Aurora Colorado, Bad Cop

Today didn't follow plan at all. The original plan was simple: finish packing, load the stuff and the dogs, head into them thar hills for a few days of camping. However, I woke up more tired than when I went to bed, couldn't keep my eyes open and generally didn't accomplish much.

Instead of packing up the truck I watched some TV (Poltergeist was on and it's still a damn good movie) and then watched some more. During the movie I'd occasionally pack a bag, set stuff next to the door to be carried out and make lists of things I needed to be sure to grab before locking the house for a week.

I went to the store to pick up some last minute things like bottled water, chips and sodas then headed back home where I dutifully loaded the truck with everything.

My last trip to the truck was to load the dogs and drive away. Too bad that's where the problem started.

When I arrived home from the store I could hear one of my neighbor's having a very loud argument. A lot of screaming back and forth between a woman and a man about packing and leaving. They'd just had a moving sale and I had to assume they were moving and he wasn't as packed as he should have been by her schedule.

Officer Brown, 88-5, Aurora, CO District 3

Whatever. It was the middle of the day and people have a right to argue if they want to.

I opened the door of my truck to let the dogs jump in when two Aurora police officers pull in and park a little further down the lot. Assuming they were here for the loud unit (I'm in a condo) and knowing how hard it can be to find the right building and unit number by someone not accustomed to the neighborhood I asked the first officer, "Are you looking for the loud unit? It's right there." I pointed at the unit that was still being loud more than an hour after I first heard them.

The officer didn't say anything but a woman came down the stairs and yelled, "Mind your own business."

I looked to the lady and told her I was just trying to help the police find their way. I finished it with a "So, fuck off."

At that the second officer came towards me. Keep in mind, I'm across a parking lot from woman I'd told to F-off and nowhere near being between where the officers parked and where they were going. He didn't ask me if I was involved, didn't get statement and didn't tell me to let them handle it. Nope. Instead, he threatened to arrest me. "For what?" I demanded.

"For swearing."

"There's no law against swearing."

"Yes there is."

"No there's not. It's called free speech. I can say pretty much whatever I want."

"No you can't."

"Yes I can, or did Aurora's laws somehow circumvent the Constitution?" He frowned.

That's when he changed his story. "I can arrest you for interference."

"How am I interfering?"

"You're keeping me out here instead of in there," he said nodding in the direction of the unit with argument.

"I'm not keeping you anywhere. You came to me. I wasn't blocking you and you're free to go."

"ID."

"What?"

"Give me your ID."

"I don't have it on me." He didn't say anything. "Do you see me driving? No. I'm out here walking dogs. I don't have ID on me."

He clearly didn't like that answer. From his breast pocket he pulled out a notepad and pen. "What's your name?"

"Jason."

"Last name?"

"ON." (I gave the real last name which is something like 9 letters)

A woman gets into her car in the parking spot behind us.

"Spell it," he told me.

"O-N...."

"Spell it again."

I spelled it again. Slower this time. Not that the first time was fast, but it is a long and unique last name.

"U-N-.....?"

"Close enough." 

"No it's not. Spell it again before I arrest you for obstruction."

"How is this obstruction?"

"Just spell it."

And I spelled it again. "It's not rocket science, dude. Do you want me to spell it in another language..." I looked at this name tag, "... Officer Brown?"

"88-5."

"Huh?"

"My badge number: 88-5." He thrust his left shoulder in my direction so I could get a better look.

"You know what," I said, "I'm not going to remember that. I'll just take a picture."

"Go ahead." I really though he'd argue with me. However, Colorado law says I have a right to take a picture in a public space of anything I see, so I took the picture.

"Excuse me, could you let us out?" This came from a woman who got in the car earlier.

"No," the officer said at the same time I said,  "Sure," and moved off to the side.

He pulled out his iPhone and took a picture of me. "I can take your picture too, you know." 

"Yes you can," I said and smiled for the camera.

This is the part that gets me.

"I'll be back later with an arrest warrant," he told me.

"For what?"

"Obstruction."

"You're obstructing me," I told him. "You were free to leave at any time."

"I'm going to get an arrest warrant and come back."

Was this supposed to scare me? 

I left with the dogs, walked over to get my sunglasses out of my friend's car and then loaded the dogs and drove off. I pulled into a nearby parking lot and emailed my city council person for this area.  Bob (the city council person) is a good guy and while I don't agree with all his positions, he's fairly rational and responsive.

Not more than ten miles away from the house I was planning out my first day camping: set up, start a fire, check out the area, feed the dogs, etc. Uh-oh! I forgot my sleeping bag. Really? My sleeping bag? Some things I could have gone without, but my sleeping bag?

Argh!

I pulled over at the next exit and turned around heading back to the house. By this time traffic was bad and I moved along at a crawl for about 5 miles, the return trip taking me about 30 minutes. With rush hours starting I decided to forego returning, instead just heading out in the morning since the truck is already loaded.

The officer never returned with his arrest warrant.

I fully believe he was just trying to intimidate me with threats he couldn't hope to have hold up in court. Officer Brown, in my opinion, is the kind of cop that gives police officers a bad name. If my behavior was an arrestable offense why didn't he just arrest me on the spot or call for backup to arrest me? Clearly this was nothing more than intimidation tactic and unfortunately for him, I'm not one for being intimidated.