Can a cop do this to you

Question

last night around 9pm my boyfriend and i were sitting in a church parking lot in his truck. i was sitting in the back on the tailgate and my boyfriend was cleaning his windows. then out of nowhere these cops show up, 3 sheriffs all with flashlights and they came over to us asking to see identification. they saw we were 21 and 25 and asked why we were here. we said we go to church here and we were just sitting here hanging out cleaning his truck. he then began to drill us on our home life and where we went to school he then told us he wanted to search our vehicle but we told him no cuz there was no probable cause but they could shine the light in there so then he called our names into the station and said we were a 17-29 whatever that is and said we better go home. it was ridiculous we werent doing anything wrong

Answer 1

Yes they can do that.  You weren't doing anything wrong, but many times, police can find somebody doing something wrong just like that.  17-29 is probably just loitering.  Nothing to worry about.  

Answer 2

they weren't really trying to harass you. when a cop sees someone just sitting there in a parking lot, the first think they think is its someone out there to sell drugs. they have to check out the situation. its their job to do so. as far as sending you home. with all the sickos out there these days Wouldn't want to be just sitting there waiting for one to show up.

try to find a better place to hang out where the cops wont get suspicious of you.

Answer 3

You are in the US coast is it not. Under your own laws any cops can do this for no apparent reason, even no reason at all. For precautionary measure they would probably state.

They have the right to question the two of you out there, you were in a public place isn't not? The most obvious question is WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING here? You two should have obliged to search the vehicle remember if you got nothing to hide then no harm in searching the vehicle. The cops thought during those times that you both got something hidden in the vehicles that is why they telephone your names if the two of you have any felony charges or wanted by the police in their list or in the FBI files that is 17-29, and since nothing had been found against the two of you, they let you two go home.

This is just a routinary routine of cops doing their job, I know it is annoying and some what ridiculous but hey if not for them crime would be soaring.  

Answer 4

Yes,

they were looking to make an easy arrest. Never consent to a search.

Answer 5

Of course you weren't!  But yes they can! There was probably a complaint from a concerned citizen who called in about individuals matching your vehicle and description and tailgating near the church.  Whenever a citizen calls there is a tape made at the dispatchers.  This is why you all were stopped and contacted.  As for the search you were smart not to give consent.  17-29 is their police code most probably for "no wants or warrants."  At that point you are good to go.  

Answer 6

Can a cop do this to you?

According to your question, the answer is evidently yes...because they did.

If what you want to know is whether or not it was legal or proper, that's a different question.

Legal?  Absolutely.

Proper?  Don't see anything in your question to suggest otherwise.  Sounds to me like this entire encounter was consensual.  You might also want to consider that for all you know, the church has contacted the police in your area and asked for extra patrol of the property during the nighttime hours.  If that's the case, the church got exactly what they wanted and you were simply caught in the middle.  

Can't agree that it was ridiculous.  

Can agree that you weren't doing anything wrong from the sounds of it, but you understand that until the police actually talk to you, there's no way for them to know you're not doing anything wrong, right?

Answer 7

file a complaint thats what i would do,oink if you hate freedom.

Answer 8

YES. THEY CAN

Answer 9

For all they know you could of been having s*x or loitering with intent, it's there job, Cop's and the Military can't seem to do anything right. If someone was loitering outside your house and you called the police but the police didn't turn up you would complain wouldn't you. Just deal with it and be thank full you have police to protect you from other's.