LEOs have to deal with a lot of liars, scoundrels, and normal, polite people every day. So it’s pretty typical that the first thing they do at a scene is to scope out the people, and figure out who is what.
The fastest way to do this is to look for attitude. They have no miracle ability to tell what’s going on just by looking, so it should be no surprise that if you act like an aggressive dork, they will treat you like one, without further adieu. What the law says at that point is kind of secondary, and only comes into play when they know where they stand.
So being friendly, forthcoming with information, etc., helps the LEOs to get on to the legal part sooner, rather than later.
As far as store employees go, they are just minimum wage types hired to do minimum wage stuff. That’s all there is to their job, unless they are taught otherwise.
So are government employees, except the unions have jacked up the wages.
The LAW OF THE LAND is never secondary. It is primary. And if the employee doesn't understand.... they need to hit the road. Store employees don't swear an oath to uphold the laws of the (locality, state, federal government), so agents of the gooberment with guns should be held to a much higher standard. And maybe prosecuted for violating their oath, when they do.
/johnny
I think what the poster meant by “employees” were the responding officer(s). We shouldn’t have to explain the law to them just to keep from having our rights violated.
We have no duty to help the police nor to even talk to them. According to the USSC, the cops have no duty to help individual citizens, either.