Cops abused me for an hour for no reason at all!

[Member2]

I thought you quit drinking ?

 

I'm sure there is a tape of the whole event if you really want a judge to see that if you file a complaint as it seems to me that they were just doing their job and they figured out you were lying to them about the drinking.

 

If you had been beat up by your husband you might think differently of their behavior... as you are the one that told them you just had a fight with you husband it seems that you were in the wrong..drinking and driving don't mix

[StaringContest]

People keep saying that if RP was being abused, she'd be greatful, but if that were true, how would the cops going to her house and talking to him have helped her? It seems more likely to me that the abusive husband would lie to the cops. The cops would have left just like they did, and the abused woman would have gotten a serious beating for dragging the cops back home.

 

It seems well-intentioned (if they really were well-intentioned and not just bored, which seems more likely), but it doesn't seem like what they did would be helpful at all, unless the husband was just plain dumb and either started beating her while they were there or went after the cops themselves.

 

How would the cops talking to her husband have helped if she was being abused and didn't want to report it?

[TYASAFAHICSI]

People keep saying that if RP was being abused, she'd be greatful, but if that were true, how would the cops going to her house and talking to him have helped her? It seems more likely to me that the abusive husband would lie to the cops. The cops would have left just like they did, and the abused woman would have gotten a serious beating for dragging the cops back home.

 

It seems well-intentioned (if they really were well-intentioned and not just bored, which seems more likely), but it doesn't seem like what they did would be helpful at all, unless the husband was just plain dumb and either started beating her while they were there or went after the cops themselves.

 

How would the cops talking to her husband have helped if she was being abused and didn't want to report it?

 

Uhm...they would have arrested him for domestic violence....

 

Where is the logic of people coming from on April 1??? RP says that because the cops did not KNOW she had an open wine bottle under her seat, that she did ot break any law. Now you are saying that if a woman is beat up and the cops go to arrest her beater--it is a bad thing?

 

We live in a STRANGE world!

[Craig]

People keep saying that if RP was being abused, she'd be greatful, but if that were true, how would the cops going to her house and talking to him have helped her? It seems more likely to me that the abusive husband would lie to the cops. The cops would have left just like they did, and the abused woman would have gotten a serious beating for dragging the cops back home.

RP was hiding an open container in her car after drinking in her car. The cops sensed something was not right and were investigating a good hunch. They didn't know what RP was hiding and so they took their investigation as far as they legally could given the circumstances. I'm sure that if they'd had reasonable grounds to search RP's car she'd be singing a different tune right now about how unreasonable it is to arrest law abiding citizens for having an open container of alcohol in their car after taking a "sip" of said alcohol in said vehicle.

 

With respect to any situation where domestic violence is involved the cops can not simply sit back and knowingly avoid investigating a potential assault. It is their duty to investigate and sometimes that means that an abusive spouse/partner will increase the abuse but now there is a record of the police being at the residence on a DV investigation. If and when there are future incidents any previous reports will favor the survivor/victim.

 

Maybe having cops show up at an abusers residence doesn't always work out best for the survivor/victim but what would you have the cops do? Also given the stats about survivor/victims leaving their abuser what else could the cops do that might benefit a survivor/victim?

[whichwayisup]

It's automatic now in Canada, atleast it is in Ontario that if someone calls 911 for domestic abuse, and the cops show up at your door you CANNOT do anything to prevent the spouse from being arrested. In the past, a 911 call would take place and then the cops would show up, they'd say a mistake was made, forget it - Then the cops would leave. Not anymore. EVERY call is looked into, like it or not. It's good for the victims. Not so good though for innocent people....

[Porn_Guy]

It's automatic now in Canada, atleast it is in Ontario that if someone calls 911 for domestic abuse, and the cops show up at your door you CANNOT do anything to prevent the spouse from being arrested.....

what if the wife is beating up the husband?

[justpassingthrough]

RP, you were lucky.

 

You drank while driving and had an open container in your vehicle. You could very well have been arrested.

 

Open container laws are state laws. A container with a broken seal is, indeed, open. It doesn't matter if it was under the seat or in your hand, it was still open. The smell of it as well as your admission you had been drinking is enough probable cause for a search of your vehicle. The fact that the police didn't choose to search your car should make you feel grateful.

 

Drunk driving laws are state laws. There is no such thing as a legal limit; that's a myth. The "limit" you're talking about is the line in the sand which divides the severity of the charges - under the influence vs. drunk driving. The fact that you had any alcohol in your system at all would have been sufficient for an arrest of some type.

 

File a complaint if you want. However (as another person mentioned) there will likely be a video of the entire event: you in a vehicle, with the keys in the ignition, after having drank "cooking wine" (really, who goes to the corner store under the premise of buying "booze" and buys a bottle of "cooking wine" instead?), as well as a record of your breathalizer (sp?). Your complaint won't be taken seriously.

 

You weren't abused. You were lucky.

[whichwayisup]

what if the wife is beating up the husband?

Same thing. She'd be taken in for questioning, like it or not.

[ilmw]

It's automatic now in Canada, atleast it is in Ontario that if someone calls 911 for domestic abuse, and the cops show up at your door you CANNOT do anything to prevent the spouse from being arrested. In the past, a 911 call would take place and then the cops would show up, they'd say a mistake was made, forget it - Then the cops would leave. Not anymore. EVERY call is looked into, like it or not. It's good for the victims. Not so good though for innocent people....

 

Mostly correct... 911 tapes can be used as evidence...

 

But... an arrest is not made... unless there is an allegation of assault to the police officers at the scene.. ie: He/She.... punched me... pushed me... slapped me... etc.

 

No written statement is required.... the utterance is enough.

 

On another note... going back to the OP... the reason 2 officers minimum go to domestic type incidents is... many officers have been hurt or killed at domestic assaults... People lose there minds.. during these incidents who would normally never do anything wrong... but because of the high tension... and high emotions.. it makes it very unsafe..for the police

 

BTW... what's the most dangerous room in the house... (answer) the kitchen... many a cop has been stabbed in there.

 

I'm now done wasting my finger tips to the post... I actually do this for a living... so I might know what I'm talking about... and not just speculation... or... what a the TV/Movies...or a friends.. friend told me.

[TYASAFAHICSI]

ILMW--thanks for your insight--I appreciated reading it. I also think that the reason another officer was called was to have a same sex person there to prevent any potential "he touched me, he raped me, he sexually harassed me" claims.

 

To PornGuy (I think) there likely was not a video tape. I know the area where RP lives and unless things have changed in the past three years, the probability of a camera rolling on a stop is next to non-existent. They spend their budget dollars on more important stuff--to them. She is right, the crime rate there is fairly low, so the cameras in the cruisers would be a bit of overkill and create a public outcry. Her township is known for the people demeaning the public servants, etc. A friend was head of Public Works there and he always said it was "So, what ar you gonna do for me today because I pay your salary" mentality!

[Motor35]

And no more wine during driving... only vodka!

 

 

That is a great idea!

[StaringContest]

You didn't get what I was saying at all.

 

Uhm...they would have arrested him for domestic violence....

 

How can you arrest someone for domestic violence with no proof of it and no statement that it happened? RP had already told them that there was no violence. How would going to her house change that? Is she miraculously going to change her story just because the cops go to her house? If a woman wasn't willing to report an abuser outside her house, she's certainly not going to report him when he's standing right in front of her, intimidating her.

 

I understand going to the house to verify that the husband is alive or whatever. That wasn't my point. My point was that people are claiming that if RP was being abused, she'd be greatful. If that were the case, nothing different would have happened except that she'd have gotten a beating after the cops left.

 

Why would she be greatful for that?

 

Now if the husband were being abused and the cops went to check on him and found him all bloodied with his foot hacked off by that saw or something, I can see where, he'd be greatful. But that's not what people were saying.

[TYASAFAHICSI]

I disagree with you here too:

How can you arrest someone for domestic violence with no proof of it and no statement that it happened? RP had already told them that there was no violence. How would going to her house change that? Is she miraculously going to change her story just because the cops go to her house? If a woman wasn't willing to report an abuser outside her house, she's certainly not going to report him when he's standing right in front of her, intimidating her.

 

She said there was a fight. Not indicative as to a violent fight or verbal or whatever. But it was serious enough to go out and get a drink. She did not look good (her words), she was upset, and her parking on the street was suspicious.

 

They question her and then escort her back at home. Many women do not report rapes and domestic abuse for fear of ramifications. I am sure they went to the house to see the demeanor of the husband to assure that RP was indeed safe to go. But after seeing her temper, they may have suggested that he go to a hotel and let the thing calm down.

 

Again, just because something is not reported or substantiated does not mean it did not happen!

[StaringContest]

They question her and then escort her back at home. Many women do not report rapes and domestic abuse for fear of ramifications.

Yes, exactly. The fear of the ramifications that these cops could have brought upon her if she were being abused. Taking her home and questioning the abuser is not going to get her to report it.

 

Unlike Craig claimed, it's also not going to leave any kind of record of abuse in case of later incidents, because there would have been nothing reported. There is no record of it, and for all the cops know, either one of them could be abusing the other.

 

I am sure they went to the house to see the demeanor of the husband to assure that RP was indeed safe to go.

That may have been the case, but realistically, abusive men are very nice in front of other people. It's a well-to-do area, so the guy clearly has enough smarts to make a lot of money, don't you think he's going to have enough smarts to not start smacking his wife around in front of the cops.

 

Again, just because something is not reported or substantiated does not mean it did not happen!

Yeah, but they can't make an arrest for it. They can't do anything. If RP was being abused by her H, in what way would confronting the husband have helped her?

 

It's different if they thought she was abusing her husband and they went in just to ask if he was ok. (Which might be what they said. I don't know, I wasn't there. I'm speaking hypothetically.)

 

I'm not questioning the cops' actions at the moment. Right now, I questioning the logic of the posters who are claiming that if RP was being abused she'd be greatful for their intervention. I am addressing only this angle. I think a woman who was being abused but refused to report it would be a lot more grateful to a cop who encouraged her to report anything in the future, to come to the police station if she needed, and who made her feel like she could trust them.

[TYASAFAHICSI]

Yes, exactly. The fear of the ramifications that these cops could have brought upon her if she were being abused. Taking her home and questioning the abuser is not going to get her to report it.

 

Unlike Craig claimed, it's also not going to leave any kind of record of abuse in case of later incidents, because there would have been nothing reported. There is no record of it, and for all the cops know, either one of them could be abusing the other.

 

That may have been the case, but realistically, abusive men are very nice in front of other people. It's a well-to-do area, so the guy clearly has enough smarts to make a lot of money, don't you think he's going to have enough smarts to not start smacking his wife around in front of the cops.

 

Yeah, but they can't make an arrest for it. They can't do anything. If RP was being abused by her H, in what way would confronting the husband have helped her?

 

It's different if they thought she was abusing her husband and they went in just to ask if he was ok. (Which might be what they said. I don't know, I wasn't there. I'm speaking hypothetically.)

 

I'm not questioning the cops' actions at the moment. Right now, I questioning the logic of the posters who are claiming that if RP was being abused she'd be greatful for their intervention. I am addressing only this angle. I think a woman who was being abused but refused to report it would be a lot more grateful to a cop who encouraged her to report anything in the future, to come to the police station if she needed, and who made her feel like she could trust them.

 

You are incredibly naive! Police can arrest on suspicion. They do it ALL the time! If RP was battered and bloodied, and they suspected him, they arrest him and let the courts work it out. THey get a protective order to protect her and so forth.

 

I am not sure where you have been fed this line of thinking but your train of thought is dangerous

[princessa]

HAhahahaa this thread is hilarious.. RP, if on top of all of this you can cuss in Russian worthy of a cab driver, you're qualified to be my new role model

[allina]

Though they didn't act as well as they could have it's a tough one for cops. Look at things this way, say they didn't investigate and ask questions, and you (or any other woman) ended up getting the crap beaten out of her by the husband, everyone would be saying "why didnt they investigate? they could have prevented this."

 

Your husband's reaction was rude, I hope he later apologized.

[StaringContest]

You are incredibly naive!

 

Calling me naive doesn't make you any more right.

 

Police can arrest on suspicion. They do it ALL the time!

The cops can't just arrest people because they find them suscpicious. There has to be something to support their suspicion. If they didn't, they could go around arresting anybody they wanted.

 

If they have a situation where noone has reported a burglary, there's no evidence anything was stolen, and they didn't see anything get stolen, they can't just arrest a guy because he's holding an expensive I-pod and he looks shifty-eyed. Sure, they can stop him and question him, but unless we're now living in a police state, it's my understanding that they can't make an arrest without something to back it up.

 

Cops do refer to 'arresting on suspicion of xyz' but that suspicion is always backed up by some type of evidence. It's not purely on their personal suspicion. If it was they'd end up with a lawsuit.

 

Maybe you're right that they could have made an arrest, but I highly doubt it. To be sure I'll ask my roommate (who's a cop) if I get a chance. But I don't see him much, so I probably won't remember to do it anytime soon.

 

If RP was battered and bloodied, and they suspected him, they arrest him and let the courts work it out.

That's a completely different situation than I'm talking about, which leads me to think that you don't get what I'm saying at all.

 

Also, you don't seem to know much about domestic abuse. You should at least do some research about the mentality of the abusers and the victims.

[Art_Critic]

You should at least do some research about the mentality of the abusers and the victims.

 

This really isn't my argument but I would just like to add that I think you need to do a little research in domestic law SC..

 

In Georgia where I am if 911 is called on a domestic someone almost always goes to jail.. evidence or not..

 

In some cases both people go to jail.. The judges call this error on the side of caution.

and even sometimes the woman goes to jail.

 

The laws of Ga. state that a victim doesn't swear out the warrants for the arrest therefore the charges can not be dropped. The officer on the scene swears out the warrant.

To cover any errors they make they allow for a person to go to 90 days of anger management if they agree to shelve the charges.. but again the charges cannot be dropped.

 

Why make this thread about domestic abuse when this thread was about RP and her being pulled over and questioned for lying about drinking while the police checked up on her story after she had mentioned that she had an argument with her husband ?

 

For the record.. I have a police officer in my family.. and they do arrest on suspicion.. most of the time.. probable cause is another reason.. they arrest for a multitude of reasons.. many have nothing to do with upholding the law..

 

And the biggie is that every state and country has different laws for domestic abuse.. some even break it down county by county instead of state by state.. So what might go in your county or state most likely won't go in another.. maybe even 50 miles away.

[whichwayisup]

The cops can't just arrest people because they find them suscpicious. There has to be something to support their suspicion. If they didn't, they could go around arresting anybody they wanted.

 

But they can take you in for questioning.

[Guest]

YOU were driveing while drinking I dont care if it was 100% absolute vodka or spiked holey water for that matter it had liqure in it no?. Bottom line is in the usa its agenst the law to drive with a open contaner.That is not a stupid law at all and if you realy think so then I suggest you talk to one of the millions of mothers who have lost there child to a careless drunk driver who swears they only had a few sips. The fact you got away with hideing it was just a luckey break for you. I personaly think they should have caut you with it and then arested you and forced you to seek help because its people like that that kill many inocent people. Sure the cops may have inconveanced you for a while and maybe even brused your ego a bit but realy they were doing there jobs. And I'm sure if the tables were turned and you were in need of there help you would be the 1st one saying what a great job they did. You sound like a hurting bitter person and I hope you decide to take the 1st steps to help your self on the road to not even haveing those few sips when you get over stressed and liveing a happy healthey ballanced life!! And also just a bit of advice lose the hate you seam to have for cirtin other races it will do nothing for you in the end except make you even more bitter.. Best of luck ..

[lindya]

RP was hiding an open container in her car after drinking in her car. The cops sensed something was not right and were investigating a good hunch. They didn't know what RP was hiding and so they took their investigation as far as they legally could given the circumstances.

 

I agree with this. It can't be pleasant to be questioned by the police, and I think I'd also be embarrassed and upset - but on the other hand, they do have to act on their instincts a lot of the time and that means sometimes behaving in ways that civilians find intrusive and embarrassing.

 

I suppose their experience is that it's better to act on their instincts (ie that something is wrong) and look a bit foolish/over-reactive, than fail to investigate those instincts, later discover that something serious had just happened - and be hauled over the coals for not keeping a sharper eye out on their beat.

[mental_traveller]

Firstly, get a book on your legal rights - how to handle being questioned, stopped, searched, or arrested by the police. I don't know US law but I assume you have a right to not answer questions. In any case, it is foolish to live in a new country without knowing your legal rights vis a vis the police, customs etc.

 

Secondly, I don't think the cops were wrong to question or pull you over - they may well have seen you drinking, or had reasonable suspicion that maybe you were DUI. In which case they have an obligation to check it out. Remember if they get it wrong, then an innocent person could die or be horribly injured as a result of a drunk driver. You *were* drinking so their instinct or observation was reasonable. Also, they (again, correctly) judged you had been in a marital row. I'm not sure about the law in your state, but many places in the US have laws which require potential domestic violence to be investigated. In any case, I think it was just honest concern that led them to ask you what happened. You had no legal obligation to tell them, after all, but you chose to. To describe their conduct as "torture" or abuse is ridiculous hyperbole.

 

Next time you are approached by the police, and feel uncomfortable about their questions, just ask if you are under suspicion for committing an offence. If they say yes, then ask for a lawyer before you answer anything. If no, then just say thanks but you want to be on your way and don't want to answer any more questions unless you are legally obliged to do so.

[mental_traveller]

Thanks.

 

My children and my family were bombed by Clinton and NATO in 1999 because of the Albanians, who wanted to get a piece of Serbia (kosovo) that has never been theirs. I've lived with them and I know who they are. Their women are not allowed to go to school and the whole family has aright to sleep with them, they choose your spouse, their law allows you to kill out of revenge (eye to eye law) and altogether they are not very advanced or good people. YOU live with them and you'll want them out of your are ot you'll run away from there. They are very poor so they go aborad, sell drugs and engae in crminal and come back welathy ot end up in the world's jails.

 

I didn't lie about it. They never asked if I had anything in the car and it WAS cooking wine that I took a few sips from.

 

You haven't lived with every Muslim Albanian, and the actions of a country's government are not representative of everyone in that country. There are decent and honourable law-abiding people there, just like in all countries or ethnic groups, some of whom strongly oppose the behaviour you complain about, and many of whom if they saw you or your family in distress would risk their neck to help you at no gain to themselves.

 

Your logic is equivalent to blaming some random German guy for the holocaust, or a black American hating you because you are white, or a Palestinian abusing you because you're Jewish. Just consider that many racists look at your own ethnic group & country in just as similarly prejudiced a way. Don't you think that is wrong, for them to label you based on the perceived actions of complete strangers? If so, then why indulge in that labelling yourself?

 

That's why people find your statement abhorrent. Seriously, you should go to counselling and have an independent professional talk you through your backward racist views. They have no place in modern society and they will only make your life worse.

[whichwayisup]

In any case, it is foolish to live in a new country without knowing your legal rights vis a vis the police, customs etc.

 

Many people don't know their legal rights and they've lived IN the Country all their lives!