Posted: 11/28/2008 1:57:10 AM EDT
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I saw a vehicle stop in a local parking lot. When the officer walked up to the car, he pulled up on the rear spoiler of the car. I thought maybe he pulled the lady over because it was loose. Then it looked like he was pulling her over for not having a tag properly displayed. He took the info back to his cruiser and did his checks. The next time he walked up to the car he tugged on the spoiler again.
Question: Is this protocol to tug on the trunk to check for someone coming up from behind or did this young looking officer just have something stuck in his mind that he may have seen in training? |
| I used to just push down on the lid, to make sure the trunk is latched. With a release in the passenger compartment it can still be opend but if it is open that should make ya go WTF. I know in the 80 Georgia State Patrol guys would touch some where on the rear of the vehicle to leave prints in case things went south. |
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Quoted:
I used to just push down on the lid, to make sure the trunk is latched. With a release in the passenger compartment it can still be opend but if it is open that should make ya go WTF. I know in the 80 Georgia State Patrol guys would touch some where on the rear of the vehicle to leave prints in case things went south. That is the same thing I'd do; in case the person being stopped tries to shoot the officer and make a run for it; the officer leaves his prints on the vehicle, which makes it easier to track the shooter. I think I saw an episode of Disorderly Conduct, in which an officer pressed his hand on the hatch of a car that he stopped and as the officer approached the vehicle, the suspect (apparently wanted on drug charges) stuck a pistol and shot the officer point blank in the face; the officer survived and thanks to the handprint on the car and the dashcam video, the suspect was caught, arrested and convicted of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. |
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I was a Military Police officer in the Marine Corps. It was drilled into our heads to do this on every single pull-over. Same reasons as have been posted: finger prints and to ensure that there is not someone that will pull a jack-in-the-box on you. There have been a few instances of gang members crawling into the trunk from the back seat to get the drop on LEO's. Better safe than sorry.
There is something to be said for doing what is drilled into you at school. Most of the doctrines are things that have been learned the hard way by those that went before. If you have a correct way of doing things and do it every time, it keeps you from getting sloppy and lax. |
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Checking for safety and leaving prints are both correct. The officer has also conditioned himself to do it every time he approaches a vehicle. This will help him from not doing it just that one time or in a more stressful situation.
Same thing for me as the above post Army MP and now P.O. and I still do it. |
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Already posted, but I'll just include that it's both... you're making sure nobody is in the trunk and it is securely shut, and leaving prints to identify the car if you get shot and killed.
And yeah, he did it twice because he's conditioned to do it when he approaches the car every time. |
| I do it out of habit. I pulled over a suspected road hunter last night. Two young boys in a pickup looking suspicious after shots were reported on this road. Touched the corner of the truck to leave a print and looked first quickly in the bed. Roadhunters will sometimes be lying down in the bedof the truck, armed. |
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You have to read past the first couple posts but here is a few reasons why he did what he did. funny shit!!!!! hot linking skills suck http://forums.officer.com/showthread.php?t=83993 made it hot and you should read because its really funny |
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I check the trunk (push down or pull up) whenever I approach a car on a stop. Learn this one from on the job incident where dope deal tried to spring his pitbull from the trunk of his car while on a stop with him. Luckly when he hit the trunk release the springs on the trunk lid were not strong enough to fling open the trunk lid and the dog was too dumb to lunge out. Not sure how much pushing/pulling on trunk would have helped on the initial approach as the trunk was latched when I approached and he tried to spring it when I was walking back to my car after getting paperwork. Noticed it on the way back up and when I latched it it made the dog bark in the trunk. trunk was only open less than an inch.
I also check the rear door too to make sure that it is latched so there are no suprises there either. J- |