Fatal Accident With a Pedestrian

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Quoting citi9

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Thank you. So basically there are pros and cons to each behavior choice.

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Both will have consequences, be they positive or negative.

Sometimes people go to jail because they talk and sometimes they go to jail because they don't talk. Sometimes they would have went either way.

To sum it up: You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.

Sub-question for cops ONLY. Let's say a person decides to not talk. Is phrasing ""Officer, upon legal advice, I respectfully decline to communicate." good? What I mean is it respectful enough while being firm and clear enough? I mean the aim is to indicate that you won't talk without making the cop angry. An angry cop is obviously not a good thing. If it's not good could you please suggest a better "line"?

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Quoting citi9

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Sub-question for cops ONLY.

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You don't get to dictate who can and cannot respond to a question. Your phrasing is as good as any other. If an officer is gonna get bent out of shape about you not wanting to talk, it's going to happen pretty much regardless of how you say it.

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Quoting free9man

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If an officer is gonna get bent out of shape about you not wanting to talk, it's going to happen pretty much regardless of how you say it.

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Wrong. See that's why I asked that only officers reply.

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Quoting citi9

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Wrong. See that's why I asked that only officers reply.

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Cut the attitude. What I said is actually right. If someone is gonna get upset over something, phrasing isn't likely to matter.

Anything anyone, including an officer, tells you here is totally subjective.

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Quoting citi9

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Sub-question for cops ONLY. Let's say a person decides to not talk. Is phrasing ""Officer, upon legal advice, I respectfully decline to communicate." good? What I mean is it respectful enough while being firm and clear enough? I mean the aim is to indicate that you won't talk without making the cop angry. An angry cop is obviously not a good thing. If it's not good could you please suggest a better "line"?

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You can refuse to comment however you want. By refusing to cooperate, you make the officer's job easier (less of a report), and you might find yourself arrested and key evidence might be lost (as I mentioned above). Sure, saying it nicely will tend to keep the cop from being a complete weenie to you, but, it still doesn't do YOU any good if you actually have some information to provide that might help you out - such as video.

As I said, it's up to you.

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Quoting free9man

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If an officer is gonna get bent out of shape about you not wanting to talk, it's going to happen pretty much regardless of how you say it.

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Well ... I wouldn't go so far as to say that! Being polite is less likely to knock a chip off an officer's shoulder if he's inclined to place on ethere. Saying, "F*** you, pig! I ain't talkin' to a D****H**** like you!" is far more likely to result in a negative reaction than a polite, "Sorry, but I think it's in my best interest not to say anything at this time." Attitude can make all the difference.

But, you are right to a large degree, there are a few people (and cops are people) that will get torqued because you refuse and there may be no way to prevent that.

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Quoting free9man

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Cut the attitude. What I said is actually right. If someone is gonna get upset over something, phrasing isn't likely to matter.

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Yet, apparently attitude and phrasing matter to you. Why do you refuse to attribute the same level of humanity to cops? They're people too.