Chased by the police yesterday

I have about 500 acres behind my house that is state land and have been riding on the property for the last 18 years.

I know pretty much all the cops that patrol it and have always pulled over to talk with them. They have always been really nice guys. Well about 3 months ago while riding one the fire roads there was this new cop pulled over in a Jeep and I pulled up to him to talk and he jumped out with his hand on his gun and told me to get off my quad. After I got my helmet off and he saw I was in my 40's he just told me not to ride by the state run hospital and to be on my way.

Well yesterday I went for a quick ride and as I broke into this one field (nowhere near the hospital) I looked off to my left and saw this Police Jeep coming right at me at a high rate of speed, for a second I was going to just pull over to talk and I saw it was this same cop and there was no way he was going to be able to stop without hitting me so I hit the throttle and made this quick right and than a quick left onto another trail off this field. Well when I turned back to look he was bearing down on me trying to run me down. I than just hit the throttle hard blasted into a small swamp area and flew through the trails. I looked back and he never made it through the swamp.

I made it back home but I had to take a bunch of different trails to get there and I was on High Alert waiting for this nut case cop to come flying out and mow me down.

I called a cop friend of mine when I got home and he told me that this cop was kicked out of another police dept. because he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic and he is just finishing his time at the state run hopital until he retires.

I just hope he retires soon

You gotta watch these guys. I heard a story here in PA about a Game Commission cop that emptied his gun at a rider. Story says a kid pulled up to him and the Game cop said he was going to take the kids quad, which is part of the law confiscation, so the kid tried to take off. The cop says the kid tried to run him over so he shot in self defense. I myself tend to believe the kid, cuz what kind of self defense do you need when the kid is going away from you. Never heard how things turned out, maybe some one else has heard of it.

HAH! i got pulled over by a florida fish and wildlife officer along with 3 of my buddies. I just didnt want him to take my bike since i didnt have the title with me, had no helmet, riding on the street, and am under 16 years old. Funny thing is, while he had us pulled over, a few other bikes were able to escape. the only reason he didnt chase them was because he had my friend handcuffed(says he had to since my buddy is in the marines)

They'll take your quad here in New York.

Do we really need to be advertising to the ATV Na**'s that you run from the police. What you have done is admitted to a class 5 felony. You are completely in the wrong. You were on private land, the cop was approaching you at a high rate of speed. You say to avoid being hit you took of on your quad, started a pursuit and lost him in the swamps. When all you had to do was get out of his way. If you had enough time to make the choice to run from the police you had the time to get out of the wat of his vehicle.

You should be caught and have your quad confiscated, you are the type of person that causes trails to be closed and the ATV community gets a majorly bad rap for that kind of stuff.

Wow just read all the stories and let me say that stuff is funny.....that has never happened to me but i wouldnt try to get away ill just talk to the cops!

Do we really need to be advertising to the ATV Na**'s that you run from the police. What you have done is admitted to a class 5 felony. You are completely in the wrong. You were on private land, the cop was approaching you at a high rate of speed. You say to avoid being hit you took of on your quad, started a pursuit and lost him in the swamps. When all you had to do was get out of his way. If you had enough time to make the choice to run from the police you had the time to get out of the wat of his vehicle.

You should be caught and have your quad confiscated, you are the type of person that causes trails to be closed and the ATV community gets a majorly bad rap for that kind of stuff.

Actually There was no way for me to get out of his way and had no way of just pulling over to talk to him, this all happened in an area of less than 50 yards. You were not there so you are assuming this was a couple of mile pursuit.....you don't know me and have no idea what kind of person I am. I have friends that are police officers, and as I said in my post I called one of my friends who is a state trooper and he was the one who informed me of this police officers reasons for being tossed off his last job for excessive force.

So would you feel better if you read that a Husband and a father of two was run over by a freak of a cop.

Judging by what you have already written my guess is you would like to read that because "I give a bad rap to the ATV comminty"

Do me a favor block me, don't read my post, do what ever you have to. You're a moderator.....kick me off the site than, But don't preach to me

So you are telling me that you had a chase from the police but it only lasted 50 yards. If you made a quick right on a road why couldn't you stop? Sounds to me like you are changing your story because you got called out on it.

Who ever said i wish you got hit by a car? I said in all this stuff that happen you could have stopped. Instead you chose to run from the police. I know that if a police officer threatened my life I wouldn't be calling a buddy who is also a cop to cry about this officer. You go to the people above him.

So you are telling me that you had a chase from the police but it only lasted 50 yards. If you made a quick right on a road why couldn't you stop? Sounds to me like you are changing your story because you got called out on it.

Who ever said i wish you got hit by a car? I said in all this stuff that happen you could have stopped. Instead you chose to run from the police. I know that if a police officer threatened my life I wouldn't be calling a buddy who is also a cop to cry about this officer. You go to the people above him.

Yeah it lasted 50 yards! Did I change my story? Why would I change my story? what for you? I don't think so! Don't flatter yourself!

And what I said was I had to make a quick right than a left onto another trail....the right was to avoid getting hit, the left was get away from the lunatic bearing down on me. these are fire roads that are not well maintain and just the width of a car so there is no room to pull over . Why am having to explain myself to you......Who are you? Like I said if you don't like the thread or my post don't read them.

I thought this forum read....."Anything Goes"

Sounds to me you just want to bust my balls and that's fine.....if that's what floats your boat....have at it!

You guys might be getting a little out of control on this one. The original story was about a run in with a less desirable form of police officer. Any of us trail riders have a story of our own or a story that we heard about this, that is where my post came from a story I heard.With places to ride decreasing this happens more often than it used to. The place I rode for 20 years is now off limits to me and places I go now I am not 100% sure because there are no signs, but you can bet if someone is going to take my quad they gonna have to earn it and I will have a story like this of my own.

Yeah it lasted 50 yards! Did I change my story? Why would I change my story? what for you? I don't think so! Don't flatter yourself!

And what I said was I had to make a quick right than a left onto another trail....the right was to avoid getting hit, the left was get away from the lunatic bearing down on me. these are fire roads that are not well maintain and just the width of a car so there is no room to pull over . Why am having to explain myself to you......Who are you? Like I said if you don't like the thread or my post don't read them.

I thought this forum read....."Anything Goes"

Sounds to me you just want to bust my balls and that's fine.....if that's what floats your boat....have at it!

LOL, You are right, anything goes and I'm standing my ground that your actions are damaging to the ATV community. It is my job here to read your post...

I understand making the right to avoid being hit by a vehicle that you felt could not stop in time. But the left to flee from the police was foolish, IMO. Do you really think that running from this cop is not going to effect the outcome of yourfuture rides? Plus you screwed it up for others... GOOD JOB!!!

I've been riding this property for 18 years and never been chased before, and as I stated have talked with the officers that patrol it including this wacko so I'll bet you dollars for dounuts when this fruit loop is retired and gone I'll be riding it again.

Judging by the way he came after me he has chased others on this property, so who ruined it for who?

You're not going to change my opinion and clearing you're dug in with yours so as far as I'm concerned enough said......

That cop sounds like he is crazy. Have you had any more problems now.

I ride on a bunch of private land owned by a gas company and a logging company behind my house. The first few times I rode I would stop and talk to any people working and ask about riding and was told that as long as I did not mess with the well pads or tear up the green feilds I could ride all I wanted except during hunting season. Being a cop myself I find it alot easier and you get more from people by asking and talking to them before things get out of hand.

Now back to the story, if it was me i would go to the hospital and talk to the cop and his supervisor and find out what was going on and if I could ride there away from the hospital. He sounds like he moght be crazy enough to put something on the trail to damage you or your ATV. Most of the land owners I have talked to do not mind the riders riding as long as they do not tear things up, so maybe if you talk to them you can get it all worked out.

Good Luck

For right now I'm just not riding there, I plan on speaking with several of the other officers that I know from up there when I see them....I don't think I should pursue speaking to his supervisor for the simple fact that I think he crazy enough to come after me.

There are plenty of places for me to ride for now, and who knows he just may be retired soon.

Thanks for the advice though.

Happy New Year everyone, Jeff

It is getting harder and harder to find Natural places to ride. land owners are getting smarter also. One of the areas I used to ride is now a pay to ride area. It is only 100bucks a year, but they put out a bounty on anyone caught without a pass. If you have a pass and catch someone that doesnt and turn them in you get your next year of riding for free.

Due to things like this I agree with rainman. Talk to people ask questions and get reliable answers. The more you put into it the more you can get out of it.

Happy New Year and Happy Trails to everyone

File a complaint against the cops if you want, but it's his word against yours and you will lose. You cannot justify bad behavior by pointing out other bad behavior. I wouldn't risk my quad by going back there.

I just lost 2 riding areas I've used legally since the 1960s... I can't afford a new quad so I stay the heck out even tho I am sure I can elude them successfully.

These laws rarely make sense but until you finish law school you are stuck like the rest of us... I hope you have a place to ride near home!