No one wants to be arrested. It’s traumatic, disruptive, inconvenient as hell and could turn out to cost you a lot of money and leave a stain on your reputation. But it happens. Often when we least expect it. When situations escalate and it suddenly becomes clear the police are going to slap the cuffs on you there is a right way to act and a wrong way to act. If you want to make it hard for the bail bonds agent to obtain your release you’ll act the wrong way. If you want to be back home ASAP you’ll act the right way. Below we’ll go over how NOT to act if you’re facing arrest or have been arrested.
6 Tips from a Bondsman About How NOT to Act During an Arrest
You’re innocent. You know it. Your mom knows it. Everyone in Adams County, Broomfield County, Weld County and Denver knows it. But the cops think otherwise. Once they set their sights on you it’s going to take time for the lawyers, bondsmen and judges to straighten the whole mess out. The last thing you want to do is make things worse than they have to be. So DON’T act in the following manner during or after an arrest.
- Don’t Run - One of the worst things you can do once The Man has you in his (or her) grasp is try to wriggle free and make a break for it. Not only will you be chased down, the act of running itself is going to add additional charges to whatever you were being arrested for. Keep in mind too that even if you think you can outrun that overweight pencil-pusher he might not be the one who pursues you. It might instead be a lean, hungry, very ill-tempered police dog.
- Don’t Resist Arrest - If the officer has you in his or her grasp and is preparing to cuff you resist the urge to resist. It might be a perfectly natural, self-preservation instinct but it’s only going to make a bad situation even worse. Like running. Remember that if you are being arrested on some minor charge like disorderly conduct it can quickly escalate to a felony charge if you become physical with the officer. Try to maintain perspective. Being arrested is not a test of your manhood. It’s the first step in a process. Whether that process ends well or badly will be largely up to you.
- Don’t Be Argumentative - Again, life is not a gladiator academy or a game. And being arrested isn’t a test of anything except your ability to remain calm under pressure. The police officer has no power to convict you of anything or sentence you to time in jail. They are not the ones that will determine your fate. You are. Being loud and obnoxious is only going to cause the situation to escalate. And once that happens you are the one who will lose. Guaranteed.
- Keep Your Hands Where They Can Be Seen - Police have broad discretionary powers when it comes to self-defense. If they even suspect you may be reaching for a weapon they have the right to open fire. Don’t even think about trying to intimidate an officer by hiding your hands or suggesting you might be carrying something. If you do your family will be making arrangements for your funeral instead of working with a bail bonds company to obtain your release.
- Don’t Volunteer Information - Not only should you avoid being argumentative, you should avoid saying anything if you’ve been arrested. Offer your name and address if asked (they’ll find out anyway) and perhaps ask what you’re being arrested for. But that’s it. Don’t answer any questions about the incident that led to your arrest unless you have an attorney present. The police have the right to lie to you in an effort to extract information (it’s true). So don’t fall for any tricks and don’t let yourself be intimidated. Simply keep your mouth closed until you speak to a lawyer.
- Don’t Lie - Some people decide that instead of keeping their mouth shut until they speak to a lawyer that they’ll play games with the cops and tell them a bunch of BS. Bad idea. Another bad idea? Giving the police a phony driver’s license or providing them with a fake name in an attempt to throw them off your trail. It won’t be long before your lies are laid bare. And once that happens you’ve just made a bad situation a lot worse. It’s always better to say nothing than to tell lies. Lying to police can lead to charges of interfering with an investigation. In certain situations lying to the police could lead to a felony obstruction of justice charge. So tell the truth. Or better yet, say nothing.
The Bottom Line
Being arrested is traumatic and disruptive enough without making things even harder on yourself. The smartest course of action is to stay calm, don’t resist and identify yourself if asked. Don’t under any circumstances try running, resisting arrest or lying your way out of the mess you find yourself in. You’ll only wind up shooting yourself in the foot. And you’ll make the job of the bail bonding agent and your lawyer that much more difficult. If you’ve been arrested, stay calm and call Rapid Release. We’ll have you on your way home as fast as legally possible.