Is there a law it says you have to help the police?

[Alpo]

TV shows.

 

Barney Miller one time. Wojo arrested this guy. The bad guy was getting away, and this guy did not assist Wojo in stopping the bad guy. Barney asked him if he had properly identified himself as a police officer - because everybody was plain clothes on that show - and Wojo responded KINDA. Barney asked him to tell exactly what he had said to the citizen. GRAB HIM!

 

Wojo ended up having to make a settlement with the citizen so he would not be sued for false arrest.

 

NCIS episode. Kate is standing on the sidewalk waiting for the light to turn green so she can cross, and a guy pulls up on a motorcycle and gooses it a couple of times at her. She smiles, and then he lifts his face mask and it's Ari. As she's pulling her gun, he runs the light and away he goes. She flags down the car behind him and shows her badge and tells them to follow the motorcycle.

 

This was a bad plan because the people in the car were his henchmen and she ended up being kidnapped. But

 

If it had been a real situation, and she had been a real cop, is there some law somewhere that says that the people in the car she flagged down would have to help her?

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Don't know, don't care.  If any LEO asks me for help I'll help him or her to the best of my ability.  If anyone is asked and WON'T (not CAN'T) they will get nothing but scorn from me.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I would first consider whether I would be a help or just make the problem worse.

[Texas Joker]

Do I get qualified immunity?

[Subdeacon Joe]

It seems that in most States you do.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refusing_to_assist_a_police_officer

 

And it looks like in most you get immunity when doing so.

[Texas Jack Black]

There have been times when the cop shot the helper.

[Rip Snorter]

Rule of thumb - from a distance shout "Officer, do you require assistance."

[Pat Riot]

I would make sure assistance was needed but more than that, unless the officer is injured or unconscious I would do as @Rip Snortersaid. 
 

EDIT: Duh, I didn’t answer the question posed by Alpo. 
Yes! Absolutely I would help a police officer if requested. 

[Rip Snorter]

A long time ago I was taught that the particular phrase accords the helper some protection under the law, at least in some states.

[Subdeacon Joe]

If asked, yes, I'd pitch in.

A couple of times I have called out, from about 15 yards, "Officer (or Deputy)!  Do you need assistance?" and, thankfully, always declined.  One was a Sonoma Co. Deputy, rainy night about 2200.  Guy had put is car into a ditch near the church (Holy Week, lots of late services), I had helped him get a door open so he could get out, people in the house near the ditch had been trying to wave me off.  I guess they were listening to a scanner and heard that this particular vehicle had been involved in something or other.  Guy was about 6'2", ~250, drunk or high.
Anyway, the guy started walking down the middle of the road.  Deputy pulled up, parked to block the road , got out, about 4'12", maybe 120 pounds. She started walking towards the guy. I asked if she needed help.  She waved me off.  Got to the guy and started talking to him. he pushed her, she had him on the ground in nothing flat.  BOOM!  A thing of beauty.

[Texas Maverick]

On 5/3/2024 at 4:09 PM, Subdeacon Joe said:

If asked, yes, I'd pitch in.

A couple of times I have called out, from about 15 yards, "Officer (or Deputy)!  Do you need assistance?" and, thankfully, always declined.  One was a Sonoma Co. Deputy, rainy night about 2200.  Guy had put is car into a ditch near the church (Holy Week, lots of late services), I had helped him get a door open so he could get out, people in the house near the ditch had been trying to wave me off.  I guess they were listening to a scanner and heard that this particular vehicle had been involved in something or other.  Guy was about 6'2", ~250, drunk or high.
Anyway, the guy started walking down the middle of the road.  Deputy pulled up, parked to block the road , got out, about 4'12", maybe 120 pounds. She started walking towards the guy. I asked if she needed help.  She waved me off.  Got to the guy and started talking to him. he pushed her, she had him on the ground in nothing flat.  BOOM!  A thing of beauty.

Yeah, I worked with a few that were like that. I would have gone down any dark alley with them and knew we had each others back if necessary. Then there were some that we were able to drum out of the department because they were afraid of their own shadow and were dangerous to everyone. This included men and women. 

 

It was interesting that during our firearms training they asked the same question over and over at every training class. 

 

If necessary could you shoot someone without hesitation? 

 

If you could not answer yes, then they would ask you to turn in your gear. We lost a few at every class. Most of us would say yes but until it was really required, it was an unknown. I have never had to shoot anyone but felt when the time required it that I could do what was necessary to save lives. Guess we might never know but even today I carry with that same thought. Yes, I can if necessary.

 

We had a sign over our pistol range that said "if you just wound him you missed him". The statement from our training officers were wounded people can still shoot back. 

 

Which brings to mind that old joke about asking the officer why he shot him 14 times and the officers says cuz I didn't have 15.

 

TM

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

After becoming a civilian when there was a change of politics and a new sheriff. One day me and my wife, shopping late, we drove down a street which held a pretty tough biker crowd bar. As we were driving up, saw a city police car with lights flashing when suddenly a body weht flying through the large window, a city officer. I stop the car and heard his partner as a biker came running toward us in the street. The cop knowing me yelled to stop him, as he went by, I stuck my foot out and got on top of him as he went down and the injured cop and his buddy came up to cuff him. 

[Stump Water]

52 minutes ago, Texas Maverick said:

It was interesting that during our firearms training they asked the same question over and over at every training class. 

 

If necessary could you shoot someone without hesitation? 

 

Over the years I have been asked many times, "What gun should I get for home/self defense?"  I ask that same question.  If there is any hemming and hawing at all my reply is, "A baseball bat."

 

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I would certainly help any officer in uniform.

A plainclothes policeman would be hard to distinguish especially nowadays when it seems like you can’t trust anyone. I guess I’d go with my gut and hopefully he at least flashes a badge.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I have 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Texas Maverick said:

We had a sign over our pistol range that said "if you just wound him you missed him". The statement from our training officers were wounded people can still shoot back. 

TM

He can also testify against you.

[Subdeacon Joe]

2 hours ago, Texas Maverick said:

If necessary could you shoot someone without hesitation? 

 

That is THE question. The only honest answer is "I believe that I can."  But until one is faced with a situation,  one can't be certain. 

 

I THINK I could do it,  but I don't know for sure.

[watab kid]

i support my local LEOs and all pthers , ill help if asked and i dont care of a law , there are LAWS on most everything even things that should not have laws these days , i think all of the legislative bodies should be mandated to repeal two for every one they pass .............and we should get to vote on the new ones in the general elections before they get enacted 

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

I would tell the cop that he needs to find a faster car.

Best

CR

 

[bgavin]

Just curious... what if you assisted the cop who was taking down George Floyd...
The State destroyed that cop.
The State can just as easily destroy you.