The person was a baliff for a court in Huntsville and the stops were in League City. Here is a new link:MD2595 wrote:The link is no longer valid, so I can't comment on the story.
But to the poster that claims the officer should be charged due to the sole fact that he was "out of his jurisdiction", where was stop(s) conducted and what city is the officer employed by?
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/stor ... a3ea5f7a6d
There is another thread in this forum about teenagers pulling people over. This article has some good advice about traffic stops in secluded areas.
Police offer tips for night traffic stops
By Sara McDonald
The Daily News
Published December 20, 2007
LEAGUE CITY — Being stopped and questioned by an out-of-town bailiff led one woman to swear she wouldn’t pull over at night again. But police say there are simple ways to be safe during a nighttime traffic stop.
Last week, League City police investigated claims that a man posing as a police officer was pulling women drivers over late at night. The claims led officers to Kevin Bruce Byrne, 57, of Dickinson, who had an active peace officer certification with the 12th District Court in Huntsville until he resigned after the allegations surfaced. He admitting to making the traffic stops, League City police Sgt. Dan Krieger said.
Police said it’s important to remember that the chance of a “fake cop� pulling you over is extremely slim. Krieger said drivers should always pull over for a marked police car to avoid evading arrest charges. Almost all of the time, a uniformed officer will be the one coming out of the patrol car, Krieger said.
It’s also common that if an unmarked car or plainclothes officer makes a traffic stop, the officer will call police headquarters for a backup officer, Krieger said.
In Byrne’s case, the women reported a black Dodge truck with police lights pulled them over, Krieger said.
Normally, Krieger said, drivers should be able to tell whether it’s a patrol car pulling them over.
If you are suspicious about the vehicle trying to make a traffic stop, it’s a good idea to pull into a well-lit parking lot, Krieger said.
If it’s still unclear if it’s an officer making the police stop, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said to call 911 and ask dispatchers to verify that it’s a legitimate officer making the stop.
If a lit area isn’t nearby, motorists are advised to turn on the vehicle’s interior lights so that the officer can verify the driver isn’t grabbing a weapon or hiding drugs. While driving to the lit area, motorists should put on their hazard lights, Tuttoilmondo said.
“Any good officer would realize that you’re not trying to evade arrest,� Tuttoilmondo said. “Any officer worth his salt would see you’re trying to comply.�
