Police Handcuff Drivers in 19 Cars in Search of a Bank Robber
Adults in 19 cars were stopped, taken out of their cars, and handcuffed for two hours because the police had a tip that there was a bank robber in one of the cars. He was.
The police had no description of the bank robber or his car.
The issue legally was “probable cause.” Is it legal to arrest innocent people, when the police know that, statistically, they are innocent?
For how long may they be kept in detention?
Is it legal to handcuff every adult in a long line of cars? On what basis?
The police were tipped off that a bank robber was in the line of cars. He was.
Does a tip constitute probable cause? The police had no description of the bank robber. So, they barricaded the intersection and arrested everyone at the stop sign.
I find it interesting that every person granted permission. It seems as though citizens are remarkably compliant. They put a low value on their time.
The news media reported: “The search lasted between an hour and a half and two hours, and it wasn’t until the final car was searched that police apprehended the suspect.”
This indicates sharp police work. After he was arrested, the police ceased looking for him, so the robber’s car was the final one searched.
The media reported: “The other people who had been held at the intersection were allowed to leave once the suspect was apprehended.” Again, this indicates good police work. Once they arrested the bank robber, everyone else was allowed to leave. The police did not take the others to the police station.
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Published on June 7, 2012. The original is here.