Haha, I forgot about this thread. To respond to those that just cannot grasp that there are some cops that are simply not good people, I relate my story. Sorry that it's boring, and since I was young (and had not yet found this board), I made some "tactical" errors, but here goes:
A friend and I were taking a walk around a pond in HIS OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. That fact is largely irrelevant since it is a public area and not restricted in any way to residents. We were discussing women, of all things. They cause trouble even when they're not there
Anyway, he left and I stayed, sitting next to the pond. This is about 10pm, but there is no curfew of any kind in this area and residents often walk about the pond at all hours of the night. There is a paved walkway that goes about 3/4 of the way around it, with a dirt path for the rest that has wooden bridges built over creeks and such.
So this City of Columbia police officer pulls up behind my legally parked car. With his blue lights on. I just sat there, because in spite of a flashlight search he didn't see me and I hadn't done anything wrong. Then the Lexington Co. deputy pulls up a few minutes later. They talk for a while (I could hear most of what they were saying since I was sitting less than 30yds away in the open) and then I hear, "OK, we'll call a tow truck and get this car out of here." Now, this is a crucial point: one side of the street is a no parking area, the other allows parking. I was in the legal area. Naturally, at this point I started getting concerned. Lex. Co. headed back to his car and did another flashlight search, at which time he saw me sitting there minding my own business. He alerted CPD and they both came running down the hill towards me with their weapons drawn but not pointed at me, yelling "SHOW ME YOUR HANDS!" At this point I'm sure there will be some naysayers that claim the police never do that, but IT HAPPENED, I WAS THERE. They got to me and escorted me back to my vehicle after patting me down. When we got there they accused me of vandalizing a nearby house, which I obviously did not do. If they had used a tiny bit of common sense they would have known this, even without the benefit of being able to watch CSI twice a day
This story is long enough as is so I won't explain the layout of the crime scene and my car, but it was obvious and the deputy eventually realized it.
So back to it. After they accuse me of doing something that I didn't do, I naturally denied it. I was perfectly polite the entire time, knowing even in my youth (of 18yrs) that being rude to police is stupid. CPD says that he's gonna "take me in," at which time LC reminds him that I hadn't done anything. I have to say, the deputy really was cool. Apparently CPD was a turd and didn't tell the truth when describing the situation over the radio. He called for assistance when he saw my car, reporting that he was "in pursuit" of suspects, which even if true was NOT me. That must have been some pursuit, considering the car was parked. He even admitted to my face that he wasn't sure if I was one of the guys he was after
Here's my tactical mistake, which I thought was smart at the time knowing that I was innocent and that I had nothing to hide. Never once did the whole planting of evidence phenomenon occur to me (you hear that? They're screaming that I'm a liar again!) I offered to let them search my car, which just about made their heads blow up. I gave them a running total of what was in the car as they got close to it (two bags of pipe tobacco that stupid cops would think was weed - yeah, a cop confronted my brother about that one time even though it looks nothing like marijuana). They found nothing, and the deputy suggested that they let me go and that I should go home. I said that I thought I'd stay at the pond for a while longer, and they mentioned the fact that there was nothing illegal about that since there were no curfews in that area (there are curfews in parks in the city of Columbia, but not in Irmo where I was). About that time a truck came around the corner down the road, and the CPD guy made up some BS about how he "hopped the curb," and how they should go pull the guy over. I watched the car come around the corner and it did no such thing. The deputy (NOT CPD) told me to have a good night and they hopped in their cars and left, presumeably after the "drunk" driver.
Now, you can doubt my word all you want, but that's how things happened to the best of my recollection and I have no reason to change any details or points. Go look up the FI report if you like, because they filled one out. This would be sometime during the summer of 1998.
My point is that I was hassled for little reason, and the BS continued even AFTER it was established that I had done NOTHING wrong. At the time I had no facial hair, dressed well, and did not direct any attitude towards the police. Today nothing has changed except the facial hair.
Would you like to hear about the time where I was pulled over for driving faster than my car was physically capable of doing? Or perhaps the time where the cops visited me at my home while 6 friends and I were playing Risk because they got a "noise complaint" - while the people across the street were having a house party and were still drinking on the front porch while the cops talked to me? Would you like to hear about the ticket I got for wreckless driving because I swerved to avoid a car that was weaving, swerving, and nearly caused 3 accidents within a 300yd space, all within view of the officer that pulled me? Yeah, I had high school tags on my car and the dangerous driver was in a Lexus, but I'm sure that had nothing to do with it
To answer another question, I live in Irmo, SC, where the police for the past 15 years have personally gotten to know the members of all the high school sports teams every year for the sole reason of pulling them over when they see them on the road. I still see this behavior, and I (along with many other locals) avoid the hotspots for this reason.
You know what I do for a living? I'm a private investigator. I've investigated more than 6 cops in the past 3 years, and I found undeniable evidence that 4 of them were crooked. They have since been fired. My boss has been doing the same thing for 12 years, and before that he was a bailiff for 21 years. I deal with cops more than just about anyone else that isn't a cop. That's why I say that 95% of them are good guys, because I talk to them all the time! At the same time, I've had bad experiences due to the fact that two of the departments in my hometown are shady (not just due to my investigations...read the papers). I don't hold all LEOs responsible for the actions of a few. Heck, I had a few cut me some MAJOR slack when I was younger, and I am forever greatful for it. I still say a prayer for Deputy Schuler on Christmas, even though I'm not religious anymore. Where I have a problem is when people start making derogatory comments as to "where the heck I live" because my assertions of reality are beyond their comprehension. NOT ALL COPS ARE GOOD. Deal with it. I do frequently.
Another interesting tidbit, I'm a criminal justice major and I plan to go into some type of LE when I graduate in a few months. I don't dislike cops. I completely respect (good) cops. Some of you just need to accept the reality that some cops do hassle people for no reason, because some people become cops just for the power.
I would apologize for the rant, but hey - you're the one that read it
