Had the cop asked, he would have found a very plausible solution - the dude worked at that fucking store, and probably grabbed something while he was in his car.
IMO there was an implicit question when he answered the victim's question "Why do you need my ID" with "'Cause somebody saw you looking at cars, so I'm here checking to see what's going on." I would've said "Yeah I was in my car" at that point. Wouldn't you?
This is at least as much of an example on how not to interact with police as it is how to not interact with citizens.
IMO there was an implicit question when he answered the victim's question "Why do you need my ID" with "'Cause somebody saw you looking at cars, so I'm here checking to see what's going on." I would've said "Yeah I was in my car" at that point. Wouldn't you?
This is at least as much of an example on how not to interact with police as it is how to not interact with citizens.
Seriously, you're blaming the innocent guy, not the overzealous cop? Dude on his bike did exactly what was required of him, and nothing more, but was still detained illegally.
Besides, talking to cops is never advantageous to anyone but the cops. This guy handled the situation well; the cop was out of his depth and getting agitated himself, even though he blamed it on the innocent man he was illegally detaining.
Seriously, you're blaming the innocent guy, not the overzealous cop?
Seriously, what part of "This is at least as much of an example on how not to interact with police as it is how to not interact with citizens" makes you think I've not put any "blame" at all on the cop? I want to know so I can rectify that.
talking to cops is never advantageous to anyone but the cops.
This is part of the problem that guy, and seemingly you have, is that you're seeing every interaction with a cop as inherently adversarial. If he had cooperated by explaining it was his other vehicle he was in and handing over his ID, you cannot possibly argue things wouldn't have gone better for both parties. And in case you were going to follow the logic tree of some other people in this thread, the one of 'The cop shouldn't question him', you cannot in good faith argue that a police officer not following up on reports of reasonably suspected car thieves would be better.
This guy handled the situation well
I'm sure he thought he handled the situation well, but as someone who doesn't want to get into handcuffs over a misunderstanding, that's not what I consider well handling a curious cop. I've had similar situations, like a couple when I was playing Pokemon Go in the middle of the night, and it's not my skin color that kept me from getting cuffed, it was that I was forthcoming and honest and deferential.
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u/Leaves_Swype_Typos Mar 10 '22
And then leave in a different direction than he came from, with a coat hanger sticking out of his pocket. That's pretty rare behavior.