Arrested on Suspicion of Being Suspicious, or, Why I HATE the Sheriff. (LONG)

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chaim

New member
I am a law abiding 31 yo male who grew up in suburbia who has more than his share of stories. I do think it has something to do with being hyper (I too am ADHD)- don't know how many times cops pulled me over and after talking with me decided I was drunk (once, when I was the designated driver, a cop asked my best friend who drank so much he could barely stand to drive my car because I was obviously too drunk but since I passed 2 breathalizer tests he couldn't do anything- BTW the stop was bogus too, they saw me drive out of the bar parking lot and followed me until they decided to pull me over for "driving too fast"- seeing the cop when I left the bar I set the CC to the speed limit). I was also stopped a couple times because I looked suspicious or because I was with one of my buddies who is black (his whole family are doctors or lawyers). I won't get into the details because: (1) I have too many stories and it will take too much space, and (2) I'll get too angry just thinking about it.

I have many friends who are cops but I don't really trust cops I meet on the street. Funny, though it was all in the county where I grew up, I've never had trouble elsewhere (in fact, once in VT where I could have got in trouble- I was in college and at a party with beer and I was the only one there over 21- the cops were polite and let me go after first telling me what they could have done to me).

I've come to some conclusions:
1) Rural cops are polite and respectful, just like most people in rural areas.
2) Urban cops are too busy to bother with those of us who aren't up to trouble.
3) Suburban cops are bored and will look for stuff when there isn't anything there.
4) If you are hyper (ADHD) God help you when speaking to a cop if you've been stopped.

Hand Rifle Guy, if you are currently hyper (ADHD) and this happens again go to a psychologist to see if you currently fit the criteria for ADHD. If you do you may want to sue (not just for yourself but for the rest of us) for descrimination (American's With Disabilities Act) as ADHD is a bonified neurological condition and they are arresting and hassleing you for showing symptoms of your condition. You may not like that law, you may not like lawsuits but you can't allow this treatment to continue.
 
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SkySlash

New member
Sky Slash, your story doesn't really have anything to do with the police. It is the system that screwed you. I don't really hold the entire law enforcement community accountable for the actions of a few idiots personally.
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In that case, I absolutely agree, but I have paid about $650 in fines to that joke of a village over a period of about 5 years and every citation I was issued was on a bogus charge.

The city has been taken to court by the state and fined for bogus citations before, and yet they still write them and just take the slap from the state. They do it for a reason, and in a town of cops that act above the law, I've decided to just steer clear.

I got screwed by an officer in the city of Dallas recently involving racial bias and after that its just trashed my whole opinion of law enforcement altogether.

I've had some good experiences with officers, but the bad just far outweighs the good.

-SS
 
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Crimper-D

New member
Ah! Good ol' Santa Clara County!

Raised there - fled in disgust to a less populated county a couple of decades ago. Now I'm back about 4 days a week and absolutely loathe every minute I'm there. Besides a CCW issued by my local pro gun Sheriff, which I'm not about to cop (bad pun) to ina traffic stop, I have a very specific weapon to use in any scenerio like the ones cited above...the card of a family friend who is an excellent trial lawer, a Lifetime Member of the NRA, and has a series of successful defenses of firearms cases all over the state. While the street level cops won't break out in hives at the mention of his name, their adminstrative superiors _will_.
The present County DA tangled with him and lost a big well publicized firearms case a few years back and definately dosen't want to tangle again.
I have heard that there are only 167 CCWs issued in SC County, makes the possability of a street LEO ever seeing one - uh, remote. Before the verbal exchange got to the insinuative stage, I'd be politely requesting to have the nice young officer have his Sergant drop by for a conversation. They actually haul me in, guess who my one phone call is going to be to, and what I'll be instructing him to do.
 
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P-35/53

New member
I am a former law enforcement officer - and I have had bad and odd stops pulled on me . I have been stopped 4 times in a nieghboring town - all bogus. My crime was driving a 12 year old Toyota in an affulent area. 4 stops- all with my family in the car for no apparenr reason to me= Each time a different claim - burned out tail light [ that oddly enough was working when we exited the vehicle]expired registration - twice oddly enough on closer examination it was not expired. And my favorite - I exceeded the speed limit because I sped up before breaking the plane of the sign. I was quiet at first till I saw this was a roust and then spoke up and asked why and explained I was a retired leo- then I was always told ok we will let it slide go on. I never pulled people over for bogus reasons when I worked too much real crime to go hunting for people to pick on.
 
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chaim

New member
I think I have heard of Adult ADHD...does this sound relavent?
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Adults with ADHD do exhibit many symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by ADHD kids, though we don't run around the room and squirm (as much :) ). We miss social cues sometimes (distractablity) that EVERYONE else sees and may make a cop suspicious. Fidgeting without even knowing it is common (our hands or legs may be moving 50mph when sitting still- cops would certainly read that as nervousness). We may talk loudly (seen as aggressive) or quickly (seen as nervousness, and what Hand Rifle Guy got in trouble for) without even realizing it. There are many more but these are just a few of the more obvious ones that can get us in trouble. Hand Rifle Guy seems to be getting into more than his share of trouble because of misunderstandings due to a neurological condition, maybe next time he should educate them about it and if they still take him in when he's done nothing he must not let them get away with it.
 
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chaim

New member
p 35/53,

I am a former law enforcement officer - and I have had bad and odd stops pulled on me . I have been stopped 4 times in a nieghboring town - all bogus
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Believe it or not I once had a county cop here start a conversation with "do you know why Howard County cops are so bad" I would have been nervous about where he was heading (better not agree) if I didn't know him. Unfortunately, with suburbia spreading and often becoming small cities I think his assessment is probably true of many places. HC has a couple areas that are getting to be small cities (with all the usually urban problems) and he told me that they still train like they did 30 years ago when the biggest problem they had to face was an occasional cow tipping. When you aren't trained for what you will face you will probably not be the most professional police force.


Then there is my theory,
(1) Rural cops are usually polite and respectful, just like most people in rural areas.
(2) City cops are very busy and don't have time to harrass those of us who aren't up to no good.
(3) Suburban cops are bored and are looking for things where there isn't anything to find (especially since, if not well trained, they don't know how to find what is actually out there).

I never pulled people over for bogus reasons when I worked too much real crime to go hunting for people to pick on.
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Did you work in an urban area (either a city or a well trained police force in a suburban area in transition to urban)?
 
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johnbt

New member
I wasn't arrested, but I had two guns pointed at me in front of my parents' home years ago while I explained to the undercover policemen that the brown bag with the Playboy rolled up in it was not a bottle of wine - just a magazine my cousin bought. They were staking out Belby's in Rockville, MD(Montgomery County) to catch them doing liquor sales to minors. And no, I couldn't show a receipt because Belby's didn't give receipts.

They followed us at 25 mph through the neighborhood behind Richard Montgomery H.S. in their old Ford with no hubcaps and mud all over it. When I got to my parents they blipped the siren and jumped out with guns drawn. One in my face and one aimed at the back of my head.

When asked why I hadn't stopped when they blipped the siren the first time I pointed at the tape deck and said that we didn't hear a siren(truth). They never used a flashing light of any sort. They did blink the high beams twice, but only one bulb worked.

Then I added that I wouldn't have stopped for a couple of unshaven rednecks in leather jackets even if I had heard a siren on a POS car(truth again).

Without saying a word, they got in their car and left. What could they do? By this time the neighbors' young kids were clustered around them repeating "John, what's going on?"

Trying to maintain the Christmas spirit, I was willing to forget the whole thing. My father wasn't and made a couple of phone calls to express his displeasure at the unprofessional conduct of these so-called public servants. He has always been proud of having been a VA State Trooper and is disgusted by bad police work. Especially in front of his home.

Did I mention that they never made us get out of the car, but did hold the guns on us the whole time?

John
 
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WilderBill

New member
I don't know what it is, but it does seem that sheriff's deputys are somehow more aggresive and less competant that the average LEO.
Truth be told, I expect most of us have stories we could tell. Many of them much like these.
Legal action may help in some cases and should be tried whenever possible. All people are more prone to repeating thoses things they can get away with than those that cause them trouble.
As I have said before LEOs need to find those among them that are the cause of these kinds of stories and the resulting bad relations they cause and "have a quiet word or two" with them.
As one of you said something about not being willing to stop and help one particuler officer if he were to see him being beaten, I have reached a point where I not only wouldn't stop to help ANY of them, they better hope I don't stop in that situation.
All because of the BS of a few messing up the image of many others. :(
 
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Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
WHAT?!?

They followed us at 25 mph through the neighborhood behind Richard Montgomery H.S. in their old Ford with no hubcaps and mud all over it. When I got to my parents they blipped the siren and jumped out with guns drawn. One in my face and one aimed at the back of my head.

When asked why I hadn't stopped when they blipped the siren the first time I pointed at the tape deck and said that we didn't hear a siren(truth). They never used a flashing light of any sort. They did blink the high beams twice, but only one bulb worked.

Then I added that I wouldn't have stopped for a couple of unshaven rednecks in leather jackets even if I had heard a siren on a POS car(truth again).
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Y'all must not have CCW in Maryland. Cops wouldn't do that around here for fear of being ventilated as carjackers.

If an unmarked, mud-covered car disgorged two scruffily-attired gun-toting individuals running towards me, I'd be in trouble for shooting two cops.

I don't care if they were screaming "Police!" as they came towards me, I'd have been screaming "Right, and I'm Tinkerbell!" back at them as I opened fire.

That has got to be the dumbest pair of cops I've ever heard of; they looked and acted like carjackers and should expect to be treated like them.
 
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MW740

New member
Being that I have lived all over this wonderfull country of ours, I would totally have to agree with this:

Then there is my theory,
(1) Rural cops are usually polite and respectful, just like most people in rural areas.
(2) City cops are very busy and don't have time to harrass those of us who aren't up to no good.
(3) Suburban cops are bored and are looking for things where there isn't anything to find (especially since, if not well trained, they don't know how to find what is actually out there).
 
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Lord Grey Boots

New member
Methinks Hand Rifle Guy should get a note from his doctor describing the effects of hyperactivity and affirming that HRG sometimes demonstrates those effects. Carry a copy of it (keep original someplace safe) in your car.

HRG, they booked you on DUI, but did they do the field sobriety/evaluation tests? That wasn't clear.
 
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Azrael256

New member
Ok, could be totally wrong here, but I'm under the impression that sheriffs (at least here) are elected. If my impression is correct, then that makes them POLITICIANS. I'm fairly certain (I've seen signs) that constables are elected, which would also make them politicians. There's a BIG difference between politicians and LEOs. If a politician pulled something like that, I would make VERY sure that everybody knew about it. Try giving all this information to the opposition next election year. It's true that the new one is a politician, too, but he'll at least know that there's one person watching him.
 
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P-35/53

New member
Chaim, I worked in a semi suburban semi rural are 36 square miles.It was in Ohio and had 2 interstates and a turnpike ruuning thru it.A lot of our really bad trouble came off the Turnpike from cleavland and Youngstown. I was taught as a child politness was a virtue and still believe it. I was also taught in Police school in 1979 to be polite and pleasant to people ,because you might enjoy throwing your weight around and bulliying people but that person might someday kill another officer because of your harassment. I wonder if this is still being taught or if it is being absorbed by the trainee leos. I also agree that Hard Rifle Guy should get a note from the Doctor and even carry his card and a lawyers card with him.I would also suggest checking with legal aid on a good disabilities lawyer.
 
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Brian Gibbons

New member
I agree with Cosmoline ...

IMHO the best thing to do is to try to keep your face shut but be co-operative. Even if you are in the "right". The cops in my town are mostly okay but a few years ago I had endured numerous harrassment stops by this one cop in particular. I think what got his goat was that each time he stopped me it ended up as being unjustified. I mostly kept my face shut but when asked a question, I answered honestly and respectfully. After a while I guess he figured that I was no fun and he decided not to play anymore. I believe in the freedom of speech but I have learned that the power of silence is sometimes the way to go ...
 
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MatthewM

New member
I've had FAR worse happen several times.

I've always thought that Sherrif's were supposed to be better than city police. I guess that would be rural sherrif's...

The trick is to say as little as possible. Smile, but don't say much. Stick to yes & no answers which puts all the talking on them. When asked about searching the car, "No Thankyou", with no further explanation at all.

I used to get into trouble by sounding too confident and unhappy about getting confronted. I now show no emotion at all except for smiling.

If you can learn to cry like a girl, maybe that will help!!!!
 
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Hand_Rifle_Guy

New member
Head sheriffs 'round this part of The Socialist Regime are elected---deputies aren't. Side point of interest, the new head sheriff for S.C County is from Palo Alto. I bet I went to school with her kids, or know someone who did. (Palo Alto's my hometown.)

Methinks a doctor's note and a lawyer card are a great idea. (I qualify as ADHD all the way, and I could document it from back in my kindergarten days. Ritalin--Yum! I was only on that crap for a month or two. My mother discontinued it cuz she said it turned me into a zombie. I leaned to channel my hyperactivity in first grade, thanks to a really good teacher. I was lucky, I guess. But it doesn't interfere with my functioning in any way--sheriffs aside--so I don't really consider it a disability.).

Methinks the sheriffs changing their idiotic training practices to not arrest innocent people is A LOT BETTER IDEA! Can you say class action lawsuit?

Re: D.U.I. sobriety tests. None in the field. Blew a string of zeros on the breathalizer for the fun of it at the substation, but that surprised no-one, as I hadn't been drinking, and they knew it. It was explained to me that I was charged with the D.U.I. as a result of the narcotics charge, not for impaired driving. There is no field test for narcotics and driving, as I would have passed al the drunk tests.

CrimperD-- could you posibly be convinced to put me in contact with your RKBA-attorney freind? I have a few good questions for him. And where'd you find a pro-gun sheriff in THIS state?

Like I said before, silence is my new watchword, except for sheriffs. They get it short and sharp, both barrels, below the belt. I have ZERO patience with them now, and if I land in jail for it, they are meat for my roasting. Silence is DIFFICULT for me--I have a tendency to talk WAY too much, and think out loud, at about a million words a minute. I'm working on it, and getting better. It's severely in my interest for continued freedom, you see. Right now I put a silent "one-one thousand" between every sentence. Hows THAT for a ridiculous neccessity?

I agree that sheriffs are more pompous/arrogant than beat cops. I also agree that that doesn't apply to all of them. It's just I keep hearing about all the "additional training" they get. That's why they want to arrest me, according to them, which the cops never want to do.

The last time I was arrested (Sorry, "detained") was seven years ago. Do you suppose I should look into pursuing a case NOW? I have all the paperwork associated with it, and I could track down the reports from both incidents with some tedious work, I'm sure.

And I still lack retainer funds as of this writing, but I will soon rectify that issue.

Stupid question: "sherrif",or "sheriff"? They both look right...
 
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Zundfolge

New member
In my experience dealing with LEOs, I've found that many Sheriff's deputies are guys who washed out of the local police academy (and I guess the local malls weren't looking for security guards).

However their boss (the Sheriff) is an elected official, if you have a problem with a deputy then sue the department and call your local TV station and Newspaper ... the bad press will probably get the Sheriff to get involved and he'll probably act like the officer in question is a "bad seed", he'll can him and he'll make sure his deputies fly straight (at least for a while).

As for keeping a card from your doctor on you claiming Adult ADHD, that would probably work ... BUT, I honestly believe that someday in the near future any mental or emotional "illness"will be used to deny firearms ownership...even if its in your past, or even if it's something as minor as clinical depression. There's already places where someone classified as a drug addict or alchoholic will have their background check rejected when they try to purchase a gun.
 
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