SAR2401 said:
If the storm chaser felt he was being treated unfairly, the proper route was to follow the deputy's order and then file a complaint.
I would agree, but in theory only. Complaints against cops are futile -- regardless of their validity -- unless you're black. They have to literally kill somebody before civil rights violations are even considered against them. Their only "punishment" for abusing their authority or violating your rights is that their case gets dismissed by the DA. Big deal. They still go back and do it again. Because they can, and because they enjoy it.
I can see no evidence the deputy's order was clearly unlawful and therefore he was obliged to follow the order or be arrested.
I can see no evidence that the deputy's order was clearly lawful either. It was a REST STOP, for crying out loud. Rest stop = place to park. It wasn't a matter of the guy blocking the road, which would have been a law to be enforced. It was a simple matter of the cop thinking he can push people around for his own entertainment. They do the same thing to the news media all the time. And cops wonder why people don't respect them. :roll:
We can't have an orderly society if everyone thinks they have the right to argue a peace officer's interpretation of the law on the side of the road.
You're missing the root of the problem. The problem is not that people second guess peace officers' legal interpretations. The big problem is that peace officers' legal interpretations are so often incorrect that they need to be interpreted in the first place. If we had better educated, better trained, and frankly smarter cops with less attitude, there would be a lot less need for streetside debates.
Just do what you're told, even if you think the cop is being a jerk, and take it up with his superiors later...unless you want to be arrested and get some publicity. I'm not convinced that wasn't part of the motivation behind this video.
Agreed. As usual, throw a video camera into the mix, and people are empowered to act a fool. Nobody wants to be seen backing down on camera, including the cop. The cop was wrong, and no amount of complaining to his superiors is likely to change him. But, as justified as they may be legally, streetside debates are never productive or wise.