B
Barbara Brown
Guest
Illinois-Lake County. Two motorcycle riders travelling under the speed limit on a local road late afternoon, clear weather. One bike ahead of the other in the left lane of traffic. 2nd rider activates his signal to advance into the right lane, looks over his right shoulder to check traffic and his cycle encounters a rut and pothole which halts his front tire and yanks his front wheel to the right. The sudden occurrance causes the cycle to tip to the front right and capult him over the front bars. Fortunately, he was travelling slow enough, wore proper kevlar jacket and helmet. The cycle received nominal scratches and damage. No other vehicle or person was involved.
A well meaning motorist travelling in a SUV in the right lane, sees the spill, and immediately without thinking phones the police from a cell phone telling the cycle rider now standing and looking over his bike that she did so. The tone of the motorist was that of someone clearly interested in seeing if the cyclist was okay and not that of someone trying to involve the police/emergency vehicles for any other reason.
The young man arranges for a cycle shop to pick up the cycle. Meanwhile, the police and ambulance show up. The ambulance attendants insist he be check out. They do so and the young man refuses transport to the hospital since he received skin abrasions and felt it wasn't necessary.
After they finished, the police took over in what can be described as nothing but abuse and coersion.
The young man and the rider travelling in front of him answer the officer's questions giving them license, insurance and registration and inform him that the reason he spilled, was having hit something in the roadway to pull the front wheel from his hands and send him out of control. (Emergency vehicles were parked on the area right where the ruts and potholes were).
The cop immediately called the young man a LIAR and began what can only be called intimidatory tactics, insults and verbal abuse. Three of them now present, they refused to allow him to let the Cycle shop truck take his cycle away, call his family with his cellular phone, and wouldn't even bother to walk over and take a close look at the street area where the very unsafe road conditions exist. They called for a tow truck from a company that receives city business to take his cycle, despite his protests that it be taken to the cycle repair shop. He asked them why they were doing this, all the would do was lip him back in very scarcastic tones. He asked if he was being charged with anything and they wouldn't answer him.
The cops kept going back to the women in the SUV that called in the spill and kept trying, it seemed to get them to say something to help make an issue out of nothing more than a fall due to very poor road conditions which fortunately due to protective clothing an low speed resulted in his not being too badly hurt except shaken.
The cop who was so aggressive, abusive and such was the one who kept going back to the women's car. The young man doesn't know what he was able to interpret from their responses but right after he'd made his last visit to their vehicle, he told them they could leave and motioned for them to go, standing there until he was sure they'd left the area. Then he came back to the young man.
the young man pulled out his cell phone, but was told he could not call his family, and when he asked why not, he was then told he was under arrest. He asked for what reason, and they told him for "reckless" driving. ??? He was placed in handcuffs and taken to the station, finger printed and booked! He wasn't read his miranda rights until he arrived at the station in the booking room. He was not informed that he had a right to post 10% of the bond to retain his license either, but told that he'd have to pay $2,000 to get it back! They were very snotty and insulting throughout this situation with no concern or respect for the young man's well being or rights. He was told he could pick up the accident report the next day after 2 p.m. He found out that of the three cops there, one was a newly hired rookie only working for a couple of months, and the mouthy older officer spouted off that he would remember this arrest, since he helped him make it and it was the new officer's first one.
That night, he received a call from the rookie saying that he'd forgotten to write down the insurance information and needed the young man to repeat it. Which he did once again. Asked when he could pick up the accident report and post bond to retrieve his license until the court date, the young man was told (on tape recorded line) that all would be available after 2 p.m. The young man got there, and again, was treated with bad attitude, disrespect, and mouthy redress by the employee at the desk. His licence was rapidly sent in.... not there. The accident report was not finished yet and they would take up to five days to get around to it! Meanwhile the young man had to go retreive his cycle at a cost to him of $125.00 from their towing arrangement. (They claimed they ordered it taken there so that they could inspect it). The one of his choice would have cost him little or nothing.
There were three other witnesses at the scene voicing their displeasure with the attitudes and lack of concern and professionalism of these officers; none of which did the police bother to take statements from. We intend to help him find those individuals and get their statements.
Also, photographs have been taken of the conditions of the roadway where this spill took place; clear evidence that a very hazzardous condition exists.
How can police be so cavalier to treat people in such a callous and uncaring manner. What is this man's recourse to undo the harm done to him? He has been traumatized by this and we can see why. We have lost total faith in law enforcement and want absolutely no contact with them unless absolutely necessary. They are not here to serve and protect anyone and clearly cannot be trusted.
The young man by the way was not under the influence of anything, and they knew that. No mention was even made about testing him. How can law enforcement get away with treating some like this? What can he do?
A well meaning motorist travelling in a SUV in the right lane, sees the spill, and immediately without thinking phones the police from a cell phone telling the cycle rider now standing and looking over his bike that she did so. The tone of the motorist was that of someone clearly interested in seeing if the cyclist was okay and not that of someone trying to involve the police/emergency vehicles for any other reason.
The young man arranges for a cycle shop to pick up the cycle. Meanwhile, the police and ambulance show up. The ambulance attendants insist he be check out. They do so and the young man refuses transport to the hospital since he received skin abrasions and felt it wasn't necessary.
After they finished, the police took over in what can be described as nothing but abuse and coersion.
The young man and the rider travelling in front of him answer the officer's questions giving them license, insurance and registration and inform him that the reason he spilled, was having hit something in the roadway to pull the front wheel from his hands and send him out of control. (Emergency vehicles were parked on the area right where the ruts and potholes were).
The cop immediately called the young man a LIAR and began what can only be called intimidatory tactics, insults and verbal abuse. Three of them now present, they refused to allow him to let the Cycle shop truck take his cycle away, call his family with his cellular phone, and wouldn't even bother to walk over and take a close look at the street area where the very unsafe road conditions exist. They called for a tow truck from a company that receives city business to take his cycle, despite his protests that it be taken to the cycle repair shop. He asked them why they were doing this, all the would do was lip him back in very scarcastic tones. He asked if he was being charged with anything and they wouldn't answer him.
The cops kept going back to the women in the SUV that called in the spill and kept trying, it seemed to get them to say something to help make an issue out of nothing more than a fall due to very poor road conditions which fortunately due to protective clothing an low speed resulted in his not being too badly hurt except shaken.
The cop who was so aggressive, abusive and such was the one who kept going back to the women's car. The young man doesn't know what he was able to interpret from their responses but right after he'd made his last visit to their vehicle, he told them they could leave and motioned for them to go, standing there until he was sure they'd left the area. Then he came back to the young man.
the young man pulled out his cell phone, but was told he could not call his family, and when he asked why not, he was then told he was under arrest. He asked for what reason, and they told him for "reckless" driving. ??? He was placed in handcuffs and taken to the station, finger printed and booked! He wasn't read his miranda rights until he arrived at the station in the booking room. He was not informed that he had a right to post 10% of the bond to retain his license either, but told that he'd have to pay $2,000 to get it back! They were very snotty and insulting throughout this situation with no concern or respect for the young man's well being or rights. He was told he could pick up the accident report the next day after 2 p.m. He found out that of the three cops there, one was a newly hired rookie only working for a couple of months, and the mouthy older officer spouted off that he would remember this arrest, since he helped him make it and it was the new officer's first one.
That night, he received a call from the rookie saying that he'd forgotten to write down the insurance information and needed the young man to repeat it. Which he did once again. Asked when he could pick up the accident report and post bond to retrieve his license until the court date, the young man was told (on tape recorded line) that all would be available after 2 p.m. The young man got there, and again, was treated with bad attitude, disrespect, and mouthy redress by the employee at the desk. His licence was rapidly sent in.... not there. The accident report was not finished yet and they would take up to five days to get around to it! Meanwhile the young man had to go retreive his cycle at a cost to him of $125.00 from their towing arrangement. (They claimed they ordered it taken there so that they could inspect it). The one of his choice would have cost him little or nothing.
There were three other witnesses at the scene voicing their displeasure with the attitudes and lack of concern and professionalism of these officers; none of which did the police bother to take statements from. We intend to help him find those individuals and get their statements.
Also, photographs have been taken of the conditions of the roadway where this spill took place; clear evidence that a very hazzardous condition exists.
How can police be so cavalier to treat people in such a callous and uncaring manner. What is this man's recourse to undo the harm done to him? He has been traumatized by this and we can see why. We have lost total faith in law enforcement and want absolutely no contact with them unless absolutely necessary. They are not here to serve and protect anyone and clearly cannot be trusted.
The young man by the way was not under the influence of anything, and they knew that. No mention was even made about testing him. How can law enforcement get away with treating some like this? What can he do?