brentdeisher
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? New Hampshire
Is this wrongful arrest?
A group of approximately 20 cyclists embarked on a ride with the intended goal of raising awareness of alternative transportation. The UNH Office of Sustainability, UNH Cycling Team, and the Student Environmental Action Coalition sponsored a “bike week” the entire week with activities promoting the use of bicycles as a means of transportation. The community bike ride left the Whittemore Center at 5:00PM on Thursday, April 27, 2006. We had no stated route planned. After taking a few laps around campus and downtown Durham, a police officer began escorting us. The police officer pulled up alongside this cyclist and said we were impeding the flow of traffic. In keeping with the theme of the bicycle ride, to encourage motorists to share the road with cyclists, this cyclist stated, “We are the traffic.” The police officer said, “Do you want to pull over and discuss this?” The officer stated this at Stoke Hall. The group of cyclists proceeded to pull over at the first possible place to assemble 20 cyclists without impeding the flow of traffic. The nearest spot was the driveway of Holloway Commons at the MUB. The officer came up to me and asked, “Who is the spokesman for this group?” After no response, the officer asked to see my identification. This cyclist stated that he did not have it. Then another cyclist gave the officer his identification and asked for a second officer. The second officer arrived on the scene. I moved to the back of the group. The officer asked to see my identification again. At this point, this cyclist relinquished their UNH identification. The officer ran the document. After consulting with the second officer, Officer Realueat arrested me for resisting arrest or detention.
Is this wrongful arrest?
A group of approximately 20 cyclists embarked on a ride with the intended goal of raising awareness of alternative transportation. The UNH Office of Sustainability, UNH Cycling Team, and the Student Environmental Action Coalition sponsored a “bike week” the entire week with activities promoting the use of bicycles as a means of transportation. The community bike ride left the Whittemore Center at 5:00PM on Thursday, April 27, 2006. We had no stated route planned. After taking a few laps around campus and downtown Durham, a police officer began escorting us. The police officer pulled up alongside this cyclist and said we were impeding the flow of traffic. In keeping with the theme of the bicycle ride, to encourage motorists to share the road with cyclists, this cyclist stated, “We are the traffic.” The police officer said, “Do you want to pull over and discuss this?” The officer stated this at Stoke Hall. The group of cyclists proceeded to pull over at the first possible place to assemble 20 cyclists without impeding the flow of traffic. The nearest spot was the driveway of Holloway Commons at the MUB. The officer came up to me and asked, “Who is the spokesman for this group?” After no response, the officer asked to see my identification. This cyclist stated that he did not have it. Then another cyclist gave the officer his identification and asked for a second officer. The second officer arrived on the scene. I moved to the back of the group. The officer asked to see my identification again. At this point, this cyclist relinquished their UNH identification. The officer ran the document. After consulting with the second officer, Officer Realueat arrested me for resisting arrest or detention.
