This cop is one of the reasons people flee the police.
We are in Ozaukee County Wisconsin where a Sheriff’s deputy pulls up on a motorcyclist in a gas station parking clearly finishing fueling up. Before stating a reason for a traffic stop, the deputy demanded he shut off his bike. When the biker says one second as he was trying to secure the gas cap that he was already in the middle of placing on, the deputy shut the bike off on his own and seized the key.
The deputy then claims he was stopping him because the plate was covered which the driver reminded him that he was not on the road with the plate covered he was in the process of getting fuel and the plate would not be covered once he was ready to hit the road.
The deputy demanded his ID and was willing to give the key back in exchange for the ID as the biker request. The deputy then twisted the story into a crack down on sports bikes fleeing police and them having the ability to conceal their plates with a plate flipper.
The biker corrected the deputy again that his bike is not a sports bike, it is a stunt bike which is much slower and not going to outrun anything. The deputies answer was basically they all look alike to him.
The big question is, was this legal? Below is an argument on both ends.
The Deputy's Argument (The State)
The Stop: The deputy states he observed the motorcycle operating without visible registration as he was pulling into the lot.
The "Key Grab": The deputy immediately reaches onto the bike and pulls the ignition key. Local law enforcement has faced a major influx of sport bike riders using mechanical license plate flippers to intentionally flee from traffic stops. The deputy argues securing the key was a necessary, pre-emptive measure for officer safety to prevent a dangerous high-speed pursuit.
The Mechanism: The ability shown to be able to conceal the plate can give law enforcement probable cause, as possessing or installing a device designed to flip or hide a registration plate is illegal under Wisconsin state law.
The Rider's Argument (The Citizen)
No Imminent Flight Risk: The most glaring contradiction in the footage is the timing of the key grab. The deputy physically seizes the key while the rider is actively trying to put his gas cap back on and lock it. With his hands occupied and the fuel tank wide open, it was physically impossible for the rider to launch into an escape—meaning the deputy wasn't reacting to a threat, but acting on a stereotype.
4th Amendment Violation: While traffic stops allow officers to control a scene, physically entering a citizen's vehicle space to seize property without consent, an active threat, or an overt attempt to flee crosses the line into an unreasonable search and seizure.
Stunt Bike vs. Sport Bike: The rider explicitly corrects the officer, pointing out that it is a dedicated stunt bike. Because it is highly geared with a massive rear sprocket for slow-speed maneuvers, it has a drastically lower top-end speed than a stock sport bike, shattering the assumption that it was a viable highway "runner."
The Gray Area: Where do police tactics to prevent high-speed pursuits end, and a citizen's constitutional protections against warrantless seizure begin?
The first trailer for ‘ADVENTURE TIME: SIDE QUESTS’ has been released.
The prequel series follows Finn's early childhood on monster-fighting adventures with Jake.
Releasing June 29 on Hulu.