I fail to understand those who want to make speeches and resist arrest. It can be sorted out later if the officer charged you inappropriately.
NO, it can not - not when they process you in, you get officially charged, thrown in the tank and the paperwork gets processed, nope, it's NOT going to get sorted out any time soon.
You see, at that point they've invested X amount of effort into it, and they're *going* to make an issue of it.
One very popular game in case of a bad arrest, and this did this to Chris D, a friend of mine - is to refuse bail and then keep postpoing the trial date every time you refuse to plead guilty - cause once they get that plea, it lets the cop off the hook.
Chris D. did 18 months before they threw that entirely bogus case out, lost his home, his employment and his relationship predictably fell apart, and for what ?
For cooperating with a LEO who misused his authority instead to standing up for his rights - sorry, that's unacceptable to me.
Also, once you're thrown in the tank, the officer can write up the after-action any way he pleases, and it's his word against yours, and since you're now officially a "perp" - well, come on folks.
When an officer stops me, I am going to ask why, in a civil and reasonable fashion - and if he "goes rambo" on me at that point, it will probably get ugly, yes... now if, like the police around here do, he politely informs me of why, and explains what the violation is and his intended action, then I will politely cooperate, sure.
But answering "What am I being stopped and questioned for, Sir?" with "GET ON THE GROUND, NOW! *******", followed by reaching for a weapon of any kind - I personally consider that an unprovoked lethal assault on my person and will respond accordingly.
(and yes, i'm fully aware of the likely consequences, but if the alternative is the total destruction of my life as I know it anyway, as happened to Chris D. - then what would YOU do?)*
When those who's oath and duty is to uphold the law, neither respect nor obey it themselves, the whole system based on that social order falls apart, it would do well for some to remember that they are, in essence an "Officer of the Law" - that means upholding and honoring it, not ramming down people's throats on a pikestaff.
It's that very attitude which provokes incidents that never had to happen, causes extreme civiliant resentment of the police force, discourages cooperation with said police force, and unfortunately costs lives on both sides of the fence.
It's sad that the Taser, which in law enforcement hands can be an effective alternative force, is likely to be banned because of this very attitude that leads to it's misuse - not to mention at some point ridiculous, because if you can't trust someone with a Taser, you shouldn't trust them with a firearm either...
- K
*Note: Most of the time, no matter what the original attempted arrest was for, no matter how blatantly and obviously bogus, once you resist an arrest with violence, you're going to fry no matter what - which leads to some pretty awful incidents due to the law making no effective distinction between resisting a justified arrest, and resisting a bogus arrest by a LEO who wants to hassle you.
