How to Get Arrested When Stopped by Police

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How to Get Arrested When in Your Car

Don't Run From the Police!

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As soon as you are requested by the police to stop your car, immediately pull over to the side of the road.  If you are on the highway and there is a grassy area or shoulder, pull over immediately.  If there is no safe area on the highway, slow your car to a speed that is below the speed limit; put on your emergency flasher to let the police officer know that you are going to pull over and interior dome light so the police officer can see that you are not trying to hide anything; and pull over as soon as you come to a safe area or at the next exit.

Some women have been stopped by a fake police officer. If the police car is an unmarked police car, turn on your emergency flasher and interior dome light and drive at a slow rate of speed to a well lighted area or open retail establishment such as a gas station.  Call 911 on your cell phone, tell the operator where you are and ask for a marked police car to respond to your location.  If you have pulled over and the police officer has approached you, do not open your window all the way.  Politely explain that you would like to be sure that you are being pulled over by a real police officer and ask the police officer to call for a marked police car and tell the police officer that you would like to stay in the car until a marked police car comes.  A phony police officer will not have a police radio and obviously, would not call for another police officer anyway.

Do not even think of running because your driver's license is suspended, you have no insurance or because you ran a red light.  These are minor problems with minor consequences. If you fail to stop, the police officer will rightly assume that there is a bigger reason you are running. 

To protect his or her own safety and the safety of the public, a police officer must take sufficient precautions and assume that you are possibly armed.  If you fail to stop, you have now committed a crime, violating a directive of a police officer and have shown that you are not cooperating.

It does not take much common sense to understand that some amount of force may be used to subdue and arrest you.  The amount of force which will be used will be determined after the police catch up to you.  If you continue to be uncooperative, you are still resisting arrest and will be subject to even greater force.  If you have a weapon, you risk being shot.  Even if you do not have a weapon, unfortunately, sometimes people are shot. 

Sometimes the police may be at fault and sometimes the police may not be at fault, even if you do not have a weapon.  Whether or not the police is at fault for your death, it's better to stop, cooperate, pay a small fine and live to pay another fine on yet another day!  An unfortunate example is that of Stanton Crew who failed to stop when ordered to do so by a police officer, was unarmed and was shot to death.  Whether or not the police was at fault, this never would have happened if he had pulled over.

Even if you stole a car, have drugs for personal use, or you're a drug dealer with a large quantity of drugs in the car, you're far better off pulling over.  Later, a criminal lawyer may even be able to get the charges dismissed if it can be proved that the police officer did not have probable cause to make the stop.

What to Do After Being Stopped by the Police

When a police officer approaches your car, leave both hands on the steering wheel.  When the police officer asks for your license, ask if it is ok to reach for your wallet or purse.  Always be polite.  You might even be let off with a warning. If you are carrying a licensed gun, while leaving your hands on the steering wheel, advise the police officer that you are carrying a licensed gun.  Follow the instructions of the police officer.

Never reach under your seat, for anything on the floor or anywhere in the car, until the police officer has approached and told you that it is ok to reach for the item you want.  Keep in mind that a police officer seeing someone who reaches for something will immediately be concerned that you are reaching for a weapon.

You may be a little nervous, but it is important to remain calm and to follow the instructions given by the police officer.  It may help to remain calm by thinking that in the event you get a ticket or are even arrested, you will have a lawyer trying to get the charges dismissed or substantially reduced.

Never Resist Arrest

Failure to cooperate can result in a charge of resisting arrest and pain.  If you readily allow the police officer to place handcuffs on you, you will not be charged for resisting arrest and the police officer will probably double lock the handcuffs.  In fact, at the time you are handcuffed, ask the police officer if he or she can please double lock the handcuffs.  This will prevent the handcuffs from getting tighter every time you move.  If you resist arrest, the police officer will probably forget to double lock the handcuffs.  While you're squirming in the backseat of the police car, the handcuffs will get tighter and tighter making for a very uncomfortable and painful situation.

Never touch, poke or bump the police officer.  Do not do anything physical in an attempt to prevent the police officer from placing handcuffs on you.  If you do so, besides being hit with a baton also known as a nightstick, a minor misdemeanor arrest which might have been pleaded down to a violation without jail time, can now become a felony with jail time.

Don't Talk To the Police

Do not talk to any of the police officers, except to provide your name.  Before being arrested, the police officer may ask you some questions.  You are not entitled to a lawyer before being arrested, but you do not have to answer questions.  If you have committed a crime, do not to give any explanations in an attempt to avoid arrest by fooling the police officer.  To your surprise and your lawyer's dismay, your explanation will accomplish only two things.  It will give the police officer probable cause to immediately arrest you or to search your car and find evidence to arrest you.

Do not offer money, sex or anything else to the police officer to "work this out".  Your offer will probably be on video and audio and you will now also be facing bribery charges.

If you're a drug dealer and have a large quantity of cocaine in your trunk, DO NOT give the police officer permission to search your trunk or anywhere in the car.  In fact, even if you don't use drugs, do not give permission to search your car or trunk.  One of your moronic friends may have left their stash in your car and you'll get arrested even though it's not yours! 

The police officer may go ahead and search your car or trunk anyway.  That's ok.  It is very possible that the police officer did not have probable cause either to pull you over or to search your car.  If there was no probable cause, your criminal lawyer will succeed in getting the evidence excluded from trial and the charges will likely be dismissed, even with 100 kg of cocaine in the trunk!

At the time you are being arrested, you will be read your Miranda rights.  The Miranda warning tells you that you do not have to say anything without a lawyer being present.  There is a good reason the police have to tell you this.  Don't say anything except "I don't want to say anything without a lawyer".  If you can say that in front of the police car's video camera or witnesses, even better.  Don't say anything else except to your lawyer.

Don't Believe What the Police Tell You

It is legal for the police to lie to get you to make an admission.  Did you think it was illegal, just because your mother told you not to lie?  You must assume that anything the police tell you has a motive behind it.  That motive is to get you to make an admission.  The police will often tell you that if you talk now, it will make things much easier for you.  Actually, it will make things much easier for them.  The police may tell you that your friend has already confessed or is blaming you.


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