Pulled over for "direct eye contract"

[GarfieldtheCat]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/30/us/eye-contact-traffic-stop-ohio-police-officer/index.html

Black man driving a car at night....cop passes him going the other way, then turns around and tails him for 2 miles before pulling him over for not signalling a lane change 100ft in advance (what a bullshit charge).

Luckily, the black man recorded the stop, and the officer admits the reason why he turned around and tailed him was because he "made direct eye contact" with the cop.

"I'm not doing nothing, because I have a Michigan plate, other than that why are you trailing me?" Felton said on the recording.

"You made direct eye contact with me and held onto it when I was passing you," the officer said.

Who knew that looking at a cop was grounds to be pulled over? Go figure right?

I guess we all need to genuflect to cops and keep our eyes on the ground when dealing with them now.

At least it was recorded, otherwise the guy would be SOL. Gotta love cops making up shit to harrass people.

 

[Murloc]

interiorized racism was probably at play, but nothing that can be proven.

 

[Exterous]

I'm not doing nothing, because I have a Michigan plate, other than why are you trailing me?

interiorized racism was probably at play, but nothing that can be proven.

I read that line above and assumed this happened in Ohio. Honestly, in this case, I would not assume racism. Its pretty well known in SE Michigan that if you have MI plates and are driving in OH you better watch what the fuck you are doing because Ohio cops love to pull over Michigan drivers for the tiniest reason. I have a friend who got a ticket for signaling too early and another friend who got one for 'impeding the flow of traffic' by driving the speed limit in the left lane but not passing a semi fast enough when a cop was behind him

 

[realibrad]

This seems pretty easy to call out as a bullshit move by a cop. This does not help the anti cop feelings right now.

This is another reason I love people having access to cameras. Its helping expose things that have been going on for a while now.

 

[TechBoyJK]

and another friend who got one for 'impeding the flow of traffic' by driving the speed limit in the left lane but not passing a semi fast enough when a cop was behind him

Good for that cop. Driver shouldn't have been in the left lane to begin with! Most of the reason this is even a law is so that cars don't impede emergency and law enforcement vehicles.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Good for that cop. Driver shouldn't have been in the left lane to begin with! Most of the reason this is even a law is so that cars don't impede emergency and law enforcement vehicles.

He was passing a semi with a cop on his tail. He was not camping in the fast lane. I would have done the same thing. I also would have fought the ticket and won.

 

[CitizenKain]

Good for that cop. Driver shouldn't have been in the left lane to begin with! Most of the reason this is even a law is so that cars don't impede emergency and law enforcement vehicles.

Sure it is, and not just a massive cash grab. Or excuse to pull someone over for driving while the wrong skin color.

 

[piasabird]

Maybe there is a profile they are taught to look for. For instance a lot of people may cross the state line and beak into houses or something like that. Sometimes around St Louis, MO, we see people coming from East St Louis, IL into St Louis, MO on the Metro Link and breaking into cars and houses and then they take their stuff back to East St Louis, IL on the Metro Link.

Maybe they just know everyone from Michigan is a criminal. Who knows what goes on in the minds of the police.

 

[alien42]

Maybe they just know everyone from Michigan is a criminal. Who knows what goes on in the minds of the police.

wow, how many BS excuses can you make? i sure hope their minds are far more capable than yours.

 

[Moonbeam]

Maybe there is a profile they are taught to look for. For instance a lot of people may cross the state line and beak into houses or something like that. Sometimes around St Louis, MO, we see people coming from East St Louis, IL into St Louis, MO on the Metro Link and breaking into cars and houses and then they take their stuff back to East St Louis, IL on the Metro Link.

Maybe they just know everyone from Michigan is a criminal. Who knows what goes on in the minds of the police.

We have laws so that whatever goes on in their minds shouldn't make any difference.

 

[andy2000]

He was passing a semi with a cop on his tail. He was not camping in the fast lane. I would have done the same thing. I also would have fought the ticket and won.

Exactly, if he had been going any faster the cop would have given him a speeding ticket.

 

[bradly1101]

The message I'm getting (since the cop car and this guy who was clearly DWB were originally facing each other before the tailing) is that if you are driving forward and there is a cop in your field of view STOP LOOKING FORWARD, he may think he's getting "eyeballed." You may get into an accident, but isn't that better than risking being shot by an officer?

What's really sad is that this officer by his actions has a lot of support from the huge swath of racists in this country. If there's a way to donate to him people will find it as they have done with others. Nowadays we "crowdfund" racism.

 

[evident]

I have a friend who got a ticket for signaling too early and another friend who got one for 'impeding the flow of traffic' by driving the speed limit in the left lane but not passing a semi fast enough when a cop was behind him

To be honest I think people in the left lane should be passing semi's as quick as possible. I dont understand why some people take forever to pass them. I think it's dangerous for everyone. but with a cop behind me? if you're going too fast then they will just give you a ticket.

 

[Cozarkian]

If I recall, there is also a case where a cop successfully identified people who had committed a robbery because they worked too hard not to look at the cop when passing.

It actually makes sense. I hunk most people are afraid that not looking at a copy suggests they are trying to avoid looking guilty while looking at a cop is suspicious because you are overly concerned. There is probably a middle ground, brief looking then avoiding that cops recognize as normal.

The question is whether we want cops to pull over people for non-normal behavior that is not a strong indicator of actual guilt. It is always a trade off of how much inconvenience we will endure in exchange for catching more criminals. Absent persuasive evidence, I think this trade off went too far.

 

[Cozarkian]

To be honest I think people in the left lane should be passing semi's as quick as possible. I dont understand why some people take forever to pass them. I think it's dangerous for everyone. but with a cop behind me? if you're going too fast then they will just give you a ticket.

Yeah, that situation is crap. If a car is driving the speed limit but failing to pass a semi quickly enough, then the likely cause is that the semi is speeding and should be given a ticket.

 

[EduCat]

If I recall, there is also a case where a cop successfully identified people who had committed a robbery because they worked too hard not to look at the cop when passing.

It actually makes sense. I hunk most people are afraid that not looking at a copy suggests they are trying to avoid looking guilty while looking at a cop is suspicious because you are overly concerned. There is probably a middle ground, brief looking then avoiding that cops recognize as normal.

The question is whether we want cops to pull over people for non-normal behavior that is not a strong indicator of actual guilt. It is always a trade off of how much inconvenience we will endure in exchange for catching more criminals. Absent persuasive evidence, I think this trade off went too far.

wtf? Now we have to worry about how we look at them? No, just no.

 

[mizzou]

It's been commonplace that minorities feel they are often the target of pretextual traffic stops. This is based on historical precedent and has validity to it.

Unfortunately, cops are actually pretty good at figuring stuff out so they are legally allowed to stop a car for any violation to satisfy some of that curiosity. Your civil rights still protect you though, because they can't pull you over for a headlight out and then keep you on the road for 2 hours.

If a cop pulls you over and is honest and says, "I pulled you over for no headlight...but honestly your weed sticker on the back of your car caught my attention." I'm having a hard time really finding anything wrong with that...so long as you are not inconvenienced or detained any longer then your average person who gets pulled over for no headlight.

 

[mrjminer]

Direct eye contracts are legally binding in most states

 

[CitizenKain]

It's been commonplace that minorities feel they are often the target of pretextual traffic stops. This is based on historical precedent and has validity to it.

Unfortunately, cops are actually pretty good at figuring stuff out so they are legally allowed to stop a car for any violation to satisfy some of that curiosity. Your civil rights still protect you though, because they can't pull you over for a headlight out and then keep you on the road for 2 hours.

If a cop pulls you over and is honest and says, "I pulled you over for no headlight...but honestly your weed sticker on the back of your car caught my attention." I'm having a hard time really finding anything wrong with that...so long as you are not inconvenienced or detained any longer then your average person who gets pulled over for no headlight.

Hahaha, good one. Oh how priceless, its so adorable that you believe something like that.

 

[bshole]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/30/us/eye-contact-traffic-stop-ohio-police-officer/index.html

Black man driving a car at night....cop passes him going the other way, then turns around and tails him for 2 miles before pulling him over for not signalling a lane change 100ft in advance (what a bullshit charge).

Luckily, the black man recorded the stop, and the officer admits the reason why he turned around and tailed him was because he "made direct eye contact" with the cop.

Who knew that looking at a cop was grounds to be pulled over? Go figure right?

I guess we all need to genuflect to cops and keep our eyes on the ground when dealing with them now.

At least it was recorded, otherwise the guy would be SOL. Gotta love cops making up shit to harrass people.

Well I am white and I never make direct eye contact with cops when I am driving. I remember my Dad screaming at me if I looked at a cop when we driving were on the road..... I picked up the habit I guess.

 

[bradly1101]

"...and I am sure had he NOT made direct eye contact he still would have been pulled over for suspiciously avoiding eye contact." ~ a friend

People who happened to be born black have to deal with conundrums like that. It's so strange to me; I was born in 1962 when many white folks were finally waking up to just how badly they were treating blacks, and were changing their behavior. That was 53 years ago! IT'S 2015!!!

 

[bshole]

"...and I am sure had he NOT made direct eye contact he still would have been pulled over for suspiciously avoiding eye contact." ~ a friend

People who happened to be born black have to deal with conundrums like that. It's so strange to me; I was born in 1962 when many white folks were finally waking up to just how badly they were treating blacks, and were changing their behavior. That was 53 years ago! IT'S 2015!!!

Weirdly enough, blacks had much more economic opportunity in the 60s than they do now. This trend gets worse and worse as each decade goes by. Currently there are McJobs and welfare, where there were once middle class factory jobs. The future looks incredibly bleak and foreboding.

 

[Cozarkian]

wtf? Now we have to worry about how we look at them? No, just no.

Don't stop now, you just need to read two more sentences to realize I said you shouldn't have to worry about that.

 

[dainthomas]

He was passing a semi with a cop on his tail. He was not camping in the fast lane. I would have done the same thing. I also would have fought the ticket and won.

I'm glad he got a ticket. I can't tell you how much time I wasted driving from Portland to Sacramento sitting behind idiots because they were going .0015 mph faster than the vehicle they were "passing". And not even uphill.

If you're going the exact speed limit, GTFO of the left lane. Period.

 

[Exterous]

Good for that cop. Driver shouldn't have been in the left lane to begin with! Most of the reason this is even a law is so that cars don't impede emergency and law enforcement vehicles.

How else are you supposed to pass a semi on the highway if not for the left lane? And the cop didn't have his lights on or anything

Exactly, if he had been going any faster the cop would have given him a speeding ticket.

Exactly