It is possible to live your whole life without ever having to deal with the police. You need to be aware of what you can and cannot do to protect your self if you are ever asked questions by police. Petersen Law Office in Nebraska offers five tips to help you remember when dealing with police officers.
Sometimes innocence is irrelevant. One of the first things many people say when discussing how to handle an encounter with the police is “I haven’t done anything so it shouldn’t matter how I handle the encounter or what I say.” That line of thinking has landed an untold number of innocent people in jail – sometimes for a very long time. When you talk to the police, it doesn’t matter if you are guilty or not. A police officer’s job is to solve and prevent crimes. A law enforcement officer is therefore suspicious. Even if you are not involved in the crime, saying the wrong thing at wrong times could lead to you being investigated criminally.
Do not make things worse. It can be nerve-racking for you to see flashing lights in your rearview mirror, or to see two police officers standing at your door. Do not let fear lead you to flee or do anything that could make matters worse. If an officer puts you under arrest, don’t resist. An experienced criminal defense attorney might be able to dismiss the charges against you if you are not guilty. However, if you resist or flee from the charges, you could still end up being convicted.
Answer the question asked. Some people have a tendency for babbling when they are nervous. Some people just talk a lot when they are socially connected. Talking to the police is a different story. You should only answer the question asked without embellishing or elaborating. When possible, answer questions using “yes” or the “no”. Police officers are trained in asking people for information and they don’t even know it. You can always add more information later if you want to, but you cannot take back any information you have already given.
