I was on some sort of drug due to my “high” heart rate. I do not do any illegal drugs - After explaining I became ill due to my sleeping pills mixed with wine (I won't do it again) he kept pushing me regarding illegal drugs and I said, if you think there are drugs in my house search it or give me a drug test! Well to my surprise the 4 police officers who accompanied the paramedics searched and snooped all around my place.
First, is that illegal?
Second, am I marked as someone of suspicion and will they be watching me and or harrassing me?
I don't have a criminal background whatsoever and have never been into trouble.
2007-03-30 10:02:13 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
UPDATE:
I was on the phone with a friend stating I think I need her to come over and take me to the hospital but, she dialed 911.
No - I don't do drugs so there was nothing in view - I showed the the police and the paramedics where I keep my prescriptions. I said, look around becuase I didn't want them to think I was hiding anything because they were so adimate I was on more than sleeping pills and wine. I did drink a few to many glasses.....
2007-03-30 10:54:22 · update #1
To Evil - you didn't read where my friend dialed 911. Your advice is pretty raw. I wasn't rude to anyone - also speaking of advice, next time you should keep money in your account opposed going way negative! People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks!!!!
2007-03-30 11:59:36 · update #2
Your home cannot be searched without your consent. It appears you implied consent when you said "search it". Only with probable cause or a search warrant can your home be searched without your consent. I assume they had neither. Now if they saw a bag of weed on your coffee table, they would have had probable cause to search your house.
The paramedic was being a jerk. They probably respond to so many druggies in your area, that this is the norm so he tended not to believe you. If the police did not find anything, they forgot about you within an hour.
Hope this helps, I have been in law enforcement for 13 years.
2007-03-30 10:07:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Where do you live??? Russia??
I was a firefighter in Canada for 30 Years, and while we were not paramedics, we went to medical calls because we could be there first and help til the paramedics got there.
When phoned on 911, we would get name address and phone number and an idea of the problem while we dispatched a fire truck, We only asked about the problem in case we could help by phone before actually getting a truck there.
We would alert the paramedics of the problem and the police as well. But we never cared whether your problem was from illegal drugs or natural causes, we only cared about you, the same with the paramedics, The police either came or not depending on their rating of the call, but they are not allowed to search houses uninvited.. They usually onlygot a bit of info and left, if there was evidence of a crime in plain site they could have an action because it was the fire dept that legally invited the cops in, but they could not look for stuff that was not in site.
In our country, a police cannot break into a building without a warrant, the ambulance cannot enter a building unless they are invited in, But fire dept can break and enter into anywhere as long as they have a reason to think that an emergency exists.
2007-03-30 10:43:30 · answer #2 · answered by bob shark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must have been quite agitated for there to be four police officers present at a medical aid call. Ambulances don't ask for police backup unless there is a problem and that they fear for their safety. We don't follow paramedics around from call to call.
Let me get this straight......You said, go ahead and search my house and they did? Sounds like you consented to a search.
I have also "snooped" around in someone's house when I've suspected them of overdosing (looking for medication and/or empty pill bottles they threw out). We don't need consent from someone to search if there are exigent circumstances (someone's health at risk).
The paramedics obviously had reason to suspect that you were on something other than wine and sleeping pills, and you may not believe this but people lie to paramedics and police quite often about this type of thing (shocking but true!).
2007-03-30 10:15:01 · answer #3 · answered by joeanonymous 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The key phrase was "If you think there are drugs in my house search it." Once you said that, the cops were free to look around as much as they wanted. Had you not said that, they wouldn't have been able to poke around, although if you'd had illegal substances in plain sight, that would have been fair game.
As far as the paramedic is concerned, he (or she) doesn't care whether or not you've been using illegal drugs or not. They just want to know what you've taken so they can treat you. It sounds like you told them the truth, but they didn't believe you. As someone who works with firefighters and paramedics, I can tell you that people lie to them often about having used drugs, even though they don't care.
I wouldn't worry about it. If the cops didn't find anything, they've forgotten all about you.
2007-03-30 10:17:29 · answer #4 · answered by The Dude 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You gave them permission to search. A search warrant is therefore not needed.
A paramedic who asks about illegal drugs is doing his job. He has to know what problem he is dealing with so he can give first aid assistance.
Persons who over dose on illegal drugs are likely to lie about it to try to avoid getting into legal trouble.
You won't be harrassed or spied upon. As long as your blood test was negative for illegal drugs, you should have nothing to worry about.
2007-03-30 10:09:48 · answer #5 · answered by regerugged 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes by giving verbal consent they can search your house, if the hospital gave you a drug screen that would be private record and the police would not have access to it without your consent and as long as you do not having any more run-ins with the police I highly doubt they are going to give you more than a second glance, so you should be alright.
2007-03-30 13:05:39 · answer #6 · answered by Duane J 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it's legal, you gave them consent to search your home. Since you apparently lack common sense let me give you some advice, don't act like a smart @$$ with a 911 operator you will probably need one to send help to you the next time your stupid @$$ mixes wine and sleeping pills.
2007-03-30 11:42:57 · answer #7 · answered by evil_paul 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1. If you waive your fourth amendment right that protects you against "unreasonable searches and seizures" without a warrant, then the authorities are breaking no laws. Why would you let anyone search your house- stick up for your own rights and don't get bullied by these gestapo! You are a free citizen, not a serf.
2. Yes, you probably are on some sort of database.
2007-03-30 10:07:30 · answer #8 · answered by einzelgaenger08 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
as far as the police searching, you DID tell them to go ahead and do it. as for the rest, you should always be truthful with paramedics, nurses and doctors, your health is at stake, after all
2007-03-30 10:06:21 · answer #9 · answered by kapute2 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's not legal without a search warrant which cannot be issued without probable cause. If there was no warrant, you might have some kind of harassment lawsuit. I'd look into it if I were you. Good luck.
2007-03-30 10:07:23 · answer #10 · answered by vt500ascott 3 · 0⤊ 6⤋