What To Do If You Are Stopped
- Stay calm and in control of yourself including your words, tone of voice, body language, and emotions.
- Do not run or walk away. Keep your hands where police can see them -- don't put them in your pockets. (Don't make the police nervous by wondering if you have a weapon.) Don't make any sudden movements. Never touch a police officer.
- Give your name and address only if you're asked to, but remember you don't need to say anything more. (The caveat is that if the police are annoyed by your refusal to say more, they may haul you in out of spite.) Remember, anything you say or do can be used against you later.
- It's illegal for the police to search you if you're not under arrest. (Of course, they may do so anyway.) The police may ask you for permission to search. DO NOT GIVE THE POLICE PERMISSION TO SEARCH ANYTHING, POLITELY REFUSE BY SAYING NO AND REQUESTING AN ATTORNEY. Once you GIVE them permission, then you can't argue later in court that they performed an illegal search.
- Try to remember the officers' physical decriptions. Try to memorize badge numbers, names, license plate numbers, and police car numbers. Once the police stop questioning you, write all this down as soon as you are able.
- Ask bystanders to stand at a discreet distance and observe. The police are less likely to do something wrong if there are people watching. People have a right to stand at a reasonable distance and observe as long as they do not interfere. (The police may consider that bystanders repeatedly asking them questions constitutes "interference".) Get the names and phone numbers of the witnesses afterward in case you need them in the future.
- If you are being abused, don't resist. Once multiple officers start hurting you, you can't stop them by resisting, and struggling may only encourage them. Think of a cat playing with a mouse -- while the mouse is struggling, the cat is excited, but when the mouse stops moving, the cat loses interest. In some cases, the police may continue to abuse you even if you don't struggle, but since struggling can't help you, it's best not to try. If there are ten officers on scene I don't know how many it will take to whip your butt, but I can tell you how many they will use (thanx Ron White)
- If they let you go and you are injured, take photographs of the injuries as soon as possible, but make sure you seek medical attention first and ask for a copy of the records and bring them with you to your attorneys office.
- If you feel your rights have been violated, file a written complaint. Keep a copy of the complaint, and make sure a family member or close friend has a copy.
- ALWAYS be polite and respectful.
