KNOW YOUR RIGHTS When Stopped by The Police (Part No-1)

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS When Stopped By The Police.

I will be talking about how to respond to the police at any circumstances and your right during your encounter with them.

There are several reasons why a police officer might want to stop you, but having been stopped by an officer most times escalate to anger, dazed, and weakness which might constitute a bad encounter with the Police.

I will hereby try to discuss what you are required by the law to do and as well give you guidelines to handles issues surrounding you and an officer of the law.

When been stopped by an officer or officer, there is a tendency that these officers are there to protect your safety or that these officers are Photo by Daria Sannikova from Pexelsgoing to respect your opinion or rights as a citizen after you have stopped. In most cases, an officer sees you as the bad guy even before pulling you over. There are certain actions one can use to reduce the risk of getting into trouble with them, staying calm and putting up a smiling face can reduce the thought of hostility toward the officers and can grant you a safe encounter.

There are certain rights you can excesses when being stopped by the police in public.
Your rights are:

1. You have the right to remain silent. You can choose to give an answer to questions from an officer or rather refuse to attain to the questions. You can choose to give an answer to where you are traveling from, where you leave, where you are going. So if you wish to exercise your right to remain silent, you would have to say it loud “I have the right to remain silent”. But mind you in some cases it would be better if you identify yourself first, like disclosing your name before exercising this right.

2. Eventually, when you are arrested by the police, your right to hire a lawyer is reserved, that is if you can afford one. Your lawyer will be the one to look into your case and sort for your release if your offense is a bail-out offense.

3. You can choose not to answer questions containing where you were born or how you immigrated into the country but remember that these rules do not apply at the international borders or airports because you might be refused access to enter the country or board the plane. So use your rights wisely.

There are various things to do when you think your rights were violated.

• Stay calm. Don’t exchange words with the officer, don’t run or resist arrest. Don’t try to deceive the officer by giving false documents because it might indict you. Don’t put your hands in your jacket or pocket, always keep your hands where the officer can see them, and don’t make fast movements.

• In the case where you are arrested or detained.
  You can exercise your right to remain silent and only ask for a lawyer. Don’t be in a hurry to sign anything or make prompt decisions without talking to a lawyer first. Don’t try to explain to the next officer because there are all the same.
  In the case of your rights been violated.

• You can file a complaint.
  You can file a complaint to the police agency’s internal affairs, but remember to write down everything you remember, the officer's badges, the division, the officer's vehicle numbers. And in the case of injury, you are allowed to seek medical attention and remember to take pictures of the injury for future purposes.

To be continued...