Hey, there! Log in / Register
Maybe he was too busy listening to the police scanner to remember to use his turn signal
By adamg on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 6:54pm
Boston Police report that a routine traffic stop of a driver who turned without signalling turned into an arrest for weapons and drug charges Friday night.
Police say one thing led to another and before long they were placing Dexter Winnie, 22, of Dorchester under arrest at School and Bradlee streets on charges of illegal possession of brass knuckles and a knife and possession with intent to distribute marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school. He was also issued a citation for failure to signal.
Police say that when officers first asked Winnie to roll his window down to hand over his license and registration, they heard the sounds of their own dispatchers and other officers. So they seized his cell phone, on which they say Winnie was listening to a police-scanner application (Ed note: No doubt something like this to listen to this).
Innocent, etc.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Derp
I always listen to my iPhone police scanner app through the car speakers just so I can silence it without fumbling around should I get pulled over.
Are mobile scanners still
Are mobile scanners still illegal if they're an app on your smartphone?
I thought having a mobile radio unit is illegal for civilian motorists in MA, but a smartphone app is simply giving you access to what is readily available on the internet--although delayed by a minute or two.
Then again, don't newsvans have scanners? Is there a special permit?
Officer Nice?
At present,
posession of a mobile scanner is legal in Massachusetts, and you do not need a permit to use one in a vehicle.
However, use of a scanner in the comission of a criminal act is illegal.
For the record, I have used mobile scanners in my vehicles for the past 25+ years. On those few ocassions I've been stopped by the police, I've never once been questioned about having the equipment in my car.
you werent a young black man
you werent a young black man in mattapan, were u? thats why.
One thing that puzzles me
Boston Police routinely fail to enforce traffic laws. What inspired them to pull over this one guy for failing to signal, a pretty minor infraction that happens all the time? And then it turns out he's got weed and weapons? I'm guessing that they had a lead about this car and waited for an opportune moment. Which implies, I suppose, that you're free to break traffic laws unless you've got reason to believe that the police want to talk to you.
I've seen well-dressed detectives doing traffic stops in JP
It's funny how interested in traffic enforcement some members of BPD's undercover units are.
On the other hand, officers
On the other hand, officers conducting "normal" traffic stops are sometimes greeted with a rude traffic law breaker that will say something to the effect of "why dont stop wasting my time and catch real criminals" Well, look they pulled someone over and they were a real criminal. Yeah, if you see a detective pull someone over they probably arent out on traffic enforcement duty, but if the law says they need probable cause to stop you during an investigation, and you give them that, they have every reason to stop you.
He was also in the car with 2
He was also in the car with 2 other black men, in mattapan, that was their reason to convientantly enforce a turn signal law.