Can you be arrested for impersonating a police officer...

sparkins1972
sparkins1972 Posts: 252
edited November 2010 in Road beginners
..if it prevents a serious assault?

I was out yesterday for a ride and about 300 yards from a junction I slowed down a bit to take a drink, a car was sitting very close to my rear wheel. As I went a round the last corner before the junction, which is semi blind, a car had parked, I held my line, but didn't cross the white line. At the same time the car behind stated to overtake me, which he shouldn't have done, but then stopped at the junction gesturing for me to pull up at his passenger window.

I stopped at the junction to be greeted by an open window and the words 'You f***ing c***, I f***ing waited for you to have a drink you t**t.' My repsonse was 'I am sorry I don't understand your point' he then flicked a lit fag butt at me through the window, called me a '..f***ing cocky c***' and went to get out of his car. At this point I realised I didn't want to be there and as he came around the car to lunge at me I set off to keep a bit of distance between us and said 'I suggest you get back in your car, but if you would like to discuss this any further then I suggest you come along to West Bridgford police station tomorrow morning when I am back on duty and we can discuss the ins and outs of the highway code, as well as threatening behaviour - please ask for Sergeant Johnson (made up name).'

Immediately his tone changed and it was all 'Sorry mate I shouldn't have been driving so close, my fault, I was having a bad day etc' - so in my view I prevented a potentially serious assault, but wondered in theory if I had broken the law :D

Comments

  • Wooliferkins
    Wooliferkins Posts: 2,060
    Technically, yes
    http://www.wikicrimeline.co.uk/index.ph ... ce_officer
    But you'd like to hope that the "intention to deceive" would be mitigated by the circumstances. Cool head though.
    Neil
    Help I'm Being Oppressed
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    Strictly speaking yes you can. The secret is to have the attitude and correct way of speaking but never to say you are one. Sound officious but never threatening. Do not lose your temper. It is all about sowing doubt in their minds. It has worked several times for me but as copper get younger and I have had my pension book for some years it is getting a bit less believable. It can still disarm things though.
    My Fleet.
  • sparkins1972
    sparkins1972 Posts: 252
    Not sure it was a cool head - I often think of odd stuff to block out the pain in my legs when I am out on the bike and a few days before I had thought about what I would say should such a situation arise and lo and behold later that week I had a chance to try it out. The fact that he was about 6ft3 and 16 stone with hands like shovels, persuaded me that being agressive or cocky wasn't the right approach, so downright lies seemed to be the best way to go!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,574
    From experience - always avoid the confrontation.
    _
  • sparkins1972
    sparkins1972 Posts: 252
    Agreed - I am a lover not a fighter by default. Problem was I was at a junction almost immediately after he overtook and it was joining a main road so we both had to stop. He would have looked for the conflict regardless of my actions - he had the look of a man who had drunk far too much on a Saturday night and just wanted to let of steam at the first unfortunate to cross his path.
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    Can you be arrested for impersonating a police officer...
    The Community Support bods seem to be getting away with it. :roll:
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,574
    sparkins1972 wrote:
    Agreed - I am a lover not a fighter by default. Problem was I was at a junction almost immediately after he overtook and it was joining a main road so we both had to stop. He would have looked for the conflict regardless of my actions - he had the look of a man who had drunk far too much on a Saturday night and just wanted to let of steam at the first unfortunate to cross his path.

    I'm a fighter not a lover - I still try my best to avoid!

    But yeah, best thing in those situations is just to have an end to the communication as soon as possible.
    _
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    Peddle Up! wrote:
    Can you be arrested for impersonating a police officer...
    The Community Support bods seem to be getting away with it. :roll:

    I thought he was riding on the pavements

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12739234
  • Squillinossett
    Squillinossett Posts: 1,678
    Peddle Up! wrote:
    Can you be arrested for impersonating a police officer...
    The Community Support bods seem to be getting away with it. :roll:

    That put a smile on my face :lol:
  • woodywmb
    woodywmb Posts: 669
    The best way of avoiding arrest is avoiding being caught. Tell no-one. Say no more.
    http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/1296598/
  • evilollie
    evilollie Posts: 148
    Can't speak for England however in Scotland under the legislation police scot act.... Under these unique set of circumstances you are not committing an offence . I certainly wouldnt charge anyone under these set of circumstances
  • sparkins1972
    sparkins1972 Posts: 252
    evilollie wrote:
    Can't speak for England however in Scotland under the legislation police scot act.... Under these unique set of circumstances you are not committing an offence . I certainly wouldnt charge anyone under these set of circumstances

    Quick it's the polis, scarper!!

    :wink:
  • hatbeard
    hatbeard Posts: 1,087
    Probably.

    I'm sure it'd be more of a gray area if you said ''I suggest you get back in your car, but if you would like to discuss this any further then I suggest you come along to THE station tomorrow morning and we can discuss the ins and outs of the highway code, as well as threatening behaviour'

    because of course you were referring to the local train station and had a genuine interest in conducting a well thought out and structured chat somewhere with a car park and bike parking facilities :lol:
    Hat + Beard
  • evilollie
    evilollie Posts: 148
    sparkins1972 wrote:
    evilollie wrote:
    Can't speak for England however in Scotland under the legislation police scot act.... Under these unique set of circumstances you are not committing an offence . I certainly wouldnt charge anyone under these set of circumstances

    Quick it's the polis, scarper!!

    :wink:

    worse .... CID :lol:

    any cop that would enforce the legislation under these cirumstances ...is a jobsworth
  • Nifer
    Nifer Posts: 102
    My husband was abused tonight - he cycled up a road which forks, and the left hand road has a cycle path, but he was taking the right fork. "Get on the f**king cycle path, you c**t!" and they promptly threw something at him when they drove past him. Charming!
  • Berk Bonebonce
    Berk Bonebonce Posts: 1,245
    I think with 'impersonating a Police Officer' there has to be 'criminal intent'. That's why people dressed as coppers at fancy dress do not het arrested. I can't see any criminal intent in what the geezer starting this thread did that day.
  • paulbox
    paulbox Posts: 1,203
    sparkins1972 wrote:
    I suggest you come along to West Bridgford police station tomorrow morning when I am back on duty and we can discuss the ins and outs of the highway code, as well as threatening behaviour - please ask for Sergeant Johnson (made up name).'

    Immediately his tone changed and it was all 'Sorry mate I shouldn't have been driving so close, my fault, I was having a bad day etc' - so in my view I prevented a potentially serious assault, but wondered in theory if I had broken the law :D

    :lol: I love this, well done!

    Just for the record, poor behaviour isn't reserved solely for cyclists, I was cut up on a roundabout this very morning (my right of way, white van pulled out from the left). Caused me to brake hard to avoid hitting him. I then received a barrage of abuse and hand signals before being told that I should slow down... :roll: I was doing approx 15 - 20mph, had my headlights on and was completely in the right.

    I'd better get on with calling the number that was written on the back of his firm's van... :twisted:
    XC: Giant Anthem X
    Fun: Yeti SB66
    Road: Litespeed C1, Cannondale Supersix Evo, Cervelo R5
    Trainer: Bianchi via Nirone
    Hack: GT hardtail with Schwalbe City Jets
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    It's impersonating a police officer with AN INTENT to deceive. The alternative offence is possessing articles of police uniform. By telling the person you were a police officer you have an intention to deceive him, but in the circumstances you would no doubt argue it saved you from a kicking and any necessity to use force or a pre-emptive strike against the other person. No court in the land would convict you.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • sparkins1972
    sparkins1972 Posts: 252
    On a related subject how about impersonating a gynaecologist?
  • crumbschief
    crumbschief Posts: 3,399
    I think that's going to open up a whole new problem here.
  • Berk Bonebonce
    Berk Bonebonce Posts: 1,245
    philthy3 wrote:
    No court in the land would convict you.

    Unless you got a Romanian-sounding surname.
  • bilirubin
    bilirubin Posts: 225
    sparkins1972 wrote:
    On a related subject how about impersonating a gynaecologist?

    I'll look into it :lol:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    bilirubin wrote:
    sparkins1972 wrote:
    On a related subject how about impersonating a gynaecologist?

    I'll look into it :lol:

    Stop fannying about, please ? :D
  • skip75surf
    skip75surf Posts: 18
    There is an offence of Impersonating a Police Officer, have dealt with it before. From experience I'd say well done for diffusing the situation & stopping a potential assault. Any reasonable police officer would pat you on the back for your quick thinking :-) Not a trick to be used lightly tho.......

Categories