Can a cop call you idiot?

[Iceman II]

I pretty much agree here. If it happened the way you said it did and if you were offended then get after it.
I can tell you no one is going to talk to me that way, if I was a civilian! I am going to have someone's azz!

 

[PJM99]

Was he having a bad day? Prolly, it was 95 degrees out and humid and I'm sure standing there for hours has got to be boring. But, that's his job. I have a job too and I deal with angry pissy people all day wanting to know where their money went or why they didn't get paid more and I never lose my cool with them. (I negiotate insurance commission contracts and make sure they get paid out). The worst that the cops in my town see is an naked old lady who fell in the bathtub or a cat in a tree.

It all happened as I said, I actually spent the rest of the day wondering if maybe my tone of voice or body language set this guy off. But I can't think of anything that would have caused him to react that way.

 

[MARK C]

Whatever you do for work imagine if that cop came into your work and you talked to him like he talked to you. How do you think he would react? Do you think he would sit there and wonder if maybe he should say something? Hell no he would throw a shit storm, and your boss, if you have one, would chew you out if not fire you on the spot.

So why in the hell would you give him a free pass just because he is a cop?
File a complaint and I guarantee you that you wont be the first to do so for that particular cop.

I could not agree more!!!!!!!!
I work with customers all day long my boss would NEVER let me get away with that!
Report him

 

[mysticalsnake]

Should have asked him if he understood english when you told him "I live on this street"

"ENGLISH MOTHER****ER, DO YOU SPEAK IT?!"

ok, sorry about that...one of those time you just can't pass it up.

Look, maybe he did have a bad day. Maybe he's just an asshat all the time. Bad day or not, any of us that have worked in retail or where we deal with the public on an all day basis all know that if we did the same thing we'd be knee deep in crap for it. Use your best judgement with it. If it's a small town where everybody knows everybody it may not be the easiest thing to do as you'll see this guy on a regular basis and if he knows who reported him, he may try to make their life hell. Regardless, his superiors should still know that his "Protect and Serve" mission was not lived up to in this scenario.

 

[fiveohpoepoe]

Your description w/out a doubt would be a violation of policy here, "Conduct Unbecoming Of An Officer". It would go in their file and be an aggravating factor if more complaints come in or already been mentioned.

Yes he is human, no he has no reason to talk to anyone like that except he was in a bad mood. Maybe he had someone demanding to get through because, " I dont know any other way". Its enough to piss anyone off and it happens, but letting it be seen/expressed verbally is not acceptable.

So imo, 100% file a complaint. LEO like this puts another dark cloud on those that try to be civil in every interaction when dealing with the public

 

[CSD]

To answer your question, yes. I've called many people an idiot, but only because they deserved it. :lol1:

In your situation, no. The officer should of acted professional.

 

[svtcop]

To answer your question, yes. I've called many people an idiot, but only because they deserved it. :lol1:

In your situation, no. The officer should of acted professional.

+1

Was a good move OP to just move on. No sense in causing a scene with someone who may have reacted harshly.

We do not need officers who treat the people we are sworn to protect unfairly.

 

[2k3gt]

Whatever you do for work imagine if that cop came into your work and you talked to him like he talked to you. How do you think he would react? Do you think he would sit there and wonder if maybe he should say something? Hell no he would throw a shit storm, and your boss, if you have one, would chew you out if not fire you on the spot.

So why in the hell would you give him a free pass just because he is a cop?
File a complaint and I guarantee you that you wont be the first to do so for that particular cop.

100% agree, VERY well put.

Cops are employees with bosses just like everyone else...nothing special about them, they're just people.

 

[jshen]

Bad incident / bad day...Think about this- What good can possibly come out of complaining? You live where he works. If he is trouble- then it will come back to him..sometime,, somewhere. Sometimes it's just best to turn the other cheek, because he may be the responding officer if/when YOU call for help. :dw:

For what it's worth, I''ve had judges make remarks like that to me and other members of the bar...In my business you learn to be thick-skinned and move on.

 

[SpdPilot]

Something similar to that happened to me about 4 years ago. He pulled me over for speeding waaaayyy over the 65 mph speed limit (I thought i was the only one on the freeway.There was no traffic, no hills, no entrances where I was acting a dumbass and boy was my dumbass WRONG), got out of his car, screamed at the tops of his lungs "NO LICENSE OR INSURANCE PROOF NEEDED TODAY!!!! YOU SON ARE GOING TO JAIL!!!!!". He then pulled me out of my car, slammed me against his car, cuffed me, threw me into his car and cussed me every which way you could possibly imagine. I just yes sirred, no sirred his questions and he cussed me some more. All of the sudden his mood changed and he asked me what I had to do that day. I replied that I had to get all four of my wisdom teeth removed in three hours or so. He grabbed my cell phone, called my mom, told her I was a dumbass, and asked her what I had going on that day. She told him what I'd told him and he hung up the phone. He pulled me out of his car and told me to go home and that he'd better not ever see me speeding again or he'd make sure I'd never get to drive my car ever. I got no ticket nor warning (written warning atleast haha). I drove home nervous, white as a ghost and had more respect for LEO's starting that day. Most of all thankful and lucky he didn't ruin me.

This is old school and the kind of LEO's I miss. There was cop like this when I was 13 after he caught me stealing something minor that I didn't think I would get noticed. He scared the crap out of me, put me in the back of the car and drove me around the block and let me go. Needless to say, it was a lesson I never forgot. I learned respect and never stole anything again. Back in my day as a teenager (mid 70's), the LEO's had their own way. Not saying it was completely right, but you didn't fear going to jail, you feared "accidentally" falling to the ground on the way to being questioned if you didn't show respect. So they got the job done very well.

Now days it is just a bunch of law suits and political correctness. And our jails are filling up faster then we can build them. These days, had a 13 year old been caught doing what I was, they would be tossed in jail, probation most likely, and some sort of counseling. The experience turns them into criminals, it costs a fortune for the tax payers. When many times (not always) all that is needed is a swift kick in the rear.

Along those lines, to the OP, I would just let it slide. LEO's are human also and allowed to have bad days. And we should be human enough to realize that, and not run crying to someone everytime our feelings are hurt.

 

[tj04cobra]

It may be your opinion that he should let it go, however, would you feel differently if your mom/dad, or other relative were on the receiving end? What would you do if you were present at the time they were addressed this way?

That's different but to answer your question I would be upset if he were to talk to my mom like that. Nobody should talk a lady like that. What would I do at the moment? To be honest, I don't really know. If I went to say something about it my mom would probably just tell me to shut my mouth because such small words wouldn't be worth stirring a shit pot.

My opinion was i'd just let it go if such things were said to me. I've never showed disrespect to a LEO and if one didn't treat me with respect I could understand. Understanding that about 95% of my generation has royally screwed it up for the rest of us who do show respect. I imagine 9/10 when he deals with someone my age worse words are said to him. I understand how hard you guys work to protect our communities. Thank you :beer: So if he calls ME an idiot or whatever I'm just going to yes sir no sir, keep my mouth shut, take my citation or whatever is going on at the moment and get on with my day.

 

[FordSVTFan]

For what it's worth, I''ve had judges make remarks like that to me and other members of the bar...In my business you learn to be thick-skinned and move on.

I was in court the other day and the judge called a prominent defense counsel lazy and arrogant in front of the gallery.

 

[lxlawWFO]

Well if you are an idiot, I would definitely report it, for him pointing it out. If you are not an idiot, I would just blow it off and remember who he is. Maybe he might pull your ass over one day, and you can say, "Don't you remember me???, I was the "IDIOT" when you had the street blocked off that day, that wouldn't let me go to my house!!"

 

[black 10th vert]

This is old school and the kind of LEO's I miss. There was cop like this when I was 13 after he caught me stealing something minor that I didn't think I would get noticed. He scared the crap out of me, put me in the back of the car and drove me around the block and let me go. Needless to say, it was a lesson I never forgot. I learned respect and never stole anything again. Back in my day as a teenager (mid 70's), the LEO's had their own way. Not saying it was completely right, but you didn't fear going to jail, you feared "accidentally" falling to the ground on the way to being questioned if you didn't show respect. So they got the job done very well.

Now days it is just a bunch of law suits and political correctness. And our jails are filling up faster then we can build them. These days, had a 13 year old been caught doing what I was, they would be tossed in jail, probation most likely, and some sort of counseling. The experience turns them into criminals, it costs a fortune for the tax payers. When many times (not always) all that is needed is a swift kick in the rear.

Along those lines, to the OP, I would just let it slide. LEO's are human also and allowed to have bad days. And we should be human enough to realize that, and not run crying to someone everytime our feelings are hurt.

^ the major difference is that he is being paid to be respectful of the public that he is sworn to protect, and serve - bad day, or not. ANY position where you deal with the public as your job is held to this standard, and you are given disciplinary action, or fired, period! Even if someone is an idiot, LEOs are not supposed to stoop to their level, and be disrespectful. It's sad because I've known many, many really good officers, but it only takes one asshat like that to give them a bad rep in the public eye.:rollseyes

 

[lxlawWFO]

Well, there are several things I disagree on the "professional" attitude. Working for the prison system for 15 years, I can tell you that sometimes the only way to get a point across is to stoop to their level, so if you have never been in there shoes, you would never know, and you can't look from the outside in, and tell them how to do their job. Go fill their shoes and do the job, then criticize it. I know I could tell a convict "Offender, this is a direct order to go to you assigned cell, or the minimum amount of force necessary will be utilized to make you gain compliance". I could repeat that 3 times, and then utilize force, take a chance on getting my staff hurt, myself, and the convict. Or I could go up to him, and in a low calm voice (sometimes a hostile one), "If you dont go to your ****ing house, we are going to drag you there, and whoop your ass in front of all your homeboys!" Sometimes, they need to just hear it in their lingo. Same exact thing is going to happen, but somehow they seem to understand it a bit better. Dont ask me why, it is just like that. Dealing with a new breed of youngsters, that have been bottlefed, most of them have no respect for their parents, much less law enforcement, because you can't spank their ass without getting criticized or worse. We dont know the whole situation, and without the LEOs personal statement on this board, I will not make a judgement of the situation. There are 2 sides to every story: 1. what really happened. 2. The twisted half ass truth that makes one look like a saint, and the other look like a shithead.

 

[Blade Runner]

I was in court the other day and the judge called a prominent defense counsel lazy and arrogant in front of the gallery.

Well, most of them are, aren't they?

 

[lxlawWFO]

I was in court the other day and the judge called a prominent defense counsel lazy and arrogant in front of the gallery.

I guarantee, if I got arrested for something and went to trial, I would NOT USE A PUBLIC DEFENDER!!! Your whole future rests on their lazy ass to get you off. I know of a couple of messed up situations, where there are people locked up, due to crappy public defenders not doing their job. I saw a few of people get released, and would not have been there, if the defender would have done their job, half of what the prosecutor did.

 

[GloomySVT]

I was in court the other day and the judge called a prominent defense counsel lazy and arrogant in front of the gallery.

They must have been. A judge is called a judge for a reason :lol1:

 

[RDJ]

I guarantee, if I got arrested for something and went to trial, I would NOT USE A PUBLIC DEFENDER!!! Your whole future rests on their lazy ass to get you off. I know of a couple of messed up situations, where there are people locked up, due to crappy public defenders not doing their job. I saw a few of people get released, and would not have been there, if the defender would have done their job, half of what the prosecutor did.

reading comprehension really isn't your strong suit today is it? who said anything about a public defender?

AND

to your earlier post compaing your situation in a jail cell to the op getting pulled over, VERY nice apples to apples comparison there... oh wait ...

as far as whether or not the op is telling the WHOLE truth, MOST of us have said IF his story is 100% accurate. you do know what that IF implies, right?

 

[Swaie]

I was in Mississippi, and cop told me to get my black ass out of the car...What did I do...Got my black ass out of the car. They were looking for someone that fit my discription(someone with a black ass), but that was better than putting up an arguement and getting my black ass beat, or shot!!! You did the right thing op, just move on it will come back to him later.