Legally speaking, could a cop ticket themselves?

Factual Questions
1

I saw this CNN article. It got me thinking : what if the officer in question, instead of being angry and confrontational, had been honest. “You’re right. I probably forgot to use my blinker. Thanks for pointing that out.”

Even if the officer was pretty sure he hadn’t violated any traffic laws, he could have said something to the effect of “sorry. I swore I turned it on, but maybe I forgot”.

Well, it got me thinking. How might a truly honest cop with respect for the law handle if if a private citizen pointed out he had just committed a significant traffic violation?

A truly honest cop would subject himself to the same penalties he would apply to others.

So, if a cop wrote a ticket to himself on his ticket pad, and turned it in (court date and all), would it be legal? I mean, it would be silly for him to then try to fight the ticket later, but would a judge accept the ticket as valid?

2

It’s happened. A cop realized he had passed a school bus and gave himself a ticket.

3

I remember an item about a cop who ran a red light, and got into a fender bender, so he wrote himself a ticket for running the light.

4

My brother worked there a zillion years ago but not when that happened.

The problem with that stunt is Dick could have then plead not guilty and then refused to testify against himself. Not that he would have done shenanigans like that. I know he wouldn’t have.

But rather than write himself up he should have called another officer or sheriffs deputy and reported himself to them so they would write him up. That would have maintained the integrity of it had something gone screwy in court.
But it didn’t, so it’s a moot point.

5

See the Andy Griffith episode Citizens Arrest. It offers a great tutorial on the concept.

6

In the town I grew up, a local Policeman didn’t recognize his wife’s car and gave it a parking ticket.