Hey guys, I just wanted to see what other people thought of this case and if there's a possibility that I can get this guy caught up for the wrong **** he's done....well here it goes:
Date: Sometime in 2000Location: Antioch, CATime: 12:00 am or so
I was driving (in my used-to-own [RIP] del Sol) around midnight to see my girlfriend and I come up to this stop sign. I dont really recall if I did pause or stop for a complete 3-5 sec, but I know I stopped cause I distinctly remember pressing the clutch for a while and shifting into 1st (sorry, i remember things better in car terms). Another car was across from me at the stop sign, but he paused a little bit longer than me so I thought he was giving me the right of way. I resumed and coasted down the downhill road and I noticed that his headlights were getting smaller and smalller. Now, if you've ever seen a Sol, or ever even been in one and looked at the rear view, this should NEVER happen. This basically means that the car behind me is about 2-3 inches away from my bumper. I didnt really feel like this guy could stop right away even if I were to gently tap the brakes, so I sped up enough to see his headlights fully. After that, the lights went up and I realized it was a cop.
I didnt really understand anything but the fact that he wanted to write me up for speeding (to get away from his tailgating dumb self) so I was really confused. He asked me where I was going, so I told him a friend of mine needed to see me(which is technically true cause I treat my girl -now my wife- as my friend too). He then shouted at me and asked me to repeat what I said, this really got to me cause I know I spoke clear and respectful enough to not cause instigation of any sort. Then he said that I didnt stop at the sign, that I cut him off and I almost hit him, and that I was speeding. I didnt really mind that this was happening, well at the time I did, but things got worse.
He writes up my ticket, then tells me I have to go home (cause I was a minor at the time). This didnt really bother me either, until he said he was going to follow me home. Thats when I really felt like I was being harrassed. He followed me home and up to the front door. I tried to close the door behind me, but he stuck his foot in the way and said "Uh uh, not that easy, I'm gonna talk to your parents." Then he entered the house (without probable cause or a warrant and while being armed with a gun). Now this was during midnight, so everything in the house was off, but this guy takes out his flashlight and starts looking around and holding his gun as if I or someone were going to attack him.
I get to my parents and they both come down. He starts telling them that I did this and that, and that I stopped him from an important call, one where a lady reported that someone was in her backyard. Then I tried to tell my parents that I didnt do all that, and that's when the cop snapped. He shouted at me, in my own house and in front of my own parents, and said that he was "tired of me lying to him". This got me fed up and I asked him what I lied to him about, he pause for a good while and didnt answer me. He just told my parents that HE WAS BEING NICE since he can still run me in for breaking curfew. He leaves about now, and I get stuck with the ticket and feeling violated.
Sorry about this guys, but I just recently remembered that I can possibly do something about this, if there were any possible ways for me to take up a harrassment charge against him. I wasnt able to back then, cause my mom was afraid that the cop knew where we lived and he might do something to us...but now that they have their NEW house (2 months) and I'm in my own apartment, I think I can do something if it were possible. My only concerns are the shouting, when he entered my house without permission, telling my parents I lied to him, and that crud about running me in. If you guys have anything helpful, like info about how long an incident is valid to file a complaint about is, or if you guys just sympathize, then feel free to post. Sorry for the long post by the way, I just wanted to do something about this so I thought I should at least write about it here.....Thanks guys~!
Possible police harrassment.....
-
Slippery S14
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2003 2:40 am
To me this is very borderline. Im not certain about laws being broken other than coming into your house without permission. Although the policeguy seems to be in the wrong through most of the ordeal, I doubt you could do much 3 yrs later with only your word against his. Its bad to have to think this way, but at least you guys didnt get really violated.
Really crappy night to have though.
Del Sol...psshhh...hehe
-Slip
Really crappy night to have though.
Del Sol...psshhh...hehe
-Slip
-
RatedR
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 10:34 am
- Car: my beautiful young asian schoolgirl wife! Hehehheheeh, yes, its a "field trip". Yeah, a &q
yeah, i know it could have been worse, but the thought of this guy being a cop and still having the opportunity to harrass others is killing me. I think cops should be subject to higher judgement with breaking the law. How can you fully uphold the law if you're constantly slipping through it yourself?
PS - del Sol, shift, pssshhhhht, shift psshhhht. Heheheheh, not really though, but still a great car to me.
PS - del Sol, shift, pssshhhhht, shift psshhhht. Heheheheh, not really though, but still a great car to me.
-
Slippery S14
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2003 2:40 am
I agree about the higher authority. There are some legal peeps that wander through here every once in a while. I would think you could at least file a complaint. If you arent the only one who has had such a run in then that would carry a lot more weight(oops, i just went back and really read the last paragraph).
Yeah, a friend of mine has one. They are nifty little cars. Just givin you a hard time
-Slip
Yeah, a friend of mine has one. They are nifty little cars. Just givin you a hard time
-Slip
-
sr20meplease
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2002 1:06 pm
- Car: cars
you would have been able to get off the ticket and excape clean because he entered your house without permission. you did nothing legally wrong(well in md) as long as your car rocked backwards at the stop sign. cuting him off is illegal(reckless driving) but since its almost 04 theres isn't anything you can do. next time grab his badge # and call the non emergency police and file a complaint.plus the cops can't tell you to do anything. they have to ask you. i had a cop come into my house like that and i got off on a speeding ticket 65 in a 40.all because he came into my house. same thing going to see my gf at 1am. minor all that.excpet he wasn't a prick about it. he just came into the house without being invited in.
You're considering filing a complaint against an officer for an incident that took place 3 years ago?
If you feel you've been wronged, you go file a complaint the very next day.
Although I'm sure you were upset by what happened... now, 3 years later, your story won't carry much weight.
There sure are a great deal of cop threads that pop up in 240general, and not one of them positive. This one I'm moving to NICO general, since it doesn't deal with the 240sx, and some more experienced drivers/members will probably see it there, instead of 240gen.
If you feel you've been wronged, you go file a complaint the very next day.
Although I'm sure you were upset by what happened... now, 3 years later, your story won't carry much weight.
There sure are a great deal of cop threads that pop up in 240general, and not one of them positive. This one I'm moving to NICO general, since it doesn't deal with the 240sx, and some more experienced drivers/members will probably see it there, instead of 240gen.
-
RatedR
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 10:34 am
- Car: my beautiful young asian schoolgirl wife! Hehehheheeh, yes, its a "field trip". Yeah, a &q
thanks everyone~! DAMN i hate myself for not doing all that, but I really couldnt. I'll explain the situation on my part a little bit more detailed. I was only 16 (minor) and in order for me to file a complaint I'd need an adult to represent me right? My mom didnt want to do anything about it because she was afraid that the cop would do something bad cause he knew where we lived. Now that my parents have relocated, and I'm on my own in an apartment, there's nothing standing in my way....well, nothing but the fact that it was 3 yrs ago....guess I just really have that bad of luck with tickets huh?
PS - Happy New Year people, and I hope you guys have better luck than me. (Cause about 10 mins ago, a ****en dog just pissed all over my favorite shoes~!!!! I shoulda killed that bastard~!)
Unhappily,-R
PS - Happy New Year people, and I hope you guys have better luck than me. (Cause about 10 mins ago, a ****en dog just pissed all over my favorite shoes~!!!! I shoulda killed that bastard~!)
Unhappily,-R
There's probably a statute of limitations that applies, such that you can't press charges of any sort, either criminal or civil, against the officer or the PD (coulda been rolling in a G35 right now). There is free public services legal advice available...look them up online.
It may be the right thing to write the above into a well-worded letter and send it to the Internal Affairs department of the PD where the officer works. If yours is the only one, then it probably won't do much, but yours could be the 2nd, 3rd or more complaints filed. IA keeps track of these things.
It may be the right thing to write the above into a well-worded letter and send it to the Internal Affairs department of the PD where the officer works. If yours is the only one, then it probably won't do much, but yours could be the 2nd, 3rd or more complaints filed. IA keeps track of these things.
-
Bubba1
- Moderator
- Posts: 16082
- Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 1:42 pm
- Car: 2003 Nissan 350z
2024 Honda HR-V
2008 Toyota Corolla S
2001 Toyota Avalon XLS
Hmmm. That cop sounds like the Jim Carrey character from Me, Myself, and Irene. Unless you've been harrassed by this cop since then, I'm not sure you're going to accomplish much by writing a complaint letter about an unprofessional behavior incident 3 years ago. I understand your mom's fear of retribution at the time, but the right thing would have to complain the day after it happened, not lobbing an grenade from out-of-area years later, after the statute of limitations runs out. It's not easy for any victim to rise up and face their accuser. But's its something victims MUST do if they want justice. Your parents made a decision not to pursue it, so you should respect their decision. By waiting so long, your motives will be very much questioned if you send complaint letter about it now. And the IA could easily view those motives as revenge, or trying to set the police dept. up for a civil suit money grab (even if that's not your intent). Remember, they can't read your mind, they're working on perception.
Now you mentioned something that might be important and could hurt your complaint. You said he could have nailed you for breaking curfew? That's a problem. If there was a police imposed curfew and you were breaking it, the cop could just has easily made this worse. If IA determines there was a curfew in place, your parents would be then be expected to answer some difficult questions, like why did they permit you to violate a police ordered curfew, or how were you able to sneak out without their knowledge to break curfew. Neither is good would be taken into consideration when IA weighs the evidence. An IA's inverstigation may not necessarily turn out the way you want. And if there was a curfew, then your parents may have made a wiser decision by not pursuing it. You also need ask yourself what you hope to gain by doing it after so many years. If all you're after is revenge, I say lose the anger, don't send the letter, and get on with your life.
I'm very sorry about your experience. Good luck
Now you mentioned something that might be important and could hurt your complaint. You said he could have nailed you for breaking curfew? That's a problem. If there was a police imposed curfew and you were breaking it, the cop could just has easily made this worse. If IA determines there was a curfew in place, your parents would be then be expected to answer some difficult questions, like why did they permit you to violate a police ordered curfew, or how were you able to sneak out without their knowledge to break curfew. Neither is good would be taken into consideration when IA weighs the evidence. An IA's inverstigation may not necessarily turn out the way you want. And if there was a curfew, then your parents may have made a wiser decision by not pursuing it. You also need ask yourself what you hope to gain by doing it after so many years. If all you're after is revenge, I say lose the anger, don't send the letter, and get on with your life.
I'm very sorry about your experience. Good luck
Agreed.
I can tell you that all you're going to get out of this is a half-assed IA investigation. He didn't call you any names, physically harm you, or threaten your life in any way. He didn't discriminate against you, etc etc. My point is this: yeah, sometimes a police officer can be a ****, but you need to deal with it with a higher authority right away. A 3-year-old incident where some cop yelled at you and entered your home without permission is insignificant to the proverbial men upstairs. That being said, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with him, but remember, it's always best to be nice to them and you can nail their *** later (just not too late).
Nick
I can tell you that all you're going to get out of this is a half-assed IA investigation. He didn't call you any names, physically harm you, or threaten your life in any way. He didn't discriminate against you, etc etc. My point is this: yeah, sometimes a police officer can be a ****, but you need to deal with it with a higher authority right away. A 3-year-old incident where some cop yelled at you and entered your home without permission is insignificant to the proverbial men upstairs. That being said, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with him, but remember, it's always best to be nice to them and you can nail their *** later (just not too late).
Nick