BlueSheepdog
10 Years Experience
Around the Way, FL
Male, 40
Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
Thanks for the question. This has been addressed twice before, so to save a little time, here is one of the answers from above:
"In what context? If an officer is taking enforcement action, then at a reasonable time he or she should identify him- or herself in a reasonable manner. That will likely include a badge and ID card.
If someone knocks on your door and asks to speak with you it is certainly reasonable to request to see identification. Call the local law enforcement agency and confirm the officer's identity if you have any doubts.
Asking an officer to show you his or her badge in the middle of a fight, chase or in the middle of some other dangerous situation might not be feasible. It is all situationally dependent. Unfortunately, everone looks for a simple black and white answer, but life's not that easy. Reasonableness is the key to everything."
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You can get out and help the police officer. Sitting in the car while an injured police officer is laying in a lane of traffic is unconscionable.
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One of the functions of a police officer is to enforce traffic laws. So, while on patrol I would be looking for both criminal and traffic vioations. Since most criminals use a vehicle in some way (to get to a crime, to flee a crime, to move stolen property, etc.), making traffic stops will frequently result in the discovery of criminal activity.
I have made major felony cases by stopping people for relatively minor traffic infractions. Folks like Timothy McVeigh, Ted Bundy and others have all been located on traffic stops. I can't tell you how many terrorists, murderers, rapists and others have been arrested after a seemingly small traffic violation.
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Possibly. If the child is in actual danger, then yes, you can take reasonable actions to protect the life of the child. However, the preumption is that you are damaging someone else's property. You need to be able to prove that your actions were reasonable and necessary to protect the life of the child. Calling 911 is probably the best bet in the specific scenario you described. As stated elsewhere on this page - this is not legal advice.
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Yes, you could be charged with theft.
If he owes you money, it is likely a civil situation, not criminal. Regardless, one wrong will not justify another.
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Working the road. Where else?
Until you've had to make decisions on when to deploy a dog in a real-life, volatile use-of-force situation, and then justify those decisions to your chain of command, an internal affairs investigation, a city attorney and (probably) a court, how exactly do you figure you will have the credibility to tell others what they need to know?
It's one thing to know the law from reading a book or attending a training class, its another to apply it appropriately in the field. It is a bit like training in the dojo vs. a street fight. Or perhaps a better analogy is the guy sitting on the couch watching a football game who has never stepped onto the field, yet thinks he knows better than the players.
Reality is a harsh, unforgiving mistress. Until you've danced with her a while, you simply don't know what you don't know.
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