[flamberge]

A person who is justified in self-defense but then tells the police on the scene that “I won’t talk to you without first consulting an attorney” will automatically raise a flag of suspicion . . .

So what?

You cannot talk your way out of an arrest. You can all too easily talk your way into one. Officer Friendly is there to arrest somebody. Just stop talking. The Police know the rules. Most of the time, they will follow them.

Observe that when Police are involved in a shooting, the very first thing they do is lawyer-up. The union representative tells them not to say another word to anyone, including fellow officers. Ordinary citizens are well-advised to follow the same procedures.

[Susquehanna Patriot]

“So what?”

Hope neither one of us will experience such a situation and the consequences of the path taken. Things are so easy by simply not talking.

The officer first asks you your name. Are you going to answer or ask for a lawyer?

I know of court cases where people (witnesses) involved in events of a crime have been arrested for delaying/obstructing an active investigation for not answering basic questions that “reasonable people” would be expected to answer under the circumstances. One case where the person (detained not arrested ... yet) said she would only answer the questions after talking to an attorney. Yes, the officer is there to arrest someone, but by arresting the “witness” too who wanted the attorney first, it was used by the DA to leverage her to testify against the actual perpetrator.