Where's the dope, man? Come on, give it up. Hey, God nothing. Let me see your pockets. Pull them out. Y-I-D? Got an ID here. Run that, please. You see your hat. I seen you coming out of there. Yeah, that's a known drug spot. It's my home. That's why I live at. You go to school? Or you're working? I work at a restaurant. That's where I'm going. You're up waiting for another respondent here, man. What's up? He's clean. Get your stuff. Thank you for your cooperation. You stay on the truck. This is not the first time. You probably ain't the last. That's how they do around here. I'm not surprised. In cities across the country, these stop-and-frisks are occurring at record rates, especially in low-income communities of color. They happen so frequently they seem perfectly normal to you. Yeah, that's how they do. This might be common, but that doesn't make it right. In fact, it sounds like those cops searched you illegally. What do you say, Ains? Pull them on a call. What's wrong? It's brother. If police have reasonable suspicion to believe you're involved in a crime, they have legally allowed to detain you for a short period of time. Reasonable suspicion requires less evidence than probable cause, but it basically means the officer has some specific reason to believe that you're up to something. For example, police can legally stop someone who matches the description of a criminal suspect. A suspect who drops a suspicious object after seeing the police, or someone who runs away after seeing the police. Don't ever run from the police. That's part of what the officers can use for probable cause. And they'll run you down and make you regret it. But if you see police approaching, be calm and assert you rights, it may be. But don't run. If they have reasonable suspicion to detain you, police may pat down the outside of your clothing to check for weapons, but only if they have a basis for suspecting that you're armed. If they feel a hard item that might be your weapon, the police may pull it out of your pocket to check it out. Police may ask you to show them what's in your pockets. Remember, you don't have to do it. Let me say something. The police may ask you to show them what's in your pocket to check for weapons, but only if they have a basis for suspecting that you're armed. And you always have the right to refuse. In your case, there appeared to be no basis to justify their stop and frisk. It happens so fast, it was over before I even knew it. What could I have done different? You don't have a lot of immediate options here. If police detain and frisk you, you have the right to clearly state your refusal to the consent to the search. But you should only verbally refuse, never physically resist. Never. Just touching a cop could get you tainted or beaten. You could also get charged with felony assault. Tastes forward. Sometimes people get in trouble for merely standing near others holding contraband or if it is found nearby. Look what we have here. Police may try to get you to snitch on yourself or on others, but remember that police may legally lie to you, so don't get tricked into waving your rights. We know you bought this weed. That makes you part of a drug conspiracy. Now you give up your supplier or else we're going to charge you as an accessory to drug trafficking. I'm going to remain silent and like to see a lawyer. I'm going to remain silent. I'm going to remain silent. I'm going to see a lawyer. I'll see you dropped his man. Just admit it's yours. It's a slap on the wrist. You make things difficult for me and I'll charge you a possession and evidence temper. That's a felony. Don't get tricked. You know what to say. I'm going to remain silent. I'm going to see a lawyer. I'll see you dropped his man. Just admit it's yours. It's a slap on the wrist. You know what to say. If police pressure you to snatch you, you need a lawyer. Use the magic words. Officer, I'm going to remain silent. I like to see a lawyer. But remember, just because you ask for a lawyer doesn't mean they have to stop questioning you. If you keep talking, your words might still be used against you, so shut your mouth until you've seen a lawyer. But when do you actually get a lawyer? That depends. If you keep your mouth shut, you might not even need one. But if you're arrested and charged with a crime, you need help. If you can't afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you by the court. The point is that you can't talk your way out of a police interrogation without a lawyer. That's a big mistake. Almost anything you say to the police can and will be used against you in court. But what if the police try to make you sign a confession or something? Don't sign anything without a lawyer. And don't rely on the police to explain what it says. Read it for yourself. Usually, the only document that's safe to sign is a promise to appear in court. What if police come up to me just asking for ID? Hey, hold up, man. Let me see your ID. Carrying an ID is required when you're driving, but there's otherwise no law requiring you to carry an ID. But in some states, police can require you to give your name. If they have reasonable suspicion to believe you're involved in criminal activity. How do you know if police have reasonable suspicion? Remember, police need reasonable suspicion to detain you. So one way to tell if they have reasonable suspicion is to ask if you're free to go. Hey, hold up, man. Let me show you your ID. Excuse me, officer. Are you detaining me or my free to go? Just want to talk to you, man. What's your name? Are you detaining me or my free to go? Not detaining you, man, but... I promise, I'm clean. For sure, I'm the check. I gotta go. What if they don't let me go? Then you're being detained because they ask the things that some reason to suspect you are a crime. Let's use some ID. Excuse me, officer. Are you detaining me or my free to go? Turn out put your hands up on the wall. In that situation, you could be arrested if you refuse to reveal your identity. Technically, police can't make you identify yourself anytime they want. But on the street, withholding your identity frequently leads to a detaching or even an arrest. If your goal is to just get the encounter over with, then identifying yourself might be your best option. But if you prepare to fight things out in court, you can flex your rights by refusing to cooperate with random ID requests. You say those police broke the rules, searching me like that? What am I supposed to do? Call a cops on them? This, fighting back against police misconduct is never easy, but it gets easier if you know your rights and if you act appropriately. What do I do? File a complaint? Does anyone read those? Oh, yeah, they read them for sure. There are lots of bad cops who off the streets because they get too many complaints. The cases of severe police misconduct can result in major lawsuits that change the way the police behave. I know that because I filed my share of them successfully. Here's what you need to know about reporting police misconduct. During the encounter, pay close attention to details. Remember the order of events. Remember as much as you can about the officers. What did they look like? What were their names? What were their badge numbers? Although you should never ask them for their badge number, that means to them you are about to make a complaint and board as they get bad for you if they know that. So never tell them you're going to make a complaint against them. Remember the exact words that the officer says. Where's the dough? I ain't got nothing. Come on, man. Give it up. As soon as you can, get everybody together who saw or heard anything about the incident. Sit down with them together. Listen to their recollections. Use whatever device you can to collect your thoughts. The longer you wait, the less you will remember. The black cup in a white cup. And try to find other witnesses if you can. You'll need this evidence later. Reaching in a bag, man. If you were injured during a police incident, make sure somebody photographs you at your worst as soon as possible. Make copies of any relevant information.