What a waste of a luxeon!

Ok, for a little preface to my story, me and my friends were held at the police station for something very minor (never got arrested, never got a ticket in my life). I had my 2 photon lights with me - (1) photon 2, and (1) photon 3 which i just received two weeks ago, and i also had my custom luxeon flashlight.

So while we were held at the station, all the time that we were waiting there, weirdly enough, I was more concerned about getting my lights back than what was actually going to happen. I couldn't stop thinking about it as they handled my precious lights. Both my photons went into a bag, but the flashlight stayed out.

(This part really pissed me off to the max ) - one of the officers picked up my light and asked "what the hell is this thing?" i said, "uhh, a flashlight" he says "you MADE your own flashlight? ha....this isnt some toy from Men In Black, is it?" (cursing him out in my head.) I felt like telling him off so bad....how thats future technology, how it is prolly better than ANY flashlight he owns and will prolly replace the ones he uses, the bulb wont break, it produces clean white light, lasts wonders on batteries, and can last up to 10 years on continuous use. "Can your light do that??" ....i feel so stupid for letting that one go....i guess i was just scared to say anything. Then he asked what to classify it as, cuz my 2 photons went in a bag. The other officer said "you know what you classify it as?...right there in that garbage can..." That pissed me off so bad. What a freaking waste! I special ordered the two switches on that light, the luxeon star LED, the Ni-MH batteries cost $20 USD, so it was about a $50 light. I still can't get over it.
(I'm glad I ordered 2 more luxeon stars a little before this all happened)

One funny thing...the officer turned it on and looked at the luxeon, but the optic piece was gone (musta fell off when i dropped it)...but anyway i saw the officer try to get his vision back like it blinded him....oh i soooooo wish it woulda had the optics on it when he did that!

Sorry for the long story...it just really pisses me off...ppl's ignorance of technology and they don't understand how us flashaholics feel ...i guess losing a good flashlight is like losing a close friend lol

There should be some kind of recourse. Police officers should NOT be allowed to STEAL your personal property - which is what they did. They STOLE your flashlight and then threw it in the garbage. Isn't there a law regarding how officers handle somebody's property? Why would they throw it away if it worked?

Any chance you can get to their dipsty-dumpster before the garbage truck comes?

This is outrageous!
Isn't it possible to file a complaint?
Charge them for theft or something?

What!!! What?!?!? You didn't dig it out you didn't take down his name? I'd complain to somone above him, it's like somone said earlier about a big headed Radio Shack manager, talk to his district manager to deflate him...Big headed cop? Talk to the chief. I know I wasn't there and so I don't know the whole situation but I am feeling (almost) just as steamed as you are!

Maybe he tossed it because he was mad that it blinded him. Either way it was just wroooooooong!

NShift-just go back to the station and Politely request the return of all your NON-contraband property-you have a legal right to it! (A.S.A.P.)

-Failing that,-a $7. filing fee with small claims court will do the trick, and you should (upon refusal of return) inform the "O.D."-supervisor at the police station of your intentions.
Good Luck.

Ok, well i haven't given u guys the full story....but in short, we got arrested for trespassing by an old vacant building...so they kept flashlights and some tool and stuff in a seperate bag. And i'm thinking maybe since they didnt know what to classify my light as, they just decided to keep it out. Maybe if it qualified fully as a flashlight, they would have put it in with the stuff we didn't get back. I'm not sure if they threw it out (yet), but it didnt go into any bags. They put my two photons in a bag, which i got back later (thank God). I didn't bother asking if they could put it in the bag w/my photons...i guess i was afraid to say anything, but when I was ready to ask, nobody came around anymore.

I told my parents they should go back and see if they can get it back, but they told me to just make another one and take it as a loss. But it still pisses me off whenever i think about it. I don't think i'll ever let that one down.

Originally posted by NightShift:
Ok, well i haven't given u guys the full story....but in short, we got arrested for trespassing by an old vacant building...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Too much time spent reading the UE thread on DSM talk eh? So what building was it then...old school or what? When do I get to see the pics or did they take the camera? Or did you not have a camera?

Sabby, whats the "UE"(?) thread on "DSM"(?) talk? We went into some insane asylum hospital thats been shut down for years...didn't break in...everything was open. No we didn't bring a camera thank goodness.

Nightshift,
I feel your pain ......

Was that your "Favorite non-incandescent flashlight" ?

I'm sure you're entitled to have it back, and the officer was way out of line to trash your property. Is there anyone you can ask to represent you, an authority figure or something, doctor, teacher, whatever ?

Jahn

litelover, yes that was my favorite non-incandescent flashlight. A day or two before it was taken from me, I had transferred the design into a new package. But now I am going to make the new one in a better package, minus the night vision light since i won't be going on anymore night missions ...The package I had it in wasn't too great anyway, but im still pissed they made fun of it and took it. My luxeons will arrive tomorrow thank goodness.

The day after I was released, I got new 3D & 2AA silver flashlights...they helped ease the pain I guess lol...they are nice. But even my dad said "we are going to miss that light."

Dunedain, we were released from jail with a court date and told to get a lawyer...so we weren't let off easy...they made a mountain out of a molehill. But we have a few things against the officers that just might get the charges dropped and the case thrown out of court

Yes, I don't intend to do anything like that again...that was a nightmare what they put us through. I totally didn't deserve that...never got a ticket, never in trouble w/the law....I mean c'mon, I build electronics and fix computers for fun...like the officer said..I MADE my own flashlight

Originally posted by Dunedain:
NightShift, the officer was a coward. He was wrong to "verbaly abuse" you.
That being said, you knew you were trespassing and in so doing breaking the law. Consider that light a small price to pay for getting out without being fined,etc.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">The light was the WRONG price to pay for getting out without being fined. Where's the due process of law? It'd be like getting stopped for speeding, and the officer going "I'm not going to write you a ticket this time" as he smashes your headlight. That's not justice, it's tyranny. It has no place in a free society.

The police should have more professionalism than that-- much more. Any personal item taken from him should have been catalogued and then returned, whether the officers thought highly or poorly of it. Furthermore, if they didn't think highly of his property, they should have remained silent.

What happened to NightShift amounts to a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">NightShift-- don't hesitate to get your personal property back. Ask someone to assist you in this, as has been suggested earlier. A teacher, a coach, your pastor/preacher/rabbi/sensei, SOMEBODY. Maybe someone from the newspaper or local television news team. Let the police know that neither you nor others in your town will put up with being victimized.

I dont really understand the situation, but I see it like this:

--You were trespassing, got arrested for it, and were brought to the local station. You personal property was inventoried while you were there. You were cited and released pending a court date?

--While you were there, were you given or did you sign some sort of property inventory/receipt?

--Since the incident, have you tried to get it back?

--dan

Security took us back to their office, waited for the cops, then they cuffed us and brought us to the station where we were cuffed to the desk from 2am-9:30am, then taken to the district court/jail and held in a cell for 7 hours, then faced the judge for charges and a pending court date.

I'm pretty sure the cops messed up big time. Cuz we were not read our rights, they didn't allow us a phone call, they forced us to sign 3 documents while cuffed to the desk without letting us read any of it. And the 5th Amendment does say that "...nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." ...wasn't i deprived of my property?...it wasnt even classified as anything...just thrown out! I have wanted to get it back, but my parents told me to just let it go.

NightShift, if you were detained for trespassing in an abandoned building in the middle of the night, wouldn't property on your person such as flashlights used in the "caper" be considered reasonable evidence? If so, and there is indeed a trial, the flashlight may still reappear as an exhibit. If the flashlight is being held for such, it's the right of the people to secure it until then. You can attempt to regain it after the trial or should the charges be dropped.

Anyway, if the officers discarded flashlights or tools used in a suspected crime that is expected to be prosecuted, I'd question their competence as much as their integrity.

Ah, well, somone posted it awhile back but here is is again. When you get to the part about the haunted school, that school is in my town. Other end of town though, maybe 4 miles away from my house. Driving range (Car driving) where you practice parallel parking and junk is just across the street

(UE, Urban Exploration, exploring old hospitals, schools, and stuff like that)

Originally posted by NightShift:

I'm pretty sure the cops messed up big time. Cuz we were not read our rights, they didn't allow us a phone call, they forced us to sign 3 documents while cuffed to the desk without letting us read any of it.

I have wanted to get it back, but my parents told me to just let it go.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">In what way were you forced? Why did you sign them if you didn't get to read them? Why weren't you allowed a phone call?

Did they ever once use the word "arrest"?

Why didn't you tell that first judge you weren't Mirandized and you were forced to sign unread documents?

To all that have given advise, I believe that you are correct. Please keep in mind that nightshift is young and I am going to guess that it is his first time involved with the police. There is a great deal of shock the first time the old shiny bracelets are snapped on. All the shoulda/woulda comes later AFTER you are released and in a safe place (home).
Also keep in mind that if you are in a small town and **** off a lawman, you go on the s*** list.
That being said, nightshift needs to have a lawyer on his side and let the lawyer do all the talking.
I say this from personal experience. Your mileage may vary.

Well, I made my third version - prolly my best and neatest yet But the light is very yellowish which is disappointing: