Can you 'splayn exactly what game you were playing? I'm not following what the end point would have been. Trying to make him look like an idiot to the DA?
No, not setting up a false arrest lawsuit, although that might have been an outcome had the cop gone all the way down that road.
It was the "either arrrest me or leave me alone" game.
If the cop has any suspicion he can articulate then he only needs to worry that a court would not find it reasonable. Most of the time cops get a pass on whatever RAS they articulate. And yes I know the cop does not need to tell me what their RAS is before arresting me. So, if he had any notion that the gun was stolen, go ahead and arrest me for possession of stolen property.
The sergeant quickly realized that if there was any AS, regardless if it was R or not, the cop would have arrested me. Instead, the cop was willing to stand there and try to see if I would let him get away with something. The longer he tried the worse he looked - the sergeant put a stop to things in order top preserve as much dignity for the PD as was possible.
I blame WalMart for some of this. I have no need to show the greeter my receipt in order to leave the store. It is not about being polite - it is about being accused of shoplifting. But most folks comply with the greeter's request/demand because they do not know any better. I have very politely sat on the benches in the entrance area and waited for management and loss prevention to show up - after I called the store and asked for them to come meet me. I clearly stated that I was refusing to show the greeter my receipt and would be happy to wait while they conferred with the greeter to decide if they believed there was reaason to believe I was shoplifting. Again, not looking for a cheap false arrest* lawsuit but to express my uwillingness to play along with their game of wanting me to prove I am not shoplifting. It's supposed to work the other way around.
stay safe.
* - in Virginia store security can arrest for shoplifting.
