Allan Kidd

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The police officer is initiating contact. So determine if you are free to go by asking “OFFICER, AM I BEING DETAINED ?”

If the officer responds No, then apply the following rules:

• Rule #1 – Don’t get baited or tricked: if you aren’t being detained, then the officer is looking for a reason to detain you and then arrest you. Don’t stick around to answer his tricky questions that are designed to make a case for your detainment. So if the officer lets you know that you are not being detained – let him know you don’t want to speak by calmly walking away

  • Warning, you can only do this if the officer has replied “NO” to you asking “OFFICER, AM I BEING DETAINED ? “

• Rule #2 – Always be calm and cool: looking and acting nervous or emotional will give officer the reasonable suspicion that you are up to no good – and they will then use that reason to detain you

• Rule #3 – Don’t run: simply walk away without saying a word or showing an emotion.

• Rule #8 – Become a good witness, report misconduct: Find a safe distance and start filming the officer’s interaction with any remaining civilians. While recording, follow these rules:

  • Capture the date, time and address of the incident

  • Remain silent – yelling at the arresting police officers and giving them a piece of your mind has no benefit and only negative consequences. If you or people are screaming while the incident is being recorded, then:

    • We don’t hear any misconduct of the officers

    • It gives officers “reasonable suspicion” to think you are a threat and allows them to target you

    • You become the focus of the officers attention and they will attempt to physically destroy your video or ask you to move out of filming distance

  • Shoutout “CopScore” – we’ve all seen videos where people shout out WorldStarrrrr! The same applies here but the trick is to do it at the end of the video and only when the citizen is being arrested. The intent is to let the citizen know that a video of the incident has been recorded and will be made available on the CopScore platform

  • Submit the video to CopScore.com – this is the most important part. By submitting the video you:

    • document and archive all police activity in your neighborhood

    • help the arrested citizen defend himself against any possible officer misconduct

    • let police officers know they are always being watched

If the officer responds Yes, then apply the following rules:

• Rule #1 – Don’t get baited or tricked: keep in mind this officer is now in the process of trying to make a case and he will trick or bait you if he has to. He needs to justify this detainment, otherwise – it’s unlawful.

• Rule #2 – Always be calm and cool: keep in mind that this officer will attempt to bait you by triggering an emotional response from you – so never get emotional

• Rule #3 – Don’t run: if the officer has made it clear that you are being detained. Then it’s because he is going to conduct an investigation of sorts. Running will be seen as you preventing that investigation and lead to charges like obstruction of justice or interfering with a police investigation. Also, since catching you will require some effort or force, you might also get a resisting arrest charge added.

• Rule #6 – Refuse consent to any searches: since the officer has made it clear that you are being detained. Expect to be searched. It’s important that you not resist any search. However, it’s also important that you make it clear that you are not giving permission for the search to be conducted. You can do that by saying “OFFICER, I’M NOT RESISTING – BUT I DON’T CONSENT TO SEARCHES”

• Rule #7 – Exercise your right to remain silent: officers will pretend to try to help you in an effort to build a case. Speaking with the officer will only help him build the case. Don’t speak to the officer, if there is probable cause for arrest, let him find it himself. If there is probable cause for an arrest, he will arrest you and you don’t have to say a word. There is no need for you to speak, so tell the officer “I’M GOING TO REMAIN SILENT – I’D LIKE TO SEE A LAWYER”

• Rule #8 – Become a good witness, report misconduct: the rest of the interaction should be of you acting like a police officer yourself. Start putting together the facts of your own case by:

  • Looking for possible cameras that might be recording the incident

  • Try to memorize the officers name and badge number – this will be necessary later when you attempt to get a copy of the police report and bodycam video

  • Instruct any video witnesses to upload their video to CopScore.com where you can retrieve it at a later date and use it in your defense against the arresting officers