Opinion ID: 2585223
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether the police asked Wasserman for identification and the reasonableness of Wasserman's reaction to the police

Text: The Wassermans argue that, contrary to the trial court's finding, the police did not ask Wasserman for identification or explain why they were stopping him. Wasserman testified that the police did not ask him for identification up to this point. Delacruz testified that she did not hear the officers ask for identification. The Wassermans argue that if the police actually believed him to be the dangerous fugitive, they would not have paused to ask for identification. The trial court found that Bartholomew yelled for Wasserman to stop and asked for identification, and Steinnerd advised Wasserman that he resembled a federal fugitive they were seeking. The evidence supports this finding. Sergeant Steinnerd testified in his deposition that he and Officer Bartholomew asked Wasserman to produce identification. According to the Wassermans, Officer Bartholomew testified in his deposition that he asked Wasserman for identification. Trooper Roberts and Hanson testified that they heard the officers asking Wasserman to identify himself. Wasserman himself admitted that one officer said that he looked like a criminal, and Trooper Manns corroborated this fact. Evidence supports the trial court's finding that the police asked Wasserman for identification and explained why they were stopping him; it is not clearly erroneous. The Wassermans concede that Keith Wasserman resisted the unknown assailants, but argue that his resistance was reasonable. In response to Officer Bartholomew's request to put his hands behind his back and attempt to grab his arm, Wasserman testified that he asked why, put his hands up in a surrender position, and pulled away. When the police commanded Wasserman to put his hands behind his back twice more, Wasserman refused, exclaiming, Wait a minute, I've got rights. The trial court found that Wasserman resisted the officers' efforts to control him in a vocal and violent manner[ ] and that Wasserman's reaction to the initial police contact was highly unusual and unreasonable under the circumstances. Trooper Manns, Officer Bartholomew, and Sergeant Steinnerd stated that Wasserman struggled to get free. Trooper Roberts testified that Wasserman appeared to be combative. Two bystanders testified that Wasserman was yelling and appeared to be resisting arrest. Based on this evidence, the finding that Wasserman reacted unreasonably is not clearly erroneous.