“You can beat the charges, but you can’t beat the ride” as the old BS saying goes.
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More victim blaming!
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“Dead or alive, you’re coming with me!” The future of Law Enforcement
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I agree with that in general, on the principle of minimizing the attack surface by saying as little as possible, but saying you’re going home when you’re not actually going home would be a false statement and that’s a problem too. I’ve used “sorry, I’d prefer not to answer any questions”, and that’s incredibly empowering, because that is in fact up to you.
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Yes. Well put.
Except, there is nothing new about this. It was widely understood many decades ago where I grew up.
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Problem is, even just saying “thanks” can be perceived as being a “smart ass”.
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Thank goodness he didn’t happen to be black, mexican, or…
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correct.
A noted above, a good strategy is to confine your remarks to:
- Yes, Sir / Ma’am
- No, Sir / Ma’am
- I am on my way home, sir/ Ma’am
I would add one more. If they want to examine your stuff in any way: “Am I free to go, Sir/ Ma’am”
If the answer is negative, then say “I do not consent to a search. I need to talk to my lawyer” — and don’t say another goddamn word until you have a lawyer.
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Yet, egregious violent behavior gets reported, and violence continues, if not escalates.
And somehow learning to act like you are not a threat while NOT being a threat and then reporting these less severe abuses will help?
I won’t try to bring you around to my point of view, just pointing out that getting out of a bad situation doesn’t help keep you safe.
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That is a good summary of my post, yes.
Given that there is a gun on the other side of the situation, I would say that yes, behaving this way this does keep you safer.
My suggestions may not reduce the probability of future abuse, but that is beyond my point. My post is meant to increase that odds you are around to find out.
I don’t know what’s worse: that this happened, or that my first reaction to the story is to be surprised that this guy is apparently the last human being on earth not to realize that it happens.
The advice to not call 911 when it isn’t required is sound. Not every police officer is a bad one, but enough of them are, and you don’t get to know ahead of time when you call which one you’re going to get. In a non-life-threatening emergency, consider calling a cab or a friend. It’s way cheaper than an ambulance, to boot. If the injured person requests that I call 911, then I probably will, but I will feel very uncomfortable about it.
I hope other people out there who share this guy’s ignorance can learn from his story. This is not victim-blaming. If I say, “When confronted by a bear, don’t run. Lie down on your stomach and cover your neck,” that’s not victim-blaming the guy who ran. It’s just, “How to survive when confronted by a dangerous, wild animal.” No matter how charismatic you are, when the cuffs go on, you have almost certainly bought the ticket, and you are almost certainly going to take the ride. Everything you do or say from that point on can almost certainly only make things worse for you, not better. Shut up. Put your head down. Say as little as possible. Do as you’re told. For fuck’s sake, don’t complain. You are no longer a special snowflake. You are grist for the mill. Get word to someone on the outside that you have been arrested and then sit tight. From the inside, you have almost zero traction to get anything done. A person on the outside will be able to get things done much faster.
EDIT to add: one more little tip is that if you are arrested on a weeknight, and someone is with you who knows you have been arrested and they will bail you out as soon as possible (in other words, best case scenario), expect to be in custody for about 8-12 hours. Anybody who says different is just trying to placate you. Any circumstance that differs from this ideal, such as a charge that requires seeing a judge vs. having a statutory bail amount, or having to get a hold of somebody on the phone, or it is a busy night and you ride around in the wagon for a while before booking, and your time in custody goes up. In other words: the fact that this guy got out in only 12 hours despite his shenanigans is actually pretty remarkable.
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Even a “Yes, Sir / Ma’am” can be perceived as being sarcastic or snarky. You’re not getting my point. It doesn’t matter what you say if the officer is prepared to take everything you say in a smart-ass tone, even if you aren’t actually trying to be a smart ass.
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See, this right here is why everyone else thinks the US healthcare system is insane.
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Thank you, Joshua Bardwell.
That just bore repeating; emphasis mine.
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Oh come on! Surely Jesus was as charismatic as the next cult leader.
Think of somebody like Jordan Belfort.
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thanks, Obama
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Oh for fucks sake.
“Yassir suh, I’s don’t want to be in nobody way, suh. Lawsy, suh, I’s a just headin’ home, suh. Got no problem with nobody, suh.”
Also, you forgot the “Sir / Ma’am” part at the end of where we’re asking for our lawyers. Wouldn’t want to get the head caved in so close to escaping, now would we? I don’t mean to cast dispersions on your advice, but I think this is exactly the problem. Once it becomes necessary to act in a completely submissive posture just to avoid getting thrown in jail or assaulted, then we’ve lost and those people are no longer our protectors but our masters.
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We have, and they are. Do something about it, if you like, but don’t kid yourself that the battle isn’t already lost.
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The tone of the article reeks of wise-ass know-it-all. The writing style is flowery and pretentious. Of course that doesn’t excuse the alleged police assaults at all.
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