Dallas Police Officer threatens to Revoke my license

[Reds45ACP]

over the years I've figured out there are two kinds of cops....1) the person who wants to 'make a difference', 'catch bad guys' etc....and then there's 2) the bully, and now he's got a badge


looks like you met number 2 on a bad day.

Unfortunately, nowadays thats a 20/80 split good/bully. I would also venture that that was a typical day.

My Dad is a retired LEO. I thought about trying for it but he wouldn't have it. "Too many ugly folks out there and to be an LEO now you have to treat everyone like a hardened murderer." I appreciate the work they do but to do that job means we are all subject to this kind of treatment.

[longtooth]

over the years I've figured out there are two kinds of cops....1) the person who wants to 'make a difference', 'catch bad guys' etc....and then there's 2) the bully, and now he's got a badge


looks like you met number 2 on a bad day.

Unfortunately, nowadays thats a 20/80 split good/bully. I would also venture that that was a typical day.

My Dad is a retired LEO. I thought about trying for it but he wouldn't have it. "Too many ugly folks out there and to be an LEO now you have to treat everyone like a hardened murderer." I appreciate the work they do but to do that job means we are all subject to this kind of treatment.

I confess that I dont know much about the wierd part of Texas. I assume Travis Co. (I am sure he would have a fit if he knew what his namesake has become.)
I respectfully disagree w/ the highlighted part of your post, at least in Deep East Texas, North East, North Central, & West Texas that I know well.
I have been stopped SEVERAL times over my yrs w/ a CHL & felt like a warning would have been better under the circumstances twice & got caught in a real set up speed TRAP once. In all 3 those officers still were not the bullies w/ a badge. Polite & wrote the ticket. Then let me go.

The 1st 10 seconds of a traific stop will set the tone for the rest of the incident.
So far only one of those gave me the impression he might be if I gave him reason to.

My experience & as always YMMV.
LT

[Westfield]

This is an interesting post because I think it underscores the fact that, even though many police officers are great people, there are many that are completely nuts. We have seen a lot of dash cam video showing some offices completely out of control. I have run into very nice offices and officers who were unhinged. Case in point, I was picking up my wife at the San Antonio airport. I was in the cell phone parking lot waiting her to call when she came out, I was parking to pick her up when out of no where an airport cop on foot started screaming at me threatening to arrest me if i did move immediately. I was in the proper pick up lave so this officer had no beef. I had to circle the airport while my wife waited and saw me drive off...I called her and picked her up on the next pass...But believe me this cop was crazy and I can kick myself for not filing a report as was suggested in these posts...

I guess my point is you will never know when you have an encounter with a crazy cop that might act irrationally without provocation.

[Beiruty]

Last pullover was on trip from Dallas to Houston, I was not lazed or Poped (I have a V1 on) , I was paced and I was bypassing haulers who where dodging shoulder-parked car in flame.
The cop was questioning me why I was speeding and If I was in a rush to catch up to the scene of the car in flames. I was like
Displayed my CHL with my DL, and the (big black ) officer went back to his patrol car and came back handed me my docs and started taking what I am carrying. And, if the caliber starts with .4. I was carrying my PX4 SC in 9mm in custom holster.

He was very friendly and gave me a verbal warning to slow down and take care for the rest of the trip.

Oh, He was also when he saw the V1.

[Nightshift]

I see a lot of people saying to refuse a search, my feeling is that a refusal only makes you look more suspicious and most cops already view people as having something to hide and with so many unscrupulous cops with power trips out there if you refuse they will just bring a dog and claim the dog is smelling something and even worse if you make them go through all of that to search your car they may be irritated enough to plant something. Then you go to jail or prison just to stand up for your rights. So is refusing the smartest thing you can do in this situation?

[JP171]

I see a lot of people saying to refuse a search, my feeling is that a refusal only makes you look more suspicious and most cops already view people as having something to hide and with so many unscrupulous cops with power trips out there if you refuse they will just bring a dog and claim the dog is smelling something and even worse if you make them go through all of that to search your car they may be irritated enough to plant something. Then you go to jail or prison just to stand up for your rights. So is refusing the smartest thing you can do in this situation?

YES!

[E.Marquez]

I see a lot of people saying to refuse a search,

Yes that is a common thing for innocent people to say and do.

my feeling is that a refusal only makes you look more suspicious

Perception,and the fact your a product of your environment may lead you to that opinion and believe.. I believe differently, I also know several LEO's that have told me in confidence, they would never consent to a search, nor ever speak to a investigator without a lawyer present. ... And that knowledge is in there mind when a citizen requests the same.

and most cops already view people as having something to hide

I do not think this at all. Based on my interaction with LEO's over the years.

and with so many unscrupulous cops with power trips out there

Now your just letting your personal bias color the discussion...Are there bad cops out there.. yes.. and bad teachers, bad Military members, bad garbage men.....does not= "so many unscrupulous" anything.

if you refuse they will just bring a dog and claim the dog is smelling something and even worse if you make them go through all of that to search your car they may be irritated enough to plant something. Then you go to jail or prison just to stand up for your rights. So is refusing the smartest thing you can do in this situation?

So your position is, if you refuse a search, the LEO will lie, plant evidence and arrest you and take you to jail Your entitled to your opinion, but it does not match mine, nor my experience.

[Nightshift]

I am not so much trying to state a position, more trying to pose a question to see what people think. I would like to hear opinions on this as I am not decided on what to do in that situation but in my opinion and from my experience most of the cops that I have dealt with when I am by myself tend to be somewhat on a power trip. That is my experience. However when I am with my wife or another person most cops tend to be much less likely to act this way. During my CHL class the instructor pretty much told us to comply with any request including search because ultimately if they want to search, they will find a way to do it. Part of the class we talked about a situation where and when to use deadly force and the discussion basically ended up with the conclusion that if someone is stealing your car lets say or some other property if you use deadly force you will go to jail and you will have to hire a lawyer to defend yourself. In the end its going to cost you a lot of money regardless of whether you are found innocent of any charges. So in the end you have to way the odds of whether its worth the cost of defending yourself and if its not a life threatening situation most of the time its not worth the cost. In the same manner I would have to ask the question which I originally posed, is it worth the chance that you may end up in worse trouble if you refuse to allow a search than to just allow the search. I dont know, like I said I am not fully decided on this as I have never had to deal with a search. I believe you should stand up for your rights but at the same time, standing up for them may cost you more than just allowing a search.

[mojo84]

Last pullover was on trip from Dallas to Houston, I was not lazed or Poped (I have a V1 on) , I was paced and I was bypassing haulers who where dodging shoulder-parked car in flame.
The cop was questioning me why I was speeding and If I was in a rush to catch up to the scene of the car in flames. I was like
Displayed my CHL with my DL, and the (big black ) officer went back to his patrol car and came back handed me my docs and started taking what I am carrying. And, if the caliber starts with .4. I was carrying my PX4 SC in 9mm in custom holster.

He was very friendly and gave me a verbal warning to slow down and take care for the rest of the trip.

Oh, He was also when he saw the V1.

Just curious, what's the purpose of mentioning his color/race?

[Oldgringo]

Last pullover was on trip from Dallas to Houston, I was not lazed or Poped (I have a V1 on) , I was paced and I was bypassing haulers who where dodging shoulder-parked car in flame.
The cop was questioning me why I was speeding and If I was in a rush to catch up to the scene of the car in flames. I was like
Displayed my CHL with my DL, and the (big black ) officer went back to his patrol car and came back handed me my docs and started taking what I am carrying. And, if the caliber starts with .4. I was carrying my PX4 SC in 9mm in custom holster.

He was very friendly and gave me a verbal warning to slow down and take care for the rest of the trip.

Oh, He was also when he saw the V1.

Just curious, what's the purpose of mentioning his color/race?

Maybe the LEO was profiling?

What is a V1 other than the rocket bombs the Germans sent over London in WW II?

[JP171]

I am not so much trying to state a position, more trying to pose a question to see what people think. I would like to hear opinions on this as I am not decided on what to do in that situation but in my opinion and from my experience most of the cops that I have dealt with when I am by myself tend to be somewhat on a power trip. That is my experience. However when I am with my wife or another person most cops tend to be much less likely to act this way. During my CHL class the instructor pretty much told us to comply with any request including search because ultimately if they want to search, they will find a way to do it. Part of the class we talked about a situation where and when to use deadly force and the discussion basically ended up with the conclusion that if someone is stealing your car lets say or some other property if you use deadly force you will go to jail and you will have to hire a lawyer to defend yourself. In the end its going to cost you a lot of money regardless of whether you are found innocent of any charges. So in the end you have to way the odds of whether its worth the cost of defending yourself and if its not a life threatening situation most of the time its not worth the cost. In the same manner I would have to ask the question which I originally posed, is it worth the chance that you may end up in worse trouble if you refuse to allow a search than to just allow the search. I dont know, like I said I am not fully decided on this as I have never had to deal with a search. I believe you should stand up for your rights but at the same time, standing up for them may cost you more than just allowing a search.

Its very simple, if the officer has probable cause to search he will search without your consent, if he is just fishing he will ask, so the answer is always " I DO NOT CONSENT TO ANY SEARCH" if he badgers you then calmly state the same. ok so LEO's flame away, if he askes what you feel to be unrelated questions or questions that have no relavance to the situation at hand give broad non specific answers he may get frustrated and give you a citation but thats about it. you can be arrested for almost anything here in texas so if the LEO's of a mind that he wants to arrest someone he's going to do just that no matter what you do. I personally refuse to give spefic answers to things like "where are you going" or where were you at, where are you comming from, what are you doing out at this time. I say things like, that way, over there just sight seeing I would never tell the officer I was comming from visiting his wife he might get real mad. Never lie to the officer, but you don't actually have to answer anything he asks, you do not have to allow a search of anything, not your car, not your house or anything else

[E.Marquez]

I am not so much trying to state a position, more trying to pose a question to see what people think.

Fair enough

During my CHL class the instructor pretty much told us to comply with any request including search because ultimately if they want to search, they will find a way to do it.

That's too bad, the instructor should have stuck to teaching the required materiel and left the ill advised personal opinion to discussion around the water cooler after the class.

Part of the class we talked about a situation where and when to use deadly force and the discussion basically ended up with the conclusion that if someone is stealing your car lets say or some other property if you use deadly force you will go to jail and you will have to hire a lawyer to defend yourself. In the end its going to cost you a lot of money regardless of whether you are found innocent of any charges. So in the end you have to way the odds of whether its worth the cost of defending yourself and if its not a life threatening situation most of the time its not worth the cost.

That is not bad advice... And a personal decision for sure... If I had nothing irreplaceable in my car, no firearm, ect.. and felt no immediate personal threat, I'd likely not use deadly force to keep my car.

In the same manner I would have to ask the question which I originally posed, is it worth the chance that you may end up in worse trouble if you refuse to allow a search than to just allow the search.

There is a chance any number of bad things MIGHT happen... but none of them are likely.
There is always a chance... but reality is.... standing up for your rights in a polite, professional manner, and you having committed only a minor infraction...things will be fine.

Now if your being detained for assault, DUI, domestic violence, ... you can reasonable assume, refusal to consent to search will result in the search happening anyway.

I will not legitimize your continued attempt to paint all LEO's as unprofessional, unethical or whatever with a response.

[E.Marquez]

What is a V1 other than the rocket bombs the Germans sent over London in WW II?

http://www.valentine1.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[urnoodle]

If we concede to abuses of authority by waiving our rights to prevent conflict, the sooner we will lose that right permanently. Refuse searches and refuse to speak to investigators without counsel present.

[apostate]

What is a V1 other than the rocket bombs the Germans sent over London in WW II?

Wernher von Braun settled for a V2 but he could've had a V8.