If you tire of more and more simple things being criminalized and used to extract money from you at every turn, you might consider taking some time to learn law and put it into practical application.

I was recently arrested at home for what started as having a tail light out.

As I do not take such things lightly, I will be pursuing the matter and detailing my thoughts and actions here. Real change begins with you and I standing up for our rights and holding those who would violate them accountable for their actions.

Close Encounters of the Police Kind

I was out and about, returning from dropping my daughters off with my wife and almost home when bright red and blue lights appeared behind me.

Being dark, and not knowing who was seemingly trying to get my attention, I decided to continue the last block and a half to my home before stopping. I did not speed up or do anything to indicate that I was attempting to lose my pursuer, but I also did not stop immediately.

By doing so, I was standing on my right to be safe ( the one behind me could have been someone impersonating an officer...and there was no one about and it was dark ) while not opening myself to any claims of fleeing an officer ( hence the reason for not speeding up or making sudden evasive moves ).

As I stepped out of my car and greeted the man running towards me, I was rudely ignored as he proceeded to fire off questions, demanding that I explain why I did not stop immediately.

As calmly as I could, I simply noted that yes I saw his lights, no I did not know who he was or why there were lights, and that I felt safer continuing home for any pending encounter.

Making my Life Hard

Of course, the officer ignored my clear, concise answers and demanded that I provide a "license and proof of insurance". Knowing full well that we have no duty to speak with a police officer, especially when not being charged with a crime, I declined to provide any information and asked him if I was under arrest for some crime.

Ignoring me again, he simply noted that he needed me to provide a drivers license and proof of insurance. I again declined, asking if I was obligated to do so and what would happen should I fail to do either or both.

Falsely Imprisoned (Arrested)

At that point I guess he decided that I was under arrest as he asked me to turn around and put my hands behind my back.

Rather than complying ( which is construed as your agreeing to be arrested ), I asked him if I was under arrest. He immediately answered yes and so I let him go about his silliness. Clearly he did not know that one can only be arrested for certain things...and having a tail light out and/or asking questions are not among them.

Unlawfully Searched

He then proceeded to try and search me, which I stopped momentarily by noting that I did not consent to being searched.

I can only guess the officer believed I was lawfully under arrest as he sneered and noted that I didn't have a choice in the matter and then proceeded to search me, taking my change, wallet, keys, etc.

An Offer and a Refusal

After spending some time in a holding cell down at the station, the door was opened, I was offered my things, and the officer tried to hand me two offers, one he called something like a "Notice of Infraction for Having a Taillight out" and the other he called something like a "Notice of Infraction for failing to cooperate with a police officer".

I politely said thanks, but no thanks, gathered up my things, and asked about getting a ride back to where I was abducted from, it being dark and cold out.

The officers rude response, "You best start walking" (or something along those lines) was uncalled for...especially when I later saw him pass me, headed back to where I was headed.

He did note that I needed to take his offered papers, placing a piece of plastic with my likeness on it (which he had taken from my wallet) on top of the papers and sliding them towards me.

Knowing what a slider is when I see it, I snapped up my missing possession, left the papers there for him to deal with, and left.

A second meeting and missing keys

Not long after I realized that he had not given me my (only set of) keys back, so I turned about and started heading back to the station.

The same officer drove up (on the bridge), turned on his lights again, and started shouting that I had to take the papers he had offered me.

I backed away, politely declining once more, but he jumped out of his truck, ran up, grabbed my shirt, and stuffed the papers into my outer pocket before getting back into his truck and speeding off...noting that I already had my keys.

Calling 911 to get my keys back

Being after hours on the weekend, I used the phone out front (as noted on the door) to call 911 and ask that the officer be directed to return and provide me with my keys.

After a short bit, he showed up, opened the door, and snapped that my keys were in my pocket (as if I would do the extra walking in the cold night air just to harass him...). So, I emptied my pockets and noted that no keys were, in fact in my pocket, and he was the last one in possession of them.

He went back in and returned after a bit holding them out without a word.

Throwing the papers away...almost

I almost threw the papers he forced upon me away...but realized that if he was willing to falsely arrest me, unlawfully search me, and assault me, he would probably lie about the matter as well...so I gathered them back up and will be returning them first thing monday.

This will create a record in the police department that they were refused for cause...and he will have to testify against department records if things come to such.

The Journey Begins

At this juncture, I will make the police station, the municipal corporation, and the officer an offer to make restitution for the officers actions.

While I hope that they will do so, if they fail to then this will be the start of my journey down the path of holding them accountable for their transgressions.

As things progress, I will update this hub accordingly.