At least I knew the cop was illegally stopping me and violating my civil rights!

  This is the first time I was illegally stopped by the cops and actually knew I was being stopped illegally and having my civil rights violated.

As a computer programmer I don’t get much exercise so I when I lived in Phoenix I would ride my bike along the Arizona Canal for 10 miles to get exercise.

One day I was riding my bike and I had found some cactuses which I decide to take home and plant. So I was carrying these cactuses on my bike.

A Phoenix cop saw me in the area of somewhere around 12th street or 16th Street. It has been so long I don’t remember the exact location. He demanded that I stop. He said I looked suspicious because of the cactuses I was carrying.

Of course after being taught by Phoenix Reserve Police Officer Jim Forsberg that I had civil rights and could not be stopped unless the cop had “probable cause” or “reasonable suspicion”. So I told the cop I was not going to stop and talk to him unless he had “probable cause” or “reasonable suspicion”.

The Phoenix cop lied to me and told me that he didn’t need “probable cause” or “reasonable suspicion”. He told me that he could stop anyone he wanted to stop.

When I mentioned that my co-worker cop Jim Forsberg said that cops needed “probable cause” or “reasonable suspicion” to stop people this cop lied again. He told me a Supreme Court Decision of a California case had overruled that silly rule about cops needing “probable cause” or “reasonable suspicion” to stop people.

I don’t remember the details but the cop did demand that I give him my ID.

He was pissed off because when I ride my bike I don’t carry ID.

I remember he finally demand that I tell him my address so he can check my water bill to verify my identity.

Needless to say I was pretty pissed of to find out that I didn’t have any of the civil rights that Officer Forsberg told me I had.

The next day at work I talked to Jim Forsberg about the event and he confirmed that the cop did indeed violate my civil rights.

 
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