Officer pulls firearm, instead of taser

[Averageman]

I'm sorry that you have experienced "fishing expeditions." I am having a hard time trying to figure out what these fishing expeditions are though.

-Traffic violation happens.
-Officer conducts completely legal and reasonable traffic stop on vehicle
-Officer runs clearance on driver, who comes back without warrants and with valid drivers license. Vehicle is registered and insured.
-Officer, having no PC to search vehicle, now may ask to search your vehicle, or has to let you go on your way.

How is this different than any other traffic stop? How do you know the officer was on a "fishing expedition" and not just pulling traffic. There are a few different types of cops, some pull traffic for interdiction, some pull traffic because they like pulling traffic and believe in traffic safety measures. The latter does not go on "fishing expeditions", but may ask to search a car if they feel something is hinky. How do you which one you are dealing with?

Bad guys drive cars. More felony arrests are made off of traffic stops than any other contact. Traffic stops are a necessity to public safety as they facilitate the removal of dangerous felons off the street, as well as help (slightly) curb the flow of dangerous driving.

If you don't understand what a fishing expedition is then you clearly haven't been the subject of one, yet.
So you have a tai light out and you get followed until you're in your just about in your driveway. As you hit the garage door opener, the lights come on and the siren gets a blip to gain your attention.
You get out your car with your groceries and the fishing begins.
Suddenly a tail light turns in to "I smell alcohol" in the meantime the other Cop is suddenly interested in your three motorcycles in your garage.

Really all she needed to do was let me know I had a tail light out and the other Cop should be paying attention to me rather than my motorcycles.
I genuinely support Law Enforcement, but using BS excuses and accusing me of drinking and driving in front of my house and family is not a good way to win friends and influence people.
I actually changed the tail light before the ticket was completed.
15,000-20,000 people living in this town, there are better ways to handle things.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

If you don't understand what a fishing expedition is then you clearly haven't been the subject of one, yet.
So you have a tai light out and you get followed until you're in your just about in your driveway. As you hit the garage door opener, the lights come on and the siren gets a blip to gain your attention.
You get out your car with your groceries and the fishing begins.
Suddenly a tail light turns in to "I smell alcohol" in the meantime the other Cop is suddenly interested in your three motorcycles in your garage.

Really all she needed to do was let me know I had a tail light out and the other Cop should be paying attention to me rather than my motorcycles.
I genuinely support Law Enforcement, but using BS excuses and accusing me of drinking and driving in front of my house and family is not a good way to win friends and influence people.
I actually changed the tail light before the ticket was completed.
15,000-20,000 people living in this town, there are better ways to handle things.

And how many DUI's have been charged and convicted based off of an initial tail light violation? Answer: thousands.

I have made many routine stops where, during the contact, I found some signs of intoxication. Through investigation, or what you call a "fishing expedition", I was able to determine that the crime of DUI was not committed.

Again, I am sorry you had a negative experience. Had your tail light not been out, you would not have had that contact in the first place.

It is important to know your rights AND assert them. I am not quite sure what you mean by the motorcycles reference, but I would certainly tell any officer who stopped me in my driveway that he was not welcome to enter my garage, unless of course I had pulled into my garage and that was where the traffic stop was taking place.

Sometime innocent people get investigated. That is the point of investigation, to find the fact of the matter. It is unfortunate, and we try to minimize it as best we can. Would you rather the police in your town not conduct DUI investigations, so as not to (very rarely) ask someone who had not been drinking if they had been?

[Averageman]

And how many DUI's have been charged and convicted based off of an initial tail light violation? Answer: thousands.

I have made many routine stops where, during the contact, I found some signs of intoxication. Through investigation, or what you call a "fishing expedition", I was able to determine that the crime of DUI was not committed.

Again, I am sorry you had a negative experience. Had your tail light not been out, you would not have had that contact in the first place.

It is important to know your rights AND assert them. I am not quite sure what you mean by the motorcycles reference, but I would certainly tell any officer who stopped me in my driveway that he was not welcome to enter my garage, unless of course I had pulled into my garage and that was where the traffic stop was taking place.

Sometime innocent people get investigated. That is the point of investigation, to find the fact of the matter. It is unfortunate, and we try to minimize it as best we can. Would you rather the police in your town not conduct DUI investigations, so as not to (very rarely) ask someone who had not been drinking if they had been?

You do understand a light bulb can go out at any time and it's really not a big deal. You can check your lights and five minutes later the light goes out, that's just how that works.
The bulb can be replaced in five minutes or less and if you tell someone that it's out and they have one available, why write the ticket?
Why tell someone who hasn't had a drink in a week that you smell alcohol? Is it because the Officer smelled alcohol or is it more likely because it was 0500 and the Officer thought I was coming home from a bar?
Of course I'm not a Cop, I wont understand the necessity of acting like that in order to "Go Fishing" in order to write a bigger and better ticket.
I tell people I see driving with a tail light out that they have a tail light out and if they choose to ride without a seat belt, I figure it is their business. That's what good people do and it's also the difference between being a Good Citizen, a Peace Officer and a Law Enforcement Officer.
But you keep pulling people over and generating revenue for the folks you work for, I'm sure you're good at it.

[jsbhike]

Speaking from experience, no tail light has to be out to get pulled over for that claim. Not sure what the officer was looking for and nothing came of it. I am not sure if that was what the driver pulled over just ahead of us was told in about the same amount of time or not.

[26 Inf]

I'm all about obeying the law and yes as annoying as it is, I wear a helmet on my motorcycle and a seatbelt in my car, not because these things might be laws, but because it's common sense to me.

It's just annoying to me, on the very few occasions it has happened to me, to be the subject of a LEO's fishing expedition. Even more than that though it doesn't do any good for public relations between the general public and Law Enforcement.

Perhaps if you posted a picture of yourself, and you vehicle, and maybe a brief video, shot from a following vehicle, of your vehicle in motion, I could shed some light on why you are the victim of such fishing expeditions.

I posted this: Quite frankly, I think folks are fools if they don't wear seat belts while in a vehicle, or helmets while riding. Especially if they spend a great deal of time preparing to protect themselves from more statistically unlikely events, such as gunfights.

I don't really see the relevance your statement:

True and I would agree with you, however everyday people jump out of airplanes, smoke cigarettes, climb mountains, sit in your recliner and drink a half gallon of cheap vodka, handle poisonous snakes....You can almost take as many stupid chances as you want and do many, many dangerous things, but if you're sober, on your way to work, obeying all other laws and minding your business, you better be wearing your seatbelt.

has to my statement.

Are you saying the state has no legitimate interest in reducing traffic fatalities by requiring one of the simplest safety precautions possible?

Quite frankly, I find it amusing that some folks get all dressed up in their leather costumes to ride their motorcycles, 'in case I have to slide' but don't wear helmets. Likewise, I think smokers are fools who succumbed to peer pressure at one point and are now addicted to nicotine, are to be pitied. It was sad, yet somewhat amusing, to watch my BIL's family members excuse themselves to go have a smoke as my BIL, their brother, uncle, son, lay dying of lung cancer. I also pity folks who have drinking problems.

I also disagree with this: and as the video shows ride around in a Cruiser with an untrained partner who is just as likely to shoot you as the Perp who's kicking your butt for reasons that I have stated previously.

[Averageman]

Perhaps if you posted a picture of yourself, and you vehicle, and maybe a brief video, shot from a following vehicle, of your vehicle in motion, I could shed some light on why you are the victim of such fishing expeditions.
What would my driving habits have to do with getting pulled over for
A) a tail light being out.
B) Having a plastic cover over my rear licence plate to keep the plate clean and visible?

I posted this: Quite frankly, I think folks are fools if they don't wear seat belts while in a vehicle, or helmets while riding. Especially if they spend a great deal of time preparing to protect themselves from more statistically unlikely events, such as gunfights.

I don't really see the relevance your statement:

True and I would agree with you, however everyday people jump out of airplanes, smoke cigarettes, climb mountains, sit in your recliner and drink a half gallon of cheap vodka, handle poisonous snakes....You can almost take as many stupid chances as you want and do many, many dangerous things, but if you're sober, on your way to work, obeying all other laws and minding your business, you better be wearing your seatbelt.

The relevance is that you can and should be able to do any dumb and dangerous thing you choose to do, that is right up and to the point where the .gov creates a fine for a victim less crime. Then you better show your documents be humble and bend over and grab your ankles.
Please don't try and tell me you're fining me for not wearing a seat belt for my own safety and in the meantime all of those other activities are perfectly legal.

has to my statement.

Are you saying the state has no legitimate interest in reducing traffic fatalities by requiring one of the simplest safety precautions possible?

Again, see the above, if you're interested in interjecting the legal system in to my safety, there are a lot of other and even more intrusive steps you could take by making "Laws" for my own good and my safety, why not just go full bore and eliminate cigarettes and alcohol and save a lot more lives?
What are you going to do when they decide you need to protect Citizens from their own firearms? Just like a seat belt Law, if it would ever pass, would you enforce that Law, if not why not?

Quite frankly, I find it amusing that some folks get all dressed up in their leather costumes to ride their motorcycles, 'in case I have to slide' but don't wear helmets. Likewise, I think smokers are fools who succumbed to peer pressure at one point and are now addicted to nicotine, are to be pitied. It was sad, yet somewhat amusing, to watch my BIL's family members excuse themselves to go have a smoke as my BIL, their brother, uncle, son, lay dying of lung cancer. I also pity folks who have drinking problems.

B]Yes, but everyone should have the right to go to hell in any way they choose as long as it doesn't directly harm others. So if you decide to partake in potentially harmful activities, does the State have the right to step up and step in when your actions produce no harm to others?[/B]

I also disagree with this: and as the video shows ride around in a Cruiser with an untrained partner who is just as likely to shoot you as the Perp who's kicking your butt for reasons that I have stated previously.

Clearly She was inept,or untrained and dangerous to the other who serve around her. It's pretty simple. She's either lying to avoid possible prosecution or dangerous to work around.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

You do understand a light bulb can go out at any time and it's really not a big deal. You can check your lights and five minutes later the light goes out, that's just how that works.
The bulb can be replaced in five minutes or less and if you tell someone that it's out and they have one available, why write the ticket?
Why tell someone who hasn't had a drink in a week that you smell alcohol? Is it because the Officer smelled alcohol or is it more likely because it was 0500 and the Officer thought I was coming home from a bar?
Of course I'm not a Cop, I wont understand the necessity of acting like that in order to "Go Fishing" in order to write a bigger and better ticket.
I tell people I see driving with a tail light out that they have a tail light out and if they choose to ride without a seat belt, I figure it is their business. That's what good people do and it's also the difference between being a Good Citizen, a Peace Officer and a Law Enforcement Officer.
But you keep pulling people over and generating revenue for the folks you work for, I'm sure you're good at it.

I am acutely aware of how lightbulbs work.

Maybe taking some personal responsibility for your actions will lead to better outcomes in the future.

If making a stop for a tail light turns into a "bigger" stop of a DUI, warrants, or drugs.....that seems like a positive for society, obviously not to you and thats okay, but it is for the rest of society.

I hope, if you are being unfairly targeted or harassed, that ends. No one deserves to be treated poorly by the police when they have done nothing to deserve it.

[Averageman]

I am acutely aware of how lightbulbs work.

Maybe taking some personal responsibility for your actions will lead to better outcomes in the future.
Like keeping tools and spares for my lights in the glove box? That would seem to be above and beyond what 99% of the average driver is doing, but the ticket got finished, I mean it got finished after I had the bulb changed.
That wasn't the point though was it, the point of the stop was to see if I was drunk, the light bulb was just an excuse. Once I passed the sobriety I was sure to get the ticket, someone had to play CYA.

If making a stop for a tail light turns into a "bigger" stop of a DUI, warrants, or drugs.....that seems like a positive for society, obviously not to you and thats okay, but it is for the rest of society.
But if you're fishing, it really doesn't matter. People unknowingly commit several felony's a day and they do so totally unknowingly. If you follow anyone long enough you're going to find a fault and a reason to light them up so you can go fishing.

I hope, if you are being unfairly targeted or harassed, that ends. No one deserves to be treated poorly by the police when they have done nothing to deserve it.

I just wish attitudes would change including mine because when I get pulled over for some humbug light or licence plate cover stop, I kind of think well that guy's a d*ck and if I saw him getting his butt handed to him by a bad guy, I might sit and count to fifty before contemplating giving him a hand.
So in order for all of that attitude stuff to work, some of it has to come from the Law Enforcement side, otherwise you might alienate some good people who would otherwise support you.
Both of my Brothers have worked in Law Enforcement btw, so it's not like I'm a Cop hater.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Which felonies are being unkowingly committed everyday? High value theft, reason robbery, sex assault, murder, serious assault, burglary, eluding, identity theft, etc?

[jpmuscle]

I just wish attitudes would change including mine because when I get pulled over for some humbug light or licence plate cover stop, I kind of think well that guy's a d*ck and if I saw him getting his butt handed to him by a bad guy, I might sit and count to fifty before contemplating giving him a hand.
So in order for all of that attitude stuff to work, some of it has to come from the Law Enforcement side, otherwise you might alienate some good people who would otherwise support you.
Both of my Brothers have worked in Law Enforcement btw, so it's not like I'm a Cop hater.

You understand how probable cause works right?

Making BS stops is different than actually citing for bullshit stats.

I’ve pulled folks on bullshit stuff before. They come back no wants, no warrants, no JTTF hits. Ok sir/ma’am have a nice day drive safe. I don’t like paperwork and I wasn’t going to waste time on BS paperwork.




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