24hrs after video gets uploaded, it makes the front page on Youtube with 437k hits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-WMn_zHCVo
I’m guessing the LEO’s in the video never got the memo that it’s 2013 and damn near everyone has a HD camera/camera phone recording. ESPECIALLY at checkpoints like this.
Despite having no RS and no PC, they decided to go on a fishing expedition anyways.
It’s not reasonable to think someone that refuses a simple request to lower their window more than 3" might be trying to mask an odor of alcohol or drugs?
Mixed emotions on this. It was not an unreasonable request at all to have the driver roll down his window all the way or at least further than he had it. Common courtesy when speaking to someone.
But on the same token, the cop went way overboard way too quickly in my opinion. Situation deteriorated in the first 30 seconds.
Snot nosed kid looking for attention vs officers in video who let it get under their skin and lose their professionalism. No winners here. I delt with 2 drunks the other night holding video cameras and harrassing medics who where trying to treat a friend of theirs. These guys just like to provoke a confrontation hoping the officers will do something they can sue for. However its also on the officers for letting their buttons get pushed so easily.
Pat
Pat,
I am truly curious. What does the law say in regards to rolling down the window all the way? I would guess there is established case law or something…
I also find it very curious that you made no mention of the officers actually “faking a hit” in order to illegally search the vehicle.
Quite frankly this is happening more and more and people are getting tired of it. A few nights ago when I was stopped at a USBP checkpoint on I-8 the agent asked me my citizenship status- which I answered with no problem. Then he wanted to know my “business or occupation” and when I asked the relevance he became visibly annoyed that I dared to question him.
I told him that I was a “self employed entrepreneur” and that’s all he needed to know. As far as I know my employment status isn’t pertinent to the job of the USBP.
You’re looking at everything from the eyes of the police. I look at this from the eyes of seeing a country that has allowed the rights of it’s citizens to be eroded in the name of safety.
When one looks at the last decade (Patriot Act I/II, Fast and Furious, IRS scandal, NSA spying, NDAA and the TSA violations) it’s easy to see why people are upset by actions of those that we pay to supposedly protect us and keep us safe.
I missed the faking a hit part. And again I am not sticking up for the officers in this case. I did say they acted un professionally. No law on rolling the window down and no law against being a snot nosed kid either. I bet things would have gone a lot differently however had the kid just rolled the window down.
I have mixed feelings on DUI check points. We don’t have them up here. I respect peoples rights not to want to be hassled or have their time wasted. As someone who lost my brother to DUI however I also understand how serious of a problem drinking and driving is and the real costs in human terms. Rights vs Safety will always be in competition. And despite what some of the hard core constitutionalist will say about giving up freedom for safety and wanting to die the reality is there is a happy medium between the two. The right of the state in protecting the rest of us who drive on the road from drunk drivers vs an individuals rights not to be detained and harrassed.
Pat
So if a Cop asks “may I search your vehicle” and you say “no”, is it not reasonable that you’re hiding something and thus they have reasonable suspicion to search your vehicle?
That’s just it. It’s a REQUEST, not a lawful order. He refused the request and then had his rights illegally trampled. I don’t get how you’re having mixed emotions on this.
happening way to much !!!
I hope the depts start getting the crap sued out of them and the officers involved start to loose personal legal battles (wont happen) maybe they will realize they are not here to harass but uphold the law !!!
and its not a anti LEO thing at all !
again lots of my friends are LEO and my brother is a prosecutor !
its just stuff like this is happening way to much and the control is becoming abuse !
Common respect would have gone a long way for both of them.
snot nosed in your opinion ? so violating his rights is OK cause you just dont like him ?
LEO should be above that !
its ALL on the officers !
That seems to be the prevailing sentiment in this thread.
The bigger issue seems to be with the check points themselves. Here is the thing if people did not want these check points they would not be there. We don’t have them in Alaska. If people don’t like them they need to let their elected official know at the ballot box or through lobbying them and if there is enough people who agree they will go away. But the reality is most people value taking drunks off the road and accept these check points as a necessary evil in order to help make that happen.
Pat
100% agree.
Pat
Yeah sure if the people did not want it 
Does not seem to matter in most areas sadly
Glad Alaska atill listens to its people
Check points are a waste ! Big time
my brother will tell you that ! And he knows for sure !
Want to get drunks sit outside bars and when folks come out and seem drunk and get in their cars stop them then there !
Not stopping tons of innocent folks to maybe get one or two people !
Problem is those in power are out of control and its a I dont care !
I have also seen good LEO that just say no you are not being detained have a nice night and know not to pick on folks !but its getting rare
Its like our gov spying on everyone to claim protection ! Yet the Boston bombings are proof !
We were told they were terrorists yet did not care or watch them !
And again, mixed emotions from an LE standpoint. Officer makes a reasonable request, driver refused reasonable request and had a complete lack of common courtesy in my opinion, cop(s) go way overboard in my opinion. Nobody wins in the end.
You get out of a traffic stop (or checkpoint in this case) what you put into it. Someone’s rights are not being trampled because a cop made a reasonable request to roll down the window. Common courtesy means you can at least be polite and speak to someone face to face at that point even if you don’t believe in the legality of the checkpoints. No reason to be a douche about it. You can still make your point by being polite and rolling down the window and at least having respect until you are disrespected (which for the record, the guy’s rights were seriously violated and be was seriously disrespected).
And again, cop(s) went way overboard with this one. In the end…nobody was right in this situation. Cops were way out of line in my opinion and brewing for a fight.
HHhmmm> they (police)video tape themselves and people (of interest) from dash-cam, for their/our safety, as well as documentation.— People are recording interactions with police from cell-cam, for safety, as well as documentation…So lemme fix it. From now on any and all “interactions” (hell we’ll even get OnStar onboard :rolleyes:) will be video taped for “safety & documentation”. An officer will pull an individual over, send info to OnStar and start vid. Meanwhile OnStar alerts driver (onstar turns on its vid) with details. Passenger informed of situation (digital data/information, names of officer and passenger is exchanged) before officer approaches car. Solves all that! Sounds perfect(except for tv show cops)!! Everybody recording everybody anyway so just a matter of time before this is social norm.
Mean while back at yo house, back door kicked in, HD TV gone, that multiple felon burglar is glad you dont have cameras there…
Sure but fact is the LEO is a public paid employee and should be above some punk kid !
Pretty pathetic of the LEO the fact a kid can get him that off balance and the kid was polite !
That LEO and any like him needs to be fired ! And hire folks who can pass basic stress test ! Cause they are ruining it for the good ones who are out there ! Sadly people rarely post vids of all the great ones !
Sure, because the will of the people is obviously something that has been fully reflected in American politics at both the state an national levels in recent years (not so much). The assumption that because the people are silent on the existence of said check points means that they fully support them is also a bit of a stretch imo. And then there’s more of that necessary evil rhetoric again… after all it’s only for the peoples’ safety.
So nobody had respect but who broke the law by violating someones rights !
And who is suposed to be upholding the law not breaking it !
Again forget respect only one guilty party here !
I’m not justifying the kids actions but thankfully we have not devolved to the point where being a douche and disrespectful is illegal.