Story time kids.
So i was just stopped by the police, interrogated, made to give up my information, and threatened with arrest. Because I was walking, get this, on a public road.
So me and my friend were taking a walk, heading down to a park near our school. We took the back road which is right past the entrance to this abandoned asylum. We stopped, looked at the fence with the sign that said like "private property do not enter" or whatever, and walked away. We did not pass any "no trespassing signs" we didn't hop the fence onto private property. We were walking along the road.
We start walking and this cop gets out of an unmarked car behind the fence and starts walking after us. We didn't hear him at first but when we did turned around and he waved us to him. Without telling us why he was stopping us he immediately reprimands us for not hear him the first time, and asks where we're coming from. We tell him we're from the school and he asks for our IDs. Now had I been thinking straight I probably should have asked him why he needed our information but I was caught in the headlights so to speak and didnt. Ok so while this cop is taking our ids another cop pulls onto the street, lights blaring. The 2nd cop takes our licenses and we're told that he's checking to make sure we have no outstanding warrants, this is the first time we're told we are trespassing. I tried to explain that we were simply walking through this PUBLIC road on our way to the park down the street, he keeps talking over me, very aggressively.
The other cop gets out of the car and we are told that we are were trespassing on private property, which is a misdemeanor and we can be arrested for, but they're just giving us a warning. They go onto scare us with "there's gang members and heroin addicts up there in the asylum" and "if it isn't yours, don't go there". they saw my digital camera and assumed we were going to take photos. and whether or not we were doesn't even matter. We DID NOT actually trespass. We did not pass the signs or enter the property. We were harassed and threatened for walking by the entrance. I even asked if the road was public property and they completely ignored me. They would not listen to my side of the story. I told them we were walking to the park and the cop rolled his fucking eyes at me. Like if we had actually passed the fence and were trespassing it would be within their power to stop us. But they stopped us on a public road, walking AWAY from the private property. T
hey had absolutely no grounds to stop and take our information. I wish I had been in the mindset I am now, but I was so shocked that it was happening I just went along with them. I hate that cops think they can just do whatever the fuck they want, I have rights, I have the right not to be stopped and fucking treated like a criminal for no reason. I wish I had gotten their badge numbers and names, i just didnt think about it in the moment
sorry i just needed to rant about this
