4 Tips You Should Follow When Under Arrest
Police officers exist to serve and protect us from any harm and to intervene when there's civil unrest. However, you might find yourself on the wrong end of the law, and officers may detain you to prevent any further harm to your community or interview you as a suspect in a criminal investigation.
If you are ever unfortunate enough to find yourself under arrest, there are certain things you should do or avoid to protect your rights and interests. This blog post will discuss four tips you should follow when under arrest.
1. Accept the Officer's Arrest Attempt
Police officers must ensure your protection while on duty, but they cannot guarantee your safety if you resist arrest. Police academies train their officers to deal with resistance and will use whatever force is necessary to subdue the person. Therefore, you have more leverage if you comply with the police and go through the legal process rather than resist and risk physical damage or legal consequences since resistance is a criminal act.
Resistance when an officer prompts you to comply with their capture request could lead to your indictment, regardless of your innocence in regards to the original charge. Such resistance will deteriorate your chances of a positive outcome in court, and you may be faced with fines and jail time.
Additionally, do not try to escape or evade an officer when they approach you with the intent to arrest you. Police may use the escape attempt and any circumstantial evidence left behind as probable cause to use lethal force. Any dissuasion used to prevent your flight might be admissible in court as legitimate since you failed to comply.
2. Respect the Officer's Authority
Remain calm and respectful while interacting with any police officers. You should cooperate with the police officers as much as possible, even if they treat you disrespectfully. This respect will help you avoid any potential problems later on in court proceedings. If you choose not to cooperate and engage in disrespectful behavior toward your arresting officer, they can use this situation against you during trial proceedings.
3. Provide Accurate Information
You should provide the arresting officer with any information they request to identify you positively. The information will help the officer correctly identify you and safeguard your innocence should they decide to investigate the truth behind your claims of innocence. Additionally, identification will absolve any doubts the officer had about your identity, as they may otherwise contact your house or workplace to verify the information.
If you provide the arrest officer with false information, they can later use your false identification as proof of obstruction of justice in court. The judge will argue that you might have provided false information to absolve yourself and could use it against you at sentencing.
4. Avoid Any Interrogation Attempt If It Incriminates You
Police officers often remind you that you retain your right to silence, and they can use anything you say against you during court proceedings. Only provide information that can correctly identify you without any other additional information that can implicate you in a crime. Additionally, you should answer questions that ask for facts like your workplace and residence. However, do not offer co-operation unless you understand how to navigate such questions.
You should remember to plead the Fifth Amendment and request the presence of a lawyer. You may accidentally implicate yourself if you answer any questions outside the personal identification information the officer requests.
We hope this article illuminated the right actions you should pursue if you are placed under arrest in the future. Police arrests and investigations can implicate you for crimes you did not commit if you are not careful or interact with the officers negatively.
Contact us at Kalasnik Law Office LLC if you require any legal advice, representation, and assistance to defend your rights and privileges.