What is the deal with this traffic stop?

[AHerosDaughter]

I was returning from taking my sister in law to the airport. My father was driving. My husband and I were passengers. My father is 59 years old, has never broken any laws, he does not speed, he has never done anything that he believes to be wrong even if it isn't against the law. My father is a very calm person and does not fly off the handle. My father also has had heart surgery and stress is not good for him. Today coming home from the airport my father was pulled over. None of us had any idea what he had done wrong. He was not speeding and had just pulled out from a stop sign. The road he pulled onto was narrowing from two lanes to one lane. I believe it was a merge area but we do not travel that road often. My father had driven only a maximum of 100 yards from the stop sign to where he came to a complete stop. The officer came to the car window with an obvious chip on his shoulder and none of us really had any idea what was going on. He claimed that my father was driving in the middle of the road to deliberately block him from passing. For one I believe the speed limit was 40 and we were entering a residential area that the speed limit was 25. Why would you be passing there anyway? For another thing why would my father care if he passed him? My father has always been one to say if the idiot wants to pass let them go. So the Fayette City's (Pennsylvania) police chief comes to the window wanting to know why my father was trying to block him from passing. (which he wasn't doing) In fact my father didn't even see him behind him until he put on his lights. He kept screaming that he wanted an explaination from my father. My father would start to say something. I think he tried to say he wasn't he was simply changing lanes. The officer yelled in on top of him and told him that it is the law that you must drive on the right side. (Why then are there more than one lane going the same direction then?) We are also not talking about crossing over into the direction of oncoming traffic. Every time my father would try to say something the cop would yell at him. My father never even raised his voice. The officer then told him that he was trying to be "nice" to him and that he could take him in to the station right now. I think he was of the mind to drag my dad out of the car and handcuff him if he said anything at all. My dad remained calm but it really broke my heart to see my dad treated this way. My dad is a very good man. He has never done any wrong thing and believes in always doing the right thing. He has always taught us to be respectful and he has always shown respect to everyone he has ever met. This man is a hero in my eyes. He fought not one, but two tours of duty in Vietnam for this country. My father did not deserve to be treated the way he was.

[hadenuff in Louisiana]

I'm a firm believer in "what goes around comes around." That's an old saying down here in the South; the Bible has the same saying--"you reap what you sow." That cop has a bad life coming to him. By all means, report him to his superiors. If you even have a clue that the superior won't do anything, go straight to the next higher level and continue upward until his entire chain-of-command knows what a dangerous jackass this guy is. If you are not the first to complain against Patrolman Hitler, you may actually see some results. You can also put it in a letter to the editor of the newspaper, but be careful about your facts. Either way, you'll feel better about getting this off your chest. Meanwhile, that sorry sack of excrement is still sucking up taxpayer money and using the taxpayers for punching bags, so get started!

[WaTcHeR]

It's like the mandatory seat belt laws "click it or ticket it." It's just another chance for a police officer to lie and say you weren't wearing a seat belt. The officer is then able to pull you over and search and harass you.

[Wouldntstandforthat]

I am a police officer -- not in that state or department -- and I say -- MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THAT ASS! I'm sorry, but there is NO EXCUSE for his behavior... it would KILL me if I EVER spoke to a citizen like that!!!

Before I ever open my mouth to a citizen I think, "ok would I want a cop to say what I'm going to say to my Mother, Father (who also fought in WWII), sister, brother?" If not -- I change my words!!

That's just wrong! Your Father didn't deserve that -- y'all didn't deserve that!!!

[Administrator]

Wouldntstandforthat said:

I am a police officer -- not in that state or department -- and I say -- MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THAT ASS! I'm sorry, but there is NO EXCUSE for his behavior... it would KILL me if I EVER spoke to a citizen like that!!!

Before I ever open my mouth to a citizen I think, "ok would I want a cop to say what I'm going to say to my Mother, Father (who also fought in WWII), sister, brother?" If not -- I change my words!!

That's just wrong! Your Father didn't deserve that -- y'all didn't deserve that!!!

Just be careful when and if you do file a complaint! Don't go in and file it in person! This link might help you out some.
www.policecrime.com/police_complaint.html

Just remember that you have no rights under the constitution that requires the police officer be nice to you.

Why even waste your time talking to a cop? There is no law that says you must carry on a conversation with a police officer. There are only three things that you must say to a cop, your name, address and date of birth. After that keep your mouth shut! Say nothing! Become a mime or a deaf mute and say nothing to the cop!

Read this- www.policecrime.com/police.html

Just because you file a complaint against a police officer, doesn't mean anything will be done to him. Specially if his boss the police chief or sheriff is as crooked as him. The chief or sheriff will always have the last word over internal affairs investigations.

That is one reason this site was started. If you know the police officers name and/or have a picture of him, let me know. It's always nice to have a name and a picture of a bad cop to put on the site for the whole world to see!