Originally Posted by
essxjay
Instressing.
Just read the original blogpost. Not disputing Sugarman's account but if LEOs did in fact address Sugarman by name when they approached onboard (and Sugarm responded in the affirmative) then I wonder at the necessity for requesting his DL, inquiring where he was born and where he lived in ascertaining why they were summoned.
From reports in the press and blogs, it seems that LEOs these days default to beginning virtually any encounter with an ID check and a warrant check on the person. I don't for a minute believe that this should hold up in court, have some doubt it would hold up in court, and would debate strongly that the citizen feels the ID request is "voluntary" or consensual. In fact, citizens who decline such requests tend to end up in escalated/power-trip situations with the LEO, e.g, the FTer who was handcuffed at LAX for refusing to produce his bar association card.
This obsession with ID/warrant checking everyone they encounter is one of several issues that I think the entire LEO community needs a brief stand-down and re-training to address. One of the others being filming/photographing police encounters.