Anyone ever had trouble with the police?

[igabo]

Basically what the title says.. This evening, I was out for a walk and all of a sudden decided to carry with me, a 15 MCP Thor. Now, being the idiot flashaholic I was, I shined it to the top of some (tall) trees a distance away, at the end of the street, admiring how wide, yet powerful the beam was in low mode. So then a car slows down; and I don't pay much attention to it, then I turn it off and keep walking. The car then pulls closer to me and I realize it's a police car, with another following behind.. :sweat: So the first police officer rolls down his passanger side window.

"Yes officer?" - Me

"What are you doing" - Police

"Playing around with a flashlight" - Me

"You're only going to cause trouble with it, putting it in drivers eyes.. go home." (Officer says in an angry tone) - Police

"Ok, Gotcha" - Me

(Both officers then pull into the parking lot of an apartment complex, heading to his original destination, as I walk back home)

Not too much trouble.. but has anyone else experienced anything like this? I wasn't pointing it anywhere near the street, just at the trees; even as a flashaholic, I know not to shine a 1500 + lumen light in peoples eyes.

 

[NFW]

Some people join the police force because they want to serve and protect.

Others, just because they like to wield authority.

 

[scott.cr]

Some people (this guy being a police officer notwithstanding) just tend to get a chip on their shoulder when people play with their toys in public.

I wonder, if you flashed it in his eyes, if you could have been arrested for assault?

 

[xdanx]

Yes! I was waiting for someone to create a thread like this.

Ok, One night me and my friend were riding our bikes and talking to our new

neighbors. (I was riding a bike because I am only 15). And then A man pulled

up in a van asking us if we had seen two teenagers riding around on

stolen bikes.

We answered No. Then about 10 minutes later the Sheriff Helicopter

was circling the housing track. So me and my friend decided to investigate.

We rode our Bikes up the street. Then I decided to shine my SureFire 6P at the Helicopter. (a really stupid idea ) Then The Heli's spotlight

surrounded me. So I stopped and waited for it to go away. about 5 minutes

later three squad cars pulled up and the Sheriff almost detained me untill he

saw I had a completely different bike. Then he explained that there were two

people that were jumping people for there bikes. And then left. That was the

only time I have been confronted by the Authorities.

 

[nemul]

"You're only going to cause trouble with it, putting it in drivers eyes.. go home." (Officer says in an angry tone) - Police

I would have told him to kiss my.....
I hate cops that think they're gods cause they have a badge!
You wasnt hurting anything shinning up in a tree, he just wanted to be a A-hole!

 

[Lightraven]

Igabo, I wouldn't say you were "in trouble" exactly. There could have been a reason for the officer to tell you what he did. Then again, he may have just been hassling you. There isn't enough information here to make any definite conclusions.

Here are some possibilities:
1. Report from concerned citizen about someone with an intense spotlight--some people are easily alarmed at unusual behavior. Officer now has to "deal" with the call. Doesn't want to keep getting more calls about it and asked by supervisors why he didn't "deal" with the problem the first time.

2. Officer thinks you are going to use light to bother people the second he leaves because he is used to dealing with kids playing pranks with fireworks, lasers, paintball or BB guns, shaving cream or whatever. Decides to prevent the possibility.

3. Officer is en route to a serious call nearby and doesn't want distractions or innocent passerby in the event of a pursuit, fight, raid, surveillance, armed standoff, major accident, etc.

I personally have been stopped and questioned about my actions when I am not in uniform, by police, private security, and even private citizens. In rare cases, I even get ordered around. Law enforcement officers have to put up with most of the same stuff that everybody else does.

 

[madecov]

We get lots of calls that involve juvenille's using flashlights and laser's to distract or blind drivers.
It's an annoyance and can be dangerous.

I am not trying to justify the way the Officer dealt with you or stating that you were irresponsible. Just letting you know the types of calls that we get and that the flashlight/laser problem is a bit more prevelant than you might think.

 

[CMCadenhead]

"Playing around with a flashlight" - Me

Maybe a better story, next time.

To wit:

"Thank God you're here, officer, my Auntie's parakeet Hamlet has escaped, and we need someone to climb that tree...."

Monty

 

[bikeg]

......................

Shining it at a tree I can see, but put yourself in his shoes...its nite and your running around with a lite, i would challenge you as to what you were doing too, but be gratefull, sounds like ya got some good police.
As for me, shining a light in the trees late at nite...nahhhhhh

For shining the light at the chopper, your lucky you were not arrested.

Obstructing peace officer or other public servant. (1) A person commits the offense of obstructing a peace officer or public servant if the person knowingly obstructs, impairs, or hinders the enforcement of the criminal law, the preservation of the peace, or the performance of a governmental function, including service of process.

Thought I would post that, not trying to stir up anything, just be carefull.

 

[greenLED]

I would have told him to kiss my.....
I hate cops that think they're gods cause they have a badge!
You wasnt hurting anything shinning up in a tree, he just wanted to be a A-hole!

C'mon guys, how many "normal" people walk around the nighborhood with a Thor?

If, even for a split second, that beam was to hit an on-coming vehicle, and accident could happen. From that perspective, the Officer was just doing their job - and if they were annoyed, it was probably at the perceived lack of sense of someone potentially creating a dangerous situation.

Also, without knowing the kind of neighborhood where this hapenned, the amount of traffic, exact time of day, it's hard for me to make further comments.

xdanx, shining *anything* at an aircraft is just looking for trouble. :shakehead

 

[InfidelCastro]

Inflammatory and stereotypical content removed.

 

[Navck]

Basically what the title says.. This evening, I was out for a walk and all of a sudden decided to carry with me, a 15 MCP Thor. Now, being the idiot flashaholic I was, I shined it to the top of some (tall) trees a distance away, at the end of the street, admiring how wide, yet powerful the beam was in low mode. So then a car slows down; and I don't pay much attention to it, then I turn it off and keep walking. The car then pulls closer to me and I realize it's a police car, with another following behind.. :sweat: So the first police officer rolls down his passanger side window.

"Yes officer?" - Me

"What are you doing" - Police

"Playing around with a flashlight" - Me

"You're only going to cause trouble with it, putting it in drivers eyes.. go home." (Officer says in an angry tone) - Police

"Ok, Gotcha" - Me

(Both officers then pull into the parking lot of an apartment complex, heading to his original destination, as I walk back home)

Not too much trouble.. but has anyone else experienced anything like this? I wasn't pointing it anywhere near the street, just at the trees; even as a flashaholic, I know not to shine a 1500 + lumen light in peoples eyes.

Instead
*CPFer is the policeman/women in this*
"You think thats bright?" *Handheld HID in face*

That'd be hillarious

 

[xdanx]

I know shining the light at the Helicopter was extremely stupid but I was only 14 and it was probably one of the stupidest but at least it wasn't a M6 or Thor.

 

[bikeg]

Im not touching this one.

California police are crazy (and not too bright).

The 'yes sir' and a bit of psychology is usually the best way to deal with them.


I just saw some "law and order" types posted in the thread. They're usually that way until the 'system' screws them over in a big way over nothing for the very first time.

 

[InfidelCastro]

Im not touching this one.

I know, I got a bad habit of speaking what's on my mind. Too bad more people don't feel the same way most of the time.

 

[greenLED]

Yes, Navck, you'll be laughing as the cuff you and put you in the back of the cruiser. :shakehead:

Infidel, name-calling won't get you far in this forum. If you want to go that route, the UG is the venue.

 

[InfidelCastro]

Infidel, name-calling won't get you far in this forum. If you want to go that route, the UG is the venue.

Hey green, you're a good guy, but don't you think you're being a little bit overly sensitive? There's no name calling here, just an observation.

 

[nemul]

C'mon guys, how many "normal" people walk around the nighborhood with a Thor?

If, even for a split second, that beam was to hit an on-coming vehicle, and accident could happen. From that perspective, the Officer was just doing their job - and if they were annoyed, it was probably at the perceived lack of sense of someone potentially creating a dangerous situation.

1. He could be walking around the neighborhood smoke pot or doing drugs!
also, that same on-coming vehicle could jump the curb hit and kill him too...

2. I'm blinded about 20 times a night taking my girlfriend home on the dark
highway by drivers with hi-beams on... The cop should go tell them to go home.
and what make it so bad is half know they have their brights on and dont care..

 

[InfidelCastro]

1. He could be walking around the neighborhood smoke pot or doing drugs!
also, that same on-coming vehicle could jump the curb hit and kill him too...

2. I'm blinded about 20 times a night taking my girlfriend home on the dark
highway by drivers with hi-beams on... The cop should go tell them to go home.
and what make it so bad is half know they have their brights on and dont care..

Heh, I flashed two people on the interstate tonight who couldn't be bothered to dim their lights at all when I passed by.

I haven't flashed anybody in months. Course nowadays with the new blue HID's and some of the 4X4's and 80% of people with foglights running them 100% of the time even though there's no fog you almost can't tell if they have their brights on.

 

[nemul]

Heh, I flashed two people on the interstate tonight who couldn't be bothered to dim their lights at all when I passed by.

I haven't flashed anybody in months. Course nowadays with the new blue HID's and some of the 4X4's and 80% of people with foglights running them 100% of the time even though there's no fog you almost can't tell if they have their brights on.

yea, the fog lights cut off when the brights are on...