Incidents that warrant police intervention happen every day, and sometimes those circumstances end in arrests. What many people don’t realize is that sometimes people who did nothing are arrested in these situations. In today’s world, not breaking the law does not equal avoiding arrest, and you need to know what to do if you find yourself in this position.
Can I Be Arrested If I Am Innocent?
You could be pulled over or stopped by police for any number of reasons. You could match the description of a suspect they are pursuing, you could have been driving in a way they find suspicious or you could even be standing near to a protest that got out of hand. A man from New York was traveling with family through Vermont when a police car pulled him over. However, the man could not find a safe area to pull over, so he continued on for four miles.
When he finally pulled over, the policeman that had been following him drew his gun and placed the man under arrest. He was charged with disobeying the order of a police officer and taken to jail. Later the man would be cleared of the charges, but if the man had not done these few simple things, he could have found himself convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.
How to Avoid Being Convicted of Something You Didn’t Do?
- Stay Silent– You only need to identify yourself and answer certain booking questions, however, you are not required to make a statement or answer any questions about what happened. Even if you didn’t do anything and you think saying something can clear it up, it is best to say nothing and wait to talk to an attorney.
- Be Polite– Oftentimes, officers have had to deal with many calls and many potential lawbreakers, some of which may have been hostile. Politely interacting with the officer can be a breath of fresh air, which may deescalate the situation you are in.
- Don’t Resist– Follow the officers of the order give you. Disobeying those orders or resisting them can lead to worse charges. Resisting can also put your health and life in danger considering that the police are both trained and armed with deadly weapons.
- Call an Attorney– There are plenty of reasons an officer could arrest you, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have rights in that scenario. An attorney’s mission is to protect you and make sure you are aware of all of those rights. You should contact an attorney immediately if you are arrested.
Brought to you by the San Jose criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Thomas Nicholas Cvietkovich—aggressively protecting your rights when you need help the most.