Thread started by FuzzBeast at 11.25.08 - 3:21 am

Bored ass small town cops can bite a big one!

I just spent 45 minutes sitting on a freezing sidewalk because I "looked suspicious".
I was helping my roommate clean the apartment tonight, then when I finished, I was in need of a ride, this happened around 1 15 am. I went out for a ride, and ended up near the top of Indian Hill Blvd. in Claremont about 2 ish. Not wanting to go much higher up the hill (it gets pretty dark and into pretty wild country up maybe a block and a half further (past Baseline), I turned around at a light (Indian Hill has a median up the middle, so lights are the only place to turn around). As I turned, there was a coyote standing maybe 15 feet from me in the street I was turning on. I stopped and stared him down, not wanting to ride off quickly and have him chase me; this took maybe 15-20 seconds before he backed down. I had turned off my front light when I saw him, not wanting to spook him into something stupid (I've had to interact with em before). After he left, I turned 90 degrees and rode back out onto the street.
As I did, there was a Claremont PD coming up to the light. Now this light happens to not be a "real" street, but a driveway to the high school (I did not know it wasn't a street).
Anyway, I'm reaching down to put my light back on when he whoops me over to the curb. I'm a bit startled, but I comply. He then proceeds to pat me down for weapons etc. and has me sit on the sidewalk. The whole time telling me how I look all suspicious and stuff because I'm "exiting the high school in the middle of the night on a bicycle, and wearing a hoodie".
I was wearing a hoodie, and a bandanna over my face (which i had slid down before ever interacting with the cop), because it's friggin 45 degrees out.
Anyway I comply. as he runs my license, the usual rigmarole.
He then picks up my belt bag (which he had removed from me during the pat down), and before he can search it, I tell him I don't consent to a search. He then gets all aggravated. Saying I must be hiding something and pulls out his little pad and begins the whole taking my info down and crap. Saying how I'm being uncooperative and stuff. Around this time another car has pulled up to witness or whatever.
He takes down my info, asking if I'm in a gang or whatever (he then corrects himself when I answer "why would I be in a gang, I've got a master's degree".
He fills out the card telling me that if there's anything wrong at the school I'll be the one detectives are calling in the morning yadda yadda yadda.
He kept talking about burglaries and crap... I kept repeating my story, which he straight up told me he thought was "bullshit"

Fucker was bored and needed to harass someone, I mean, where would I carry something with no backpack, on a bicycle. What would I steal, some pens?
Ugh, stupid fucker. This same guy pulled my friend Walpa over a year and a half ago (I was in the passenger seat) for "swerving" (more likely for driving while brown). Fucking bored ass fat fuck.

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sorry this was so long, I just needed to vent.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 3:33 am

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fucking LAME. On C.R.A.N.K. MOB the police robbed undercoverbob. Took his beer and poored it all out even though he hadnt been drinking and didnt have an open container. he wasnt even around anyone underage, what fucks.



larsenf
11.25.08 - 3:41 am

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File a complaint for his use of foul language. Act like it really upset your delicate sensibilities. Fight chickenshit with chickenshit, I always say.



PC
11.25.08 - 3:47 am

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Meh, it's not worth my time... I was pissed and frozen and needed to rant.




FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 3:53 am

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my feet still havent completely warmed up and it's been like an hour.




FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 3:54 am

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Oh yeah, and he didnt seem too happy when I pointed out that I did indeed have a front light. I think near the end he was just looking for an excuse to make his wasting my time worthwhile.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 3:55 am

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Yet another reason why I'm sticking to state-patrol, or correctional work, or a sheriff's department in Arizona badlands.
It's bad enough that this goes on, but to join up with this force and be associated with that style would earn me a one way ticket to ostracization.




bentstrider
11.25.08 - 3:55 am

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Yeah, and he asked me like 4 times if I had a job.
which had the thought running through my head: "and this is relevant how?"



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 3:57 am

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don't give him your ID next time. You are not legally required to show any ID unless you have been pulled over driving in which case you must present a driver's license. Also tell him to kick rocks.



monovsstereo
11.25.08 - 3:59 am

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yeah, I wouldn't have, but I was a bit startled, and as soon as I stopped riding I started shivering, and wasnt about to sit on the sidewalk for another hour or whatever while he attempted to retrieve my identification (or let him drag me into the station to do so).
He also didnt let me remove it from my wallet myself... he threw my wallet on the sidewalk while he was searching me.
As soon as I saw his car, my first thought was, fuck, I'm gonna be here a while. Claremont cops are NOTORIOUS for having nothing to do.
Which is the reason I rode away slowly, I was hoping if I did so he wouldn't think I was fleeing a scene or something, guess it didnt work.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 4:04 am

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http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2411813
where it happened, as you can see that area of Claremont is a BURGEONING metropolis. The coyote must have come out of the park on either side of the street. Which is what I thought the street was the entrance to anyway, not that I went any further in than the white car to the left of the marker. (which is where the coyote ran up) (there is a ramp right there, the rest of the north side of the st is a fence/wall thing).



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 4:13 am

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I guess the thing that pisses me off more than anything is the automatic assumption that I'm a criminal.
Here I am minding my own business, and then I have to deal with cops, just because I'm out at night riding my bike, and they have nothing better to do.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 4:16 am

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and now the whole point of my ride (to burn some energy so I can sleep) has been completely wasted.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 4:27 am

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ugh, it's been 2 1/2 hrs since I got home, I'm still pissed, still cold, and i can't sleep...

and now I'm bored...

fuck, the rooster in the next lot is now crowing.....

I think i need to go smoke a bowl.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 5:00 am

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Claremont COPS SUCK ASS!!! I've been given two tickets for not completely stopping at a stop sign with a bicycle. Both times.. empty intersections. Total BS



XPC
11.25.08 - 5:09 am

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I still can't figure out why Claremont even needs cops, I've yet to see anything more major than a traffic accident happen in the whole town.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 5:14 am

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I mean, they were able to send two units to investigate the case of the suspicious cyclist who asserts his constitutional rights



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 5:15 am

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that REALLY sounds like they have SO MUCH to do....



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 5:16 am

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They ought to just contract out to the sheriff's dept and send out deputies when needed.

It's a college-town, not fucking Detroit!!!



bentstrider
11.25.08 - 5:24 am

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yup.

like near by san dimas does.

although they're just as big of assholes.

it's more of a bored small town thing than a departmental thing, although I think the proximity to a city as supposedly rough and tumble as LA is ramps up the assholishness of cops out here in the ass end of the county. Or maybe it's the money in the area, I'm not sure, but they do seem to be much more of assholes than the cops where I'm from in NH. Or it could be that where I'm from it's so small that everyone knows the cops, and has known them/their families since they were born or before even...
I grew up with what became half of the police force in my town by the time I was 18... and all 4 of them bullied me or other kids as children...



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 5:37 am

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Did you speak to the watch commander yet.

That fuckwad should be held to some account.

Its fair for him to ask you a few questions ... but not for him to be an asshole in the process.

Just alone that he said "you must be hiding something" because you didn't consent to search is totally fucked.

The whole point of having rights is to be able to assert them without the assumption of guilt.






trickmilla
11.25.08 - 10:01 am

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It sounds as if he changed his attitude towards you when you told him you had a master degree???

I don't agree with the way the police treated you. I have been told that the Los Angeles Unified School District developed it uniform police force to combat the amount of burglary and vandalism that happened at its schools. The claim is that it is cheaper to employee there police force then to replace and repair all of the loses,,,(don't know how true this)
Maybe thats why they where so uppity about you coming from the school. I

I was cleaning up a school doing community service and the LAUSD police came while our the supervisor/overseer was gone. They came in with guns drawn on me. They did an investigated for possible theft which took three hours, including finger print dusting open classrooms. They where considering taking me in for trespassing and it was on a three day weekend, eventually their supervisor told them to let us go.

Last time I was robbed, both guys where wearing black hoodies.

At my local high school at present time I do notice the LAUSD PD constantly giving out stop sign tickets, parking tickets and shaking kids down for smoking pot after school



sexy
11.25.08 - 11:02 am

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Fuzzbeast,

Nearly the same experience has happened to me while riding to work through Arcadia. Complete waste of like 35 minutes being harassed because I look "suspicious".

I guess being on a bicycle makes you suspicious. Fuck em.



Joe Borfo
11.25.08 - 11:08 am

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you got white carded. nothing will happen. but it sure is WACK.



Roadblock
11.25.08 - 11:18 am

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I got pulled over in City of Industry yesterday by a Sheriff. Supposedly for a loud exhaust, but his explanation of emissions laws seemed shaky, stating, "You can't have a modified exhaust, only stock." This seems very, very BS........either that or MANY people are breaking the law.

He was nice enough to let me go without a fixit ticket, but I think he was just using the exhaust thing to pull me over. If I hadn't been dressed to the hilt, coming back from my office in Brea, he probably would've made a bigger show of it.

Nothing like getting a stern talking to in the Ethan Allan parking lot.





Eric Hair
11.25.08 - 11:39 am

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"I still can't figure out why Claremont even needs cops, I've yet to see anything more major than a traffic accident happen in the whole town."

Sounds like they're doing a pretty good job then. Apparently stopping people dressed in bandanas and hoodies pays off.

Maybe we need a group buy on cardigans and ski hats.



JB
11.25.08 - 11:46 am

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@Fuzzbeast

If you were to make a complaint, the officer would probably get a slap on the wrist...probably not though. Unless of course you recorded the interaction and had enough phone numbers to call.

The officer performed a terry stop. Depending on the locale, you may have to present ID. As far as I know, California state law doesn't require you to identify yourself during a terry stop. But depending on the obstructing justice laws, and local municipal laws, you may be required to identify yourself. The officer needed reasonable suspicion to detain you. His reasonable suspicion was seeing you out at early morning hours, near the school, dressed in dark clothing w/bandanna, etc. If there actually was a large amount of burglaries in the area, then that adds to the reasonable suspicion. The "FI" card he filled out is where the questions came from. You didn't have to answer any of those questions. You could of cut your detainment time in half...these stops are supposed to be brief unless the officer finds PC during the stop. Just ask if your free to go, and jam.

The officer did not know you had a masters, or that your just riding your bike because you like to, or that your an outstanding citizen. You may be white and dressed in a suit while riding your bike. That may get you stopped. Depends on the officer.

I backed an officer on a terry stop he did on a cyclist once. Turns out the guy looked legit, but he was no cyclist. He was a car thief. His backpack was full of tools (ignition punches, etc). Tweakers and car thieves like riding bikes. Bike thieves like riding bikes too for that matter.

He should not of been a prick. He could of been nice to you and still performed his job.





el_spaniard
11.25.08 - 11:46 am

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hmm, I guess I got lucky. I once did an all-night ride out to Redlands. Both my lights died on the way and completely unlit, I rolled by several patrol cars in several cities.

saw a coyote cross the road in front of me too.



wiz_vanmeter
11.25.08 - 11:48 am

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spaniard, that is my only real point of contention, had he not have been a prick, and not immediately acted like I was a criminal, but been civil and polite, as I was, I wouldn't be pissed.
The way he kept mentioning burglaries sounded more like bullshit than what he said my (truthful) story was. Like he was trying to convince himself of a reason to act like such a prick or something.
I'd still like to know what kind of burglary tools fit in a pouch small enough that it won't even hold a full size wrench, and, where he thought I was going to carry whatever I stole.
It was kind of funny watching him act like a kid the week before xmas with my belt bag, feeling the outside like some sort of present trying to guess the contents though.

I was going to pull the "am I being detained" thing, however, I was already being patted down and everything before I really knew what was going on. Considering I wasn't even asked any questions before I was being forced to sit on the curb, other than "do you have any guns/knives/bombs on you?".
I don't know, to me, someone bundled up against cold in cold weather isnt THAT suspicious, no matter the time of day. But then again I'm from a cold climate.
I don't know, someone ranking as high as a detective should probably be able to be courteous to someone before acting like a prick. Even if it IS the middle of the night.



FuzzBeast
11.25.08 - 2:33 pm

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Fuzz...email me
Rhorak@ccplaw.com



MOM_RIDAZ420
11.25.08 - 2:50 pm

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welcome to another day in the life of jazzy phat nastee. lol.

it sucks... it really does. but the more you resist/attempt to show you're a respectable citizen you'll only be making it worse.

fuck cops. pieces of shit. 95% of em i say.



Jazzy Phat Nastee
11.25.08 - 4:11 pm

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So ur white and have an education omg how dare they.. Sounds like you got a taste of what happens to the rest of us minorites. Must taste like shit huh..



Debut213
11.25.08 - 5:34 pm

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