Can a cop make you get back in your car and put your keys in your ignition once you're out?

Question

This has happened to a few friends of mine:

They were doing nothing wrong, maybe going a BIT too fast but nothing outrageous. Didn't realize they were being pulled over because they were driving down their OWN street pulling into THEIR OWN driveway, and the cop was way down the street. (or something of that sort) when the cop pulled into their driveway, when they were already out of their cars about to walk into the house... When the cop starts screaming at them to get back into the car and put their keys into the igition. So of course they did, but is that legal?

Answer 1

There appears to be a something missing from the story, but it sounds as though the officer viewed their actions as evading.

Answer 2

Why would it be illegal? A traffic stop is basically a non-custodial arrest. In other words, you are NOT free to leave. You are being detained by the police. In my state, if you do not comply with an officer's instructions on a traffic stop and try to leave, you can be charged with resisting arrest. It then becomes a custodial arrest, and you go to jail.

As a matter of officer safety you may be ordered to stay in the car, exit the car, keep you hands visible, etc. I don't understand why the officer told them to put the keys in the ignition. Even if the driver had pepper spray or another personal protection device on the key ring that would make the officer perceive a threat, he should have told them to place the keys on the ground out of reach; not in the ignition.

Of course there are a certain amount of people who hate the police so much that they will tell you everything that the police does is illegal and a violation of civil rights. These people are basically ignorant and out of touch with reality and should not be trusted.

Answer 3

They probably wanted to keep everyone "under control" without putting them into the police car. The keys in the ignition thing is a bit strange, and even a bit stupid, unless there's some technicality of the law that removes the officer's jurisdiction if they get out of the car and take the keys.

Basically, when a cop starts to scream at you, it's a good idea to do what he says. It could be mistaken identity and they think you're someone dangerous, and it could be Barney Fife wanting to stop an international illegal parking ring, and is willing to use deadly force to do it.

Answer 4

Well, the cops can't really make anyone do anything if ya think about it. But not cooperating only makes you look guilty, no matter what the situation. Whatever the cop asks you to do is pretty much 'legal', because he told you to do it. But, they've got to have reasonable suspicion or cause to do so. If someone is outside their car when the police arrive, it makes the officer feel threatened, so asking them to go back into their vehicles only helps for the safety of the police officer.

Answer 5

8 - ßăļļ is a little wrong there. some cops do some things illegallty. I hate it when people accuse all police officers for something that only a few paople do.

Anyway, that's not illegal. the story doesn't sound complete. Why would an officer have someone go back into the car, where he can't see what's happening, to put keys INTO the ignition. maybe to take them out.... but...........

Answer 6

Yea, it's called being in control of a situation and is good Officer safety. Does not matter if it is on their OWN street, which is not actually their street it is a public street, or their driveway. Try doing the speed limit next time.

Remember, the Officer has no idea why someone is speeding. It could be as simple as they are driving HUA (head up a%#) or they just committed a violent felony.

Answer 7

Yes, he can order them to remain back in thier car ( the igition thing was silly and optional) but yes it is very reasonable to keep them contained in the car.
1 he did not know this was "thier" home, maybe they were making a slow run for it, or trying to act like they were not speeding. You would be surprised how many people pull into someone elses drive and try to act like they were not driving

Answer 8

Put the keys back in the ignition??? Now I can see a cop telling someone to get back in the vehicle, but to tell them to put the keys back in the ignition??? I don't think it's illegal, but kind of stupid on the cops part. Somethings not making sense.

Answer 9

the reason they have you put the keys back in the ignition is because if they have drugs or alcohol in their system our on their position it is now a DUI and it goes to a felony stop and the city will impound your car and sell it. Most police would be criminals if they were'nt cops. I have been run out of town by a police officer, when I was younger I used to by pot from a kid we all knew in school and his dad was a local cop, and one day we went to his house to buy some pot and right in the middle of the hole thing his dad walks in and sees the pot and flips out, the only thing his son could think of to say was he was buying it from me. I was never charged with anything but was continuly harrassed and not only by him but by his fellow officers, they took my picture and used to show it to victims of crimes and ask if it could have been me who did it, he pulled me over one time on my moped stomped off my tailpipe broke all my lights and wrote me a ticket. and then found me at a partie and put me in his car and took me into a bad part of SA for a white boy to be in and kicked the crap out of me,and let me out with no money or anything, and then he finally just flat out told me one night he was going to kill me the first chance he got, and he ment it so I moved out of my house and moved to the next city over. don't kid yourself cops are just people and a lot of people are just plain mean, in fact living in los angeles a car load of crips makes me less afraid then having a cop car behind me, and no I not afraid because I'm a crminal, I was terrorized by the cops, they are in fact nothing but a big gang of their own, once a cop all your friends are cops and all you do is bleed blue!!

Answer 10

They must have been drunk why would he say put them in your ignition that is strange. If your in your car and you are drunk and you don't have the keys in the Ignition it is no crime. Now if your sitting in your car with the keys in the ignition then they can charge you with DUI even if your just sitting in the car.

Answer 11

something does not jive here, I can't think of a reason a cop would as someone to put their keys back IN the ignition.