Another reason to NEVER call the police...

Kaneman · 10-20-2011, 11:10 AM

Find your own stolen car....

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/...144442562.html

An Atlanta woman says she was mistakenly imprisoned for 53 days because police confused her for someone else with the same first name.

Teresa Culpepper says she called police to report that her truck had been stolen in August. But when they showed up at her home, they arrested her for aggravated assault committed by another Teresa.

"All she has is the same first name. The only descriptions that match are 'Teresa' and 'black female,'" Culpepper's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant told The Lookout. Culpepper, who is 47, didn't have the same address, birth date, height, or weight as the Teresa who was supposed to be arrested.

Merchant says Culpepper, who was legitimately convicted of a misdemeanor in the 90s but otherwise has no criminal record, lives in a rough neighborhood where police are frequently on patrol. She and her family were unable to post the $12,000 bond to get her out of jail, so she wasn't released until her public defender found the victim of the assault and brought him to the court to say Culpepper was not the "Teresa" he had accused.

"I just don't think in another side of town this would have ever happened," Merchant says. She says the city must settle with Culpepper or face a lawsuit, and added that the police department is investigating the incident.

"I didn't know what to do," Culpepper told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I didn't know how to get out this situation."

fatbuckRTO · 10-20-2011, 12:02 PM

Unconscionable. So many different people failed that woman, starting with the police who arrested her.

I was falsely arrested once because I shared the same last name (possibly different spelling) and lived in the same room number but different building of the guy the SP's were looking for. They even looked at my ID first. Then, once they had handcuffed me and paraded me to their squad car past my platoon sergeant and most of my platoon, we got half-way to the station before they read my name and SSN to the dispatch. Oops. Pissed me off to no end, but they still had a better match than these cops in Atlanta.

That said, I can't even imagine rotting in jail for 53 days over something like that. I'm not one to support many lawsuits, but I hope she walks away from this a millionaire.

CasterTroy · 10-20-2011, 12:15 PM

I was pulled over 3 months ago for NEARLY expired tags.

He took FOREVER to come to the car....and then at that point asked me to step out.

My kids were in the back, and the windows were down.

At that point he asked me to come back to his car.

He said there was a warrant for my arrest (same first and last name) in some county near the coast 300 miles away. And asked when I had been in that county.

I told him "To my knowledge I'd never BEEN to that county?!?!?"

He said there was no social security number attached to the warrant so he was going to let me go. But told me that if another officer pulls me over, that it "may not go as smoothly" so I might want to get that tag ASAP.

Kinda made my butt pucker a little to say the least.

Papa_Complex · 10-20-2011, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CasterTroy

I was pulled over 3 months ago for NEARLY expired tags.

He took FOREVER to come to the car....and then at that point asked me to step out.

My kids were in the back, and the windows were down.

At that point he asked me to come back to his car.

He said there was a warrant for my arrest (same first and last name) in some county near the coast 300 miles away. And asked when I had been in that county.

I told him "To my knowledge I'd never BEEN to that county?!?!?"

He said there was no social security number attached to the warrant so he was going to let me go. But told me that if another officer pulls me over, that it "may not go as smoothly" so I might want to get that tag ASAP.

Kinda made my butt pucker a little to say the least.

Did you ever see notification of this "warrant"? He might have been fishing.

Adeptus_Minor · 10-20-2011, 08:01 PM

Wow.
You know that whole "sacrificing liberty for security" thing... we totally blew that, didn't we?

askmrjesus · 10-21-2011, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Did you ever see notification of this "warrant"? He might have been fishing.

That's what I was thinking.

How the hell did he justify pulling you over for "nearly" expired tags in the first place?

That's like like pulling you over for going 55 in a 55 zone, because you were "almost" speeding.

JC

tommymac · 10-21-2011, 07:13 AM

Is that like almost pregnant

Papa_Complex · 10-21-2011, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by askmrjesus

That's what I was thinking.

How the hell did he justify pulling you over for "nearly" expired tags in the first place?

That's like like pulling you over for going 55 in a 55 zone, because you were "almost" speeding.

JC

Right up there with, "You match the description of a suspect in a robbery."

Particle Man · 10-21-2011, 12:17 PM

I'd be totally freaking LIVID at this. And I'll bet the cops in question won't even get spoken to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by askmrjesus

That's what I was thinking.

How the hell did he justify pulling you over for "nearly" expired tags in the first place?

That's like like pulling you over for going 55 in a 55 zone, because you were "almost" speeding.

JC

I've been pulled over for 55 in a 55 because I was "conspicuously being TOO careful".

Homeslice · 10-20-2011, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaneman

"All she has is the same first name. The only descriptions that match are 'Teresa' and 'black female,'" Culpepper's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant told The Lookout. Culpepper, who is 47, didn't have the same address, birth date, height, or weight as the Teresa who was supposed to be arrested.

According to her attorney.

There must be something else going on we're not being told.

10-20-2011, 11:10 AM	#1
Kaneman AMA Supersport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Odessa, TX Moto: 2000 Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird Posts: 4,931	Another reason to NEVER call the police... Find your own stolen car.... http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/...144442562.html An Atlanta woman says she was mistakenly imprisoned for 53 days because police confused her for someone else with the same first name. Teresa Culpepper says she called police to report that her truck had been stolen in August. But when they showed up at her home, they arrested her for aggravated assault committed by another Teresa. "All she has is the same first name. The only descriptions that match are 'Teresa' and 'black female,'" Culpepper's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant told The Lookout. Culpepper, who is 47, didn't have the same address, birth date, height, or weight as the Teresa who was supposed to be arrested. Merchant says Culpepper, who was legitimately convicted of a misdemeanor in the 90s but otherwise has no criminal record, lives in a rough neighborhood where police are frequently on patrol. She and her family were unable to post the $12,000 bond to get her out of jail, so she wasn't released until her public defender found the victim of the assault and brought him to the court to say Culpepper was not the "Teresa" he had accused. "I just don't think in another side of town this would have ever happened," Merchant says. She says the city must settle with Culpepper or face a lawsuit, and added that the police department is investigating the incident. "I didn't know what to do," Culpepper told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I didn't know how to get out this situation." __________________ 1982 Honda XR80 - blown motor, 1993 Kawasaki ZX6D - sold, 2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200S - sold, 1984 Honda Magna - sold, 2001 Kawasaki ZRX1200R - blown motor, 2007 Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom - totalled, 2003 Yamaha FZ1 - sold, 1994 Honda Magna - sold, 2001 Honda CBR600F4i - sold, 1998 Suzuki DR350 - stolen, 1989 Honda Super Magna - sold, 2007 Yamaha Stratoliner, 2000 Honda CBR 1100XX Blackbird

10-20-2011, 12:02 PM	#2
fatbuckRTO This is not the sig line. Join Date: Dec 2008 Moto: Be prepared. What? Oh, moto... Posts: 1,279	Unconscionable. So many different people failed that woman, starting with the police who arrested her. I was falsely arrested once because I shared the same last name (possibly different spelling) and lived in the same room number but different building of the guy the SP's were looking for. They even looked at my ID first. Then, once they had handcuffed me and paraded me to their squad car past my platoon sergeant and most of my platoon, we got half-way to the station before they read my name and SSN to the dispatch. Oops. Pissed me off to no end, but they still had a better match than these cops in Atlanta. That said, I can't even imagine rotting in jail for 53 days over something like that. I'm not one to support many lawsuits, but I hope she walks away from this a millionaire. __________________ This was no time for half measures. He was a captain, godsdammit. An officer. Things like this didn't present a problem for an officer. Officers had a tried and tested way of solving problems like this. It was called a sergeant. -Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

10-20-2011, 12:15 PM	#3
CasterTroy ................ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NC Posts: 3,028	I was pulled over 3 months ago for NEARLY expired tags. He took FOREVER to come to the car....and then at that point asked me to step out. My kids were in the back, and the windows were down. At that point he asked me to come back to his car. He said there was a warrant for my arrest (same first and last name) in some county near the coast 300 miles away. And asked when I had been in that county. I told him "To my knowledge I'd never BEEN to that county?!?!?" He said there was no social security number attached to the warrant so he was going to let me go. But told me that if another officer pulls me over, that it "may not go as smoothly" so I might want to get that tag ASAP. Kinda made my butt pucker a little to say the least. __________________ “Being tolerant does not mean that I share another one’s belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another one’s right to believe, and obey, his own conscience.” Viktor Frankl

10-20-2011, 08:01 PM	#5
Adeptus_Minor Hopster Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Austin, TX Moto: 2009 Buell 1125R Posts: 4,743	Wow. You know that whole "sacrificing liberty for security" thing... we totally blew that, didn't we? __________________ “Well, obviously before; after was all gendarmes and dick stitches.”

10-21-2011, 07:13 AM	#7
tommymac Moto GP Star Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 11,022	Is that like almost pregnant