857 — Being Arrested by the Police

You have a right to remain silent, but at least listen to this episode to find out what to do the next time you’re arrested.
Slow Dialog: 1:10
Explanations: 3:29
Fast Dialog: 14:37
I was walking down the street minding my own business one evening when I was stopped by a police officer. After asking me a couple of questions about where I’d been, he told me to put my hands behind my back. He was going to arrest me! He handcuffed me and gave me the Miranda warning. When I asked him why he was arresting me, he said that he had probable cause to believe that I was the suspect they had been looking for in a robbery that took place on the next street.
I couldn’t believe it! I was completely innocent, but the officer didn’t want to hear it. He put me in the back of a police car and drove to the police station. I was placed in a jail cell and, after a few hours, I was taken to a room and interrogated.
A police officer asked me question after question, and after four hours of questioning, I was finally released! I found out later that it was a case of mistaken identity. I looked very much like the suspect they were looking for and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I could sue the police department for false arrest, but I decided not to. I’d rather put the entire thing behind me and hope that I’m never that unlucky again!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse