Pulled over and patted down for no reason

[CUnknown]

So, I was driving down the highway, not speeding, and minding my own business. A cop zooms past me at first, then slows down at first to get behind me, then he pulls alongside me (it was a 4-lane highway) and matches speeds with me for about a minute. Then he flashes his lights and pulls me over.

The cop approaches my car from the passenger side. I crack the window. He says, "I won't be able to hear you well, please open the window all the way." I refuse, saying I can hear him perfectly well. He immediately asks me to step out of the car. At this point, I have no idea what is going on.

I put my hand in my pocket and climb out -- okay, mistake -- and so he starts patting me down, saying to take my hand out of my pocket and that now he has to check if I have a weapon. He's feeling my thigh up basically, not really looking for a weapon, exactly! You'd think a gun in my pocket would be obvious after a pat or two. I'm starting to get upset.

I ask him "Am I being detained?" He says no, so I ask "Am I free to go?" He says no again, and now changes his mind, that yes, I am being detained. "Under suspicion of what crime?" He says DUI -- I sort of chuckle in disbelief, because it's 4 pm and I'm dead sober. He says I was drifting in the road (I wasn't). Then me makes me touch my finger to my nose and all that crap. Then he asks if he can search my car! I obviously say no, and then he tells me I can leave.

Is there anything I could have done differently, or do people just have to put up with humiliating and annoying cop games like this these days? It got me pretty upset, because one minute I wasn't doing a damn thing and next minute I'm being molested by a government thug.

 

[AFPVet]

So, I was driving down the highway, not speeding, and minding my own business. A cop zooms past me at first, then slows down at first to get behind me, then he pulls alongside me (it was a 4-lane highway) and matches speeds with me for about a minute. Then he flashes his lights and pulls me over.

The cop approaches my car from the passenger side. I crack the window. He says, "I won't be able to hear you well, please open the window all the way." I refuse, saying I can hear him perfectly well. He immediately asks me to step out of the car. At this point, I have no idea what is going on.

I put my hand in my pocket and climb out -- okay, mistake -- and so he starts patting me down, saying to take my hand out of my pocket and that now he has to check if I have a weapon. He's feeling my thigh up basically, not really looking for a weapon, exactly! You'd think a gun in my pocket would be obvious after a pat or two. I'm starting to get upset.

I ask him "Am I being detained?" He says no, so I ask "Am I free to go?" He says no again, and now changes his mind, that yes, I am being detained. "Under suspicion of what crime?" He says DUI -- I sort of chuckle in disbelief, because it's 4 pm and I'm dead sober. He says I was drifting in the road (I wasn't). Then me makes me touch my finger to my nose and all that crap. Then he asks if he can search my car! I obviously say no, and then he tells me I can leave.

Is there anything I could have done differently, or do people just have to put up with humiliating and annoying cop games like this these days? It got me pretty upset, because one minute I wasn't doing a damn thing and next minute I'm being molested by a government thug.

He was fishing. Next time, get his badge number and file a complaint. When I was a LEO, I was always told to observe several actions before initiating a stop (to develop enough PC). If you went left of center four times, suddenly slowed down and accelerated, then that would be enough for me.

 

[hazek]

So, I was driving down the highway, not speeding, and minding my own business. A cop zooms past me at first, then slows down at first to get behind me, then he pulls alongside me (it was a 4-lane highway) and matches speeds with me for about a minute. Then he flashes his lights and pulls me over.

The cop approaches my car from the passenger side. I crack the window. He says, "I won't be able to hear you well, please open the window all the way." I refuse, saying I can hear him perfectly well. He immediately asks me to step out of the car. At this point, I have no idea what is going on.

I put my hand in my pocket and climb out -- okay, mistake -- and so he starts patting me down, saying to take my hand out of my pocket and that now he has to check if I have a weapon. He's feeling my thigh up basically, not really looking for a weapon, exactly! You'd think a gun in my pocket would be obvious after a pat or two. I'm starting to get upset.

I ask him "Am I being detained?" He says no, so I ask "Am I free to go?" He says no again, and now changes his mind, that yes, I am being detained. "Under suspicion of what crime?" He says DUI -- I sort of chuckle in disbelief, because it's 4 pm and I'm dead sober. He says I was drifting in the road (I wasn't). Then me makes me touch my finger to my nose and all that crap. Then he asks if he can search my car! I obviously say no, and then he tells me I can leave.

Is there anything I could have done differently, or do people just have to put up with humiliating and annoying cop games like this these days? It got me pretty upset, because one minute I wasn't doing a damn thing and next minute I'm being molested by a government thug.

Roll the window down a bit more next time because it's true that because of the noise of the surroundings you may hear him inside but he can barely understand you outside with cars zooming by or winds blowing ect. Don't make any stupid moves like putting your hands out of his sight. Verbally protest but follow orders, refuse requests under your 5th and 4th amendment so listen to his language very carefully.

"Can I see some I.D. please?" is not an order and you can just ignore, no need to even address it. To make sure you can answer with a question "Are you ordering me or are you asking me?"

But other then that you can't* do anything, if he wants to be a bully and push you around for no reason, his badge and gun allows him to do that in that moment. In my opinion it's best to survive such a moment, make a record of it and file a complaint or sue the LEO.

 

[bwlibertyman]

Yeah, I'd agree with the other comments. Depending on your state I would suggest that you video tape the interaction. In "most" states, you only need 1 person's permission to video tape the conversation (that 1 person can be you). I'm assuming that if you didn't put your hands in your pockets that he wouldn't have patted you down. I agree that you should just vocalize whatever you're going to do.

 

[ryan14]

Best thing to do is this:

Buy a GPS as it records your speed and distance travelled.

Buy a dashboard camera and point it towards the road and have a handheld camera and if it's legal point it at the cop.

This way you can make a complaint to the police. If a police officer says you a drifting in the road in broad daylight and you are NOT then that cop should get a warning and the next time he/she should lose his job as something may be very wrong with his/her eyes or he/she is just telling lies to pull you over because I think he/she needs reasonable suspicion to pull you over if you have not commited a crime.

So, I was driving down the highway, not speeding, and minding my own business. A cop zooms past me at first, then slows down at first to get behind me, then he pulls alongside me (it was a 4-lane highway) and matches speeds with me for about a minute. Then he flashes his lights and pulls me over.

The cop approaches my car from the passenger side. I crack the window. He says, "I won't be able to hear you well, please open the window all the way." I refuse, saying I can hear him perfectly well. He immediately asks me to step out of the car. At this point, I have no idea what is going on.

I put my hand in my pocket and climb out -- okay, mistake -- and so he starts patting me down, saying to take my hand out of my pocket and that now he has to check if I have a weapon. He's feeling my thigh up basically, not really looking for a weapon, exactly! You'd think a gun in my pocket would be obvious after a pat or two. I'm starting to get upset.

I ask him "Am I being detained?" He says no, so I ask "Am I free to go?" He says no again, and now changes his mind, that yes, I am being detained. "Under suspicion of what crime?" He says DUI -- I sort of chuckle in disbelief, because it's 4 pm and I'm dead sober. He says I was drifting in the road (I wasn't). Then me makes me touch my finger to my nose and all that crap. Then he asks if he can search my car! I obviously say no, and then he tells me I can leave.

Is there anything I could have done differently, or do people just have to put up with humiliating and annoying cop games like this these days? It got me pretty upset, because one minute I wasn't doing a damn thing and next minute I'm being molested by a government thug.

 

[speciallyblend]

next time play nwa f the police as he comes to your car teasing of course. police suck balls and i swear any cop that pulls me over ? it will be his wost nightmare!! If i have done something wrong then fine but if not. HE will want to quit his job when i am done bitching him out! threat of arrest is nothing in my eyes just motivates me to give them a harder time then they wished for!!

personal note ,if a cop realizes you know your rights. they back the f off real quick i have been pulled over several times for a malfunctioning light but was given a warning and let go. i truly believe knowing my rights and being polite is why the police let me go with no ticket!! If i think a police officer is fishing. Then all hell will break lose and they can count on that

 

[TexanRudeBoy]

Best thing to do is this:

Buy a GPS as it records your speed and distance travelled.

Buy a dashboard camera and point it towards the road and have a handheld camera and if it's legal point it at the cop.

This way you can make a complaint to the police. If a police officer says you a drifting in the road in broad daylight and you are NOT then that cop should get a warning and the next time he/she should lose his job as something may be very wrong with his/her eyes or he/she is just telling lies to pull you over because I think he/she needs reasonable suspicion to pull you over if you have not commited a crime.

LOL!!!! They get paid vacations for killing innocent people, what makes you think falsifying that would garner a reprimand?