I was stopped the other night when I was returning home from my friend’s house at around 3 AM. A nearby gas station had been robbed and the police were setting up a perimeter to try and catch the culprit. I calmly provided my license and the officer asked me to step out of the car.
The officer checked on the description of the suspect, but when I didn’t fit he started a new line of questioning with me. He asked if he could search my car and I told him “I don’t consent to any searches, Officer.” He seemed alright with it.
Then he looked through my windows while his partner patted me down. When he found nothing he told me that even though it was my right to refuse a search it was a little suspicious that I wouldn’t let him search my car when there was a nearby robbery.
When I calmly said that it was ok for me to refuse, he said “It’s not ok” but didn’t press the issue further. He asked me a couple of questions and when he was finished I asked “Am I free to go?” He said I was, so I left.
Thank you Flex Your Rights for helping me stand up for my rights and avoid an unnecessary search!