In an encounter with law enforcement, it is best to remain calm and understand how to appropriately deal with the encounter. Your freedom is something that you don’t want to gamble with, so you must always keep this in mind.

1. When an individual is interrogated by a police officer this can be very intimidating and is not anything to be fond of. When a person has not done any wrongdoing, it makes the encounter that much more intimidating. However, you must keep calm at all times. To avoid any extra trouble the individual must refrain from speaking out of term with the officer. Becoming upset will only make the situation worse than what it has to be. The main target is to avoid making the engagement lead to an arrest or any worse.
2. Do not wait until an encounter with law enforcement to begin to learn about your rights. Be informed of what rights you have, law enforcement officers enforce the law but they are not above the law. The Fifth Amendment of the Constitution is in place to allow you not to answer all questions directed to you by law enforcement. You must provide your name but you are not obligated to answer any other questions if you do not want to. Even though you are required to state your name, try to refrain from answering any other questions. 
3. Officers oftentimes use misleading tactics. Remember your right to remain silent. It is wise to speak with an attorney before saying anything that may incriminate you. Police officers will try to intimidate and confuse you with their questions.
4. Also, make sure not to walk away although you may know or think that you have done nothing wrong or illegal. Get permission to leave before you do so.
5. You have rights as it pertains to being searched. You can refuse, should they ask. There may not be anything to hide but you should still make sure your rights are not violated and nothing is potentially placed on you illegally.

Dealing with law enforcement can be a lot to deal with at any time. Should you or someone you know have an encounter with the police and are not sure if their rights were violated, speak with a skilled criminal defense attorney in Decatur, GA as soon as possible.

Thanks to The Lynch Law Group for their insight into criminal law and police encounters.