Posted: 4/1/2011 5:51:32 AM EDT
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Serious question for you guys.
Last fall I decided at the last minute to go on a 3 day hunting trip, packed up my truck after getting out of work at midnight with all my duck hunting gear and headed to Northwestern VT. By the time I was on the interstate it was 2 am. I have been told that there are no State Troopers on duty between midnight and 5 am and figured my chances of being pulled over for speeding were low so I exceeded the speed limit for most of the trip. About 5 miles before I was about to get off the Interstate I see headlights flip on in a turn-around. I know I am in the wrong so I flip my blinker on and pull over before the officer can even get out on the highway. I stop about 100' past where his car was parked. I turn off the motor and flip on the interior light in the cab. He approaches- VT town cop (in a loud and seemingly angry voice)- "You have 2 choices, I can arrest you right now or you can pay a really big ticket!" (by the tone of his voice I expect him to draw his sidearm) Me- (Shocked cuz I have never been approached by a police officer for a traffic stop this aggitated) "I would prefer not to go to jail" Cop- "Well, we will see about that. Drivers license and proof of insurance" I give them to him. He looks in the back of my truck sees all my hunting gear. "WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS!?" Me- "I have a shotgun unloaded in a case behind the seat" I point over my shoulder with my thumb. Cop- "DON'T REACH FOR IT! HOW DO YOU GET IT OUT FROM BEHIND THE SEAT?" me- "I have to pull the seat forward and get it out" Cop- "Ok", he starts back towards his cruiser and then comes back, "Do you have any other weapons on you?" me- "I have a knife in my right pocket" I point at my hip. Cop- "DON"T REACH FOR IT! I am gonna ask you to get out of the vehicle and place your hands on the tailgate" me- "Ok" Officer then removes my cased shotgun from the truck and comes back. "You are not in trouble for having the weapon-" me- "I totally understand, my cousin is Highway Patrol in Missouri, you are just protecting yourself." This finally seems to calm him down a bit. He puts my shotgun in his cruiser and tells me I can get back in the truck to get outta the cold. Then he asks, "You are not active duty or reserve military are you? Me- "No sir, I am a Nurse so if I get arrested I will lose my job" Cop- "Ok" He gives me my license back plus a $285 ticket and put my gun in the bed of my truck. Cop- "Because you didn't make me chase you I am not going to arrest you, but this is a pretty hefty fine." me- "Thank you Officer" Cop- "You can get off at the next exit and put your weapon back in the cab I just don't want to mess around on the interstate" me- "Thank you Sir" So my question for you guys- Why was he so aggitated when he first pulled me over? Does he really think that if I had some sort of criminal past I would have been speeding? From discussions with my cousin in the past he has told me that people running drugs/guns or otherwise "dirtbags" don't speed cuz they don't want to attract attention. How often have you LEOs pulled someone over for excessive speeding that was a lawbreaker of more serious crimes than speeding? -Sorry for the long read just wanted to give an accurate picture of the stop. |
| Every career field has a few douchebags....you just met one of ours. Or the guy was just having a bad day. That being said, anytime I pull someone over I am always looking for/expecting to find more than just a traffic violation. I 've gotten some pretty good drug/gun arrests, people wanted on warrants,...etc. on simple traffic violations. I still wouldn't be a total dick in the beginning of the stop like your guy was though...there's no need for it. |
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Hard to say as to why the cop was so ... well,... rude I guess is the best way to put it. Maybe he was trying a quick bluff or maybe he is just one of those abrasive types, you know... an asshole. I happen to work with a few like that. Based on what you described, I would have left the shotgun as is... no need to take it out of the vehicle, no need to remove you from the vehicle. Guess you just ran into one of "those guys".
It's NOT uncommon to pull someone over for speeding who has a suspended DL, outstanding warrants, etc. I often wonder myself WHY a person who KNOWS their DL is suspended or KNOWS they have a warrant would speed or commit some other moving violation that results in a traffic stop. But yes, it happens.... |
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Quoted:
Serious question for you guys. Last fall I decided at the last minute to go on a 3 day hunting trip, packed up my truck after getting out of work at midnight with all my duck hunting gear and headed to Northwestern VT. By the time I was on the interstate it was 2 am. I have been told that there are no State Troopers on duty between midnight and 5 am and figured my chances of being pulled over for speeding were low so I exceeded the speed limit for most of the trip. About 5 miles before I was about to get off the Interstate I see headlights flip on in a turn-around. I know I am in the wrong so I flip my blinker on and pull over before the officer can even get out on the highway. I stop about 100' past where his car was parked. I turn off the motor and flip on the interior light in the cab. He approaches- VT town cop (in a loud and seemingly angry voice)- "You have 2 choices, I can arrest you right now or you can pay a really big ticket!" (by the tone of his voice I expect him to draw his sidearm) Me- (Shocked cuz I have never been approached by a police officer for a traffic stop this aggitated) "I would prefer not to go to jail" Cop- "Well, we will see about that. Drivers license and proof of insurance" I give them to him. He looks in the back of my truck sees all my hunting gear. "WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS!?" Me- "I have a shotgun unloaded in a case behind the seat" I point over my shoulder with my thumb. Cop- "DON'T REACH FOR IT! HOW DO YOU GET IT OUT FROM BEHIND THE SEAT?" me- "I have to pull the seat forward and get it out" Cop- "Ok", he starts back towards his cruiser and then comes back, "Do you have any other weapons on you?" me- "I have a knife in my right pocket" I point at my hip. Cop- "DON"T REACH FOR IT! I am gonna ask you to get out of the vehicle and place your hands on the tailgate" me- "Ok" Officer then removes my cased shotgun from the truck and comes back. "You are not in trouble for having the weapon-" me- "I totally understand, my cousin is Highway Patrol in Missouri, you are just protecting yourself." This finally seems to calm him down a bit. He puts my shotgun in his cruiser and tells me I can get back in the truck to get outta the cold. Then he asks, "You are not active duty or reserve military are you? Me- "No sir, I am a Nurse so if I get arrested I will lose my job" Cop- "Ok" He gives me my license back plus a $285 ticket and put my gun in the bed of my truck. Cop- "Because you didn't make me chase you I am not going to arrest you, but this is a pretty hefty fine." me- "Thank you Officer" Cop- "You can get off at the next exit and put your weapon back in the cab I just don't want to mess around on the interstate" me- "Thank you Sir" So my question for you guys- Why was he so aggitated when he first pulled me over? Does he really think that if I had some sort of criminal past I would have been speeding? From discussions with my cousin in the past he has told me that people running drugs/guns or otherwise "dirtbags" don't speed cuz they don't want to attract attention. How often have you LEOs pulled someone over for excessive speeding that was a lawbreaker of more serious crimes than speeding? -Sorry for the long read just wanted to give an accurate picture of the stop. No Idea. Just a bad day, or a douche bag, etc J- |
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How fast were u going and whats the posted limit? Playing devil's advocate, you have no idea how that cops night had been prior to contacting you, I'm not saying he was right, but just making a point. For all you know he just finished up working a fatal crash, where speed was the mitigating factor, or perhaps he was just in a fight with a suspect....it doesnt excuse the behavior, but we are human and we do have bad days, just like anyone else.....or this could be how he always is, and maybe is always a jerk.
I will admit, I have given the stern lecture and been a little upset when I have had to chase a speeder down who was haulling ass. It upsets me if I have to border line risk my safety and drive in conditions faster than i would like, because I have a duty to stop someone who is driving in a dangerous manner. To add to that, if someone is doing 85-90 in the fog or heavy rain, I have to do at least 110-120 to actually catch them, if I start chase from a dead stop, or after a u-turn.....Obviously this wasn't the case in yer story, but still helps to add some perspective. I dont know that states laws, but I wonder what he would have arrested you for? 
As for criminal's driving....it never ceases to amaze me how someone who KNOWS they have a warrant or KNOWS they are criminally suspended still manage to drive like ass hats! Also DUII drivers tend to have less restraint in how they drive, hence the alcohol IMPAIRMENT of their judgement. Just the other night our DUII car stopped a kid who was doing 85 in a 45, on a main road in a densly populated area. His reason, "I just wanted to open her up." This was in his Lancer Evo.....we rarely catch the smart ones
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I am guessing has could have arrested me for reckless endangerment or something since I was doing 95 in a 65. Not sure how VT law works with reckless driving but some Cops take speeding personally especially if it's 30 over. You played it cool which is good and if you feel so inclinded you can file a complaint or talk to the Chief. |
| No desire to file a complaint. Just wanted to know if my take on the guy being a douche and treating me like some kind of threat (at first) was me or him just having a bad day. I have always thought you guys have a tough enough job and when I am in the wrong there is no need for me to treat LE with anything less than respect. |
| All the small town Cops I know take speeding seriously since they get complaints all the time from residents. Also, some Cops like to sermonize the person they are stopping and like your situation it involved an agitated Cop. 99.99% of the time if I give a sermon I write a warning but I never raise my voice, that only leads to problems. |
You met a douche bag. I wouldn't have acted that way and neither would most cops but a small percentage of bad cops make a bad name for the rest. We have an officer or two on my department that might do something like it. Yes everyone else hates them too. We can just hope they get promoted out of road patrol!! The way things work here, they probably would!!
I have lectured people before and have been pissed off as well. However, I try not to take things personally and I've never acted in that manner. |
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Quoted:
Does he really think that if I had some sort of criminal past I would have been speeding? How often have you LEOs pulled someone over for excessive speeding that was a lawbreaker of more serious crimes than speeding? -Sorry for the long read just wanted to give an accurate picture of the stop. Not sure if serious. Last month one of my co-workers stopped a speeder, for 82/55, in the fog. Who initially stopped, then fled, and crashed. I followed the path he had driven during the chase and recoved about $40K worth of drugs. Are you really suggesting that people that don't think they will get caught for major felonies are concerned about getting caught for traffic violations? To answer the 2nd question, regularly. |
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Does he really think that if I had some sort of criminal past I would have been speeding? How often have you LEOs pulled someone over for excessive speeding that was a lawbreaker of more serious crimes than speeding? -Sorry for the long read just wanted to give an accurate picture of the stop. Not sure if serious. Last month one of my co-workers stopped a speeder, for 82/55, in the fog. Who initially stopped, then fled, and crashed. I followed the path he had driven during the chase and recoved about $40K worth of drugs. Are you really suggesting that people that don't think they will get caught for major felonies are concerned about getting caught for traffic violations? To answer the 2nd question, regularly. Ok well that makes sense. I don't do your job and never thought about it that way. thanks |
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Wasnt this thread in GD or something? I could have sworn I responded to it once... Ok, found: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1168823&page=1 And my previous response still stands. Wether you ask GD or BOTS, logical people will always give you more or less the same response... The tone from the radar gun woke him up from his nap? Spilled his coffee making the u-turn? If he is working radar, he should expect to stop speeder. I say jackass... I hate this when other officers get all pissed off a violators for doing what they are paid to do... |
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Assuming your story is correct ( I only believe 50% of what I see and less of what I hear), sounds like he was a jerk. I usually give an ass chewin or a ticket, not both.
However, something bothers me about your story. You admit you were intentionally speeding cause you have been told no troopers are out at that time? Are you one of these guys that think the law does not apply to you? Then..... you get caught and want to complain about someone elses' actions, not your own. Finally....you throw in the comment about your relation being a cop to try to build some common bond with the officer or something. I hear that crap all the time. Do you know so and so, etc. ? Oh, I work with your wife, etc. etc. etc. Typical of the public nowadays. It is always someone else to blame. It is now his fault for being mean to you..... not your fault for breaking the law. Yes, you were breaking the law. Whether you consider it minor or not, it is the law. Some twisted people consider murder, theft, rape minor also. Not to condone the action of the officer (if happened as you described), but what did you expect ? Did you think he was going to give you a pep talk and a lollipop or something? When you choose to break the law, sometimes the results will not always be pleasant. Finally, just curious on my part. Since you speed when you have been told no troopers are out, How many extra ducks did you kill on your hunting trip when no game wardens were out? Your character/integrity in life should define your actions, not if you think Johnny Law is out watching you. Think about it. |
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Assuming your story is correct ( I only believe 50% of what I see and less of what I hear), sounds like he was a jerk. I usually give an ass chewin or a ticket, not both. However, something bothers me about your story. You admit you were intentionally speeding cause you have been told no troopers are out at that time? Are you one of these guys that think the law does not apply to you? Then..... you get caught and want to complain about someone elses' actions, not your own. Finally....you throw in the comment about your relation being a cop to try to build some common bond with the officer or something. I hear that crap all the time. Do you know so and so, etc. ? Oh, I work with your wife, etc. etc. etc. Typical of the public nowadays. It is always someone else to blame. It is now his fault for being mean to you..... not your fault for breaking the law. Yes, you were breaking the law. Whether you consider it minor or not, it is the law. Some twisted people consider murder, theft, rape minor also. Not to condone the action of the officer (if happened as you described), but what did you expect ? Did you think he was going to give you a pep talk and a lollipop or something? When you choose to break the law, sometimes the results will not always be pleasant. Finally, just curious on my part. Since you speed when you have been told no troopers are out, How many extra ducks did you kill on your hunting trip when no game wardens were out? Your character/integrity in life should define your actions, not if you think Johnny Law is out watching you. Think about it. Reminds me of the obedient child, versus the well behaved child. An obedient child will follow the rules so long as there is someone there to make sure of it. The well behaved child will follow the rules, because they are the rules, regardless of if there is someone there to enforce them or not.....unfortunantly most of our society is the obedient child
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I can't even read these posts in their entirety anymore. Guess what? There are asshole cops. There always will be. Cops are taken from the community at large they are your neighbors. Some of them may be your friends. Some of you friends who are cops may be assholes to somene else. Here is something for you to ponder. Cops deal with a hell of a lot more assholes then you deal with asshole cops. Here's a thought, don't get pulled over! |
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Quoted:......So my question for you guys- Why was he so aggitated when he first pulled me over? Does he really think that if I had some sort of criminal past I would have been speeding? From discussions with my cousin in the past he has told me that people running drugs/guns or otherwise "dirtbags" don't speed cuz they don't want to attract attention. How often have you LEOs pulled someone over for excessive speeding that was a lawbreaker of more serious crimes than speeding?
-Sorry for the long read just wanted to give an accurate picture of the stop. In reply to this, one does not know how smart or stupid a particular criminal is. ________________________________________________ ("Assuming he hasn't changed the code; he's quite intelligent."––Spock on Khan, (w,stte), "ST II:TWOK") |
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Sounds more like a inexperienced and nervous cop then a douche bag. However, it's nerve racking when you have no back up. I don't know if I ever would initially greet someone with 'you have two choices, go to jail or pay a fine!'
How fast where you going? Yes, criminals are caught all the time because of traffic infractions, was that a serious question? |