*** WATCH *** YOU MUST STOP FOR POLICE: 54-year-old failed to...

HYANNIS – One of the first things every driver in Massachusetts must know is that you MUST stop for police while operating a vehicle on our roadways, especially when they are behind you with lights and sirens.

If you do not pull over for police, you are subject to arrest and additional charges…

Occasionally, police come across an operator that is old and confused, suffering some sort of medical emergency while failing stop, as just one example. And in certain situations, officers can use discretion to take mitigating factors into consideration that will sometimes lead to the person not being arrested. Another mitigating factor that happens here on the Cape from time to time, is when the driver just arrived from another country that has different laws and different police procedures. In some countries (Guadalajara, Mexico for example, where I used to live…), police cruisers drive around with their blue lights always on. It would not be unusual for a person operating in one of those countries to be driving in front of police cruiser that has its blue lights fully activated and flashing. (For example, in Guadalajara, if the transit police wanted to stop you, they would use their siren or horn… or sometimes pull parallel and point to the curb… again, different culture, different police procedures…)

Local police are beginning to become more and more aware of these cultural differences and mitigating circumstances… and if they believe there was not criminal intent, they have the discretion to NOT make an arrest in certain situations. They may issue a non-criminal citation… or they can simply give a warning if deemed appropriate.

BUT LETS BE PERFECTLY CLEAR! New drivers in Massachusetts are required to know the laws prior to hitting our roadways. In short, know that you MUST immediately and safely pull over for the cops when they are in a marked cruiser with blue lights activated… and especially when sirens are also activated. Being from another country is not an excuse and will not necessarily get you out of criminal charges.

HN NOTE: As you will see in the following HN Video, HN was at this stop shortly after the male was detained in handcuffs. I was also there when they released him from custody. I heard officers discussing this matter… and based on all that I saw and observed, I personally believe officers did the right thing in this particular case. The initial reason for the stop was driving without headlights turned on. The driver stopped and turned his lights on as if acknowledging the officers… but then proceeded to continue driving toward his nearby residence at a very slow speed. The driver had a thick accent, indicating that he was initially from another country, and he also legitimately seemed and appeared confused. Police ran the information on his Massachusetts driver’s license and found the individual to be a 54-year-old male with no previous entries on his adult record. His license was active and in good standing. Nobody was hurt or put at risk in this particular slow speed pursuit. Weather, dry road surface conditions, and speeds did not make the incident seem reckless. The “pursuit” was brief. – Was he in the wrong for not stopping? Apparently so. Did he have criminal or malicious intent? Apparently not. Was anyone hurt? No. Police had the option to use their discretion and not physically take him in to be booked. (From my point of view, it appears he got the message, and the mistake will very likely not happen again.)

The following incident happened last evening in Hyannis…

[HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]