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Arrested for Asking an Officer to Show Identification
The video above, which highlights an incident of police misconduct, was submitted by Rich McIsaac after he viewed the cell phone video of his brothers arrest. The abuse of power was so unsettling that he researched the correct conduct for officers during a traffic stop and discovered that not only are officers required to provide ID, if they fail to provide ID after being asked you are allowed to drive away… at least in Idaho.
Check your local regulations before you try to peel off on a cop for refusing to cooperate in your investigation. If you have a story of police misconduct, please use the submit tab to share it with us. The more cameras we point at the police the larger the blanket of transparency becomes.
My brother Dan McIsaac was pulled over late at night in a very remote part of rural Idaho (can you almost hear the creepy banjo music?). Purportedly he was pulled over for speeding. When the officer came to his car he immediately told Dan to exit the vehicle.
We all expect a police officer to ask for license and registration. But asking you to step out of your vehicle is an unusual first step and instantly triggers stress hormones. Suddenly we don’t know what’s going on or what to expect. Making matters worse is trying to see the officer and his vehicle when it’s dark and a flashlight is shining in your eyes. I can imagine that making any vulnerable person question their safety.
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Dan asked to see the police officer’s identification, as the State of Idaho instructs *. The officer refused, repeating that he was a uniformed officer in a marked car and “didn’t need to show” it. Dan called 911 to verify the police officer was legitimate. Oh, and the police officer placed him under arrest for doing this. Dan fully complied after police dispatch verified the officer’s identity. In the interest of fairness, though, I should point out that Dan did ask a second question at this point. He asked “Why am I being arrested?” The police officer would not answer.
Dan is facing ONE YEAR IN JAIL for “obstructing an officer” (asking a question) and “falsifying a 911 call” (calling to verify this was an actual police officer). Spread the word about what the the justice system is doing to our citizens by sharing this post. And please donate to Dan McIsaac’s legal fund so we can hire a lawyer and keep Dan out of jail.
What is the one question that will send you to jail? The sad answer is: Any question at all that the police don’t happen to like.
I’m left with some questions, though.
Why did an officer making a routine traffic stop demand that a citizen get out of his vehicle instead of just asking for license and registration?
Why did the officer refuse to show his identification?
What are you supposed to do if police behavior makes you question your safety?
Fund raising efforts for legal defense: https://www.gofundme.com/Help-Dan-McI…
*What to do when you’re pulled over: https://www.isp.idaho.gov/patrol/Pull…
Local news: Channel 8 coverage http://youtu.be/6SZ3-M6E3MM
Local news: Channel 6 coverage http://www.kpvi.com/news/idaho-falls-…
“If you question whether the person is actually an officer, pull over anyway and ask for identification when the person approaches you. If he or she does not produce official identification, you may leave.”
Dan’s companion also did a great job filming the interaction and narrating after he got out of the car. It is important to film the police for obvious reasons but not everyone is keen enough to verbalize what is happening if there is a camera obstruction. Obviously everything Dan is being charged with is just an attack for demanding the officer’s name to guarantee he was a cop before he stepped out of his vehicle. Hopefully by producing this video it will prove that Dan was neither obstructing the officer nor was the 911 call illegitimate when confronted by a public servant who refuses to ID themselves.
What are your thoughts?
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**WARNING EXCESSIVE BOOTLICKING IN THE VIDEO BELOW**
Arrested for Asking an Officer to Show Identification is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights
Source: http://www.copblock.org/158921/arrested-for-asking-an-officer-to-show-identification/
