Okay, I had a minor run in with the police last night.
Everyone in town knows me as "the bike guy" because of the 24 foot trailer and the fact that I have 6 bikes, 5 are pretty race bikes. So if there's a bike issue, they're going to come to me. I've only lived up here for 9 months but it's been like that everywhere I've lived. It's an irritation but it is expected. And if I get popped doing something stupid, then so be it, but I hate being accused of something I didn't do and how the cop handled it I thought was shockingly unprofessional.
Well last night I'm sitting on the patio grilling out with the family and drinking. I get done with the grill and go inside to start getting the kid's plates ready and my 7 year old son comes inside and says "Dad. There's a police man outside that's going to take you to jail." Shocked, I head outside and see that there is a cop.
I plop down on the steps and he proceeds to inform me that they had just received four complaints about a guy on a bike "racing up and down the road and squalling tires." I was pretty drunk at this point and a bit offended that the cop decided to come to my house over the problem, I wasn't being too cooperative.
It ended up turning into a pretty heated argument and I'm surprised I didn't get hauled to jail. But to keep the story from being too long I'll hit the main points.
1. He showed up around 8pm and I went for a relatively calm and quiet ride and got home at 3pm that day.
2. I have a broken ankle so getting out and riding hard is pretty low on my list of things to do.
3. The description was of someone with a black and silver leather jacket, black helmet with a red Mohawk, and a black and gray bike. Everything matches me but the bike.
4. I was WAY too drunk to be out riding
And my BIGGEST issue
5. The cop came to the house and started questioning my kid in the yard and told my son that he may have to take me to jail.
6. And because I wouldn't let him into my garage and basement to look at the bikes and I wouldn't let talk to my kids any more, he said that I must be guilty.
I will be meeting with the mayor with in the next day or two I'm quite sure but want to make sure I have my ducks in a row when I go in and get sideways crazy.
So does anybody know what the law is in respect to showing up at a house and questioning a 7 year old and a 4year old in a front yard as well a cop's on duty code of conduct?
I'm pretty wizzed off at the fact that my son asked me 3 times last night if I was going to jail and went to bed crying because he thought I wouldn't be there in the morning. I mean absolutely livid.
Call an attorney. Not that the cop did anything wrong but if he did, you won't fix it yourself.
Quote5. The cop came to the house and started questioning my kid in the yard and told my son that he may have to take me to jail.
I call that wrong. I would talk to an attorney. If it isn't LEGALLY wrong its definitely MORALLY wrong in my book.
I agree call an attorney.
how did I know when I saw the topic that it was going to be your post?? :biggrin:
+1, call an attorney.
I called and the guy said he'd pull the tape and listen to it and get back to me.
I called a few attorney's in town and waiting to hear back from them as well.
Trouble maker. :biggrin:
typically yes, but not this time. i'm just wizzed at how he handled it with my son before i even knew he was there.
call an attorney for sure. police definatly can not question a minor with out parents consent. and as for him being unprofessional as he was. when you make a report it goes on his file and incase there are future incidences thats another strike on his record.
This is probably NESBA's fault....or CCS racers ....or NESBA.....or CCS racers....or NESBA....or CCS racers...
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
Sorry, Mike....for some reason that struck me as funny....I will blame my broken bone...
HAHA
yeah. they just stopped by again. the guy they're after is on a bike "somewhat" like mine, black and silver jacket like mine, black lid with a red mohawk like mine. the cop stopped by getting all shitty and i invited them in to feel all the engines. all are stone cold. he was all kinds of shitty when he showed up.
he left 5 minutes ago with his head down and an apology.
freaken white people.
Quotefreaken white people.
:lmao:
probably wasnt easy for him to apologize... good on him for that. At least he might think twice about being a DB in the future...
Nope, he can't interview a minor without parents permission, and to pump the kid for info about you, before making contact with you, based upon a third party complaint about simple traffic violations, is lazy police work. To tell your son that you are going to jail, is just plain wrong, violates our codes of conduct, and leaves your son the lasting impression that all cops are thugs. I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing all cops, but as a cop, who rides a sportbike, I'm tired of some cops treating me, you, and many others like we are second class citizens. Case in point, if you owned a mercedes, had a big house, and were allegedly involved with some simple traffic violations in your car, do you think the officer would have treated your family the same way? Not a chance. Yes, we need to enforce the law, but it needs to be done fairly, with respect to the people we serve. We lost two sportbikers on Sat near my town when they came through a business district at triple digits, elderly couple pulled out in front of em, and they nailed the minivan so hard it ripped off an arm, leg and flipped the van. A foolish and deadly mistake for the sportbikers, but we lost two young guys that could have become our bros out on the track, and some of the cops around here don't even care. :preachon: whoa, I didn't mean to end up on the soapbox, guess I want to reach these guys before they kill themselves, and don't like seein you gettin pushed around when the cops know better but think they can get away with cheap tactics cause you ride a bike. Okay, I'm calm now, Art.
i stopped and talked to the chief today and got to check out the video tape. it seems there was a 25 second gap in the tape.
Pig: High guys. how are you doing?
both my kids: fine.
Oldest son 7yrs old: How are you?
Youngest son 4yrs old: Your car has lights!!!!!!!!!
Pig: Do you have a brother or a dad with a motorcycle?
Oldest son: Yes sir. My dad.
(made me proud as hell that my son has good manners. even when dealing with a prick)
Pig: Did your dad just get home a few minutes ago?
Oldest son: Yes sir.
Pig: Does he have a red mohawk on his helmet?
Oldest son: Yes sir. Why are you asking about my dad?
At this point, the clock at the bottom right hand corner of the tape jumps ahead 25 seconds and the next thing you hear is my son say. "i'll go get him."
"we've been experiencing some recording issues with this unit and we're going to have it sent off to be checked out"
funny how that works huh???
I told him i expected this cop to come up and apologize to my children and he said that he wasn't sure that would happen and would let the city attorney review the tape before he could give me an answer on whether or not the officer would apologize.
I let him know about my current plan to run for mayor and told him that i hope his officers know how to ride bicycles and left.
so now i have to find out when the damn elections around here are. but i now look very forward to seeing all of this through.
Quote from: chaplain220 on June 12, 2007, 08:48:40 PM
Nope, he can't interview a minor without parents permission, and to pump the kid for info about you, before making contact with you, based upon a third party complaint about simple traffic violations, is lazy police work.
thank you very much.
that's exactly what i wanted to hear.
Thanks Art
Mike did you point out that there was a 25 sec gap to the chief?
yep, all he said was "we've been experiencing some recording issues with this unit and we're going to have it sent off to be checked out"
i'm going back up later in the week to be a prick.
i'd be happy if they'd just send him down the road to appologize to my kids. that's it, and i'd drop the subject. doesn't look like they're willing to do that though.