I wouldn’t classify myself as a cop-hater…but several run-ins with law enforcement officials have left me with a less-than-favorable opinion. Two of those occasions happened to be with Jerry’s Brownshirts*. It may be due to my knack for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Just that circumstance seems to infer guilty until proven innocent.
(* A less than flattering term I coined for Craven County deputies under Sheriff Jerry Monette….akin to Jerry Monette and his secret police as described by former Vanceboro Voice publisher Art Manning)
Back in the winter of 2004, I was feeling a little down and decided to take a drive. While meandering through the backroads of northeastern Craven County I felt like being by the water, which usually has a soothing effect on me. Since I didn’t want to go into New Bern, I opted for the Wildlife boat landing just north of Bridgeton. It has a nice open view of the river with a few lights sprinkled about on the other side.
As I drove up I noticed a burgundy Chevy Blazer bearing the markings of the Craven County Sheriff ’s Office. “Hmmm…,” I thought. “I wonder what he’s doing down here.” I decided to stay because I figured turning around would raise suspicion. Since I was doing nothing wrong I pulled up and parked. The view was dark, but nice on the dark December night.
Several minutes later, I saw the Blazer start to move. I figured the deputy was heading to another location. That location, was directly behind my car.
The young deputy, who appeared younger than me, approached my window and we went through the normal drill. When asked why I was at the landing in the late evening, I told him I just wanted to sit by the water and relax. He informed me that the landing was a popular drug spot in the area and asked me if I did drugs. “Just nicotine, caffeine and the occasional alcohol,” I responded. Apparently he didn’t believe me because he repeated the question several times before asking me to step out of the vehicle.
Not being one to start too much trouble I obliged. He then padded me down, reaching in one of my pockets and pulling out an ink pen. One thing I thought was odd was that he didn’t check my boots. Following the search he then asked to search my car. Being ignorant of the Fourth Amendment provisions, I once again allowed a warrantless search. Of course, my thought was, “What’s the big deal? I’ve got nothing to hide.”
After the vehicle search, I was allowed to leave. Although by this point my nerves were shot and I had no chance of getting the peace of mind I had gone there for.
The second incident happened a few months ago when Corey was in town. We had just left a local bar and I was taking him back to his mom’s house. Not being too familiar with the side streets in the neighborhood, I turned too early and then turned the wrong way once I got on the road she lives on. When I turned left I noticed a New Bern Police car down the street on the right.
As I drove back out to Simmons Street, I decided that I would just make a big circle back. The police car followed me onto Simmons and then when I turned right onto MLK Blvd. After staying behind me for about a quarter-mile, the car went around and pulled in front of me. It just so happened that as I decided to turn down Fort Totten Road, so did the cops. I joked that they probably thought I was trying to be a jackass.
Not to raise suspicion, I gave my signal to turn right before they did. I followed them with a right turn onto Trent Road where they eventually pulled off to the side. I kept going, keeping sight of them in my mirror until they were out of sight.
Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, I waited and turned right onto Simmons before turning onto the correct side street. I noticed the cops were behind me again. I was careful to stop at all stop signs. When I pulled up by the willow tree at his mom’s house, the blue lights came on. “Oh great,” I said as I turned to Corey.
The two police officers got out and came to the passenger-side door, shining their Mag lights in our faces. Again, I went through the usual rigamarole. This time, they asked to see Corey’s license. He politely asked why, since because he was a passenger doesn’t have to carry one. They informed us that there had been some vehicle break-ins in the area. Since they were investigated, he played along.
About that time, backup arrived. We probably would have been there longer if not for the backup officer, who had been campus police at Craven Community College while we were there. She recognized and vouched for us and the area was soon clear. Thanks Trish.
The most recent encounter happened Nov. 10 between 1:30 and 2 a.m. while on my way back home from getting groceries after work. I was driving through Bridgeton when I noticed a deputy up ahead checking out a parking lot of a local business. I wondered what was going on. I kept driving and noticed the deputy pull behind me.
He was keeping a close distance as cops usually do when they drive behind you. I tried to stay unintimidated thinking he would just keep north on the highway after I turned off to take the backroads home. I assumed wrong, as I usually do. Immediately following my turn, he turned behind me and put on his lights. “Is my turn signal out,” I wondered.
I pulled over, shifted to park and turned off my car. About a minute later he came walking up to the window. “Hey William, how ya doin’,” he asked. “Pretty good,” I replied, shocked that he knew my name already. Apparently he had already ran my plates.
“Got your license on ya?”
“Sure do.” I handed it over.
“You live right up the road here, don’t ya?”
“Yeah…” I started looking at him trying to read his badge, which was impossible from the glare. “I’m tryin’ to figure out who you are since you know so much about me.”
“You don’t know me.”
He then said there had been a report of someone driving careless and reckless through Bridgeton, and I was the only one around. After that he took my license back with him to his car, leaving me to sit and think for several minutes. “Did you see me driving careless and reckless?”
He then came back and half-heartedly apoligized and said a car the “looked just like this one” had been called in, and let me go.
To quote the band Corporate Avenger, “I don’t fault the police.” I know they’re just “trying to do their job.” But it does upset me when I’m involved in an altercation for being completely innocent.
2 Comments
November 11, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Stop the people, fill out some paper work, kill some time, it is what they do. These people know you and the likes of you (people like me), they look for anything, just to write a ticket, if no ticket, they have filled up their time. Like they are all that busy.
You did not think I would comment??
November 12, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I know how you feel. I got a seatbelt ticket while wearing a seatbelt. The cop pulled me over on my way to work, and commenced to harass me for a few minutes before giving me a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt.
I told him I had been wearing it since I pulled out of my driveway. He said I had not been wearing it when he passed me, and that he saw me reach back and fasten it. I told him to check his onboard camera. He told me he would not. I called his supervisor, who said with much arrogance that he would review the tape, but that it would not help me with my ticket.
I told him where he can stick his ticket and hung up, but ended up paying the ticket. I’m still furious about that.
The cops name was Walker.