States (colored red) in which Stop and Identify statutes are in effect as of February 20th, 2013.
Posted on 09/14/2014 3:34:06 PM PDT by Kaslin
At first glance, this story doesn’t look like the sort of thing which would normally catch our attention, but it really does tie in to broader issues currently under discussion nationally in terms of race relations and how the police interact with those they serve and protect. Out on the left coast, quite close to the liberal Ground Zero of Hollywood, actress Daniele Watts ran into some trouble this week. (You may remember Watts from her appearance in Django Unchained among other roles.) As Reason tells the tale, she was outdoors, hanging out with her husband and talking on the phone with her father, when she was approached by the police.
African-American actress Danièle Watts claims she was “handcuffed and detained” by police officers from the Studio City Police Department in Los Angeles on Thursday after allegedly being mistaken for a prostitute.
According to accounts by Watts and her husband Brian James Lucas, two police officers mistook the couple for a prostitute and client when they were seen showing affection in public. Watts refused to show her ID to the cops when questioned and was subsequently handcuffed and placed in the back of their car while police attempted to ascertain her identity. The two officers released Watts shortly afterwards.
There are two sides to this story and we shouldn’t ignore either of them. I will grant that there are questions to be answered as to how and why the officers determined that she might be a prostitute and approached her on that basis. Watts is black and her husband is white, so it would be disingenuous to ignore that aspect of the encounter with the cops entirely. If this was an area which was experiencing a lot of problems and complaints about such activity, they might approach anyone. But if this was some sort of selective targeting which was out of their normal enforcement priorities, it’s fair to ask questions about that.
But there’s a second part to this story as well. By her own account of the events, the cops began by asking questions, not throwing her to the ground, tazing her or any other such tactics. And the leading question – which I’m sure anyone of any race who has ever had to speak to the police has heard as well – was can we see your ID? This is pretty basic. If the cops think that there might be a crime to be investigated, ascertaining who they are speaking with is pretty much square one. Watts made the conscious decision to refuse to identify herself or show her ID.
What are the cops supposed to do in cases like this? If there was a burglary in the area and they saw someone who matched the description of a suspect, if that person refuses to show their ID should the police just say, Oh well, I guess that’s a dead end and walk away? Watts clearly knew where this was going and it’s difficult to believe she didn’t react that way as a provocative act to get a reaction from the police. Had she simply identified herself and revealed that the person with her was her husband – particularly given her high profile identity – this matter would have been over in moments. And in the end, she was not taken to the station, locked up, or anything else. The cops figured out who she was, that there was no crime in progress, and cut her loose.
Many years ago, Chris Rock put out a comedy video about how not to get in trouble with the police. (Language warning should go without saying.) Behind the humor there’s probably some pretty good advice to be found. (And before you set your hair on fire, yes… that was a joke. And I’ve always loved that video.)
You must not get around too much. I’m not loving the outfit but no, she does not look like a hooker.
Thanks for your reply, SarahB. I have been wondering if it is common for police to ask about activity that looks out of the norm. Having never been to LA...I know nothing about the area. I know police would around here.
Moral to the story...don’t act like that in public...take it home. And if the police ask for id...what the heck, just show it.
Why are the cops in all these DemocRAT run cities such racists?
That cops looks to be about 4’11”.
Many of the People of WalMart would qualify as homeless because they look like it. Should that give the cops justification for doing the same?
>>She’s dressed fine. That’s California casual, and in all fairness, you don’t know why she’s out and about.<<
I have seen MUCH more provocative clothes in airports and malls. That outfit (nor the actress wouldn’t even catch my eye.
Something stinks here and I agree with the people who think it is not OK to invent probable cause on the fly just because. Despite the fact most Police don’t like it, we have a 4th Amendment.
PS: NEVER allow your car to be searched during a normal traffic stop.
Well. I went to school in Newark, NJ... looks like the street warkers over in East Orange.
I thought having to show an ID in this country was declared “unconstitutional” (except to buy smokes, beer or cash a check) because it’s hard on dem po’ folks.
What part of the Fourth Amendment do you not understand?
Which ward?
>>Moral to the story...don’t act like that in public...take it home. <<
Act like what? I kiss my wife in public all the time. I should “take it home?”
>>And if the police ask for id...what the heck, just show it.<<
Why? Are your rights so meaningless you would toss them away at the drop of a badge?
“I support LEOs and you will find out my ID in booking, officer. I will not resist arrest.”
Arrested for kissing while black.
What bulls—t.
I’d love to bust that midget cop in the b-—s.
And I’m one here who usually supports cops.
Dressed like a “chippy”
Just my opinion.
Will you quit quoting that pesky Constitution? The cops know best.
In the original decision, the court made a startling declaration:
“police knowledge of the identity of an individual they have deemed ‘suspicious’ grants the police unfettered discretion to initiate or continue the investigation of the person long after the detention has ended. Information concerning the stop, the arrest and the individual’s identity may become part of a large scale data bank.”
In other words, by the mere act of showing the police your ID you are, in a very real sense, compromizing your freedom. Imagine volunteering to have the NSA catalog all your communications.
I have a problem with the idea that I should be prepared to produce a “proper” ID everyday, everywhere I go, if a government employee demands it, except on the second Tuesday of November every other year.
And that includes 11 inches of noggin.
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