went out for a bit and was on my way back just minding my own business,

when i consciously register the tail end of an exchange between a cop on a bike and a dispatcher from a police radio nearby.

*** translated from the spanish

cop:"does the suspect have long hair?" ***
BREOOPP!!

dispatch "affirmative"
BREOOPP!!

approaching an individual who matches description at [gives st. address]
BREOOPP!!

10-4 copy
BREOOPP!!

he gets off the bike and puts his hand on the holster

excuse me sir!

yes ?

would you mind taking your hands out of your pockets?

sure officer, could you reciprocate by taking your hand off that gun?

would you mind placing your hands on that wall there sir?

why?

we're on the alert for a suspect whose description matches yours, this will be over quickly either way,sir

so i "assume the position" my Wyrrd isn't acting up and i'm not even feeling nervous so...

sure , no problem, though i have to advise you that i don't have any ID on me at the moment.

i get a quick pat-down [non tsa-version] while i refer to my Semitic appearance which is referred to in local spanish as "arabe"

oh no sir! it's nothing like that at all. [turns out it's a case of armed robbery.
would you mind removing what ever that is in your pocket sir?

it's just a leather pouch with 4 flash drives which i show explaining that i repair computers.
oh may i have your name sir?

i give him my legal/given by parents name [ the one with the squeaky clean record]

thank you sir and makes to leave...

and halfway there turns around [Colombo came to mind] and returns
holds out his hand and introduces him self
have a nice day sir.

and then gives a full description of my appearance and clothes so i won't be stopped again!
BREOOPP!!
copy that
BREOOPP!!

and rides off

2 minutes later a patrol car slows down as it passes by and a police woman stairs at me makes a dismisive gesture to the driver and they speed off

2 police helicopters are flying around the neighborhood by now.

i kinda feel sorry for officer Bumper*, he won't last long with that attitude.

if you came here for a session of bash the cops
Sorry my friends.

this is more for the "Defenders of the Indefensible" who are always Bitching' about no good cop threads
and as an example of proper police work for them to follow [yeah how likely is that]


well then here you go.

BREOOPP!!
BREOOPP!!





* name changed to protect the innocent

While I get your point, it complacency like this that is leading to the elimination of our rights.

I would have politely declined his requests until he had a better reason to search me. A cop does not have the right to put his hands on you, just because you 'fit a description'.

Nice read. I'm glad you had a pleasant experience.

I don't take a pro- or anti-cop stance. Each one is an individual and will treat other people based on who they are as people. Some people are respectful and nice. Others are wads. Same with cops.

I think your impression of a squad car or motorcyle's sound effect going "Breoop" is one of the best I've ever heard. (Or imagined)

Keep up the good work and you'll be as good as MIke Winslow from "The Police Academy" films in no tme.

I like this story. I do things that are deemed illegal, which I feel are ridiculous laws put in place to stress power. On one hand I feel "im not doing anything wrong therefore i can smoke my pot" the law feels otherwise. Point is is that these guys have a job to fulfill. Ive been pulled over about 10 times and I have received ONE ticket. And it was for a seatbelt. We always say cops abuse there power but on the other hand we find it hard to say we citizens abuse our power. Yes freedom Yes freewill but where is the line drawn? Cops gotta do there job jsut as we have to fulfill ours. I am not saying hey lets give cops unlimited power but I mean reall....if they feel I match a description let them do there job and count me out as a NON-Suspect. There is NOTHING wrong with that. People like to put up a fight just because they can, because they know a little about the law. but the truth is is that if you have NOTHING to worry about let the man/woman do their job and carry on...

P.S. I have been caught with Marijuana a bunch of times (although its practically legal) I found honesty and cooperation are the best way to get out of trouble.

Good story OP! S&F

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
A cop does not have the right to put his hands on you, just because you 'fit a description'.

Yes, yes he does. If an armed robbery just occured in the area and a description was given, and then a cop sees you nearby, and you fit the description, he can and should treat you as though you might have done it. If they couldn't act on matching descriptions at the time and in the location of the crime, how would they catch anyone?

It sounds like the cop was pretty cool about it. If it had been you in the OPs position, and you had resisted, it would have ended worse for everyone. (Except that you'd likely have a frontpage thread bashing cops for excessive force...)

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
While I get your point, it complacency like this that is leading to the elimination of our rights.

I would have politely declined his requests until he had a better reason to search me. A cop does not have the right to put his hands on you, just because you 'fit a description'.

How else do they catch the guy? Seriously, armed robbery, he matches the description and they just walk on by? What would your reaction be if he *was* the guy and he got away with it? More cop bashing, thats what.

Cant win with some people

Were you wearing clothes?

How did he see your long pubis hair? Was the robber naked too? Very odd stuff going down in your location.

I fail to see how this proved anything.

Point well taken

Often hardcore CT's get caught up in the enveloping Police State that IS most certainly threatening us....

Especially with the financial terrorism committed against Texas yesterday & the renewing of the Patriot Act last night:

Local law enforcement is going to be very, very important to our survival if things continue to deteriorate.... And there are a lot of good freedom loving Police that we WILL need on our side!!

I live in a tourist town.. Big weekend coming up.. One of my kids just started working at a resort for the summer.

First day of training they had the local police department come in for a "chat."

He let's them know they are staffed to the MAX..and just hanging out waiting for the DWI(drinking and driving) checkpoints to get set up,so if they see ANYONE that looks suspicious,call them immediatly because until they set up the checkpoints..they're BORED.

I thought that was a little extreme. Telling my kid to call them because they're bored until they set up the checkpoint?

Oh, I MEANT if they see suspicious activity. Yeah, we got a lot of those types camping all the time.