Punisher Decal gets me PUNISHED!!!

[TonyStarks]

Slowly moving in traffic this morning when a Highway Patrol Officer who was following me for sometime turned his lights on.
So, I signal that I'm pulling over to the emergency lane and come to a stop with no problems. He steps out of the car with gun in hand and asks me to step out. I step out of the car, the officer pats me down and finds my CW. He then puts gun on his waist and cuffs me. All this before i am even told why i was pulled over, searched and cuffed.
After i am cuffed, he asks if i have any drugs or weapons in the car.
I tell him yes, i have both...some Tylenol Cold and Flu, a pack of Halls and a bottle of Dayquil and .45 in my glove box.
The officer starts to get rude and a bit aggressive, cursing and calling me a POS...no idea why this whole time.
He finally gets "the drugs" the second gun in my glove box and puts me in his patrol car. When i ask why was i stopped and searched, he slams the door.

His Sargent also arrives at the scene and go over to talk to the officer while i am sitting in his car. They talk a bit, go over the guns, the car and my ID's and then the officer walks over, opens the door...lets me out of the car, removes the cuffs and speeds off. The Sarge comes over to me and apologises. He explains to me that a local gang has been using a similar decal to the "Punisher" skull i have on my back window and the officer thought i was a gang member and that i had drugs and weapons in the car. I explain to him that i am upset with the way i was treated, how the officer cursed at me and called me names, showed aggression, and never once explained or asked me anything.
The Sarge apologized 20 times, gave me my guns, my "drugs" and my wallet back and told me to have a good day. Before he left, i asked him for his full name, the officers full name, and both of their ID#'s as i was going to file a complaint and send a letter to Governors office.

How should i handle this? Where they justified in treating me this way? What can i do to teach these officers a lesson in manners? I am very PO about this and i don't want to let them get away with it with a simple apology.

 

[sonofodin]

Report the offending officer for his treatment of you. Commend the seargent for showing up and being polite to you and giving your stuff back.

 

[Zundfolge]

Sounds like you have the right idea, file a complaint and send a letter to the Governor (I would also point out the sargent's professional demeanor in your correspondence ... if its 100% complaint its less likely to be listened to, but if its 80% complaint, 20% praise it'll get read by more people in positions of power).

I'd also get a razor blade and scrape that Punisher decal off the window to avoid this in the future. (or maybe add an ACLU sticker next to it ).

I'm not sure telling him you had "drugs" in the car was wise ... while technically you did, many officers would see pointing out that you have legal, over the counter drugs in your car is just you being a smarta**.


Anyway, to many of you in law enforcement that complain whenever anyone posts a "cop bashing" thread, you must understand its your hot headed jerk "brothers in blue" that contribute to more and more law abiding citizens growing distrust/dislike of law enforcement.

 

[.cheese.]

I see no way that calling you a POS is justified. I hate to say it, but as far as I see, you have a police harassment suit. Whether or not you choose to actually go forward with it is up to you.

There was no probable cause to search your car, there was no reason for you to be confronted with deadly force, and really there was no reason for you to be cuffed and/or patted down either.

A jumpy officer like that who gets set off by a freaking sticker that I see all the time on cars - should not be on the roads, or a member of the PD IMO.

If I were you though, rather than sue, I'd just file a complaint with the PD, and send a letter to the governor.

No, you don't need to take the sticker off your car - it didn't break the law - so why should you feel the need to take it off? Also, responding correctly, that you had legal drugs in the car IMO was the right response. The only thing you could have done to make it sound less like a smart ass remark would be to preface it with, "Well, yes, but they're legal - I have...."

However, it sounds like nothing you'd say or do would have appeased this officer at the time.

 

[billhilly66]

If the Sarge apologized 20 times, why do you feel you need to teach him a lesson?

 

[JohnBT]

Um, let's see, for not pulling that officer off the street and giving him a chance to cool off. That would be my guess.

John

 

[PPGMD]

The Punisher is a very popular comic book character I don't see how pulling everyone over with that sticker on is a good idea. The Sarge seems to have handled it well, the officer that cuffed you didn't. A concealed weapon permit holder is unlikely to be in a gang because wouldn't that make your fingerprints available for the police?

 

[helpless]

If the Sarge apologized 20 times, why do you feel you need to teach him a lesson?

Because abuse of power is disgusting. In America you cant put a logo from a comic book on the back window of your car?

How would you feel if you where treated like this for having a

"ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ" or "We the People" decal? Both of which I sell to a lot of like minded Americans.

 

[Shadowangel]

I wouldn't do anything to the Sergeant. He acted professional and courteous. The officer, on the other hand, at minimum needs to be reprimanded for his conduct.

 

[Correia]

Formal letters of complaint are taken very seriously. They sit in your file forever, and can screw up things like promotions.

If you honestly feel you were mistreated, write it. Send one to the department, with delivery confirmation, return receipt requested.

I would note that the supervisor was professional, but the initial cop was a jerk. Be very specific. Don't exaggerate or embellish. Use the actual words as close as possible.

They will probably pull his dashcam footage and review it. So try to stick as close to the facts as you remember them.

And the main reason to file a complaint, is that it keeps things like this from happening to others in the future.

 

[SoCalShooter]

I would have to agree with everyone else here. Go after the officer file a complaint with the city and the state. If he was a traffic officer he may have a camera in his vehicle. You can try and request that video for evidence if you want to go that far.

 

[buzz_knox]

Before he left, i asked him for his full name, the officers full name, and both of their ID#'s as i was going to file a complaint and send a letter to Governors office.

Based on the information you provided, the first officer reacted very poorly, while the sergeant did well. So, write letters that fit the situation. The first officer is at a minimum in need of additional training and "career counseling", and a complaint will "help" him get it. The second officer deserves recognition for resolving the situation, and a letter to that effect will help reinforce the message that mistakes acknowledged and rectified promptly get praise.

 

[kd7nqb]

letter of praise for the Sarge

Letter of Complaint for the original officer. and make sure they are delivered together.

Keep the sticker if you want or take it off either way.

My bet would say that this guy is going to get a talking to anyway from his sarge.

You could file a lawsuit if you wanted but its proboly more work than its worth.

 

[.cheese.]

yeah, I didn't mention that in mine - but I figured it was self-explanatory. The sgt. didn't seem to really do anything wrong.... so it's probably worth noting in whatever you do that he was professional. It's officer 1 that is the problem here.

 

[rbernie]

He explains to me that a local gang has been using a similar decal to the "Punisher" skull i have on my back window and the officer thought i was a gang member and that i had drugs and weapons in the car.

So gangs now have decals? What's next - satin bowling jackets?

Be very specific. Don't exaggerate or embellish. Use the actual words as close as possible.

Asuming that some part of this stop ius likely recorded on a dashcam, this is very important. Embellishment will not help your cause.

 

[7six2]

If one gang is identified with that decal it might be a good idea to remove it in case their rivals misidentify you for OPFOR. I agree with praise the Sgt and complain about the Officer. This could also get the press interested if that decal is popular with innocent kids in the area. However that info might not be wanted out in the open by the local P.D. if the gang is not aware they have been identified.

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Well... I have to ask some questions first...

First, take a look at yourself, -and your car. Not that it's an excuse, but was there reason for said LEO to stereotype you as a gang member?

He should have used a bit more sense to justfy pulling you over. I dunno about in your neck of the woods, (or concrete), but Gang Bangers round here don't drive lifted up 4x4's. (The good ole farm boys do. Mess with them, and you'll see a band of brothers bringin down a world of hurt!) But, if you're driving a dropped Acura with tunes thumpin so loud you get better fuel economy from the vibration, Wheels that stick out like it's a skateboard, two ho's ridin Bi7Ch in the back, well, 'Here's your sign'.

The cop should have had more than one reason to pull you over in the first place. Not just the comic decal.

I'm with the previous posts. A formal complaint is probably in order. To the Governor's office might be out of line though. Ask to sit down with the officer and his watch commander to see if there was some other mannerism by you that made him pull you over and treat you like this. If there was, I'm sure you'd like to know what it was so you can change it. If nothing comes from the meeting, then make a formal complaint.

For a year and a half now I've had this sticker on my canopy window. It's got a good ole boy Takin a Wiz on Work, with a Rifle cradled in his arm. 'Say's he's "Goin Huntin". I live rural, but I've been to Seattle, Tacoma and other cities. Never been pulled over for that sticker. I'm sure I've been stereotyped by many as being a person that 'Just Might Have a Pistol or Rifle in the truck..

-Steve

 

[Chui]

Actually, the Sarge COULD have made the offending officer apologize couldn't he???

 

[joab]

i was going to file a complaint and send a letter to Governors office.

Good luck
Christ is non responsive twit
I'm sorry I voted for him

 

[eric_t12]

Report the offending officer for his treatment of you. Commend the seargent for showing up and being polite to you and giving your stuff back.

+1
Don't leave the Supervisor hanging when he did something commendable, especially in the midst of an A**hole. That might even be enough to put me off of helping people, if i was nice as i could be, and i still got a career-long blot on my record...

my .02

 

[MilsurpShooter]

"So gangs now have decals? What's next - satin bowling jackets?"

Write your letter to the department, stay to the truth, facts, don't insert opinion. In your letter commend the Sarge. I'll admit, the drug thing could have made him think you were being a Smart@$$ but still didn't excuse the rest of the behavior.

I do the same thing almost at the sobriety checkpoints. "Been drinking tonight son?" Only if Dr. Pepper counts sir. I say it with a laugh and a smile. It's usually preceeded by Evening officer, how are you tonight? I've often brought them a box of joe and some doughnuts from Dunkin Doughnuts near the 11:00pm mark. Haven't run into a problem yet, but I bet one night I'll get the LEO who's not wanting to be there and might take it as more.

 

[Correia]

Actually, the Sarge COULD have made the offending officer apologize couldn't he???

Could have, but why does that matter? Unless you're really trying to nitpick. I would have just gotten the guy out of there as fast as possible myself.

 

[antarti]

A lot of good advice above. If it were me, I'd think I wouldn't have any problem at all with the Sargeant, as he seems to have evaluated the situation properly. He even apologized for something not of his doing, which he didn't have to do. We should want more of that type of LEO around.

So Sarge would get "equal time" on the formal complaint letter for the other officer, except he would get a review as glowing as the officers review was abysmal.

 

[ArmedBear]

BTW I'd lose the skull decal.

 

[BobTheTomato]

As others have said definatley write a letter about the first officer but also make sure to praise the sarge (as others have suggested). In our society we all too often complain but never do anything about the people who do their job correctly.