Statement from the Hammond Police Department - October 7,

2014
The Hammond Police Department stopped a vehicle on
September 24
th
, 2014 at abot !"4# P$%$ at 1&'
th
Street and the
(line )vene Service road for the driver and passen*er not
+earin* a seat belt as re,ired b- .ndiana la+$ The driver, pon
as/in* b- the o0cer, prodced a driver1s license$
The o0cer then as/ed for the identi2cation of the passen*er and
the driver responded that the passen*er did not have an-
identi2cation +ith him$ The o0cer then approached the
passen*er side of the stopped vehicle to spea/ +ith the
passen*er and as/ed the passen*er to provide his identi2cation
on a piece of paper$
The passen*er refsed to lo+er the +indo+ more than a small
amont, then told the o0cer that 3he +as not *oin* to do his 4the
o0cer1s5 6ob7 and for him to *et a piece of paper$ The 2rst o0cer
then called for bac/-p after as/in* the passen*er several more
times to provide his name, even pointin* ot a piece of paper that
+as seen b- the o0cer near the center console of the vehicle$
8ear the time that the bac/-p o0cer arrived, the 2rst o0cer sa+
the passen*er inside the vehicle drop his left hand behind the
center console inside of the vehicle$ 9earin* for o0cer safet-, the
2rst o0cer ordered the passen*er to sho+ his hands and then
repeatedl- as/ed him to e:it the vehicle$
The passen*er contined to refse to leave the vehicle after
repeated re,ests$ The 2rst o0cer then as/ed for a Hammond
police s,ad car that had video e,ipment installed to come to
the scene$ )nother Hammond Police O0cer arrived and be*an
recordin* the incident$ The recordin* o0cer then as/ed the
passen*er a*ain to leave the stopped vehicle$ ;- this time
considerable time had passed and both the vehicle and the
o0cers +ere in dan*er of bein* strc/ b- passin* tra0c$
The driver of the vehicle then shifted her car into drive and
moved her vehicle in a for+ard motion, and +as told b- an o0cer
present that her tires +old be de<ated b- a stop strip that +as
placed near her front tires$
The passen*er contined to refse to e:it the vehicle after
appro:imatel- thirteen mintes had elapsed and pon re,est b-
at least three di=erent o0cers present at the scene of the stop$
9earin* the occpants of the vehicle ma- have possessed a
+eapon, and seein* the passen*er repeatedl- reach to+ards the
rear seats of the vehicle, the 2rst o0cer then bro/e the passen*er
side +indo+ of the vehicle and the passen*er +as removed from
the vehicle and +as placed nder arrest$
The Hammond Police o0cers +ere at all times actin* in the
interest of o0cer safet- and in accordance +ith .ndiana la+$
The driver of the vehicle +as issed a citation for failre to +ear a
seat belt and a license plate reciprocit- violation$ The passen*er
+as arrested for failre to aid an o0cer, resistin* la+
enforcement, and +as also cited for a seat belt violation$
Hammond 9ire Department >%T personnel +ere re,ested b- the
passen*er of the vehicle and the- arrived to the scene a short
time later$ The passen*er +as then transported to a medical
treatin* facilit-$ The driver of the vehicle then too/ bac/ cstod-
of her vehicle and left the scene$
.n *eneral, police o0cers +ho ma/e le*al tra0c stops are allo+ed
to as/ passen*ers inside of a stopped vehicle for identi2cation
and to re,est that the- e:it a stopped vehicle for the o0cer1s
safet- +ithot a re,irement of reasonable sspicion$ ?hen the
passen*er displa-ed movements inside of the stopped vehicle
that inclded placin* his hand in places +here the o0cer cold
not see, o0cers1 concerns for their safet- +ere hei*htened$ The
actions displa-ed b- the passen*er drin* this tra0c stop
eventall- led to the o0cers ta/in* the passen*er into police
cstod-$
Sorce" @t$ Aichard Ho-da
Hammond, .ndiana Police Department