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Your favorite complaint

5K views 73 replies 41 participants last post by  Kahr_Glockman 
#1 ·
Inspired by a thread over in GNG....Seems that the officer that shot the guy in MN has had his Internal Affairs records released. He has never had a complaint in his career. I expressed surprise at that.

It seems to me that if you're actively locking up bad people, sooner or later one of them is going to take exception to that. In that spirit, let's hear about your favorite complaint, sustained, unfounded, whatever.

Me? There was a convicted burglar, released into my beat. When I saw him pedaling his bike around the neighborhood, I followed him. Up and down the streets, through the alleys, to the convenience store. He was offended by this and complained to IA. (Apparently, he was able to neither earn his living nor score his dope with me chugging behind him in my black and white chariot.) IA laughed at him and he soon moved away.

How about y'all?
 
#2 ·
Back in 1998 a citizen complained that i was obviously looking to "kill people" because I always had the hammer cocked on my sidearm (a 1911). The chief immediately wet himself and hands wringing with glee told me i couldn't carry it anymore. I went to the glock .45 after that. Holds double the rounds and I don't mind scratching the hell out of it
 
#3 ·
I was sent to investigate a report of a suspicious man following a woman at a really upscale tennis/sports club. As I recall, there was some sort of previous relationship involved, and she feared he was going to harass her or worse, and he had previously been told that he was no longer welcome at the property.

I found and met the fellow. I identified myself and asked if he would mind identifying himself, and briefly explained my reason for being there. Our conversation was done outside the immediate hearing of others folks in attendance, in a normal manner. When he gave me his ID I did a standard records/wants check, in front of him. No outstanding wants, and after our brief conversation he decided to leave the complex and go on his way. After he left I finished and cleared.

A couple months later I learned he'd made a formal complaint. The reason? I'd apparently embarrassed him and invaded his privacy by running the records/wants check in front of him.

Skipping past the inevitable unfounded nature of his complaint, I was later told by the supervising investigator that he'd thanked the fellow for bringing it to the agency's attention that I was doing my job in a professional manner. They'd obviously checked the tapes of the dispatched call and my radio traffic. He assured the fellow that if I'd NOT made the records/wants check under the circumstances involved, they'd have considered me remiss in my job and would have addressed my lack of professionalism and not paying sufficient attention to their standards of good officer safety practices.

I have some of the other usual hysterical and surreal instances we've all experienced, but this is a PG site, after all. ;)
 
#4 · (Edited)
Here all I have to do is call say officer disrespected me and treated me poorly. Instant complaint number that stays in your file forever before any investigation is ever started.


Even if that allegation is proven false with evidence. IE video. Still stays in your File forever as a complaint and is counted against you.


Worst one was when I was working for smaller department. Got a driving complaint going to armed robbery in progress at a bank. Passed someone on the shoulder, on the right , because they wouldn't move over. I was going at high rate of speed lights activated no siren because I was close. Person came in filed driving complaint. Bonifide armed robbery. Second car on scene. Sgt reprimands me after viewing the camera and says I shouldn't fly through town that fast.

Needless to say wasn't long before that adventure ended.
 
#5 ·
When talking to a crappy driver about a traffic complaint with RP willing to sign, he decided to ball up and step like he was going to swing at me while saying something unkind about me and mothers and what not. First thing that came to mind was that he needed to calm the **** down, so that's what I told him.

Uninvolved bystander heard me say '****' and complained. I got written up for it. Apparently we're not supposed to cuss at the public.

Certainly didn't deny saying it. He needed to calm the **** down. Plus, I've said way worse than that and never got called on it, so I reckon it all balances out eventually. :innocent:
 
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#6 ·
I got dispatched to a suspicious person. After handling it, I spoke with the RP, an old hippie. Explained what I found and how it was handled, chatted for a minute and cleared. A short time later, my sergeant asked for a meet. He said the RP wanted to complain about me. I couldn't think of any reason for him to be calling.

Sarge called him as I stood there. Seems the complaint was that as I spoke with the RP, my elbow was resting on the grip of my holstered gun. The RP said it was a deliberate attempt to intimidate him because he was Hispanic and I was keeping a body part touching the gun to make sure he knew I was armed and he wasn't.

Sarge puts him on hold and tells me what the complaint is. I burst out laughing. Hispanic? The RP was paler than I am and his last name wasn't Cruz, it's Cruise. He was wearing a tie dye shirt and hemp shorts.

Sarge gets back on the horn with him. He explains in his North Carolina drawl that as deputies, we are trained to maintain control of our weapons at all times, and that keeping the arm tucked against the gun is a good way to protect it against someone coming up behind,e and grabbing it. He closes with thanking him for letting him know that I was following proper procedure, and if he'd heard that I wasn'tdoingit that way, he'd have to write me up.
 
#7 ·
Dude beat the crap out of himself banging his face into the transport cage in the way to the jail. Really bloodied himself up good then tried to prosecute me for assaulting him.

Turns out there is a camera in the back of my car.

And yet another instance where they would not prosecute someone for filing a false report because they don't "want to discourage complaints"

I have only had one legitimate complaint in my entire career. I called a guy an *******. He was being a total ******* and I advised him of my belief that he was an *******. I just took my lumps for that one. It was worth it.
 
#62 ·
Dude beat the crap out of himself banging his face into the transport cage in the way to the jail. Really bloodied himself up good then tried to prosecute me for assaulting him.

Turns out there is a camera in the back of my car.

And yet another instance where they would not prosecute someone for filing a false report because they don't "want to discourage complaints"

I have only had one legitimate complaint in my entire career. I called a guy an *******. He was being a total ******* and I advised him of my belief that he was an *******. I just took my lumps for that one. It was worth it.
Public affray charge I had put on a pos. In court the man testified that he had been fighting and that after charging him I called him a pos and he didn't think that was right. The judge began laughing and then asked me if I had called "this fine young man" a pos. I stood up and replied "Yes your honor". Still laughing the judge asks me why I would call that young man a pos. My reply was, "It is my opinion that anyone that engages in a fight inside a store where men and women and children are... Where one child so small that his daddy was holding his hand as they stood in line was crying... That couldn't wait one whole minute to engage in a fight outside so as not to cause pure terror to all those innocent people... Was in fact a pos." The judge leaned back for a few seconds and then told me he agreed and promptly found the pos guilty. Over time I've become much more care in what I say to the typical pos but I was glad I called that one what he was. :)
 
#8 ·
Had one tonight that instantly went to the top of my list of favorite complaints. I assist one of the day shift hold-overs on what basically amounts to a neighbor dispute at a condo complex. These folks have had a long history of problems, but the main instigator was always the male party. Tonight the female neighbor calls and is having a hard time dealing with the male neighbor doing piddly little things to get under her skin. As I'm watching the beat guy talk to her, I see the male half peering into our squad windows, so I go out there and advise him to step away from our cars. He begins to yell at me, demanding to know why I'm there. I told him we were there because we were called and that I wouldn't tell his neighbors why I responded to his house when he called, so he wasn't going to get anything more than that. This upset him and he demanded I leave his property (common driveway). I told him I was going to stay as long as I was needed and he could go back inside if he didn't like to look at me. At this point he chose to try to bow up and got within a foot of me to stare me down (he's about 5 inches shorter than I am and while he outweighs me by a good 20 lbs, he has the body of your typical basement dwelling internet tough guy). He looks me in the eye and with his best badass voice says, "do you want to fight me?" I responded that I don't want to, but I gladly would, if he had the intestinal fortitude to take a swing. After several more moments of him trying to look hard, he asked me not to hate him and tried to shake my hand, which I refused.

When I got on station later on, the Sgt stated the guy had called and that I had tried to kill him. When asked how exactly I tried to kill him, he responded as serious as can be, "he brought guns to my house and said he wanted to fight me." The male then went on to explain to my Sgt that he didn't believe I was a police officer, and that I was probably a mafia hitman who was looking for an excuse to murder him. We both got a good chuckle out of that one. Then the Sgt put a premise warning for that guy in with dispatch. Ah, good times.
 
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#9 ·
I kept arresting a guy for driving without a licence and having marijuana in his car.
That was the complaint from the family. :rofl:

Best complaint that I investigated was that an officer was "too nice" during a traffic stop.
The complaint turned out to have merit. He was too nice.

Another silly complaint was that an officer told a man to settle down and
called him "cupcake".
 
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#11 ·
A friday/sat night regular for domestic violence came in and complained that the previous friday night when I arrested him I had hit him in the head and showed the bandage on his head as his proof.

So the Chief calls me in and asks me about it.

Chief: RC came in and said the other night to hit him on the head. He has a bandage on his head. Did you hit him on the head?

Me: No

Chief: how did he get the wound on his head?

Me: oh, that was when I threw him off the porch and he went head first into the side of his car, put a pretty good dent in the door of it too.

Chief: so you didn't actually hit him on the head?

Me: nope, he just parked his car to close to the porch.

Chief: ok
 
#12 ·
I've only been doing this for 18, 19 months, but I've never had one. And I lead my department (14 sworn) in stops, citations, arrests, etc. All of the "***hole Cop" stats. I've had people try and tell me bosses that "He made an illegal U-Turn to stop me," or "By the time he turned his lights on my seatbelt was buckled," but they never made a formal complaint.

I'm sure my time is coming :p
 
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#17 ·
I've only been doing this for 18, 19 months, but I've never had one. And I lead my department (14 sworn) in stops, citations, arrests, etc. All of the "***hole Cop" stats. I've had people try and tell me bosses that "He made an illegal U-Turn to stop me," or "By the time he turned his lights on my seatbelt was buckled," but they never made a formal complaint.

I'm sure my time is coming :p
unfortunately my friend, your time is likely coming considering many agencies today care more that someone called than the legitimacy of the complaint...
 
#13 · (Edited)
I actually had a woman make a complaint that I would not come in her house so she could drop her pants and so me her ***.

She claimed her boyfriend (who had left the residence had kicked her in the butt and that the had a shoe shaped bruise. She insisted I come in the house so she could drop her pants and show me.

I told her she could go to the hospital or the doctor to document the bruise. She became very angry and called the dept. To complain,so the Chief asked me about it.

Chief: let me get this straight. This woman is complaining because you wouldn't take a picture of her ***?

Me: yep

Chief: oooooook then
 
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#18 ·
I remember one of the first things he told me about dealing with people,

He said,

Most people that are causing a problem you can simply tell them, "sir, you need to be quiet and stop interfering. " others you have to be more forceful and tell them, "be quiet! ", but some, you have to grab them by the throat, slam their head against the wall, and tell them, I told you to shut your ****ing mouth!! "

[emoji1]
 
#15 ·
When talking to a crappy driver about a traffic complaint with RP willing to sign, he decided to ball up and step like he was going to swing at me while saying something unkind about me and mothers and what not. First thing that came to mind was that he needed to calm the **** down, so that's what I told him.

Uninvolved bystander heard me say '****' and complained. I got written up for it. Apparently we're not supposed to cuss at the public.

Certainly didn't deny saying it. He needed to calm the **** down. Plus, I've said way worse than that and never got called on it, so I reckon it all balances out eventually. :innocent:
My current sergeant once told me that he thinks tactical use of the phrase "mother ******" should be included as a step on the use of force, I mean, response to resistance continuum.

He's taking the lieutenants test next week so I imagine he'll soon be cured of such unorthodox opinions.
 
#16 ·
City councilman's wife complained I was too nice to her when I stopped her for a traffic violation.

Dishonorable mention: Game warden can into the chief's office and complained that I wasted his off duty time by stopping him for speeding and did not issue him a citation. Chief handed me a ticket book from his desk drawer and said "Give him his ticket". He went straight to the court clerk and paid it.
 
#23 ·
My one and only complaint so far has come from giving a kid a little break.
Pulled him over for running a school bus stop sign. Didn't arrest him issued a ticket. Turned the ticket in, wrote my report. Our court says no that they will be issuing a warrant, get the ticket back, I go to his school have him called into the principles office. Inform him that he needs to return the ticket that the incident is taking another direction.
Fast forward 2 months, I walk into my office and my supervisor tells me to write out a statement. The kid has filed a complaint stating that I embarrassed him in front of his peers and acted outside my authority. That my former FTO and I spoke to him in condescending tones.
My supervisor laughed when he compared them side by side
 
#26 · (Edited)
Have I mentioned how happy I am to be retired?

I am trying to imagine a "citizen" complaining about an officers language that would have elicited a response from my chief other than, "get the **** out of my office!!"

The current chief wouldn't make a pimple on a real cops ***!
 
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#27 · (Edited)
Have I mentioned how happy I am to be retired?

I am trying to imagine a "citizen" complaining about an officers language that would not have elicited a response from my chief other than, "get the **** out of my office!!"

The current chief wouldn't make a pimple on a real cops ***!

Once upon a time there was a cop and his supervisor involved in yet another dispatched call to a residence where there was a repeatedly occurring disturbance. In this most recent episode, the disgruntled citizen was standing outside, in public, making a general fuss ... and he decided to stick his finger into the face of the sergeant. The cop, seeing the sergeant's mustache twitch in a recognizable manner, headed off the ominous thunder storm and took the citizen into custody for his all-too-obvious public intoxication.

Later on, when the citizen was released after sobering up, he decided to call in a complaint about the cop and the sergeant. As luck would have it, both of us were at the front desk when the call came in, and I picked up the phone. When the citizen asked to speak with the watch commander, I dutifully handed the phone to the sergeant. That conversation was pretty abrupt, ending with the sergeant telling the citizen that if he called back, he was going to personally come arrest the citizen for impersonating a human being.

Once the phone was slammed, and the sergeant had a moment to reflect, I drolly told him that I'd just as soon not write that particular arrest report, if it was all the same with him ...
 
#28 ·
The badass thing about my first department, is that we handed out a complaint pamphlet!

That may sound like a horrible idea at first, and I kind of thought so too. Until, I noticed how it worked. Person comes in and complains to the desk person. Desk person tells them to have a seat, and the det. sarge on duty comes out and hands them the IA book. IT has the department logo on the front and is very professional. You open it and on the FIRST PAGE in HUGE BOLD ITALIC FONT is the Texas code for False Reporting to Authorities

The next page is a header with a disclosure that must be signed that states:

You, as a complainant against a member of this agency, agree that, if through the course of the investigation into the complaint against the department member, it is determined and confirmed that you lied about the complaint or any of the facts, or mislead investigators, you understand that the complaint will be dropped and you SHALL be charged with false reporting and arrested.

Detail alleged complaint here:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Sign here (you agree you understand you will go to jail if this is a false complaint)

__________________________________________


I'm not ****ting you. Whomever made this pamphlet should have been given a $50,000 bonus. :rofl:
 
#29 ·
I had a lady complain because I told her she needed to put her big girl panties on. ( I received a large pair of panties from my supervisor along with the complaint)

I had a guy follow me on a call and complain that I was driving too fast (I was enrt to a legit burg and we can run without L/S per policy if warning equipment will cause the suspect to flee or give up a tactical advantage, but we must drive with due regard. Supervisor told him to get out or he would get a ticket for speeding, signed by me if I was available. (lol)

Had an OFF DUTY SERGEANT FROM MY AGENCY who is a notorious blue falcon, call in and complain to the on duty sergeant because I exited an "entrance only" to a private property business parking lot (not a traffic violation lol) and because I was speeding. He then told the sergeant he paced me (in his personal truck, with a non-calibrated speedo, off duty, with no traffic enforcement powers, with a department policy that states off duty personnel SHALL not enforce traffic even within the city limits, off duty.)

The sergeant called me in and told me about the BF calling on me. I advised my sergeant that I was going to a physical disturbance with weapons down the street from where I just cleared a traffic stop, and was expediting my response, without alerting the suspect to my arrival, as explained above. I then told my sergeant that if Sgt. Falcon wanted to beef me for my non policy violation, he better be ready for the speeding ticket I would be writing him (he claimed he paced me at 20 over and I don't doubt I was going that fast, since it is a 35 right there and it is a state highway!) I also didn't deny I was speeding and went off about morale, our alleged core values, which people like him expected us to adhere to but felt they were obligated to at all.

I never heard anything about it again and that sergeant avoided me like the plague until I left lol.

I don't think I have a favorite. Maybe my latest 1983 lawsuit. That was ridiculous. It was thrown out in Federal court without us even needing to depo or appear.

Some people!
 
#30 ·
My favorite threats to complain on me came from dumb*** that couldn't tell a PD uniform from a Sheriff dept. One.

They would always say, "I am going to call the Sheriff about you!" and always looked so puzzled when I would respond, " great, tell the fat, baldheaded, ex school bus inspector I said hi!".
 
#31 ·
Not exactly a complaint....

I went to a house with some other officers to arrest a 30+ year old man on a warrant. We found him in bed with his brother. The un-wanted (haha) brother must have thought we were judging him for being in bed with his sibling and decided to throw half-hearted punches at me and another officer. A tussle ensued in the living room.

Mom calls 911 and we can only hear one side of the conversation:

Mom: My son is fighting with the police in my house.

Mom: No... no... the police are winning.

:laughabove:
 
#32 ·
Two of them:

1) Guy complains that I was profiling and stopping him solely because he was white. Dead serious.

2) Lady with serious mental health issues complained because I refused to give her a courtesy ride 1.5 block to her apartment.

Because of changes to our policy (yay Lexipol!), ALL complaints, no matter how frivolous get logged and investigated. That means that an officer who has someone file bogus complaints on him/her now has a log showing ALL complaints, no matter that they were dismissed or cleared. Tell me how that nugget plays out in a media search when the professional liars get on TV.
 
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#34 ·
Two of them:

1) Guy complains that I was profiling and stopping him solely because he was white. Dead serious.
I am medium skin complexion and I would have Mexicans tell me I was racist. I'd tell them to read my f'king name tag. I told that to one lady when we had her gang banging son stopped in front of their house. I also told him to stop eye-f'king me. Ah, good times....
 
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