YDP Fought the Law - Part 3

I made the call my Councilman had provided and was immediately put through to the Lieutenant in charge of the State Patrol contingency in Detroit Lakes.  I put my hat in my hands and began.  

"Lieutenant, I don't want to waste your time, but I'd like to tell you about an encounter I had with one of your officers.  I don't know if this conversation is even appropriate, so if it's going nowhere from your perspective, please let me know as your time is valuable," I stated.  "You're just fine," came the friendly reply.

I told my story and laid out my concerns.  I informed my contact about the bikers and the fact that they couldn't be missed as they had to dismount and walk around our vehicles.  I also conveyed that I was never provided with a chance to give my side of the story.  I stated, "I feel like this could have been avoided if I had just been given a chance to explain myself.  I'm not one of those guys that's going to say 'Let me explain...' during a traffic stop unless asked."  "Yeah, speaking from experience, that never works very well," replied the Lieutenant candidly.  He continued, "Just so I'm sure, are you concerned about the citation, the behavior of the officer, or both?"  I answered that it was definitely both.

I concluded with my line about state troopers and how they literally live and die by how traffic passes them while they're on the shoulder.  As such, I was surprised that so little discretion was afforded to me in my case.

As I was talking the Lieutenant was pulling up the citation and notes.  He conveyed that the trooper was from Moorhead, damn near a local, so my hopes for him not showing up in court were dashed.  He also explained that this was a good officer.  That being said, he'd call the officer in, review the dashcam video, and see what it showed and if it did or did not match the citation.

I extended my appreciation, letting the senior officer know that it felt good to just be listened to.  I also stated what I had learned about the new law.  The Lieutenant claimed to not know it but promised to research it.  I provided him with the number as a start.  He admitted, "We get a lot poured on our heads in this job, and sometimes the sponge doesn't pick up on all of it.  Regardless, I'll research it and get back to you on it."  I appreciated his candor.

While it felt good to finally explain myself, I was worried.  What did the dashcam capture?  Would the rumored "solid blue wall" apply?  Was there a chance that this could be rectified, or was a court date in my future?

At the end of the day, the Lieutenant finally called me back.  "Mr. YDP, I had a chance to talk to my officer on your case, and I'd like to tell you about it," he stated.  "Do you have a minute?"  Boy, did I ever.

The Lieutenant explained that he brought the officer in and asked to explain the stop and all he remembered about it.  The officer stated that as he was rounding the corner he saw me in the final stages of a pass in a no passing zone.  He pulled me over and ticketed me in a simple stop.  The Lieutenant then explained my side of the story, to which the officer replied, "Impossible.  There were no bikers."

With that, they began the dashcam tape.  It clearly showed what appeared to be me in a final stage of a pass, just as the officer claimed.  

It did not show the bikers.   

The video continued, with the officer having me pulled over to the side of the road and giving me a ticket.  Then, like angels sent from heaven, the two bikers appeared on the video, walking their bikes around our stopped vehicles.  "Oh my word..." the officer stated.

With that, the Lieutenant explained that sometimes they make mistakes, and clearly, a mistake had been made in my case.  He apologized profusely and stated that the citation would be dropped immediately.  He also stated that they both reviewed the new law, and he appreciated bringing it to their attention. 

With that, it was over.

Again, I stated I felt like it could have been prevented had I just been given a chance to explain, and the Lieutenant stated that he did indeed cover that with the trooper as well.  

We closed by me receiving another apology and an assurance that the citation was absolutely dropped.

While none of this was much fun, in the end, justice did prevail, which is all any of us can ask for.  I also compliment the Lieutenant on his professionalism and service.  I can't imagine what crosses his desk on a daily basis, but through our entire engagement, I felt listened to, respected, and served.  

Ultimately, that's all any of us are looking for from our police.

In the meantime, if you're driving in DL during We Fest, consider yourself warned...