Man Refuses to Open Window, Door During Traffic Stop: Brecksville Police Blotter

The following incident was reported by the Brecksville Police Department on Dec. 14. The information was compiled from a police report.

An officer pulled over a swerving vehicle on Interstate 77 at about 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 14. The stop soon took a strange turn when the driver refused to put down his window or open his door. 

The driver, a 24-year-old Maple Heights man, told the officer that he did not recognize the officer’s authority. This continued after the officer gave his or her name and the name of the department. The driver said that the officer had no jurisdiction over him and stayed in his car with the passengers.

The officer called for backup, but the driver still refused to put his window down or open the door. Only when the officers moved to physically open the passenger door with a wedge did the driver get out of his car. He was placed under arrest for obstructing official business and continued to give the officers trouble. He was taken to the station, where he was also charged for the marked lanes violation and for not properly displaying his front license plate. The report notes that he continued to treat the whole situation “like it was a joke” and said he didn’t recognize ordinances.

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