What to do ifI am being harassed by the police?
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What to do ifI am being harassed by the police?
A detective started banging on my door and consistently ringing my doorbell at 5:45 am this morning. He insisted he talk to me right away. My mom told he she did not know who he was and he should please leave our front doorstep. He was dressed in plain clothing (not a uniform). He refused to show us a badge or his business card. My mom told him to leave and instead he towed my car off our driveway which is our property. Now he keeps calling me leaving messages that if I want my car back to come talk to him. Is this legal?
Asked on October 21, 2011 under Criminal Law, California
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
This is absolutely illegal unless of course your car had excessive tickets and was tagged to be towed anyway. If he refused to show his identification or a badge, you need to immediately contact the police and before you do, contact a criminal defense attorney about this person's behavior. Contact directly or through your attorney the internal affairs bureau of your county police department. Perhaps this person was with the tow company and not with the police. In any case, this person absolutely broke police protocol for not identifying himself or refusing to show his documentation. California is one state that comes down pretty hard on police misconduct (remember the Rampart scandal of the L.A.P.D.) so don't be afraid to push back.
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