I was Stopped for running a stop sign

[BobbyV]

It's amazing how many people get confused at four way stops along Waterloo and other nearby intersections. I can't tell you how many times I've almost hit or almost been hit by idiots who don't use their blinkers or were on their phones and have no clue if it's their turn to go or not.

And we see folks blow through those intersections on the regular. My daughter finally saw one get pulled over last night at Western and Coffee Creek.

 

[Shakel65]

Two things I recall from police academy in the 70's.

As you walk up to a stopped vehicle, check the trunk to see if it was open-counter ambush strategy taught citing an incident in California. It be came second nature to touch the back of a vehicle as you walked up, even pick-up's. In recent times it I've seen it said to leave some DNA.

Second thing they taught us, always be prepared to be talked out of writing a ticket, never be talked into writing.

Back in the olden days, if I saw two vehicles vehicle moving at the same time from a stop sign I would have stopped the second vehicle. In the jurisdictions I worked the second vehicle would have been required to move up and stop after the first vehicle moved.

I recall back in those olden days written Department Policy allowed discretion. For a stop sign violation the black and white of the policy, required a citation be written only in "accident or hazard" "all others warn".

What OP describes as his actions would be a violation of the statute's from my past and the officer exercised discretion and issued a warning.

Its hard to see that how and where the car in front of you stops has any bearing on your own stop?

 

[undeg01]

When I was in training, I conducted a stop of a Z71 pickup that left a parking lot onto a street without stopping, and things just didn’t seem “right.” As I approached the vehicle, I caught the attention of my FTO and pointed at the tail lights, noting the brake lights were on. I approached the driver while my FTO approached from the passenger side. I said, ”Sir, I need you to put your vehicle in park and turn off the engine.” The driver had both hand clearly in view on the wheel. He never looked at me, just simply said, “Nope,” then floored it. As the truck started to pull away from us, my FTO connected his flashlight to the passenger tail light with a strong backhanded strike. As the pursuit began, my FTO explained that if he gets away from us, maybe someone else will stop him because of the broken tail light.

Everything was flooded that night and the guy hit a low lying flooded area at 80 mph and I kid you not, the water was up to his windows. I guess he was going so fast the momentum carried him across. We lost him at that point but I deducted that it was possible he was staying at a hotel near where the traffic stop was initiated. Sure enough, picked him up there at 7:20am, just as my shift was ending.

 

[Ripcord]

No, should I? Why do they do this?

View attachment 230318

Being a LEO for years, patrolman will usually touch the back end of your car with a print to identify the vehicle in the event the driver decides to pull a firearm or run from the traffic stop.

 

[BillM]

No, should I? Why do they do this?

View attachment 230318

Unless you have LED tail lights, and maybe even then, the lens will be warm if the brake lights have been on for some time. They must have been warm enough to prove your assertion to him.

Bill

 

[leemozoid]

You don't have to stop behind the stop sign, common myth in OK. The only thing you would have to stop behind is a crosswalk if present. If no crosswalk is present you just have to stop before entering the intersection. You must stop at some point prior to the crosswalk if present, or the intersection if not present after the vehicle in front of you has done the same and is gone.

You have three options. You may stop at:
1. The stop sign.
2. A painted stop line.
3. Absent 1 and 2 you may stop at a point nearest the intersection where you have visibility of cross traffic.

 

[leemozoid]

Being a LEO for years, patrolman will usually touch the back end of your car with a print to identify the vehicle in the event the driver decides to pull a firearm or run from the traffic stop.

Also back in the day with trunked vehicles I would push down to make sure there wasn't someone hiding in there waiting to pop out.

 

[Okie4570]

You have three options. You may stop at:
1. The stop sign.
2. A painted stop line.
3. Absent 1 and 2 you may stop at a point nearest the intersection where you have visibility of cross traffic.

Yep.....

 

[KOPBET]

In my neighborhood you're lucky if the drivers slow down for the stop sign, much less come to a stop.

 

[Snattlerake]

Two things I recall from police academy in the 70's.

As you walk up to a stopped vehicle, check the trunk to see if it was open-counter ambush strategy taught citing an incident in California. It be came second nature to touch the back of a vehicle as you walked up, even pick-up's. In recent times it I've seen it said to leave some DNA.

Second thing they taught us, always be prepared to be talked out of writing a ticket, never be talked into writing.

Back in the olden days, if I saw two vehicles vehicle moving at the same time from a stop sign I would have stopped the second vehicle. In the jurisdictions I worked the second vehicle would have been required to move up and stop after the first vehicle moved.

I recall back in those olden days written Department Policy allowed discretion. For a stop sign violation the black and white of the policy, required a citation be written only in "accident or hazard" "all others warn".

What OP describes as his actions would be a violation of the statute's from my past and the officer exercised discretion and issued a warning.

I did have a guy in an old beat-up dump truck stop me and wanted me to write some fix-it tickets. He said he couldn't get his boss to fix his lights, tires, side mirror and brake lights. I wrote them all.