Originally posted by: BigJ
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: Slappy00
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: Nebor
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: Nebor
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: Nebor
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
I don't think its eroding your rights for him to ask. I've never heard of anyone actually getting their car searched after offering the cop their keys. I've had officers ask to search me or my car before; I always say "Sure, go for it", and they never do. It's simply a tactic to see if you have anything to hide.
Yeah, cops are intimidating, but a "nice guy" doesn't get taken seriously, its part of their job.
		
		
	 
I've known dozens of people who had their car searched on the side of the highway. I lived in a small town and the highway running nearby was a major drug running route. As a result the DPS, DEA and Sheriff would regularly pull over anyone they could and ask to search the vehicle. They would literally start throwing everything out of your car onto the grass on the side of the highway. If they didn't find anything, they'd just get in their cars and drive off, leaving all your stuff blowing down the side of the highway.
		
 
		
	 
That's a whole different story. Like I said in my edit above, if you are genuinely getting your indivdual rights trampled, you should stand up for yourself. Turning up your music and dancing in front of your car while the officer is informing you of a broken headlight is not exercising your freedom, however.
		
 
		
	 
Actually, it IS excercising your freedom. There's no law prohibiting it. It's his right not to answer any questions the police officer might ask of him. The law does require that he provide proper identification and proof of insurance however.
I think that's funny. I don't think it would be worth the trouble, but it's still funny.
		
 
		
	 
Freedom is the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want?
		
 
		
	 
So long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others. Who was he hurting with his goosestepping?
		
 
		
	 
No one. And its the right of an officer to pull a gun on someone who feels that goosestepping in front of his car during a traffic stop is a good idea. After all, he hasn't hurt anyone by drawing the gun.
I think giving up my right to pole-dance for an officer is a fair exchange for not being threatened with a weapon.
		
 
		
	 
a cop cannot pull a gun on someone unless the person is endagering the cops life, it is unethical and the cop will be put on "administrative leave" barring a review if he or she does that my buddy decied to express his frustration in a nonviolent and non threating manner if the cop pulled a gun on him in that situation he would be in some trouble. Pulling a gun on someone is an unecessary escalation of situation by doing that the police officer believes that: a guy that is probaly more than 2 meters away from him, unarmed, walking side to side  is a threat to his life. By pulling a gun out the cop says that he is prepaird to kill this man involved in a nonvolent protest, for reasons unknown, now whos crazy the person demonstrating his dissatisfaction or the person ready to kill him?
		
 
		
	 
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: CadetLee
	
	
		
		
			a cop cannot pull a gun on someone unless the person is endagering the cops life,
		
		
	 
That's a bit restrictive. An officer can use deadly force to protect the lives of himself and other people, to prevent/stop a violent crime, etc. It's not just his own life -- don't try to kidnap and rape someone and believe that you can't get shot.
		
 
		
	 
You can bet your ass the cop would've been within his legal limits to pull a gun on your friend for goose-stepping by his vehicle.  Quite simply, since it is very eccentric behavior, the officer could have thought your friend was on any number of illegal substances.  This puts him in a very bad situation where him and his partner could be in danger.  And that means your friend being handcuffed  while the cops have probable cause to search the car.  
These "rules" are put in place because they help keep officers safe.  A police officer doesn't know whats going to happen during a "routine" traffic stop, and it goes better for everybody if people are compliant.  You can try giving a cop a hard time, but you can bet your ass the cop is going to give you a harder time if they want.
EDIT:  Also Slappy, I think you're confusing discharging the weapon with unholstering the weapon.  There are many reasons why an officer can unholster their weapon, but there are only a few reasons why an officer can discharge their weapon.