Funny vid where cop doesn't know the rules he is enforcing

Motofixxer · Aug 27, 2011

I ran across this and found it comical and informative. This officer is all confused and doesn't know how to answer, keeps contradicting himself, and just plain doesn't know what exactly he is supposed to be enforcing. So watch it and enjoy.

[video=youtube;sOJvPGTWxAU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOJvPGTWxAU&feature=related[/video]

SouthernBoy · Aug 27, 2011

He did have that LEO going. But I have to say I have no sympathy for people who run stop signs or red lights. Throw the book at those folks.

Motofixxer · Aug 27, 2011

But did he??? Or did the cop just want to get him on something. It would have been interesting to see video of his drive away. See if he actually did. Guess that's why its a good reason to have a running camera in your car at all times. It does say though that the guy was videoing the Police, they told him to stop, he didnt. Then he got in his car to drive away, he was immediately pulled over. Very likely!!!

Here is another interesting vid

[video=youtube;_bB9IC4DDf4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bB9IC4DDf4&feature=related[/video]

eye95 · Aug 27, 2011

Neither the driver nor the LEO impressed me either with their intelligence or their ability to communicate.

eye95 · Aug 28, 2011

An officer needs to be able to "quote the law" to enforce it?? I'll admit ignorance of English law, but that is just stupid. An officer should not have to quote the law to enforce it. He needs merely be right as to how he enforces it.

Motofixxer · Aug 28, 2011

But how can he enforce or write a violation of something...what he does not know??? It was entertaining though.

KBCraig · Aug 28, 2011

eye95 said:
An officer needs to be able to "quote the law" to enforce it?? I'll admit ignorance of English law, but that is just stupid. An officer should not have to quote the law to enforce it. He needs merely be right as to how he enforces it.

Quote it? No. But an officer should be able to cite the law; that's how he shows it actually exists.

It's not enough to "merely be right as to how he enforces it", if he enforces "laws" that don't even exist. We've all seen examples of people who weren't just charged incorrectly when the law didn't apply, which is just a matter of interpretation. We've also seen cases where people were intimidated into obeying, threatened with arrest, and sometimes actually arrested over "laws" that just don't exist.

eye95 · Aug 28, 2011

Motofixxer said:
But how can he enforce or write a violation of something...what he does not know??? It was entertaining though.

I (and, I am sure, you) don't know what he does not know. He cannot recite chapter and verse and was clearly flustered, communicating what he did or did not know very poorly. The driver came off to me as even more ignorant. He tried to assert rights that he did not know whether he had. That is moronic, as he could well be found guilty of a crime or violation as a result. If one is going to challenge the authority of the police, it is he who needs to know the law, as it is his butt on the line.

I saw massive stupidity on the part of both officer and driver.

eye95 · Aug 28, 2011

KBCraig said:
Quote it? No. But an officer should be able to cite the law; that's how he shows it actually exists.

It's not enough to "merely be right as to how he enforces it", if he enforces "laws" that don't even exist. We've all seen examples of people who weren't just charged incorrectly when the law didn't apply, which is just a matter of interpretation. We've also seen cases where people were intimidated into obeying, threatened with arrest, and sometimes actually arrested over "laws" that just don't exist.

The subject was demanding that the office "quote" the law. However, I would contend that, barring any law to the contrary, officers need not even be able to cite the law. It is possible to know what is illegal without knowing the numerical assignment to the law prohibiting it or the exact wording of that law. It is possible for an officer to say, "You must..." or "You may not...," without reference--as long as he is right. If he is wrong, the problem is not his inability to cite or quote, but his error on the law.

As a stark example, I can say with absolute certainty that you may not walk into a political rally and start shooting people randomly. I have no idea what Arizona law says on the subject or how it is numbered. I can neither quote nor cite Arizona law, but I can tell you that shooting people randomly is a felony.

Motofixxer · Aug 28, 2011

Argumentative much Eye95???

An employee who's job it is to know the rules he is enforcing, who is paid to know, who is trained to operate in stressful situations much worse than this, who can single handedly inflict serious burden as well as infringe on a person's freedom, and is granted specific authority in specific circumstances, and that employee can't even articulate what his job is??? Well that individual has no business being out attempting to enforce things he does not know at other's expense.

WalkingWolf · Aug 28, 2011

The officer was/is a embarrassment to law enforcement who clearly did not know his job. Yes the driver was skewing with him. If a officer cannot handle or control a citizen skewing with them they need to hang up the badge.

eye95 · Aug 28, 2011

Motofixxer said:
Argumentative much Eye95???

An employee who's job it is to know the rules he is enforcing, who is paid to know, who is trained to operate in stressful situations much worse than this, who can single handedly inflict serious burden as well as infringe on a person's freedom, and is granted specific authority in specific circumstances, and that employee can't even articulate what his job is??? Well that individual has no business being out attempting to enforce things he does not know at other's expense.

Again, the assertion is that the officer needs to quote or cite the law. I would simply ask that anyone who thinks this is the case provide a quotation or a citation in the law that supports that silly position.

Again, the officer needs to know the law he is enforcing. He need not be able to quote nor cite it. Such demands are used to try to make officers look foolish by demanding more than they are required (or should be expected) to give.

--signed, a person has has been incorrectly told what the law is during two illegal detentions, during which I was disappointed that the officers did not know the law, but had no expectations that they could cite or quote the law.

stainless1911 · Aug 28, 2011

SouthernBoy said:
He did have that LEO going. But I have to say I have no sympathy for people who run stop signs or red lights. Throw the book at those folks.

Ill slow down early if following someone, just to avoid coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.

Tawnos · Aug 29, 2011

eye95 said:
Again, the assertion is that the officer needs to quote or cite the law. I would simply ask that anyone who thinks this is the case provide a quotation or a citation in the law that supports that silly position.

At least in this state, an officer that cites an incorrect law on a traffic infraction will have that ticket thrown out of court.

Again, the officer needs to know the law he is enforcing. He need not be able to quote nor cite it. Such demands are used to try to make officers look foolish by demanding more than they are required (or should be expected) to give.

In every state I've driven, an officer presenting a ticket must cite the thing which he claims you violated. Thus you may prepare adequate defense. An officer does not have the power to merely say "you broke the law" without knowing what law you broke. If they are unaware, they get on the horn and the find out, because it has to be written down.

--signed, a person has has been incorrectly told what the law is during two illegal detentions, during which I was disappointed that the officers did not know the law, but had no expectations that they could cite or quote the law.

The biggest issue is the officer screws himself on video. I'd love to see the outcome of the case. The guy asks what will happen if he doesn't sign. The officer says "you don't have to." Guy says he doesn't want to, an officer tells him it's okay, he'll be right back. Officer comes back and now says "like I told you before, you're getting a criminal citation for not signing" - which isn't something he ever said before.

The whole signing the ticket thing is dumb and a source of confrontation anyway. I really don't understand why so many states still require it.

since9 · Aug 29, 2011

Motofixxer said:
An employee who's job it is to know the rules he is enforcing, who is paid to know, who is trained to operate in stressful situations much worse than this, who can single handedly inflict serious burden as well as infringe on a person's freedom, and is granted specific authority in specific circumstances, and that employee can't even articulate what his job is??? Well that individual has no business being out attempting to enforce things he does not know at other's expense.

+1. If the officer knew the law but was refusing to convey it properly, as he should, he's being unprofessional and petty, and should face, at the very least, an official reprimand. If he didn't actually know the law, then of course the ticket should have been voided. No rational human citizen should ever be expected to accept a thin "I'm not sure what you did wrong; I just know it wasn't right" from a law enforcement officer. What if he used that in justification of shooting someone? "I shot not because I know what he was doing wrong, just that it was wrong."

No one wants officers going around ticketing others on a hunch, much less arresting them, and certainly not shooting them.

Motofixxer · Aug 29, 2011

Tawnos said:
The whole signing the ticket thing is dumb and a source of confrontation anyway. I really don't understand why so many states still require it.

It had it's basis under contract law, but people were getting out of it by not signing. So they decided to do away with it altogether.

FireStar M40 · Aug 29, 2011

Then There Are Those Who Are Able To See Shades Of Grey..!

SouthernBoy said in part..

SouthernBoy said:
I have no sympathy for people who run stop signs or red lights. Throw the book at those folks.

There are situations and circumstances where running a red light or stop sign is the prudent thing to do under some specific situations and circumstances.

By saying you have no sympathy for those same above drivers.. and that they should have the book thrown at them, just shows your inability to see things in different shades of grey.. instead of only Black or White.

FireStar M40

since9 · Aug 30, 2011

OC for ME said:
There are far more potential violations of the law while driving than there are while OCing. Yet LEOs are routinely getting a mere handfull of "gun laws" wrong. Who expects for any given LEO to be up to speed on traffic laws if they can not be up to speed on a handful of gun laws?

Bingo. I've compiled a Colorado "cheat sheet" as to when, where, how, and why I can OC and CC throughout my state. It fits neatly on the front and back of a single sheet of paper (2 pages), and that's at 12 pt type! Meanwhile, the driver's handbook is 41 pages, at least 30 of which are things people really need to know.

If LEOs can be experts on 30 pages of traffic regulations, they can learn another 2 pages of information pertinent to the lawful carry of firearms.

sudden valley gunner · Sep 1, 2011

Eye95 doesn't thing the powers of police should be numerated. I believe all government powers are numerated. If they can't cite the reason for violating your 4th, than they simply shouldn't violate your 4th.

Kivuli · Sep 2, 2011

I am singularly unimpressed with that cop's communication skills. What I think he meant, and how he should have phrased his response to the question "What if I don't want to sign it?", is: "I can't force you to sign the citation, sir, but Florida law states that you must sign a traffic citation or you can be charged with the misdemeanor offense of refusing to sign". That would've avoided most of the rest of this video.

I am also singularly unimpressed with that driver's attempts at gotchas. "Did I commit a criminal offense? Did I break a contract?". Really? Do you not know what a misdemeanor is? Civil contracts and criminal offenses are not even kinda the same thing.

Nuts to both, I say.

Funny vid where cop doesn't know the rules he is enforcing

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