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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    3

    Question Does it Violate Your Rights if the Police Follow Your Car

    My question involves civil rights in the State of: Wisconsin

    I just had the scariest encounter last night. It was about midnight I was coming home from work and decided to stop at a McDonald's after leaving the McDonald's there was an unmarked police car sitting in an empty parking lot with it's headlights on while the entire parking lot was pitch black. I saw the unmarked car and drove by and immediately after passing by him he pulls out of the parking lot and begins to follow me. I pulled out onto a 4 lane highway and continued to drive home. This entire time the unmarked police car is right behind me tailgating me and its raining pretty hard out and there are no other cars on the road. I take the highway and then get off and proceed down a smaller 2 lane road and the officer is still right on my tail. I turn into my subdivision and not to my surprise, he follows me in. I'm now driving through my subdivision thinking what the heck is he following me for. I eventually reach my house and pull into the driveway with the officer right behind he stops right in front of my driveway. Outraged I get out of my car and throw my hands in the air and as soon as I got out he slowly begins making a u-turn. Once he gets fully turned around he drives away very slowly, I think he was watching me walk into my house. At the time I didn't think of recording the officer but I wish I had because I would have checked to see whether it was a legit officer or not. The entire trip home took me anywhere from 5-10 minutes and the officer followed me the entire time and watched me walk into my house. I have not committed a crime in my life and that night I had made no traffic violations. I'm thinking why in the world would a police officer do this? Keep in mind it was midnight and I was followed home by an "Unmarked" police car and the roads were nearly empty. Should I be worried? Any ideas?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    19,901

    Default Re: Followed Home for Nearly 5 Minutes by an Unmarked Police Car

    No....probably trolling to see if there were any signs that you were intoxicated. It's called good police work.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    7,056

    Default Re: Followed Home for Nearly 5 Minutes by an Unmarked Police Car

    How do you know it was an unmarked police car? Did you see an officer in uniform in the car? If it was a marked police car I would agree with flyingron.

    If some car is following you in the middle of the night and you don't know who it is, you should not drive to your home and show them where you live. You keep driving until they stop following you or if it is the police, they will stop you.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Followed Home for Nearly 5 Minutes by an Unmarked Police Car

    Since it appears you are not certain it was a cop, the dumbest thing you could have done is drive home. You should have driven to a police station if one was reasonably close (and open) or to a well lit and active business. Only then should you have exited the car and gone inside to seek refuge from a person that may have had intentions of doing you harm.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    20,594

    Default Re: Does it Violate Your Rights if the Police Follow Your Car

    Quote Quoting youngspiffy
    View Post
    there was an unmarked police car sitting in an empty parking lot with it's headlights on while the entire parking lot was pitch black.
    And you know it was an "unmarked police car" because ... ???

    I have not committed a crime in my life and that night I had made no traffic violations. I'm thinking why in the world would a police officer do this? Keep in mind it was midnight and I was followed home by an "Unmarked" police car and the roads were nearly empty. Should I be worried? Any ideas?
    If this was a police officer, then it's possible that he thought you were someone else, thought you were up to something, or had some other reason to follow you. If you had a concern, perhaps you should have called the police at home or even before you got home. As it is, no one can really say with ANY certainty why you were followed or even who did the following. if you and your associates are not engaged in any criminal activity you likely have nothing to worry about.

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