[zeugma]

-—All you HAVE to do is identify yourself-—

Which he refused to do, thereby creating tension.

Yup. That's a tactical and legal mistake he made outright. The supreme Court has said that you have to give an officer your name and address if he asks for it. If you are not driving that is it. He can't require a drivers license or anything else. He can ask for it of course, but you are perfectly welcome to refuse. Of course, to even require that, there has to be an articulable reason for the stop if I recall correctly. If the cop can't provide that, you don't have to play their games, and you are perfectly with your rights not to do so. Further, I applaud citizens when they push back against thugs with badges.

 

[blindjustice]

Kudos, I wish everyone would do what you did, there would be a lot less constitutional violations on the part of L.E.O.s. I'm in Corvallis now 8 mos.and I have read some stories about some of the cops, like one who was arrested for a trespass weapons violation and still got hired, Bret something or other, the young ones especially don't know jack about the law or take the time to learn, so you have to educate them, there is something to be said about Seniority, I found on Ratemycop.com good ones and bad ones here in Corvallis. I guess it's the same everywhere, I know having grown up in So Cal pursued going into law enforcement and had a few run-ins with some real corrupt L.A.S.O and also lived in FL. where some of the cops are good and the rest are a disgrace to their badges.