I my mother andher friend were comeing home from Houston yesterday night and I got pulled over for swerving(which i didn't)
I wasn't drinking and i dont do drugs and neither does anyone else in the car.he went through the whole questioning rutine and since its my mothers car he asked her if he could search it she said no. he did it anyway. he tore our car apart. through are things all over the car.went through her purse.(isn't it aginst the law to go through a womans purse?)then let me go with a warnig for swerving. me and my mother are white and the guy in the car was black do you think that has something 2 do with it?
2007-09-12 10:27:11 · 14 answers · asked by Brittnie T 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
and the officer was white
2007-09-12 10:29:39 · update #1
Go to his department & file a complaint if you feel his actions were improper. Not sure about TX but in CA the department has to take your complaint & investigate it. Hopefully you got the officer's name to help with the complaint.
2007-09-12 10:33:10 · answer #1 · answered by XPig 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The officer had probable cause to pull you over even if you don't think you were weaving. Maybe you were not weaving I wasn't there. The search is legal because once an officer stops you for the traffic violation you are under arrest. When an officer writes you the citation you are agreeing to appear at a later time in court in lieu of jail and are then released. Any time you are stopped for a traffic offense (which is an arrestable offense upon discretion of the officer) The purse is inside the car it can Be searched. Since nothing was found you were released. If "dope" was found you would be charged with that and not written the ticket for the swerving. I doubt your car was damaged by the search. So you were detained for a few minutes, big deal. You didn't get a ticket. I doubt you race had anything to do with it so don't be so quick to pull the race card. You can file a complainant if you wish, but what will that get you. I
2007-09-12 11:34:24 · answer #2 · answered by woodyhou 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
If what you're saying is true, then it sounds like the cop did an illegal search. A cop needs more probable cause than merely observing somebody weaving to look through his car and belongings. "Swerving" or "weaving" is a favorite catch-all infraction that some of the sloppier cops use if they have a hunch about you but can't find any legitimate reason to pull you over, as it's hard to dispute in court. Call the police and find out exactly which precinct he works for (you did get his name and badge number, right?), then go to that one and ask to fill out a citizen's complaint form. But just in case it's one of those backwoods local-yokel police precincts and they decide to simply file your complaint form in the nearest wastepaper basket and you don't hear back from his supervisor in a reasonable time, be prepared to call the county D.A.'s office.
2007-09-13 23:56:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It really does sound like we are only getting part of the story. Most cops won't waste time tossing a car and it's occupants without some kind of suspision. If you feel that his actions were improper, then go to the station and file a complaint.
As for the purse, if it was illegal to search a woman's purse, where do you think they would hide all the drugs???
2007-09-12 11:26:01 · answer #4 · answered by Bill 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A couple things....1. It is not technically illegal to go through someone's purse. Although, if he didn't have probable cause to search it, the search is illegal.
Anyways, I wasn't there, I won't make a judgement on the officer.
If you feel he was wrong, go to the police department and ask for a complaint form. Most PDs will have them available at the window. Many also have phone numbers you can call and some even let you do it online. Check out all of those.
2007-09-12 10:36:29 · answer #5 · answered by Kenneth C 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
If you werent drinking or doing drugs, or smelled of either, he really has no probable cause to do a search. if you outright refused the search, they cannot do so unless they 1. get a warrant, or 2. get a K9 unit (if he responds positive to drugs in the vehicle, they can search). Seeing as you did not get a ticket, you might be better off just forgetting about it. if it really bothers you you can fill out a complaint at the station. did you get his name or badge number? In most cities if a complaint is filed, it has to be investigated.
2007-09-12 10:41:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Make a complaint with the shift supervisor (usually a sergeant). Request that they review his in car camera (provided he had one, most today do). There may be other complaints on this officer.
2007-09-12 10:35:08 · answer #7 · answered by chill out 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Call the PD and file a complaint. Make sure that you are 100% honest though. It would be a shame if you lied and/or added to your story, and were caught on his dash cam.
2007-09-12 11:31:01 · answer #8 · answered by lpdhcdh 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
a cop wouldnt waste that much time if he wasnt suspicious. obviously his suspicion was wrong though. who knows what set of his hunch....but i thinked youd be amazed if you knew how many of those little hunches lead to arrests. ask yourself was there a probable cause for him to search you? if there was just keep quiet..but if there wasnt by all means make a report. remember you dont serve police they serve you, but they also need to protect themselves they are in one of the most dangerous lines of work in the world
2007-09-12 10:53:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
hmm sounds like "racial profiling" and that can get officers into very hot water. go to the city's police website and they likely have a section devoted to racial profiling and how to lodge a complaint. good luck though, ive worked at two different departments and most of the time nothing comes from these, or any complaints on officers.
2007-09-12 10:58:59 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋