ask a cop/jailer

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

A few questions for our police and corrections' officer friend.

Self-defense within one's own home, especially pertaining to non-lethal but injury-causing attacks. Let's assume the hypothetical could be: My home is broken into late at night. Hearing the window broken into, I call the police and inform the police my home is being broken into. Before the police arrive, a robber confronts me while brandishing a knife. (Logically, this would never happen.) Assuming I manage to disarm the robber, and I managed to greatly injure his attacking wrist (perhaps even breaking it), could I be charged with assault, or does that fall within self-defense?

Second (several smaller) question(s), and these are a lot more personal:
1. How much over the speed limit must a person be driving before you, or any officers you know, pull them over?
2. When pulling someone over for any traffic-related offense, what's the short of what you could ideally expect from the person you have pulled over? I'd imagine things like turning on the in-car lights, keeping your hands on the upper-steering wheel (or, at the least, plainly visible). Are there any things you like to see/hear? Honest explanations? Do you like for them to have their Liscense/Insurance out and ready (even if it means digging around the car before you arrive at the window), or waiting until you can see what they are reaching for?
3. Like you've been asked, are there any just friends gestures you, or other officers, like to receive? Waves of hello, genuine pleasant remarks? Things of the like? Or should you usually just leave them to what they were doing?

 

[hypothetical fact]

What is your opinion of vigilantes?

 

[ace_of_something]

Say I pass you while I'm walking or driving around, you're unoccupied and I am in no trouble whatsoever. How would you react to a pleasant greeting? Would it just be annoying?

I would likely react pleasantly as would most law enforcement officials.

(If at all) How many times have you been injured/attacked on the job?

If you mean slightly injured I couldn?t even hazard a guess at either one. Severely, only once, sort of, as mentioned in the original post though I was off duty but acting dutifully, a young woman at a party I was at was being raped in a bathroom I entered identified myself as a law enforcement official, but the suspect had a knife and jammed the knife through my wrist (it came out the other side) causing permanent nerve damage. The fight was a bit of a blur? Don?t worry though he lost his left eye and his face looks like a jigsaw puzzle now. To make it clear I was about 8 inches taller than this guy. (I?m 6?6?) Oh and he is spending 35-70 years in prison. His stupid ass refused to plea out so he got hit hard; he accused me of brutality he thought that would get him off. I was not charged with that. He was charged with sexual assault in the 1st, attempted murder in the 2nd x2, assault in the 1st , use of a weapon to commit a felony x5 and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced consecutively. (Meaning when he?s done serving time for one crime he starts his time for the next, rather than serving them all at once. He also owes me a great deal of money, but I know I'm not seeing it.
I would say a police officer is more likely to be injured severely where as a corrections officer will suffer a great deal more very minor injuries (a bruise on your hip)

 

[ace_of_something]

I used to have a few friends that used to worked in the state correctional facility. When i talk to police officers that I catch in their squad car (or they catch me) it's been more or less a pleasant experience. My friends, on the other hand, believe all of humanity deserves nothing less than death. Why do you think there is such a huge difference in morale between the two, and can you give your own example to reference your explanation?

Cops see the good and the bad, they see nice folks, some people thank them and they see nasty folk. C/Os especially those at a prison, pretty much see only the bad, everyone they meet has committed crimes and usually criminals are less than pleasant people to be around. Many are aggressive, loud, smelly, or batshit insane. It could wear on your faith in mankind to see and hear the horrible things people do to each other on a daily basis.

A few questions for our police and corrections' officer friend.

Self-defense within one's own home, especially pertaining to non-lethal but injury-causing attacks. Let's assume the hypothetical could be: My home is broken into late at night. Hearing the window broken into, I call the police and inform the police my home is being broken into. Before the police arrive, a robber confronts me while brandishing a knife. (Logically, this would never happen.) Assuming I manage to disarm the robber, and I managed to greatly injure his attacking wrist (perhaps even breaking it), could I be charged with assault, or does that fall within self-defense?

Second (several smaller) question(s), and these are a lot more personal:
1. How much over the speed limit must a person be driving before you, or any officers you know, pull them over?
2. When pulling someone over for any traffic-related offense, what's the short of what you could ideally expect from the person you have pulled over? I'd imagine things like turning on the in-car lights, keeping your hands on the upper-steering wheel (or, at the least, plainly visible). Are there any things you like to see/hear? Honest explanations? Do you like for them to have their Liscense/Insurance out and ready (even if it means digging around the car before you arrive at the window), or waiting until you can see what they are reaching for?
3. Like you've been asked, are there any just friends gestures you, or other officers, like to receive? Waves of hello, genuine pleasant remarks? Things of the like? Or should you usually just leave them to what they were doing?

1. Depends on the circumstances, on the interstate in this state it?s widely excepted you can go about 10mph over. But in a residential area I will pull you over if you?re going as little as 3 or 4 over. (Really 25mph is plenty in a residential)
2. Hands visible makes an officer less nervous, sometimes, rarely, we don?t even ask for the L&R so always wait until we ask. Every time you see people rooting around before you get up there you get a little tense. Traffic stops and domestics are the most likely time for an officer to be seriously hurt. Honesty is nice but if you?re speeding for anything less than ?My wife is in labor!? (and is IN the car) expect a ticket from most. Being called Sir or Officer is much better than ?S?up brah?!?
3. Generally if you?d like someone to do it to you, you can assume an officer (who is a person) would like the same. Most cops like it when people are pleasant to them because most people are not happy to see them so it?s nice when someone is.

 

[ace_of_something]

What is your opinion of vigilantes?

If you mean the ?taking back the community? type programs were a group of citizens (usually 10-20) walk around their neighborhood to notify the police of suspicious activity than, thumb up.

If you mean ?the boondock saints? or ?batman? that is dangerous, and what if your wrong? It?s always shown how the bad guy in unequivocally and obviously guilty in those films. But real life is not like that, you can only know what you see yourself. I made good friends (and still am) with a couple detectives and even they will admit now and than you think it?s absolutely one guy that did it, you?re sure, you have proof, he ?doesn?t remember where he was?. It?s a slam dunk.
Than something happens there is footage of him at a seven eleven 8 miles away when the shots fired call happens. Now, if you acted as a vigilante and killed his ass, you would be taking an innocent man. In our system you are innocent until proven guilty. Vigilantes take that away. I completely believe in the ?I?d rather 1000 guilty men go free?? thing. But I?m a boy scout, most cops definitely believe more in the ?There is no innocence only varying degrees of guilt.? (Dawn of war is awesome!)

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

I like this thread, very interesting.

Anyways, have you ever had a relative that was arrested and they tried to talk their way out by saying something like "Hey, it's okay, I'm related to a cop, could you ask him to let me out?"

 

[ElephantGuts]

Have you ever let someone get away with something when they should have gotten a ticket or possibly even worse, and what sort of excuse could they give which would make you do that?

 

[Clairaudient]

What was the most ridiculous arrest you've ever made? (exg: Arresting a man wearing nothing but a paper pirate hat and a hook on his hand)

 

[ace_of_something]

I like this thread, very interesting.

Anyways, have you ever had a relative that was arrested and they tried to talk their way out by saying something like "Hey, it's okay, I'm related to a cop, could you ask him to let me out?"

My older brother is actually still an officer on the same department, and I have an uncle who is a 25 year veteran in a neighboring community.
That being said If anyone has ever used that excuse I?ve not heard about it. And if they did I?d be pissed? don?t go throwing my name around to save your dumb ass. I think if I had kids, I might sing a different tune? I?d like to think I wouldn?t, but I know I would.

Have you ever let someone get away with something when they should have gotten a ticket or possibly even worse, and what sort of excuse could they give which would make you do that?

Many Questions in this vein seem to be of great interest here at the escapist.
I have more than a few times just given a warning when I could?ve given a ticket. Usually if they were only going 5 over on the interstate or something like that (Not residential areas, there is no reason to speed in an area where children play). What caused me to do that? Usually they were very polite, admitted to fault, and I was hungry, tired or like 2 seconds before I got out of the car dispatch called me to do something important? so I get out and BS my way though the stop; because a burglary in progress is more important than some guy doing 71 in a 65 zone. As for an excuse the only one I can think of is ?She?s in labor? and you point to the woman in labor. In which case you?d be getting an escort to the hospital so don?t think driving around with a pregnant woman is gonna help you there either?. Unless you?re going to the hospital.

Oh and having one of those ?cop detector? radars (which are illegal and most of them don?t work it seems) is a good way to get a ticket that takes 20 minutes to write up.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Oh and having one of those ?cop detector? radars (which are illegal and most of them don?t work it seems) is a good way to get a ticket that takes 20 minutes to write up.

Yeah and useless where I live as all police/sheriffs have the instant on radar/lazer that can tag you even when driving the other way(which I never understood how that works)

Anyways another question. Can a cop write a ticket in another county? reason I ask was I was doing way over the limit, got pulled over but i pulled over right past the next county line, and didn't get a ticket or even a warning.

Random question, ever bust someone for making out/having sex in public/car? The police always spotlight people at our parks or in cars I was just curious if there was a law against it.

 

[Fruhstuck]

If you were in England and saw someone breaking one of your home laws would you intervene?
Also:
What do you, personally, class as excessive force?
With regards to self-defence
i.e. guy A gets attacked by guy B, how much harm does guy A have to cause before you think he's gone too far?

EDIT: will you bust anyone on this thread who admits to crimes? lol

 

[MorsePacific]

Is there a reward for turning in illegal immigrants in your state, like there is here in Arizona? I always figured it was just border states.

 

[superbleeder12]

I've heard that when a person is pulled over for minor traffic infractions, the officer is really only there to give a warning, but depending on how the person being pulled over acts, they will get a ticket.
Is that true?

Or when an officer pulls someone over, they are going to give a person a ticket. Also, I doubt it's true, but do officers have some sort of 'quota' that they have to meet?

 

[Graustein]

Right, that does make sense. But still, any comment on the "you must help" rumour?

Never heard of it, but you say "one of the french provinces"... There's only one. Quebec. Assuming you were speaking of Quebec, all I can say with regard to that place is it's a really fucked-up and ass-backwards one, and it has 90% of all the dumbest laws in the country... Most of said laws being openly pro-french racism which if someone legislated an english version of, they'd riot.

Shows how much I know about Canada. Thanks for that though.

 

[Labyrinth]

This is from the perspective of a political activist who's had some.. interesting times with police at protests, albeit in Australia.

What is the US police force's policy when it comes to non-violent anti-governmental protests?

I hear a lot in left-wing reports of trigger-happy cops with their wonderfully "Non-lethal" tazers giving protesters hell even if the protest itself is in no way condoning violent or becoming violent. In addition I'm far from a fan of US policy in general, and would probably wind up at a protest if I ever went to the country.

Oh, and another question. What sort of Sedition laws does the US have?

 

[fluffylandmine]

1&2. Has anyone ever been wise crackig when you pulled them over? If so what's the funniest thing they've said?(I like to do that kind off thing to anyone of higher authority who catches me doing something(only extremely minor things))

3. If I carry around a moderate to large blunt object that is somewhat threatening looking(a wooden dowel to a sledge hammer, ), but have no intents or purposes to use as a weapon only in the case of self defense. Is it illegal or just very suspicious and slightly unethical?

 

[fluffylandmine]

This is from the perspective of a political activist who's had some.. interesting times with police at protests, albeit in Australia.

What is the US police force's policy when it comes to non-violent anti-governmental protests?

I hear a lot in left-wing reports of trigger-happy cops with their wonderfully "Non-lethal" tazers giving protesters hell even if the protest itself is in no way condoning violent or becoming violent. In addition I'm far from a fan of US policy in general, and would probably wind up at a protest if I ever went to the country.

Oh, and another question. What sort of Sedition laws does the US have?

I think I may be able to take this one as it only requires an American who is relatively knowledgeable of our laws.

Police are only allowed to act if the protest is becoming an angry mob(aka violent). They may increase presence if the crowd is likely to grow violent. What happened in the 60s I have no experience of ,but that was a time of tension, confusion, suspicion, and a whole mess of things that made the government and law enforcement offices take everything with the slightest bit of caution.

I'm fairly certain we have no sedition laws as you can tell by the number of jokes, insults, and empty threats centered at our less-than perfect government(I don't like how it's acting and you may not either but you have to admit we have done better at one point in time or another).

 

[jasoncyrus]

Ahh an officer of correctional duty...I wanted to become one...but I doubt they'd employ me due to my "Fck with me and a'll cave your skull in and say your threw yourself off the gantry" tendancies...

But my question! Umm....Tbh I don't think I had one...