Pulling Over Vs. Fleeing And Eluding

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
07/06/2015 at 13:55 • Filed to: None

We have !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! how one shoud behave during a traffic stop if one wants to minimize the odds of being ticketed. As an attorney I have to inform you that regardless of anything anyone tells you - even an attorney - it can all go out the window with the wrong cop.

I introduce you to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . A college student at Saginaw Valley State University. He was out driving when a police officer decided to pull him over for suspicion of having driven on a sidewalk. DaJuawn saw the lights go on and decided to look for a well-lit place to pull over. As one of my law professors would like to note, here is a KEY FACT: Wallace is from Detroit.

A mile and a half later, he pulled over and was promptly arrested and later charged with the felony of fleeing and eluding.

So, for all of the people who told me that you always have carte blanche to drive around and look for a nice place to pull over, you might want to rethink that.

I am not saying that Wallace is 100% in the right here, nor am I saying the police are in the wrong. We do not have all the facts, nor do we know how this will shake out. They have offered Wallace a deal - which, so far, he has turned down.

The real takeaway here is that there is a lot of slop in the law. Bright lines? Rarely. Use your best judgment and try to be reasonable. And hope the officer is reasonable as well.

I’ll keep you informed as to what happens with this one.

EDIT : For the curious, the Michigan statute on Fleeing and Eluding !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I’d argue that If everything the police officers said is true, this still isn’t a case of Fleeing and Eluding. But hey, read the statute yourself.

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Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 23 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.

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DISCUSSION (100)

Jcarr > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 13:58

I’ve often heard that if you want to find a well-lit place to pull over that you should turn your dome light on as a signal.

True, or just internet legend?

Pixel > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:01

Not saying the cop was entirely in the right here, but a mile and a half? I can see why the cop might consider it a refusal to stop at that point.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:02

Would Mr. Wallace’s encounter have been a little different if he had a different complexion?

Azrek > Jcarr
07/06/2015 at 14:03

I threw my hazards on the one time a State Trooper grabbed me so he knew I wasn’t going to run, but where I was there wasn’t a good spot for us to ‘talk’ for another 100meters or so.

450X_FTW > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:03

Supreme court ruled that a cop not knowing the law is not their fault (in more words than that), how far can a cop take this? Can they pull you over for “violating a no yellow shirts on saturday during leap year law”. Sounds like with the SCOUTS ruling they can stop anyone while driving and just make up a reason regardless of it being against the law or not. true/false?

Margin Of Error > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:04

I’ve been pulled over for jaywalking, tried to elude, didn’t worked.

dogisbadob > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:08

The governor needs to pardon this guy now.

He didn’t even get the ticket for driving on the sidewalk.

BigBlock440 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/06/2015 at 14:08

Doubtful, cops are assholes to white people too. Not sure how he was driving, but a mile and a half may have pissed the cop off enough regardless of skin tone, and assuming it was dark (the need for a well-lit place) the cop would not have known ahead of time. I also wonder if the vehicle was marked or unmarked, because anyone conducting traffic stops with an unmarked car is an asshole looking for trouble.

McMike > Margin Of Error
07/06/2015 at 14:10

Can’t blame you. You were probably just looking for a nice soft place to be thown to the ground.

Party-vi > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:13

If you see lights you should pull over as soon as safely possible. You can then request to move your vehicle to another location. I had a cop pull me over on a busy 3-lane highway with no shoulder and I hung a left into a residential neighborhood and turn the car off. I was then chewed out for not pulling over promptly and was told that the officer will determine if he/she are in a safe area to conduct your traffic stop.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > BigBlock440
07/06/2015 at 14:15

This quote from the cop pretty much sums it up for me. DWB

Saginaw Valley State University Police Officer Leon Wilson wrote in his police report that he initiated a traffic stop on Wallace because his vehicle fit the description of a car that he observed driving on a sidewalk on the SVSU campus. Wilson lost sight of the vehicle. “I was uncertain about the make and the model of the vehicle, but this vehicle looked like the same color and was leaving the immediate area,”

Margin Of Error > McMike
07/06/2015 at 14:15

They broke my Windows phone in the process.

OPPOsaurus WRX > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:15

This kind of happened to me over the winter. I pass the police station on my way to work and the cop that pulled onto the street behind me put on his lights. I’m sure your aware of the snow the northeast had to I put on my blinker to pull over but there really was no over. Fortunately he got sick of waiting and pulled to the left and sped off. I kinda felt like a dick at that point for slowing him down.

BKosher84 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/06/2015 at 14:24

Go ask Gawker.com :)

BKosher84 > Margin Of Error
07/06/2015 at 14:25

And nothing of value was lost.. You could, in fact, say that the cops helped you in that situation... lol.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Margin Of Error
07/06/2015 at 14:27

Were you trying to film them, or is the Windows Phone just that shitty?

Ash78, voting early and often > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:31

I’ve had this issue before and always flash my hazards and roll down the window to wave at the cop. I then proceed at or below the speed limit to the next safe place. The two times I’ve been pulled for speeding in rural areas, the cop never mentioned it. Maybe it weighed against me, but I’m sick of hearing about impersonation scammers. Not worth the risk.

Danny > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:33

I pull over right away even if it means blocking the right lane. I’ve had cops tell me to proceed to a safer spot over the loudspeaker. I’d rather let them be responsible for where we’re pulled over.

Margin Of Error > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/06/2015 at 14:34

It fell from my man purse when I tripped over a manhole cover. Not wearing flip-flops anymore.

SteveLehto > Jcarr
07/06/2015 at 14:37

A good idea but nothing is carved in stone.

SteveLehto > Pixel
07/06/2015 at 14:37

Refusal to stop versus fleeing and eluding.

SteveLehto > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/06/2015 at 14:38

Yes.

SteveLehto > BigBlock440
07/06/2015 at 14:39

I think he was pulled over due to the lateness of the hour. I suspect the arrest may have had other implications.

450X_FTW > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/06/2015 at 14:39

“uncertain about the make and model”. So basically an SUV that appears to be a similar color. That narrows it down plenty #sarcasm

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:40

Whenever I see the blue lights (cops in NC don’t use red), I throw on the 4-way flashers and slow to a pace slightly lower than traffic. Then I wait for a safe place and pull over. Like a well-lit parking lot or a populated business. Long-haired, bearded white guys covered in tattoos like me already look like criminals so I take no chances.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
07/06/2015 at 14:49

Funny thing is (and maybe it’s just me), but the rougher they look, the nicer they actually are...

Pixel > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:51

Like I said, never said the cop was entirely right. In fact he seems like he was a dick, but I can sorta understand where the cop could get worked up about it. A clearer head somewhere else in the judicial system should prevail though.

SteveLehto > Pixel
07/06/2015 at 14:53

Yes. My primary point is that this doesn’t sound at all like fleeing OR eluding. Which would require some actual fleeing or eluding. Failure to stop is one thing. They clearly over charged the guy.

But it gets back to my prior piece. People repeatedly told me that you can always take your sweet time to pull over, after you find a nice well-lit spot. That clearly is not the case all the time.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 14:59

True that. I was pulled over one night because I clipped a curb trying to make a turn at a unfamiliar intersection. I, being a college freshman trying to find my way to my friend’s house at 2 am, nearly crapped my pants when the lights came on. I got let off with the cop walking away saying “Nah, you’re not drunk, just a bad driver” and not even a call to my parents or anything since I couldn’t find valid registration. I had valid registration for the past 5 years of the car (and only 2 of those years were under our family’s name) but forgot the most recent one.

Snooder87 > BigBlock440
07/06/2015 at 15:13

Yeah, who drives for a mile and a half? Even if I’m on a fucking mountain road with no shoulder I’m pulling over right the fuck when the cop tells me to. I’m not the one getting out of the car, if he wants me to pull further forward so he won’t get run over, he can tell me to.

BigBlock440 > Snooder87
07/06/2015 at 15:24

I mean, if it’s late at night, I can see wanting to get to a gas station or somewhere that has lights. You don’t exactly know who’s in the car with the flashing lights.

James May is my spirit animal > BKosher84
07/06/2015 at 15:33

“ARRESTED FOR DRIVING WHILE BLACK ”

"ARE AMERICAN COPS THE RACIST PIGS THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN OR ARE WE TURNING A NEW LEAF IN SOCIAL JUSTICE?"

faaipdeoiad > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
07/06/2015 at 15:35

Amen, brother. I’m in the same boat. (Originally from NC, too)

Thank god mama raised me to always say “yes sir” and “no sir;” that alone has probably gotten me out of more trouble than I can comprehend.

Cigarette Butt Plug > Pixel
07/06/2015 at 15:36

The Detroit part is key here, they have had quite a bit of trouble keeping street lights and even traffic lights functioning.

iska2000 > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:36

“...he initiated a traffic stop on Wallace because his vehicle fit the description of a car that he observed driving on a sidewalk on the SVSU campus. Wilson lost sight of the vehicle.

“I was uncertain about the make and the model of the vehicle, but this vehicle looked like the same color and was leaving the immediate area,” Wilson wrote.”

I’m curious as to what the expected outcome was on the part of the cop for his justification for this traffic stop in the first place.

“Uh. Did you drive on the sidewalk awhile ago?”

“No.”

“Erm. You’re... Free to go?”

Seems to me that for a legitimate traffic stop you should have to articulate a better reason than “Uhm, I think it was like, the same color as a car that I thought I saw doing something mildly wrong, but I’m not too sure.”

mad_adam > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:37

Isn’t there protection in these cases for calling 911 or other emergency numbers to make sure the person pulling you over is in fact a police officer? My girlfriend was recently pulled over and when she told me she just stopped on a dark, desolate country road I suggested in the future she use her hazard signal and dome light as a signal that she acknowledges the officer and make the phone call without stopping just to be on the safe side.

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:38

Kinja'd!!!

DivideXZero > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:38

PSA: Dear Black people,
White people rules are different than Black people rules. Whatever your white friend said might be a good idea to do during a traffic stop, do the exact opposite. Find a safe place to pull over? NO, just pull over. Turn off the iginition? NO, you MIGHT be “reaching” for something, just park.

Do not worry, Driving while Black is a misdemeanor in most states, so you should be out by morning.

I_AmDeath > Party-vi
07/06/2015 at 15:38

On the upside of things odds are if another car is going to hit the cop it’s not your fault and the cruiser should provide a nice barrier to keep you safe.

samssun > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:38

A mile and a half is a while to drive with lights behind you, guessing they got irritated. Easy solution is flip on the turn signal to acknowledge you’re pulling over. I’ve had lights go on while on busy roads, signaled, and turned off the main road and then again into a neighborhood..

Guess they can arrest you for anything, but a video of you moving over, signaling, and then turning off some place quiet and lit should make for an easy (lack of) case.

Dy-no-mite Jay > BigBlock440
07/06/2015 at 15:39

Black people do get it worse...

bryan40oop > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:39

You can’t outrun a radio. I’ve tried, not a fun experience.

Pending Approval > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:39

this is my response to everyone who says cops abuse citizens rights. While that may be true, when a cop has a gun and you don’t, all your rights are entirely up to the cop. if you feel wronged, take it to a judge later.

BigGatorChris > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:39

Bondsman here.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I don’t care what the statutes read. Neither does the cop. Neither does the guy who’s going to be booking you seven hours from now.

If the cop wants you somewhere else, he will get on his PA and tell you to move. Your life may depend on this. Seriously.

User1312 > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:39

I’ve heard of people calling 911 to confirm that the car pulling them over is indeed the police before actually pulling over. There are right and wrong ways to do things. I’d suggest keeping in mind that the officer pulling you over has every right to think that you may try to kill him/her, and suggest you be patient and accommodating within reason.

Then there are just some cops that are assholes. Not sure which one Wallace found, guessing the latter..

mcbenz > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:40

Back in high school I got away with a slap on the wrist for not having my license or insurance on me after getting pulled over for blocking a intersection halfway through (it was a red light and busy, traffic stopped unexpectedly and I happen to be the one blocking cross traffic). It was the 2nd day I got the car, my father forgot to give me back my DL after needing it to put me on the insurance policy. Cop told me to go back home and get my stuff. I just ignored and went on to the carnival that was in town.

Dy-no-mite Jay > McMike
07/06/2015 at 15:40

That should have been COTD!

DCV > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:40

Kinja'd!!!

I_AmDeath > Danny
07/06/2015 at 15:40

Exactly, it’s not your job to look out for someone else’s safety and they are allowed to choose how much danger they are in.

macshome > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:41

Here in NC the police departments advise that you not stop until you find a safe place to do so. Acknowledge that you see the lights, but find a gas station or what not.

All the results of a “blue light bandit” scare a few years ago.

Emerald > Pixel
07/06/2015 at 15:41

On the flip side though, I know of literally dozens of roads around where I live that don’t have a safe place to pull off to the side for that far or farther.

Skamanda > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:42

So, I got curious about where he got pulled over. I’d seen this headline earlier today, and thought it was an SVSU student that got pulled over IN Detroit, not an SVSU student that got pulled over by SVSU.

So, here’s the google maps link to the Sam’s Club he pulled over at. The college campus is a short ways north of there, on the same main road. Pull it up on Street View. Go all the way north to campus if you’d like. I count no less than 11 parking lots with street lights between the intersection of Bay and Liberty, where the flashers went on, and the Sam’s Club where he pulled over.

Now, when I thought this was in Detroit I’d assumed that he was legitimately looking for a safe, lit place to park that wasn’t in traffic on a freeway with tiny shoulders, or paved like the Lunar surface. Instead, it’s a fairly mundane country highway with many, good places to pull off every few hundred feet. And he went a mile and a half... I have no doubts that in the middle of nowhere like that, there’s an above average chance he got pulled over for DWB - but it was 2am. There’s an above average chance that it wasn’t light enough outside for a prejudiced person to even notice the ethnicity of the driver until he stuck his arm out the window.

If he’d have just pulled over into one of the dozen or so places he had the chance to - two of which were within 300 yards of the intersection the cruiser lit up at, this could’ve just been a traffic stop. Perhaps this is a police officer going overboard. Perhaps he needed the extra time to dispose of evidence (perhaps his arm going out the window was part of that, rather than somehow being some sort of signal to the officer). Perhaps he really was just looking for a place to pull over, and for some reason none of the other dozen or so parking lots were lit up, like they are pretty much everywhere else, even at 2am. We may or may not ever find out. Time will tell - but his side of it seems pretty odd...

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:42

From my experience with being pulled over (just once), it was during rush hour. I found an off ramp and pulled into a well lit gas station. I fucked up, but I did not want the cop in a dangerous spot.

Dy-no-mite Jay > BaconSandwich is tasty.
07/06/2015 at 15:42

He was referring to himself as rough, bearded and tattooed. Plus his name is WhitetrashSteve.....

SteveLehto > Skamanda
07/06/2015 at 15:43

Still, it isn’t fleeing and eluding.

thedirtycajun > Danny
07/06/2015 at 15:44

that is exactly what i do. let them call me an idiot on the loud speaker. better than me calling home from a jail cell.

b5dood > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:45

our justice system is fucked...

Titanius Anglesmith > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:46

Saginaw Valley used to be my favorite state in the union before URBAN RUFFIANS like him screwed it up.

TXNIL > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:46

I was stopped once (for doing 75 in a 70, along with about 15 other cars, but I was a young kid in a Charger R/T, and the rest were soccer moms in SUVs - but that’s another story...) while on a road with single-lane (or less) shoulders and concrete walls on either side and in the median.

When the officer got behind me, I slowed, turned on my turn signal, waved my hand to acknowledge him, and took the next exit (which happened to be the one I needed to take anyway). Immediately after exiting, I pulled in to the empty parking lot of the bank on the corner and rolled down my window.

His first response was “Don’t you know to pull over when a cop has his lights on?”

My response was “Did you want me to stop in the middle of traffic where you and I might get run over?”

He looked at me oddly and asked for my license and registration.

I got a ticket that time.

Another time, similar circumstance (a State Trooper this time, not a local officer) actually greeted me by saying “Thanks for signalling me and getting off the road like that. Do you have family in law enforcement?” (I don’t.) I didn’t even get a written warning, just a verbal.

The cop makes a huge difference. If it’s a guy that’s all about showing you he’s the boss, and compliance at any cost, then you’re in trouble no matter what you do. If it’s a normal guy just doing his job, and you make your intentions clear, you’ll likely be fine.

Tekamul > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:47

In 1996 (97?) I was pulled over for speeding by a state cop headed the opposite direction on a two lane road at the crest of a hill. I pulled over immediately, before he even turned around and came back into view.

He verbally berated me for pulling over too soon. On an empty road with no one around but him. He made me get out of the car and sit in the cop car while he ran my paperwork and berated me some more.

Some guys are just assholes.

BrianRad > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:47

If I’m being pulled over on a roadway I will put on my hazards and proceed to a spot that is safe for me and the officer. Nine times out of ten the cop understands and may even thank you.

I’m not saying mile(s) but a few hundred feet to a wider shoulder.

STEVOH > Party-vi
07/06/2015 at 15:48

I’ve been pulled over on an exit ramp, I pulled to the side of the exit ramp and waited. The cop just spoke on the loud speaker saying I could move up to the next road and pull over in the breakdown lane there. I pulled over immediately because I figured a shitty cop on the wrong day would say I was eluding.

emilminty drives an E30 but the '89 Cavalier blew a head gasket > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:48

Steve - completely unrelated to this post (not that this wasn’t interesting), what’s the legality of flashing your highbeams to warn of a speed trap? I used to see people do it all the time when I was first driving (30 years ago or so), but I rarely see it any more. Has something changed in the law, or just in people’s habits? Came up in a discussion with my wife this weekend, who’d never heard of the custom, but she grew up out west and learned to drive late.

Reub > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:49

They have offered Wallace a deal - which, so far, he has turned down.

What do I have to click on to learn what was in the deal and why he turned it down?

SteveLehto > BrianRad
07/06/2015 at 15:49

And then one time out of ten you find yourself being pummeled about the face and head by two cops who forgot that their dashcam is on.

humz > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:50

There is definitely a lot of information missing to make a totally accurate decision on what exactly happened. That being said, I do agree that it is probably far more accurate to charge him failure to stop, rather than eluding. The fact that he is refusing a plea deal indicates to me that he feels like he has a real case against the charges being held up in court. Obviously not 100% of the time, but frequently, people who take plea agreements do so because they know that it is the best possible outcome for their case, whereas people that reject a plea deal and hold out, tend to do so because they feel like they would have a good chance of winning their case if it were to go to trial.

Ultimately, I have no idea what his exact actions were once the police lights went on. It seems like the best thing to do would be as some other commenters have suggested, give any indication you can that you intend to pull over (turn your hazards on, reduce your speed, turn dome light on, etc.), while still sticking to your guns, and finding what you deem a safe place to pull over. It isn’t always just about the safety from traffic, but the safety of yourself from all types of crazy things. We have all seen more than one story over the years of people pretending to be cops and pulling people over, or even real cops doing very illegal things.

I will be curious to see how this all pans out, and I truly hope that the courts see through the fog. I have been pulled over and harassed by the police for literally doing nothing wrong, other than “seeming suspicious” and I know how frustrating and disheartening it feels. Here is hoping for the best!

leelze > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/06/2015 at 15:50

I’m white and once had an old, small town cop threaten to call my boss and get me fired. *shrug* Some cops are , just bitter assholes and/or love lording over us common folk

SteveLehto > emilminty drives an E30 but the '89 Cavalier blew a head gasket
07/06/2015 at 15:50

Believe it or not, people still do it. And some cops will hasssle you for it.

And some people have fought the tickets on First Amendment grounds. After all, it is simply speech.

Google it. You’ll find some fascinating cases on it.

Kuhat > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:51

I literally just read this on mLive and came to Jalopnik to send it to you. Glad to know you’re one step ahead

SteveLehto > Kuhat
07/06/2015 at 15:51

Thanks!

Justbrowsing > 450X_FTW
07/06/2015 at 15:51

Man, if the scouts are making these legal decisions.... they can’t even set up a tent in less than 30 minutes...

Mad-Jasper > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:52

By the cop’s own admission the road was poorly lit.

“The driver made no attempt to pull over and stop. I observed the driver stick his hands out of the window a couple of times. I did not see the driver throw anything from the vehicle, though it was dark and the road was poorly lit,” Wilson wrote

And to this kid’s credit, he’s not playing the race card, although he may be very well right in doing so.

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/i…

ericericcsoon > Party-vi
07/06/2015 at 15:52

Turning the car off is usually a big no-no.

Remember dialing "popcorn" for the time? > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/06/2015 at 15:52

You were doing what you should!

450X_FTW > Justbrowsing
07/06/2015 at 15:53

Yeah yeah I know. damn typo’s and I’m past the 15 minute edit a comment window

Crizzle > Skamanda
07/06/2015 at 15:53

I would have driven to the place where I knew they had cameras in the parking lot too.

the_AUGHT > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:53

Exactly, if a pig wants to become bacon.. let him. Pull over right away, even if its unsafe to do so, at that point its on him to decide what to do, you did your part, and wont get your ass beaten for “eluding”/

Think! aka anotherburner111122223333 > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:53

When I first got my license, I took some of the guys out for a night before football game carb up. On the way home, inadvertantly didn’t have lights on (it was brightly lit area), may have been speeding too. Got lit up on tight 4 lane road. Decided to continue to side road.

Well, bout 1/2 mile later pulled down side street, not realizing I had crossed state lines (RI to MA). 4 RI cops and 3 from MA pull behind. They pull me out and my front passenger. Rear 4 passengers left in back. MA cops had good laugh at dumb high schoolers. RI was pissed. Let me go telling me to bring everyone straight home. No ticket at all. Whew!

Urambo Tauro > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
07/06/2015 at 15:53

This should be all you need to avoid suspicion of flight. The flashers show that you have seen the officer and are in the process of complying. The low speed makes it even more obvious. After activating the 4-ways, I think it’s reasonable to expect a full stop within the next sixty seconds. Heck, if I was an officer I’d give you double that. Two minutes; plenty of time.

Skinnayyyy > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:54

I got pulled over by a Michigan State Trooper once, and apparently he had a rough day. He turned on his flashers while we were on a bridge over I75 and so I thought to myself, don’t stop on the bridge, because hey, who knows what could happen? Right? then I crossed the street and turned into a hotel parking lot and parked out of the way to be completely out of the way of danger for the cop and not block traffic. I also turned on my flashers immediately after the lights went on.

As soon as the trooper came up to my window he was yelling at me because I didn’t pull over immediately. (I pulled over like 15 seconds later) I also apologized and said I’m sorry officer.. which got me yelled at again because he’s a state trooper, not an officer.

tl;dr; Law enforcement can be dicks for no reason.

johannes356 > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:54

I have thrown the hazards on before with no complaints, but then again I didnt go a mile and a half further and it wasnt 2am, detroit, and I am not African American.

satalac > ericericcsoon
07/06/2015 at 15:54

Why is that? I’ve always done it when pulled over and never had any kind of trouble.

Skamanda > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:54

I don’t disagree - it’s just a really dumb thing to do. I don’t see why there’s any reason to give him any more than some other applicable moving violation, if they really feel the need. Especially considering that (despite likely authority as part of the local PD) this is a campus-cop, and not an officer that’s typically supposed to be dealing with things miles off-campus. It’s not like a short, low speed “chase” through podunk north Saginaw is comparable to what the fleeing and eluding charge is really there for. Small towns get boring, though. Someone rolling through with a loud sound system would probably scare people into calling in terrorist attacks out there...

waffle_blocks > iska2000
07/06/2015 at 15:55

nah, trying to pull over the car was ok. He wasn’t looking for a guy that drove on the sidewalk. He was looking for a DUI.

BigBlock440 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
07/06/2015 at 15:56

I’m assuming DWB means driving while black thanks to another commentor, and if so, how would the cop have known he was black?

DaJuawn Wallace said he didn’t stop immediately when prompted by police at 2 a.m.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I did not see the driver throw anything from the vehicle, though it was dark and the road was poorly lit,” Wilson wrote.

Skamanda > Crizzle
07/06/2015 at 15:56

There were multiple car dealerships (which tend to leave their lights on at night, so you see the product), a self storage (typically lit and secured by camera), a church, a bank, a liquor store, a check cashing/easy finance place. Plenty of places to stop before he’d gone a mile and a half.

chicagoE36 > DCV
07/06/2015 at 15:56

ACAB

MatthewHokie03 > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 15:57

I realized once so quickly that I was caught speeding on I-81, I pulled over to the right shoulder immediately and before the cop could turn his lights on. The cop barely had time to merge from his hiding position between the two highway directions. He thought it was funny I had pulled over so quickly and took it as a frank admission of guilt. He gave me a warning with a smirk and sent me on my way. After that I always pull over as soon as I can.

massholenation > Danny
07/06/2015 at 15:58

I completely agree, if they’re gonna pull me over then they will have to deal with the conditions of the location and then make me move afterwards so that I’m not “fleeing”. I also have a bad driving record so I expect a ticket when I get pulled over already...I have gotten better but I used to deliver pizza back in college and some cops were cool, others were not.

asmallcat > Skinnayyyy
07/06/2015 at 15:59

You definitely had an encounter with someone who either peaked in high school, or didn’t think they were taken seriously enough in high school.

TheChurchofGeorgeMichael > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 16:00

Personally when I see the lights on, I have my pants already and lube on hand ready to go. It makes being screwed by the law easier and more palatable.

asmallcat > BigGatorChris
07/06/2015 at 16:00

How about no. The law-abiding population should not be in fear of its police force. It should be the other way around. If this is the way the police want us to act, then, well...

FUCK. THE. PO. LICE.

FIlandro > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 16:01

Pull over when you can safely, as in “not on a bridge”. But I learned long ago: Don’t pull over somewhere extra special (great lighting, extra wide shoulder, etc), if it takes any extra time to get there. I’ve seen people pull over way to early, out of panic... blocking part of a lane, etc. Don’t panic like that either.

idriveayak > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 16:01

I thought this was gonna be a “Well-you’re-fucked-anyways-This-is-how-you-evaluate-when-to-go-fer-it-and-how-to-get-away” article. Disappointed.

SlingshotEngage > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 16:01

Did that happen in this story? It seems like Kinja is rubbing off. Your stories and comments usually seem more impartial and level. Well, for an attorney anyways. ; )

5mtFXT > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 16:02

Lehto, please go represent this kid.

ggrady > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 16:02

I think there are a lot of legends in regards to being pulled over. In my 10 years in the States, as an immigrant, every single time i was pulled over, it was for a good reason.

I always turn the hazards on when they pull behind me, lower all windows, turn music off and dome lights on.

Never had a single issue.

ericericcsoon > satalac
07/06/2015 at 16:03

First time I got pulled over the cop laid into me for doing so. I asked my cousin, a state trooper, about it and he let me know that it makes them nervous you’re going to jump out and run/attack. I’m in New England and this may just be my experience.

A cursory google search proves me wrong. So, jackass I am...

Alan > SteveLehto
07/06/2015 at 16:04

Best place to stop is in the blind spot of a cloverloop interchange. Its a game of chicken that they don’t like to play. If he takes time to stop and use the PA he’s risking getting hit, not you and he knows it. Then he will drive off and find another mark.

Boter > Skinnayyyy
07/06/2015 at 16:05

Ugh, people getting mad when you call them “officer” is the worst. You’re a law enforcement officer, I don’t care and likely won’t know your formal title and it’s obvious I’m trying to be respectful.