Rex G

One of the responses to "A 'Cop' Responds" contained three words of wisdom: pick your battles.

Another thing that must be considered is that sometimes, there are valid reasons to stop someone other than a traffic violation. My favored example is that just around that corner, or just over a hill, there may be a gas leak, a fuel spill, a collapsed bridge, a hostage situation, or some type of danger that is not readily apparent. Perhaps that officer is the first one arriving on such a scene, so there will be no visible sign of the danger ahead. The police may indeed be trying to stop a motorist or cyclist for a public safety reason, not a traffic violation. I wear a badge not primarily as an enforcer, but as a protector and keeper of the peace. Believe me when I say your survivors will sue the pants off of me if I don't take fairly extraordinary measures to keep you away from known danger, and my PD can fire me, and the state pull my peace officer's license, too.

Just to be clear, I am NOT defending the actions of any of the officers in the incident in question. There are buttheads working for the same PD as I do, who issue certain bicycle violations in total error, because they disregard the fine print in the applicable traffic laws. (That being keeping to the right when "practicable" to do so, which simply does not apply to lanes less than a certain width.)

My usual disclaimer when discussing law: My location of residence is Bellaire, Texas, but I work for another PD, not Bellaire PD. I am a peace officer, not a lawyer, and do not give "legal advice."