Mesa Police Department Illegal Impound and Search Procedure - Truck taken from Private Property Mesa Arizona

On Febuary 19th , 2008 , A Mesa Policedriveway - located on N. 74th Street , in Mesa , Arizona.
I recognized the Mesa Police Officer , and locked my truck doors. This same officer had forced me back to my truck , at gunpoint , a few months prior to the Febuary 19th incident - to serve a simple traffic citation.

The prior incident occured on September 3rd of 2007, and I learned very quickly that this officer was not to be trusted. The ticket he wrote me on September 3, 2007 caused my driver's license to be suspended.

However, I paid the ticket 3 months thereafter and was given an abstract to once again go to the Motor Vehicle Division to reinstate my license.
When I requested the same , I was informed that there was an outstanding payment due on an incident report.

I knew this was wrong because I had paid all outstanding debt to the local courts , and was legally driving when stopped on September 3rd of 2007.

To make a long story short , the Mesa Police Department or Court Officials yet to be indentified placed a series of obscure citation and docket numbers on my paperwork - thus buying the time needed by this same officer - to
stop me again , and impound my truck due to operating a vehicle without a drivers license.

Additionally , The same court system , in Mesa , Arizona is posting conflicting court docket dates to confuse defendents , cause bond forfeitures, and eventually arrest warrants.

Anyway, It is now early in the A.M. , on Tuesday, the 19th of Febuary, and I have locked myself inside my truck , at a private residence belonging to my
friend , and I have this same policeman, gun drawn , jerking violently on the driver's side door handle of my truck.

I call home, my parents arrive, and they now have a small army of officers surrounding my truck. My parents are really concerned because the officer, who was in charge , claims he is going to ramp-up the situation.

Eventually, I did exit the truck even though I had my reservations. I locked the truck before I left it - with the keys inside. During the entire incident my keys were out of the ignition and my motor was not running.


After exiting the truck , I was placed under arrests , handcuffed , read my rights , and placed in the rear seat of a patrol unit - under close supervison of officers.

Even though the new Arizona Impound Law states that a licensed driver can drive the vehicle home , if the vehicle is insured and has legal registration - the Mesa Police refused to allow this to happen.

My mother had asked permission to do so - but the Sergeant in charge flatly refused the request. I cannot talk to much about the case because it is still
pending , but I want everybody in Arizona to know that via the new Impound-Search statute citizens lose all of their Fourth Amendment rights.

It is also important to be advised not to assume you are safe , in Arizona , when it comes to carrying a handgun for your own protection. It leaves every citizen with no alternatives. It is far too easy for third parties to conceal the same and charge you accordingly.

A few days ago, I received a notice that my truck was abandoned. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just don't believe I should be responsible for paying for an impound , when there were family members present qualified to drive my vehicle 4 blocks to my residence.

DAVID
MESA, Arizona
U.S.A.