cop really suspicious and afraid for his safety. Wise cracker should feel happy that there were several cops, if only one had been there, the instant he hide his hands, he would have had a baton upside his head. Cops work in fear. Once he hide his hands, he was going to be searched. Police do not do things based upon being smart, they do things on method. If someone has something to hide from the officer, he is going to search for it.

Wise cracker may have been saved from a beat down on the spot by the guy who was filming the events. Most of us here are opposed to the surveillance society, but it may be our best defense is the fact nearly everyone has a cell phone with video capability.

If you are wonder about whether I like cops. I have been hit in the head by cops where I had a stroke induced that cost me employment. One time to the point where I could not move my left arm, and I could not feel the entire left hand side of my body. And no, the cop had no reason to do that except to prove he was a mean bastard. He just whacked me in the back of the head from behind, without need or warning, identifying himself. Like they say, any concussion leaves a persons brain not as quick or sharp as it was before. I am clearly a white skinned person. Abuse of power by police is not just a problem based on skin color.


And I am surprised that the red shirt did not get a ride to police station as well. Trying to keep a situation calm as a private citizen is only a fine line to interfering with a police officer. Anything that makes a cop suspicious of a person's motives, can get one arrested.

One of the most interesting statements I have ever read about Police and color came from a man who spent many years as Chief of Police in NYC. He said that yes, the police spent a time on crimes of violence, like murder. They spent time on traffic. By far, the biggest use of manpower was spent on property crimes. The use of the NYC police like an "army of oppression" against those in the city who did not have a means to acquire material things. Which he said was nearly always those who had dark skin. Whether it be black, latino, Puerto Rican or other. He said most of those groups did not have an opportunity to have a good education, or ever get a decent job, or any job He went on to say that he felt it was counterproductive to have such a huge number of people disenfranchised from all material well being (based largely on skin color) and the eventual consequence would be bad for everyone. He said that he could manage the "army of occupation" if that is what the city wanted, but the situation was not going to get better by police enforcement. The problems of poverty needed to be addressed in some better way.


I may have missed the quote, former police chief might have said, "Army of occupation. . . ." Army of oppression seems accurate to me.

The man arrested for disorderly conduct has been positively identified by my source,only as MC LOVIN.Further details announced when received.

Originally posted by mrhardtruth
i really cant believe that everyone seems to be on the guys side. The guy clearly shoots his mouth of, when he should of just kept it shut. Isn't anyone sick of people like this? I cant even leave the house anymore without running into people like this, who always have to say something sarcastic or inappropriate, especially when it has nothing to do with them. Why do people have to say anything in the first place. Its a sign of lack of intelligence and lack of manners. Why do most people just say the first stupid or rude thing that crosses their mind? I understand the human race collectively is not an evolved species but why cant people just keep their mouths shut. I hate to tell most of you this, but your not anywhere near has funny, cute or intelligent has you think you are. When you go around to actually make the pathetic effort of being sarcastic you generally find trouble. This guy should have minded his own business and he should have especially not talked junk to the cop. What did he think was gonna happen? Im not a cop lover but i have enough sense to know that the cops cant let people walk around saying whatever they want to them. There would be a loss of respect and therefore control and personally id prefer big mouths like this to learn control. People need to start being less sarcastic to each other and more respectful. And by all means please keep anything you think is funny to yourselves, because chances are its not. Give it a shot

Because even people "like that" have a thing called the first amendment.

He was in no way obstructing that pathetic little man (cop) from conducting his bicycle ticket.

If you want to roll over and allow cops to handle us (citizens) any way they want as if they have altimate powers, than I suggest you shop around for a new country. China and N orth Korea might be a good start.

Minding your own business? His joke was his response to what he thought was rediculas...His God given and Constitutional right.

If WE the people are not the ones to monitor OUR government than who do you suggest? Let the government.

Not only was he doing what was within his rights he was doing his civic duty.

You sound like you are in the same camp as all the white people that thought MLK or Malcom X were trouble makers. I guess they should have minded their own buisness

Seems like this relates to this subject:

NJ woman chides NYC smoker, gets stabbed with pen


news.yahoo.com...

This is just SICK!

I can not comprehend this at all, its happening everywhere.

What are you meant to do in a situation like this? Phone the cops on the cops?!

Corruption man.

Well, back in the day here in Ireland cops killed people for speaking Irish, at least things seem to be getting a little lighter in the process of corruption. Wait a minute...did you see that? I actually typed a sentence that sounded like corruption is an accepting everyday thing in life...oh wait a minute, it is; isn't it?

Originally posted by the_denv
This is just SICK!

I can not comprehend this at all, its happening everywhere.

What are you meant to do in a situation like this? Phone the cops on the cops?!

Corruption man.

Well, back in the day here in Ireland cops killed people for speaking Irish, at least things seem to be getting a little lighter in the process of corruption. Wait a minute...did you see that? I actually typed a sentence that sounded like corruption is an accepting everyday thing in life...oh wait a minute, it is; isn't it?

That guy wasnt speaking english,and the cops didnt say anything to him about that.They said you cant scream at other people .

Originally posted by brindle
post removed by staff.

Not only are you trolling this thread but you totally missed the joke. He was making a joke about the cops with the cyclist. "You should've had your training wheels. You're a grown man you should know better" and the both laugh about it.

Even though I'm in law enforcement, I have to admit that was pointless.

If a post is on the topic of the thread, there's little chance of removal.

reply to post by Nimes


Haha are you serious with this comment?

If you maybe, oh I don't know, read and researched the details of this situation a little bit further, you would have found out that that "smartazz" was actually known by the guy on the bicycle, could have even been his friend, and was just joking casually to the man about his troubles as he strolled by, not in anyway even remotely communicating to the police or interrupting their actions.

In no way did I see that man interfere with the police's duties, but of course "big tuff" has to lay down the law, on a seemingly innocent chat, and approaches the man bluntly, with two other officers, asking for his I.D impolitely, in an act of intimidation.

The man asks why he needs to see his I.D, which I believe he does not answer, so he holds it out for them to read, but of course he needs to have it in his own hands.

He is reluctant, and asks again why he need to see his I.D, which he still do not answer.

Shortly after "bigg tuff" begins to phyically touch him, trying to get his I.D, which upsets the man, causing him to act out, and resist the police.

In my eyes, I believe the police brought this upon themselves, and instead of politely asking to see his I.D, and treating him with respect, they approached him bluntly, and tried to intimdate him, so as basically tell him to were in charge, and if you don't listen bad things will happen, which i think is totally unprofessional.

reply to post by Goob07


I can understand the cops frustration with the guy, but it didn't have to escalate to that at all. No need for the arrest.Worst case scenario, tell him to leave. I'd like to see how that ended up in court.

After reflecting on the entire incident here,I have had a change of heart.In think that the man on the bike owes the passerby an apology for acting stupid.He should also pay all fines that the man was issued and take him out to dinner and drinks for his pain and suffering.The cops that were involved should also have to compensate the man also.They should offer a full public apology to the man and make him honorary mayor for the day.

Apparently the guy is here. www.abovetopsecret.com...
Or he could be full of it. lol
I dont know.

the cops don't want people like him, people that don't mind their own business. that's why he was singled out and punished.

they want people who mind their own business and keep on walking, that way the next time they are beating on a suspect or breaking the law, no will be there to stand up to defend their fellow citizen.

a whole country like that guy would be a disaster for corruption.

Originally posted by Ahmose
Apparently the guy is here. www.abovetopsecret.com...
Or he could be full of it. lol
I dont know.

edit on 21-4-2011 by Ahmose because: (no reason given)

He is full of it...