- Jurisdiction
- Texas
I was in Houston visiting family and we were involved in a car accident. I was a passenger and fortunately I was ok, but my other 2 family members were injured and went to the hospital in an ambulance. I stayed at the scene with the police and other drivers. I answered the officer's questions and exchanged information with the other drivers. Once everything was settled the other drivers waited for their ride and an officer told me that he can take me to the hospital where my family is at. I agreed and followed him to his car.
However to my surprise before I got in the car the officer told me that he would have to pat me down and put me in handcuffs for the ride. I said "What? Am I under arrest?" He said no, it's their policy to handcuff anyone riding in the back of a police car. I asked once more if it was really necessary and he again said it was policy and that it was for his safety and mine. I had never been in trouble and I never thought I would be sitting handcuffed in the back a police car. Looking back I should have called an Uber, but still being in shock from the accident and not seeing any other option I reluctantly agreed. He told me to turn around, got patted down, told me to put my hands behind my back and put the handcuffs on me. He told me he would try not put them on too tight and that he would double lock them to keep them from closing in on my wrists. He put me in the car and began to drive.
Before going to the hospital he told me that since the police station is on the road on the way to the hospital, he was going to stop there and drop something off. After 5-10 minutes of sitting in the car, the left cuff starts digging into my wrist. When he got back I asked him if he could loosen it. He looked at it and apologized that he didn't double lock the left cuff properly. He drove me to the hospital and parked. He was doing something on his laptop and I asked if they can let me out. He said he just needed a few minutes. Then he got a call and told me he had to take a call. After another 5-10 minutes still in handcuffs and about a little over a half hour overall he took the cuffs off and said thank you for your patience and understanding. He walked me to the hospital entrance and told me where to go and nothing further happened.
Is this a real policy for Houston police to handcuff people in a police car even if they're not being arrested and only being transported? Was it possibly at the officer's discretion and he saw a need to put me in handcuffs due to possibly seeing me as a safety issue? Throughout the whole affair, I never resisted or was disrespectful in any way other than asking him questions at the beginning. If this counts as me being detained will this be on a record somewhere? I really wouldn't want to have something like this on public record.
Summary: thenHouston police handcuffed me to transport me to the hospital after a car accident because they told me it was policy to handcuff anyone who rides in a police car. Does this policy exist or was the officer using his discretion to take precautions with transporting me?
However to my surprise before I got in the car the officer told me that he would have to pat me down and put me in handcuffs for the ride. I said "What? Am I under arrest?" He said no, it's their policy to handcuff anyone riding in the back of a police car. I asked once more if it was really necessary and he again said it was policy and that it was for his safety and mine. I had never been in trouble and I never thought I would be sitting handcuffed in the back a police car. Looking back I should have called an Uber, but still being in shock from the accident and not seeing any other option I reluctantly agreed. He told me to turn around, got patted down, told me to put my hands behind my back and put the handcuffs on me. He told me he would try not put them on too tight and that he would double lock them to keep them from closing in on my wrists. He put me in the car and began to drive.
Before going to the hospital he told me that since the police station is on the road on the way to the hospital, he was going to stop there and drop something off. After 5-10 minutes of sitting in the car, the left cuff starts digging into my wrist. When he got back I asked him if he could loosen it. He looked at it and apologized that he didn't double lock the left cuff properly. He drove me to the hospital and parked. He was doing something on his laptop and I asked if they can let me out. He said he just needed a few minutes. Then he got a call and told me he had to take a call. After another 5-10 minutes still in handcuffs and about a little over a half hour overall he took the cuffs off and said thank you for your patience and understanding. He walked me to the hospital entrance and told me where to go and nothing further happened.
Is this a real policy for Houston police to handcuff people in a police car even if they're not being arrested and only being transported? Was it possibly at the officer's discretion and he saw a need to put me in handcuffs due to possibly seeing me as a safety issue? Throughout the whole affair, I never resisted or was disrespectful in any way other than asking him questions at the beginning. If this counts as me being detained will this be on a record somewhere? I really wouldn't want to have something like this on public record.
Summary: thenHouston police handcuffed me to transport me to the hospital after a car accident because they told me it was policy to handcuff anyone who rides in a police car. Does this policy exist or was the officer using his discretion to take precautions with transporting me?
