Cop tries to search car because ‘everybody that plays frisbee golf smokes weed’

[dmcowen674]

10-13-2014

http://wgntv.com/2014/10/11/cop-tri...verybody-that-plays-frisbee-golf-smokes-weed/

Cop tries to search car because ‘everybody that plays frisbee golf smokes weed’

The police chief in Ankeny, Iowa issued an apology in response to a video of a police officer trying to search a car because, according to the officer, “everybody that plays Frisbee golf smokes weed.”

The video begins with the officer warning the driver about turning on his headlights. He then asks the driver if he plays Frisbee golf, which the driver says he does.

Things quickly went downhill from there.

“I need you to answer me a question,” the officer tells the driver. “Why is it everybody that plays Frisbee golf smokes weed?"

“No, it’s not everybody,” insists the driver. The officer starts questioning the driver about his own experience with smoking marijuana.

In the video, the driver denies having marijuana on him or in the car after the officer asks.

“You understand you’re free to go and everything but you wouldn’t have a problem with me looking through your car?”

The driver declines the officer’s request saying, “No, I would say I have a problem with you searching my car because you’re profiling me based on being a disc golfer.”

The driver was eventually let go. The officer did not search the vehicle.

 

[dmcowen674]

Fortunately for these young folks things did not go bad.

 

[xaeniac]

repost in ATOT, but agreed this cop sucks

 

[Linux23]

if he was black, this would have definitely escalated.

 

[emperus]

Interesting. I don't see all the common posters deriding this guy for being uppidty for 1.) not consenting to having his car searched and 2.) knowing his rights and telling the cops so. I wonder why that is?

 

[Matt1970]

I have smoked weed on occasion and have played Frisbee golf as well.

 

[OutHouse]

Knew this didn't happen in colorado, the cops don't give a shit about finding pot in a car.

 

[The Merg]

The officer appears to be using questions that lead the driver into giving the answer he wants to hear. Kinda like the premise that you don't ask, "Do you beat your wife?", but rather "How long has it been since you last beat your wife?" It's almost impossible to answer the second question in the negative.

While that is not absolutely out of the realm in ways to get information from someone, here's where I see the big issue:

The officer tells the driver he is getting is warning and that he is free to go, however, he then asks the driver a question, but phrases it "I need you to answer me a question." By doing that, the officer is extending the stop without cause. Unless he had some reasonable suspicion that there was dope in the car (plain view or plain smell), he can't go forward with that line of questioning. Instead, he would have needed to change his wording of the question to make it consensual and show the driver that he was free to not answer the question, such as "Would you mind answering me a question?"

Once he said he needed the driver to do something after the stop was over, it is not a valid stop.

- Merg

 

[Jaepheth]

I have played Frisbee golf on no less than 5 separate occasions and have never smoked weed in my life.

 

[smackababy]

I have played Frisbee golf on no less than 5 separate occasions and have never smoked weed in my life.

You are the first person I've known that to be true. You are an extreme outlier.

 

[Nebor]

You are the first person I've known that to be true. You are an extreme outlier.

I have to agree.

 

[The Merg]

You are the first person I've known that to be true. You are an extreme outlier.

So apparently the cop was right when he asked the question?

No need for an apology by the chief now.

- Merg

 

[Ns1]

I'm surprised the dude wasn't pulled out of his window and beat down for good measure.