# Kissing your husband while black? Not if the LAPD can help it. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 14, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492 "2014-09-14T19:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 30
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/581 "2014-09-15T20:13:31Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The irony of it is that you are providing proof of why society needs to have laws that restrict the power of the police. You’ve now spent a bunch of posts accusing Watts of all sorts of criminal behavior in the hope that something will stick. (Oh, and you’re accusing her of libel to boot.) The police agree she didn’t break any laws, and it’s not good for anyone if the police arrest people and then try to figure out a way to charge them with a crime. The police have said that the crime they were sent to investigate was not committed. That doesn’t mean that Watts didn’t commit any other crimes; it just means they chose not to pursue them. And I didn’t accuse her of libel, I accused her of slander. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/582 "2014-09-15T20:15:47Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The police have said that the crime they were sent to investigate was not committed. That doesn’t mean that Watts didn’t commit any other crimes; it just means they chose not to pursue them. Yup, that’s entirely what this nation needs. Cops that, when they’re called out for a crime that didn’t happen, stick around and look for any possible other crime the person can be charged with. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/583 "2014-09-15T20:16:20Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > In the pictures from the incident she barely looks like she’s old enough to drive. What happened to you in your life to make you so broken? ---
**Author:** ![JesterX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JesterX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JesterX)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/584 "2014-09-15T20:16:48Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > One of the media outlets said that the officer had asked Watts if she wanted to go to the hospital. Since Watts wasn’t bleeding or bruised, I assumed it was because she was act-ing in a possibly erratic manner. Actually, in their CNN interview, the bf suggested the cop was being snotty or condescending when he asked her that. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/585 "2014-09-15T20:17:13Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > When there is absolutely zero evidence of a racial motive, or reason to believe one is going to be summarily arrested and handed off to a slavemaster? It absolutely _is_. I wonder how many times she has been hassled by the cops in the past. When I was 21 in Boston and driving a big car I could expect to be stopped nearly every time I drove any distance. Maybe she had had it with getting hassled. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/586 "2014-09-15T20:18:11Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Yup, that’s entirely what this nation needs. Cops that, when they’re called out for a crime that didn’t happen, stick around and look for any possible other crime the person can be charged with. :smack: Which they _didn’t_ do, nor should they have. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/587 "2014-09-15T20:19:58Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > What happened to you in your life to make you so broken? I beg your pardon? ---
**Author:** ![JesterX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JesterX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JesterX)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/588 "2014-09-15T20:21:01Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I wonder how many times she has been hassled by the cops in the past. > When I was 21 in Boston and driving a big car I could expect to be stopped nearly every time I drove any distance. Maybe she had had it with getting hassled. Driving while pretty? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/589 "2014-09-15T20:21:30Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I wonder how many times she has been hassled by the cops in the past. > When I was 21 in Boston and driving a big car I could expect to be stopped nearly every time I drove any distance. Maybe she had had it with getting hassled. You’d think someone who’d been “hassled” that often would have learned that arguing with the cops or yelling at them doesn’t make it any easier. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/590 "2014-09-15T20:23:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The police have said that the crime they were sent to investigate was not committed. That doesn’t mean that Watts didn’t commit any other crimes; it just means they chose not to pursue them. But they sound so serious! I have it on good authority that she could’ve been on drugs, underage, a verbal assaulter, a phone-shover-in-facer, an investigation-obstructor, a scene-fleer, a serial committer of the fake crime of slander … are you actually saying that all of those things are so insignificant that the cops don’t give half a fuck about them? That doesn’t do much for your argument. > [@QuickSilver](#): > > What happened to you in your life to make you so broken? > [@Smapti](#): > > I beg your pardon? Dad couldn’t protect him from some monster, real or imaginary, so he wants the government to be his all-knowing daddy and make everything OK. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/591 "2014-09-15T20:25:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > But they sound so serious! I have it on good authority that she could’ve been on drugs, underage, a verbal assaulter, a phone-shover-in-facer, an investigation-obstructor, a scene-fleer, a serial committer of the fake crime of slander … are you actually saying that all of those things are so insignificant that the cops don’t give half a fuck about them? That doesn’t do much for your argument. I’m saying the police have discretion whether to pursue an area of investigation or not, which is something that people of your ilk usually _support_ when they talk about cops “harassing” people for minor offenses. Or are you now arguing that the police _should_ fully investigate and apply the full penalty of law to any person who violates any ordinance that comes to their attention? ---
**Author:** ![Hooleehootoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eada6e/32.png) [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/592 "2014-09-15T20:26:34Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > As **Bricker** and **Hentor** have explained, this is only the case if they have reasonable suspicion a **felony** was committed. In this case they only had reasonable suspicion a **misdemeanor** was committed, and therefore the officers were acting unlawfully by detaining Watts. The cops broke the law in this case. You may want to read back. I think it was earlier claimed that certain types of completed misdemeanors might still allow for a legal Terry stop. Can someone point me to references that answer these: Did Watts have her ID with her, since she was not driving and needed no DL? Did she refuse to give her name? Of course that latter might not be pertinent as the officer may have asked for ID, instead of asking her name. And if she did have her ID, she might not have known that instead of being required to show ID, she could just give her name. So instead she made an issue of that it was unreasonable for her to show ID, when she might have simply stated her name had she been more up on California and Federal criminal law. To me it is telling that in the TMZ audio, you can hear the officer saying “I would have been gone by now”. He admits the Terry stop would have been much briefer but for “contempt of Cop” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/593 "2014-09-15T20:28:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m saying the police have discretion whether to pursue an area of investigation or not, which is something that people of your ilk usually _support_ when they talk about cops “harassing” people for minor offenses. Minor offenses? I thought your view was that they were very serious. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/594 "2014-09-15T20:31:27Z")
> [@Hooleehootoo](#): > > You may want to read back. I think it was earlier claimed that certain types of completed misdemeanors might still allow for a legal Terry stop. > > Can someone point me to references that answer these: > Did Watts have her ID with her, since she was not driving and needed no DL? > Did she refuse to give her name? Per the audio logs [here](http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/15/django-actress-daniele-watts-lapd-race-card-fame-audio/), she specifically refused to give her name in addition to refusing to give ID. Her boyfriend volunteers that he has her passport in his possession, but when they ask him to show it to them she shouts that they can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/595 "2014-09-15T20:32:36Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Minor offenses? I thought your view was that they were very serious. Serious enough to warrant temporary detainment, minor in the grand scheme of things and not worth the officers’ time at the moment, since her greatest offense was aggravated dramatics. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/596 "2014-09-15T20:35:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Serious enough to warrant temporary detainment, minor in the grand scheme of things and not worth the officers’ time at the moment, since her greatest offense was aggravated dramatics. So you admit you were trumping up shit, then. This confirms that all the crap about psych holds and drugs and slander and underage prostitution was just a desperate attempt to make this sound worthwhile when the police quickly acknowledged it wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/597 "2014-09-15T20:36:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > So it’s wrong to obey the law. > > Why do you hate democracy so much? There’s that over-exaggeration others point and laugh at. No wonder you’re such a [del]brown nosing[/del] supportive, nannying git of all things police questionable… the minute you open your trap, without proper identification and utter subservience, you’d be thrown in jail. I completely understand now. Carry on with your unwavering, uh, _support_. I’m sure your industrial strength knee pads will continue to hold out. However, other parts of you might get a little sore. Just saying. > [@Smapti](#): > > No, just a patriotic American liberal. Bwahahahahaha! Oh, my God. I cannot breath. Every day on these boards do you see people who are dumber than a box of rocks and proclaim that loudly and often. But it’s very rare for one to step up as their king. Holy shit, but is this priceless comedy gold or what? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/598 "2014-09-15T20:40:24Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > There’s that over-exaggeration others point and laugh at. Your words, not mine; > [@Smapti](#): > > So it’s insisting that people should obey the law that’s morally equivalent to the Holocaust. > > Noted. > [@faithfool](#): > > And this is the only factual thing you’ve said in the tread. Good job at getting 1 out of 9,999 correct. > [@](#): > > No wonder you’re such a [del]brown nosing[/del] supportive, nannying git of all things police questionable… the minute you open your trap, without proper identification and utter subservience, you’d be thrown in jail. I completely understand now. Carry on with your unwavering, uh, _support_. I’m sure your industrial strength knee pads will continue to hold out. > > However, other parts of you might get a little sore. Just saying. I’m beginning to think I’m the only person in this thread who _doesn’t_ constantly fantasize about being raped by policemen. This really isn’t a healthy obsession, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/599 "2014-09-15T20:41:31Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > So you admit you were trumping up shit, then. This confirms that all the crap about psych holds and drugs and slander and underage prostitution was just a desperate attempt to make this sound worthwhile when the police quickly acknowledged it wasn’t. Something can be serious and not worthwhile at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/600 "2014-09-15T20:42:45Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > You know, I don’t plan on burning any American flags any time soon, but I am grateful for those who endured consequences large or small to establish and uphold the principle involved. They needn’t all be celebrated in the fashion of Rosa Parks. Hell, they needn’t all have comported themselves with any dignity while doing so. OK, here’s my lengthy and contrived hypothetical… A moderately famous artist of some sort is producing an art project which involves burning an American Flag in a clearing in the forest. A park ranger happens upon this scene, and knows that he has the responsibility for enforcing the fire code, and is worried that this burning will result in a forest fire. So he approaches the people doing the filming, and asks them to stop the burning. The artist then immediately goes into both “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!!!??!?!” and “YOU DAMN FASCISTS” screeching mode and begins tweeting at great length about the jack-booted thugs who are trying to oppress his freedom of expression. After some analysis over the next few days, it is determined that while the park ranger sometimes DOES have the responsibility to enforce the fire code in situations like this, there are reasons (which have nothing to do with politics or fascism) why in this particular case he was overreaching. Is that artist someone we should revere and respect for his brave Rosa Parks-esque actions? (Note: IF in fact it turns out that the ranger acted improperly, then all the proper laws should be followed as far as what consequences if any should apply, etc., etc., I’m not saying “well, he THOUGHT he was doing the right thing, so it’s OK”. What I am saying is that there’s a HUGE difference between “cop thinks he can do whatever he wants because he’s a cop, heroic citizen refuses to be bullied” and “cop tries to do something illegal, but it’s a complicated situation and can only be determined to be actually illegal after much discussion… possibly-heroic citizen refuses to be bullied, but may actually just be loud-mouthed asshole”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492.md?page=31)