I just saw that the officer who killed Dante Wright was found guilty of manslaughter for shooting him with her gun instead of a taser.
I admit, I hadn’t paid attention to this at all. I have no idea whether he’s black or white. Yet I was not surprised that it happened in Minneapolis (same place as George Floyd) and it was over… expired registration.
Which brings up the main question asked almost two years ago: do we really need the police to handle these situations?
Broken taillights, expired registration, giving someone a counterfeit $20, I mean seriously??? Is that really worth their salary? Is it really worth risking escalation like we just saw with Dante Wright or George Floyd? Can’t expired registration be handled differently?
Earlier this year my wife let her car registration expire. Nothing malignant, she forgot about it. When she went to get her oil changed, the mechanic let her know that her registration had expired. No guns were needed. Didn't need cops. She paid to have the registration done there and we got the sticker. In 15 mins the issue was resolved and no one died from it.
It’s almost 2022, why are the police still wasting time with stupid issues like taillights and expired stickers?
A huge portion of traffic stops are not done because they are interested in the actual reason/justification for the stop. They pull people over and then go fishing for bigger charges.
I highly encourage everyone, when you've been pulled over by police to first be polite and calm. Second, politely decline to answer questions. If they ask if you know why you've been pulled over just say "I'd prefer not to answer any questions officer," If they ask where you're going, "I'd prefer not to answer any questions officer." Have you been drinking? Do you have any drugs or weapons in the vehicle? Simply indicate that you aren't answering any questions. If they ask for you to voluntarily let them search your vehicle "I do not consent to searches."
Now if that pisses them off, that's okay. Be polite and be calm. If they tell you to get out of the vehicle, do it. If they search you or your car without consent, let them.
If they are taking more time than necessary to deal with the initial justification for the stop ask them if you're free to go and indicate that you'd like to be on your way.
The police need reasonable articulable suspicion to detain you for something other than the initial reason for the traffic stop. If they detain you anyway then it is very likely that anything they charge you with will be dismissed based on the legality of their actions. Let the police violate their policies and the law. Don't fight with them or resist them or get in an argument with them over their actions.
After the encounter is over file a complaint with their department if they acted inappropriately. File a FOIA request for all bodycam, dashcam footage from the encounter. If they violated your rights or assaulted you contact a lawyer and determine if a lawsuit should be filed.
You have every right to remain silent. Your silence cannot be used as justification to escalate the encounter. If they use your silence against you then nothing they charge you with will stick. There is nothing at all to be gained by answering their questions. Their questions are not polite social interactions, they are investigatory tools they are using to provide the justification for them to escalate the investigation. You are being investigated every second of a traffic stop. Nothing you say will be used for your benefit. It might seem like an uncomfortable way to deal with the police, but it is the right way.
www.glassdoor.com
