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What The Hell America (A semi informative rant)
10 years ago
In the past few weeks, there have been three high profile shootings by police officers in America. One story just broke hours ago and I feel like it's time for me to chime in with a personal story.
There is a tl;Dr if people don't want to read it after the three hashes.
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Driving to MCFC last year, I was stopped by a Kentucky State Police officer. My passenger in the vehicle was my ex boyfriend and roommate
lustlegion. I knew I had been speeding and was fully prepared to accept the ticket, but that wasn't what was on this officer's agenda for the day.
Before I get into the details, I should forewarn you all that I am very menacing looking. I am a pale white male with short brown hair, glasses, and a mostly needy visage. My ex has shoulder length blonde hair, is skinny, and has piercings, also white. These descriptions will come in handy later.
The officer approached my car and I did everything I was supposed to, even though I am well versed in my roghts. He asked for my license and insurance and registration which I already had in hand, and asked me if I knew why I was stopped today. I told him that I was stopped for going ten over in a 70 mph zone, I have no qualms about admitting this.
He went back to his car and ran my license for about ten minutes, this is where I started getting a feeling that something was off. He then came back to the car and began his true mission, to find a crime we didn't commit. He proceeded to ask us where we were going, and being versed in what the polive can and cannot do, I started feeling a bit uneasy, but I answered that we were headed to visit friends in Michigan. He asked my ex how we knew each other and he responded we are roommates and friends.
Then the question happened:
"You all wouldn't happen to have drugs or alcohol in the car would you?"
At that point I should have shut up and requested my lawyer, but I figured if I am polite, like I was taught to be, he will understand and let me go. I responded that I did not and he requested my ex's identification.
Here is mistake number two, I let my ex hand over his id without protest. We were then subjected to another ten minute wait while my ex looked at me and said, "I think I'm being profiled." Now LusrLegion is a tall skinny blonde haired guy with a goatee and wears sunglasses due to photo sensitivity. He looks like a hippy and I do believe that the officer suspected him of being a druggy, which he is not.
After ten minutes of waiting, the officer returned without my paperwork, and handed my ex back his identification. The officer then proceeded to ask what I was fearing would happen all along.
"Do you all mind if I search the vehicle"
Now at that point I had had enough of this farce, I stated that I do not consent to searches in any instance of my person or vehicle. The officer did his song and dance of why was I being evasive, why was I trying to hide things.
The culmination of this traffic stop led to me and my ex being asked to step out of the car, to which Iocked the doors. We were both searched without consent or being informed of what we were suspected of, and detained for thirty minutes before I finally consented to a search where I was allowed to watch his every move.
The kicker, the speeding ticket that he wrote me was printed off two minutes after the stop commenced...
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Tl;Dr
Cops believe everyone is doing something wrong until their suspicions are proved otherwise. They don't trust you, you should not trust them.
My advice to everyone regardless of race, gender or creed:
-know your rights and exercise them in a controlled manner
-record your encounters and have them uploaded to a drop box account, I use fivo recording now with every encounter.
-KNOW YOUR IDENTIFICATION LAWS! IN CERTAIN INSTANCES YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE IDENTIFICATION TO THE POLICE!!!
My fellow Kentuckians and Americans, here is what I know is legal and cannot be violated:
-In Kentucky, a passenger in a vehicle for a routine traffic stop does not have to provide physical ID unless they are suspected of criminal wrongdoing.
-if a police officer asks you a question that is potentially self incriminating, you do not have to answer it. It is in your best interest not to answer any questions, including do you know why I stopped you today?
-You do not have to consent to searches of your home, your vehicle, or your personal effects under the fourth amendment, and you should not ever consent to a search without a warrant.
-It is not illegal to film the police! If they say that you are obstructing, you can politely ask where you should stand so you are not obstructing them. You can and should film any and all encounters, knowing that they are being filmed may save your life or others in a tense situation.
Remember, police do have a high stress job, and they have a right to be skeptical. But at the end of the day, their job is to ENFORCE the law, not go fishing for things that haven't happened yet.
Know your rights, be respectful, and stay safe!
There is a tl;Dr if people don't want to read it after the three hashes.
---
Driving to MCFC last year, I was stopped by a Kentucky State Police officer. My passenger in the vehicle was my ex boyfriend and roommate
lustlegion. I knew I had been speeding and was fully prepared to accept the ticket, but that wasn't what was on this officer's agenda for the day.Before I get into the details, I should forewarn you all that I am very menacing looking. I am a pale white male with short brown hair, glasses, and a mostly needy visage. My ex has shoulder length blonde hair, is skinny, and has piercings, also white. These descriptions will come in handy later.
The officer approached my car and I did everything I was supposed to, even though I am well versed in my roghts. He asked for my license and insurance and registration which I already had in hand, and asked me if I knew why I was stopped today. I told him that I was stopped for going ten over in a 70 mph zone, I have no qualms about admitting this.
He went back to his car and ran my license for about ten minutes, this is where I started getting a feeling that something was off. He then came back to the car and began his true mission, to find a crime we didn't commit. He proceeded to ask us where we were going, and being versed in what the polive can and cannot do, I started feeling a bit uneasy, but I answered that we were headed to visit friends in Michigan. He asked my ex how we knew each other and he responded we are roommates and friends.
Then the question happened:
"You all wouldn't happen to have drugs or alcohol in the car would you?"
At that point I should have shut up and requested my lawyer, but I figured if I am polite, like I was taught to be, he will understand and let me go. I responded that I did not and he requested my ex's identification.
Here is mistake number two, I let my ex hand over his id without protest. We were then subjected to another ten minute wait while my ex looked at me and said, "I think I'm being profiled." Now LusrLegion is a tall skinny blonde haired guy with a goatee and wears sunglasses due to photo sensitivity. He looks like a hippy and I do believe that the officer suspected him of being a druggy, which he is not.
After ten minutes of waiting, the officer returned without my paperwork, and handed my ex back his identification. The officer then proceeded to ask what I was fearing would happen all along.
"Do you all mind if I search the vehicle"
Now at that point I had had enough of this farce, I stated that I do not consent to searches in any instance of my person or vehicle. The officer did his song and dance of why was I being evasive, why was I trying to hide things.
The culmination of this traffic stop led to me and my ex being asked to step out of the car, to which Iocked the doors. We were both searched without consent or being informed of what we were suspected of, and detained for thirty minutes before I finally consented to a search where I was allowed to watch his every move.
The kicker, the speeding ticket that he wrote me was printed off two minutes after the stop commenced...
---
Tl;Dr
Cops believe everyone is doing something wrong until their suspicions are proved otherwise. They don't trust you, you should not trust them.
My advice to everyone regardless of race, gender or creed:
-know your rights and exercise them in a controlled manner
-record your encounters and have them uploaded to a drop box account, I use fivo recording now with every encounter.
-KNOW YOUR IDENTIFICATION LAWS! IN CERTAIN INSTANCES YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE IDENTIFICATION TO THE POLICE!!!
My fellow Kentuckians and Americans, here is what I know is legal and cannot be violated:
-In Kentucky, a passenger in a vehicle for a routine traffic stop does not have to provide physical ID unless they are suspected of criminal wrongdoing.
-if a police officer asks you a question that is potentially self incriminating, you do not have to answer it. It is in your best interest not to answer any questions, including do you know why I stopped you today?
-You do not have to consent to searches of your home, your vehicle, or your personal effects under the fourth amendment, and you should not ever consent to a search without a warrant.
-It is not illegal to film the police! If they say that you are obstructing, you can politely ask where you should stand so you are not obstructing them. You can and should film any and all encounters, knowing that they are being filmed may save your life or others in a tense situation.
Remember, police do have a high stress job, and they have a right to be skeptical. But at the end of the day, their job is to ENFORCE the law, not go fishing for things that haven't happened yet.
Know your rights, be respectful, and stay safe!
