People who live and drive in New York regularly have become highly aware of the increased police surveillance on many different traffic situations. The growth of slow zones, erection of several red-light cameras and more are just some of the visible signs of how New York law enforcement is aiming to crack down on traffic violations. These situations can lead to fines, points on licenses and more.
Many things can lead a police officer to pull a driver over. Sometimes these situations are not necessarily even related to driving behavior such as a vehicle having a tail light or brake light that is not functioning properly. One man was stopped by a New York State police officer because his exhaust pipes were loud according to reports. In the exchange that followed between the driver and the officer, the driver was reportedly threatened with a criminal arrest.
This threat was made by the officer to the driver because the driver failed to cease video recording the incident at the officer’s request. A report that detailed some of the transcribed video showed the driver asking the officer several times if it is illegal according to New York traffic law to record a traffic stop. The officer responded by reiterating his request for the driver to stop all recording. It is unknown whether or not criminal charges were filed or if the driver was cited regarding his exhaust pipe noise.
All people in New York deserve proper treatment by police when stopped for any reason. Concerns about these situations can be discussed with an attorney to get more information on what is legal.
Source: Pinac News, “New York State Cop Threatens to Have Man Arrested for Recording Traffic Stop,” Carlos Miller, December 25, 2014