Do not Lie to the Sheriff

It is important not to lie to the Sheriff, or to other peace officers.  Remember, you have the right to keep silent.  It is far better to keep silent, or to say “I want to cooperate with the Sheriff, but my lawyer has told me not to make a statement until I talk to him.

In this incident, in Sedgwick County, Kansas, many people were skeptical about the story originally told by the home owner.   From kwch.com:

Moments later, the resident told authorities he heard gunshots. When he looked out his window, he said he saw the man lying on the ground and a dark-colored vehicle speeding away from the home.

Now we find that the homeowner lied.  He shot Cody Reid, a 27 year old registered sex offender who was convicted of aggravated assault in 2013.  Reid was 6’1″, 290 pounds, with numerous tatoos.  Sheriff officials believe that Reid was breaking into the home.  From kwch.com:

Capt. Pollock said the sheriff’s office still believes Reid was breaking into the home based on physical evidence. He said it is “very frustrating” when people give false information.

I suspect that forensic evidence lead to the homeowner admitting that he was the person who shot Reid, but it might well have been his female companion.  It is very hard for people to keep a lie plausible when questioned separately.

No arrests have been made.   The case will be turned over to the district attorney.    It is entirely possible that the homeowner will be found to have justifiably shot Reid in the chest.  Two shots were fired, one of which hit Reid.  But the homeowner might still be charged with obstructing a police investigation.   Many manhours were likely wasted on false leads.

It is an even worse idea to lie to a federal agent.  

It is a federal crime to lie to a federal agent, a felony, and has been since 1998.  That seems excessive, as the courts have ruled that government agents may legally lie to other people to further investigations.

Be that as it may, remember, do not lie to a peace officer.  It is much better to keep silent, and invoke your right to do so. 

 Here is a link to the famous video explaining why it is a bad idea to talk to the police without counsel.

More and more people are using their first amendment rights to record any interaction that they have with police in public. 

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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