[SDCharger08]

What a waste of time!! The policeman followed me for 2 blocks on a one-lane 2-way street, flashed his lights so I pulled over. He asked for my license, registration and insurance. He looked at my registration and insurance and immediately says "those are fine." Then he says "I am gonna run your license to check your record for any criminal history, do have a criminal history?" I said "NO", so after 30-45 seconds he comes back and hands me my license and says "I pulled you over because you are a young guy driving a really nice car so I had to make sure everything checks out. It did so have a nice day and drive safe." He then got back in his car and drove off. I sat there for a minute and was like WTFx1,000,000... Oh well, a day in the life of a Charger owner!! :driving:

 

[alegav]

Dude thats LAME!!!

 

[paintb4707]

Uh are they allowed to pull you over without reason like that?

 

[alegav]

Uh are they allowed to pull you over without reason like that?

Ya unfortunately they can

 

[Boggus]

I am sure he had a reason for the stop, but just made that comment when returning back to the car and handing over the license. Everything looked good (i.e. insurance, license, history) and he let you go. Today you were not what he was looking for.

Many instances a broadcast is given about a particular car and cars matching that description may be stopped to ID the driver only. The officer finds a reason for the stop (there are several as most people cant drive longer than a mile without breaking some sort of law), makes the approach, identifies the driver and cuts them loose with some sort of exit speech if they are not the chosen one.

But to answer your question, there has to be a law broken or some sort of probable cause for the stop in the first place.

 

[Greedy]

it is very easy to get pulled over, they can site eratic driving or you swerved, or even you were driving very slow so it seemed suspicious

 

[Cosmo420]

lets not forget racial profiling
I pulled you over because you were in a nice car four deep, music bumping w/ windows up it happens sometimes trust me

 

[nexusnrg]

Uhhhh HELLLLLLO? Probable Cause?

He can't pull you over without observing an infraction, and or there being a good reason like your license plate about to fall off, or something dragging behind your car.

The excuse of telling you he pulled you over just because you appeared to be young and driving a nice car doesn't apply. And you have every right to contact his supervisor and write a statement about it. Think of it this way, you might actually help that cop from getting into more trouble later down the road. Complacency is always an issue with law enforcement. I don't know what agency that was, or how they handle things internally, but over here they take something like that seriously. An officer who pulls that mess will eventually find himself written up.

I get my tag ran all the time, and even though I'm law enforcement I get pulled over all the time, but usually don't get a ticket, but I've never been pulled over without not deserving it. He probably assumes you won't do anything, and so he doesn't even bother to come up with a valid reason for stopping you.

 

[HiPwr]

I am sure he had a reason for the stop, but just made that comment when returning back to the car and handing over the license. Everything looked good (i.e. insurance, license, history) and he let you go. Today you were not what he was looking for.

Many instances a broadcast is given about a particular car and cars matching that description may be stopped to ID the driver only. The officer finds a reason for the stop (there are several as most people cant drive longer than a mile without breaking some sort of law), makes the approach, identifies the driver and cuts them loose with some sort of exit speech if they are not the chosen one.

But to answer your question, there has to be a law broken or some sort of probable cause for the stop in the first place.

So you are saying that the excuse the officer gave was bulls!t, or that he had a legitimate reason for pulling him over (some law broken) that he didn't want to educate the driver about?

 

[Anguish]

What a waste of time!! The policeman followed me for 2 blocks on a one-lane 2-way street, flashed his lights so I pulled over. He asked for my license, registration and insurance. He looked at my registration and insurance and immediately says "those are fine." Then he says "I am gonna run your license to check your record for any criminal history, do have a criminal history?" I said "NO", so after 30-45 seconds he comes back and hands me my license and says "I pulled you over because you are a young guy driving a really nice car so I had to make sure everything checks out. It did so have a nice day and drive safe." He then got back in his car and drove off. I sat there for a minute and was like WTFx1,000,000... Oh well, a day in the life of a Charger owner!! :driving:

Great story. Sure, it was a waste of your time but you kept your cool and kept a mellow situation mellow. Glad you didn't yak off at the cop and get him upset and yourself into trouble that wasn't headed your way. Good job.

I am sure he had a reason for the stop, but just made that comment when returning back to the car and handing over the license. Everything looked good (i.e. insurance, license, history) and he let you go. Today you were not what he was looking for.

But to answer your question, there has to be a law broken or some sort of probable cause for the stop in the first place.

Good points. The only problem is that probable cause is nebulous and ill-defined. All an officer has to do is say "I thought he looked like one of the wanteds we're keeping an eye out for". An officer has a responsibility to question someone who is thought to be a wanted. Built-in excuse. Lame, but reality.

I'm personally okay (while I know a lot of others aren't) with this level of police... spot-checking. It doesn't sound like a power-trip took place, but rather an officer took a few minutes from his day to check a very lightly atypical situation. Same as finding a warehouse door hanging wide open at 3am with a business closed. Probably okay, but worth taking a quick peek at.

He can't pull you over without observing an infraction, and or there being a good reason like your license plate about to fall off, or something dragging behind your car.

"Can't" is such an awkward word. I wouldn't in general rock the boat if I were pulled over without cause. Reporting an officer for something so trivial seems both petty and personally dangerous. I wouldn't want to be known as that guy amongst a department.

Again, "I thought I saw him smoking a joint" is a reasonable starter. It'd be a lie, but who's not going to take the cop's story?

 

[4FishLimit]

lets not forget racial profiling

Profiling doesn't stop at race, which is obviously what happened to the OP.

 

[1stDodge]

We had a very similar thing to us over the fourth. My wife was driving the Charger with 3 other people in the car. I was following in my Dad's van about 3/4 mile behind. A motorcycle cop going the other way, pulled her over. Said he clocked her doing 67 in a 55. Everyone in the car said she was only doing 60. Once the cop saw it was a 49 year old lady driving, he realized he made a mistake. We think she only got pulled over because he thought there was a 20 year old driving a hot looking car. So yea, I do think there are a lot of cops profiling certain cars and drivers.

 

[nexusnrg]

"Can't" is such an awkward word. I wouldn't in general rock the boat if I were pulled over without cause. Reporting an officer for something so trivial seems both petty and personally dangerous. I wouldn't want to be known as that guy amongst a department.

Again, "I thought I saw him smoking a joint" is a reasonable starter. It'd be a lie, but who's not going to take the cop's story?

I never implied that he or anyone "rock the boat" as you put it when being pulled over. By all means cooperate, follow instructions, listen and keep your mouth shut unless being asked for an answer. Yes do not engage in a confrontation out on the road, some officers will handle it better than others. Some will let it roll off the back and let the driver go, others will make you get out of the car and put cuffs on and arrest you for disorderly conduct.

I never said he should do any of that. I was saying he had a valid case to complain about the entire encounter. Just because he didn't give him a ticket doesn't mean it was ok. True there may of been a "real" reason for stopping and checking him, but the excuse given isn't valid. Ok so what if he says "i thought he was smoking a joint" I can assure you down here if someone tells a supervisor that he was stopped because the officer thought he observed him smoking a joint from a distance inside a moving vehicle, and upon contact found NONE. I can assure you that supervisor is going to have a very detailed discussion with the officer.

But like I said, I don't know that agency, I don't know their policies or how they train/educate and handle their officers. In a respectable department with integrity none of that would be happening. Now do some officer complaints get tossed, sure... But those complaints are coming from crackheads and people who just don't understand the law and how things are suppose to work, and they think their rights are violated. Others where an officer used profane language or, had a very bad attitude without there being a reason for being abrasive usually gets a talking to. Either way without something being said about it, he'll just keep on doing it until one day he'll cross a line he wished he never did.

 

[504HEMI]

what a waste of time!! The policeman followed me for 2 blocks on a one-lane 2-way street, flashed his lights so i pulled over. He asked for my license, registration and insurance. He looked at my registration and insurance and immediately says "those are fine." then he says "i am gonna run your license to check your record for any criminal history, do have a criminal history?" i said "no", so after 30-45 seconds he comes back and hands me my license and says "i pulled you over because you are a young guy driving a really nice car so i had to make sure everything checks out. It did so have a nice day and drive safe." he then got back in his car and drove off. I sat there for a minute and was like wtfx1,000,000... Oh well, a day in the life of a charger owner!! :driving:

damn, i did too. Lol!

 

[Mik3y]

We had a very similar thing to us over the fourth. My wife was driving the Charger with 3 other people in the car. I was following in my Dad's van about 3/4 mile behind. A motorcycle cop going the other way, pulled her over. Said he clocked her doing 67 in a 55. Everyone in the car said she was only doing 60. Once the cop saw it was a 49 year old lady driving, he realized he made a mistake. We think she only got pulled over because he thought there was a 20 year old driving a hot looking car. So yea, I do think there are a lot of cops profiling certain cars and drivers.

Im taking that as a compliment

 

[Anguish]

I never implied that he or anyone "rock the boat" as you put it when being pulled over.

And I didn't say "when being pulled over."

Your words: And you have every right to contact his supervisor and write a statement about it. Think of it this way, you might actually help that cop from getting into more trouble later down the road.

That's the rocking the boat that I wouldn't personally do. I understand this topic hits close to home and I respect that. I even understand that my viewpoint is going to be seen by many as being dangerously complacent and sheep-like. I've just got differing opinions regarding when it's time to call authority figures on their behaviour. I felt it was appropriate to share them. I don't expect to be agreed with. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[CHARLIE]

The officer's explaination for the stop is probably truthful, but doesn't meet the definition of "probable cause" imo. Someone had suggested that what the officer did was profiling and we all know it not quite kosher, but unfortunately, most of the times that how you get the bad guys off the street.

 

[NightMare R/T]

X2 tuna

I've been stopped a few times (points at mod list) I'm 22 in a blacked out muscle car tgat cost 30k + all my aftermarket. It's part of life no biggie to me.

 

[gomango2103]

After that copper said he didn't have a valid reason for stopping me, I would certainly have given him some lip, and if he didn't sincerely apoligize, file a complaint.

 

[PJRNM]

Anybody can be detained for 'reasonable suspicion' as well. The specifics of 'probable cause' do not need to be met for a detention. Maybe there is a high incidence of auto theft in the area, and maybe the specifics of location, car type, suspect description, time of day, etc. were met.....

Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard in United States law that a person has been, is, or is about to be engaged in criminal activity based on specific and articulable facts and inferences. It is the basis for an investigatory or Terry stop by the police and requires less evidence than probable cause, the legal requirement for arrests and warrants. Reasonable suspicion is evaluated using the "reasonable person" or "reasonable officer" standard, in which said person in the same circumstances could reasonably believe a person has been, is, or is about to be engaged in criminal activity; such suspicion is not a mere hunch. Police may also, based solely on reasonable suspicion of a threat to safety, frisk a suspect for weapons, but not for contraband like drugs. A combination of particular facts, even if each is individually innocuous, can form the basis of reasonable suspicion.

Maybe we need to trust professionals a little more.....