Is it risky or obnoxious to ask a policeman this and why? Details inside.

It’s not wrong, it’s their duty. In fact, you can even ask to see a policeman’s badge.

It’s not obnoxious – he is well within his rights to ask the question, but depending on whether the policeman is a good man or a control-obsessed jerk, it might be risky.

If they didn’t arrest him, there is no reason to read him his rights. It sounds like he hadn’t been arrested yet. Any controntation with police is risky. If you want them to give you a break, it’s in your best interest to be as nice as possible. Just for the record, that would be the opposite of being beligerent.

@Jaxk We don’t know that he wasn’t being nice. We only know that he asked a question.

@glacial

Very true. We can only speculate. If the details are correct, it appears the question triggered a negative response from the cop. If the cop was going to let him go, that would indicate the cop was sympathetic. Something caused him to become unsypathetic and I am assuming it was the tone of the question. I could be wrong.

Knowing the kid, it was the tone of the question. And a strange thing: the cop , upon hearing the question asked the boy to recite his own Miranda rights! Which he did!

It would have been smarter to not remind the cop, leave ground for the charges to be dropped.

It would have been better to not say anything.

@rexacoracofalipitorius

Great video. He provides an amusing example of what everyone should know and take to heart. Everyone should watch that video.