Ok, so yesterday I got a new BMX bike and tonight I decided to take it for a ride...
I'm riding through a closed store's parking lot in the front and a cop truck with two officers stops me...
One of them gets out, and the conversation goes like this...
"What're you doin man?"
"Riding my bike."
"Where do you live?"
"*name of county*"
"Well get the f*** out of *county I am riding in*, get the f*** outta here! You have no business here!"
"Ok."
They leave and I caught the license plate, but not the badge number or his name.
Was he allowed to tell me to leave, and use the profanity that he used? What should I do?
Thanks for reading, and please help me out!
2006-08-01 15:28:38 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
1. This is 100% accurate.
2. I wasn't disrespectful to him at all.
3. I'm not a little kid, I'm 15 years old. I don't imagine things.
2006-08-02 07:57:03 · update #1
It's not a question of me hearing profanity before and needing to "grow up". It's a question of respect, and as an American citizen I believe I deserve some from the Police. I shouldn't be able to betreated like sh*t because I'm a teenager on a bike.
2006-08-02 08:06:13 · update #2
Well being that you are a juvenile and your out at night you could have been picked up and put in juvenile jail. You shouldn't have been out at night in the first place. True they didn't have to curse you out and they are to show some respect. They have the right to tell you to leave simply because you were in a closed store's parking lot. For all they know you were going to rob it and yes juveniles can rob places on bikes...had one rob a store on a skateboard before..and out ran the cops. It was sad. Simply put...do not go out at night and ride your bike in a closed store's parking lot. Next time they might arrest you or worse. Also if you have the tag information then use it to get the officer that did that to you and get him suspended for a few days. He should have been more respectful.
2006-08-02 22:32:59 · answer #1 · answered by Zeo 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If what you are saying is true and you don't live in that county and you have the vehicle tag number and you know the date and time of the incident, write the Chief of Police a letter and being nice, explain what happen and give him all the information you have. Then ask if he would reply to your letter. If he does not, send a copy of your letter to the Mayor and Town Council and at lease there is one record of abuse,
If you live in that County you can still do the same but judging from what you said, once they find out they may find a reason to give you a ticket. I hope that is not the way that department operates.
2006-08-02 12:03:34 · answer #2 · answered by Jerry 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give me a break, its people like you that give cops a bad name. They didnt do anything wrong, using profanity to a person riding around a BMX bike is not abusing authority. If anyone was doing anything wrong, it was YOU. You were on private property and that would mean you violated the law.
Find something better to do with your time then pick petty fights with the very people that protect you.
The police have stressful jobs and sometimes they may need to vent, Im sure you've heard a swear word before.
Next time your friend yells at you, are you going to go cry to your mumma?
Grow up.
2006-08-01 16:03:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is a police officer allowed to do what you described in your question? Well I don't think that the question should be are they allowed to, since technically, no, they would be out of line with their actions towards you if indeed they treated you like you say they did.
Now, is there anything you can do about it, not really, since it will be your word against that of TWO officers, and who do you think that they will believe. You will more than likely cause yourself more problems if you persue taking action on this then if you just let it drop, unless you have another witness that will back up your story or you have a tape or something to prove your side of the story.
2006-08-01 15:41:48 · answer #4 · answered by Agent Starling 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As far as whether they were in line to direct you to leave? Yes. You are on private property. The parking area of a store is used exclusively for the parking of customers vehicles. There is an unwritten invitation to the public to enter onto the property for that purpose.
When the store is closed, the invitation no longer exists, as there is no reason for persons to be there any longer. Therefore, this would be no different from you riding your bicycle in my driveway at night. You have no legitimate purpose for being on the stores property, therefore no right to be there.
And as for the language, we can't comment on whether it was appropriate without knowing the full details. Attitudes can't accurately be conveyed. It's possible that you gave him attitude or said something other that what is above, or added a colorful expletive yourself. In this case if the officer spoke to you in a language you apparently understood, then he was within his rights.
Cops are human. Respect gets respect. (In most cases. Cops and others are all subject to some rotten apples) I'm sure if he spoke in such a manner, he was most likely responding to the replies he received from you.
2006-08-01 19:05:44 · answer #5 · answered by Jim D 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Dude, risk filing a complaint. Even if action isn't taken, it's still a mark on his record. At least that's what I was told by my lawyer who was fighting a jerk cop that was trying to get me put away (for driving on suspended) for an unreasonable period of time. He said some sexist things towards me and I reported him. The officer taking the info over the phone accused me of lying and trying to slander him! The nerve!
This is exactly WHY PEOPLE MISTRUST THE POLICE.
2006-08-01 15:48:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends. You may have been legally trespassing (in which case, they should have simply asked you to leave the premises), but I'm not even sure about that. He also probably can't tell you to "get the f*** out, but I doubt that your complaint would be paid attention to. He's just an asshole. What he definitely can't do is tell you to leave the county. You might want to file a complaint anyway, even if they won't do anything to him.
2006-08-01 15:43:58 · answer #7 · answered by Patrick 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can tell you to leave, using the profanity is not abusing power but is out of line and uncalled for, however this story does sound just like that....a story
2006-08-02 05:58:00 · answer #8 · answered by moparcop2003 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, the police can pretty much do whatever they want. They can expand their authority and get away with it in this situation. I would just stay out of that county and especially if you are passed a curfew time.
2006-08-01 15:47:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's obvious, based on past questions, you have a problem with police in general.
I would like to hear the other side of the conversation. I do believe to tend to embellish, but that's o.k. you may have a future in writing fiction.
2006-08-01 16:26:04 · answer #10 · answered by Nick R 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋