Missouri: Police Roadblock Harassment Caught on Tape.

TheNewspaper.com ^ | 12/30/2006 | Brett Darrow

[The KG9 Kid]

Missouri: Police Roadblock Harassment Caught on Tape
St. Louis County, Missouri threaten to arrest a teenager for refusing to discuss his personal travel plans.

A teenager harassed by police in St. Louis, Missouri caught the incident on tape. Brett Darrow, 19, had his video camera rolling last month as he drove his 1997 Maxima, minding his own business. He approached a drunk driving roadblock where he was stopped, detained and threatened with arrest when he declined to enter a conversation with a police officer about his personal travel habits. Now Darrow is considering filing suit against St. Louis County Police.

"I'm scared to drive for fear of being stopped at another checkpoint and arrested while doing nothing illegal," Darrow told TheNewspaper. "We're now guilty until we prove ourselves innocent to these checkpoint officers."

On that late November night, videotape confirms that Darrow had been ordered out of his vehicle after telling a policeman, "I don't wish to discuss my personal life with you, officer." Another officer attempted to move Darrow's car until he realized, "I can't drive stick!" The officer took the opportunity to undertake a thorough search of the interior without probable cause. He found nothing.

When Darrow asked why he was being detained, an officer explained, "If you don't stop running your mouth, we're going to find a reason to lock you up tonight."

The threats ended when Darrow informed officers that they were being recorded. After speaking to a supervisor Darrow was finally released.

"These roadblocks have gotten out of hand," Darrow told TheNewspaper. "If we don't do something about them now, it'll be too late."

A full video of the incident is available here. A transcript is provided below as the audio is at times very faint.

[UpAllNight]

--but how's about "Good evening, sir, how are you doing this fine evening?" instead of starting the pre-arrest interrogation on the spot?--

Your post is dishonest in the protrayal of most policeman and factually mispresentative of the event.

---

Officer #1: How are you tonight sir?
Brett: Hi.
Officer #1: Can you put your window down for me.

[oh8eleven]

What kind of country have we got when little smartasses think they have some right not to answer a policeman's questions?
Either I missed your sarcasm tag - or you don't belong on FR.

[SauronOfMordor]

What kind of country have we got when little smartasses think they have some right not to answer a policeman's questions?

A non-police-state where the Constitution still applies, at least in theory?

[DelphiUser]

>>Dude, you could have avoided all that shiite if you had
>>just been a tiny bit more civil to the first officers
>>question. True it is your "right" to give dick answers,
>>it's also their "right" to give you dick police
>>treatment.

I have had police harass me for having a beard, and having the gall to drive though a campus on a public road where beards were against student code. (It was the only way to get from where I lived to where I worked at the time.)

Police are people too, some times they are in a bad mood. I used to cut them some slack, tough job and all that, now they are just tax collectors running speed traps and filling quotas who sometimes take a break to do a little law enforcement. Sorry if you disagree, my $.02.

[McBuff]

Yes, I did. ..the kid is full of himself and he has an agenda. He was approaching the cops in bad faith. . .this is the real world I'm talking about. ..don't approach the police in bad faith. .DUMB. . .say "yes sir, I was on my way to krispy kreme to pick up some honey-glazed for my mommie"

Remember, everytime a cop has to approach a car, in today's world, it could be his last. ..try to maintain good faith in those circumstances. . .its easy to sit behind a computer screen and type about the friggen constitution. . .its quite another to put on a badge in today's world and pray that some 19 year old punk who thinks he's god doesn't end your life. I cut the cops some slack here.

[Trajan88]

Kinda reminds me of when I traveled through Europe with a group via motor coach in '97. When we hit the border crossing at France/Swiss... some smarty-pants refused to take off her portable music headphones. The border agent got really testy when said smarty-pants refused to take off the phones.

Word to the wise... if you're a foreigner... don't mess with ANY border agent. Not only do the laws of the U.S. not apply... these agents have pretty broad powers to do what they want with you. I'm surprised they didn't beat her down with clubs right there on the coach.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... Wonder if they would want their kids to respond to [legitimate] authority in the same manner."

Oh, I'm definately steering my children to becoming part of the ruling lawyer class in America. I'd mortgage everything I have to put my kid through an Ivy League law school.

I'd be positively heartbroken if they told me their vocational calling was law enforcement.

[Riverman94610]

I support the police the vast majority of time.Its a job very few of us could handle,at least I know I couldn't keep my cool in a lot of situations I face.
Yet police need to refrain from asking personal questions or making snide comments on people's race or the race of their friends.
I know that is not a question in THIS case,but I have very nasty memories of the NOPD doing this to me on at least two occasions.
Completely uncalled for.

[TenthLegion]

The checkpoints here in Fairfax county sure are. Last year, if I recall correctly, there were zero DUI arrests. It's more of a way to cover their tails with the MADD types on holidays and nail people for dead tags and expired licenses.

On a side note, I was in Starbucks (had money to burn that day I guess) and a FFX cop was eying an obvious high school gal up and down. He noticed me smirking at him and on his way out laughingly said "a real tough guy huh?" lol

[UpAllNight]

--A little civility would have saved him a lot of trouble.--

He was out looking for his five minutes of "fame".

[RobRoy]

In that particular case, I had just turned on a road (maple valley highway) that had been a 60 mph zone before the 55 limit had gone into effect. From where I enter the road you go quite a ways before you see a speed limit sign.

Anyway, I set the cruise at 55 and I think the speedo may have gotten as high as 57 max. My wife and I were actually discussing whether the limit was 50 or 60 when the cops lights came on behind me. On that road they drive west and clock the traffic going east. That is how he got me.

When he came to the car he said I was doing 61 (get it? That’s more than ten over.) I told him I was doing 55 or so. He said, no the mustang next to me was going 57 and I was doing 61. I said baloney. I then went on to tell him what I just told you above, right down to the conversation I was having with my wife. He said to stop setting my cruise control over the limit and to have a nice nite.

I should point out that I have used several of those neighborhood radar signs (that show your speed) to calibrate my speedo. Kudos to Chrysler because the 300m is spot on. I can trust that 69 in a 60 means 69. ;) That is safe unless the cops are LOOKING for a reason to pull you, specifically, over. At least that is what all my acquaintances that are cops tell me.

[Mat_Helm]

There is a reason the officer needs (not wants) to engage the driver in conversation. The need is derived from identifying impaired drivers. The need is derived from law. Evading conversation is interfering with the officers duty. The brat should have been arrested.

No. The young man was right and the officer was way out of line. Typical in those check points is for the officer to ask if you have been drinking or if you are having a good evening or other conversation, but I would never asnwer a question as to where I had been or where I was going or any other nonsense.

[darkangel82]

So the Constitution means nothing to you. Ah, I see. Thanks for proving my point.

[RegulatorCountry]

"The car was impounded and torn apart looking for drugs and the money was confiscated."

I-10 is notorious for this. Civil asset forfeiture just begs for corruption, and corruption it has brought.

[RobRoy]

Wow, That would change me for life. I would be fighting the urge for revenge as hard as a fat person fights going into McDonalds.

[ConservaTexan]

What kind of country have we got when little smartasses think they have some right not to answer a policeman's questions?

Exactly! People have the right to remain silent, but they better be prepared to do so from a jail cell. Police never know who is in the next vehicle. A preacher, a drug fiend, a single mom getting off of work at a diner, a nut on his way to his ex girlfriends house to 'win her back', an OB/Gyn on the way to the hospital to deliver a baby or a smart ass kid with a video camera looking to be 'harrassed.'

They also do not know who is being raped, robbed, beaten or in buildings when people fly airplanes into them, yet they answer those calls anyway.

I have no overhelming love or hate for good police officers. I do, however, have respect for the difficult and dangerous job they perform.

[RobRoy]

He was cooperating exactly as the law prescribes. In fact, he was doing it SO "by the book" I think he was setting them up. And doing a good job of it.

Frankly, I think those cops should have seen the ACLU video in their training. It probably would have helped them avoid the lawsuit that this kid will easily win.

[RobRoy]

>>Do you suppose he'll be the first whining when the cops can't come quick enough to bail him out of jam?<<

Cops are secrataries with guns. They don't protect you. They take down names and check out evidence AFTER you are violated.

[monday]

"it's also their "right" to give you dick police treatment."

Thats where you are wrong. Hope some police officers give you some personalized "dick" police treatment soon. Heck, you might survive if you are lucky.

[RinaseaofDs]

You're missing the point.

DWI checkpoints may be 'authorized', but they are the definition of unconsititutional. This kid understood that and kept his head about it and recorded the entire incident.

In my opinion, the only mistake the kid made was in disclosing that fact to the police.

The problem with DWI checkpoints is the lack of reasonable suspicion. This kid knew that and rammed it home. That's EXACTLY what he should have done. He payed out enough rope for these two jokers to hand themselves, and they did.

These power trippers put the tool of DWI checkpoints into jeopardy. 'Tool' is a generous term for it, but police departments feel they need them.