Almost everyone who is under twenty-five knows what it’s like to be hassled. You’re driving down the street with friends. Your car is pulled over by the police, either for a traffic violation or on “suspicion”. Everyone is ordered out, frisked, made to produce identification, and the car is searched. Usually, you are asked to open the trunk. If you don’t wish to open your trunk, you are told that they can impound your car for two days, get a warrant, and open it for you. Most people open their trunk.
On Thursday, October 5th, I was involved in a minor hassle. It was about 11:30 P.M. Three friends and I were driving east on Delmar, having just visited MacDonald’s, when our car was Pulled over by Officers Tiemann and Epstein of the St. Louis Mobile Reserve. Everyone got out of the car. While Officer Epstein frisked us, Officer Tiemann told my friend Kevin that he was driving without his lights on. Kevin apologized. Officer Epstein began to search the car. Things were going smoothly.
Suddenly, my friend Dan reached in the car and drew out a cheeseburger. He walked towards Officer Tiemann. Tiemann fingered his nightstick. Dan fingered the cheeseburger. It was a tense moment. Tiemann spoke: “That’s a good way to get your skull cracked,” he said.
“He didn’t crack it,” said Dan, gesturing towards Officer Epstein, who had been closest when Dan went for the cheeseburger.
“Do you want me to?” asked Tiemann.
“Go ahead and try,” replied Dan.
That’s the thing about my friend Dan. He knows the police can’t legally crack his skull for pulling a cheeseburger and will tell them so, right to their faces. He has long hair. Personally, I’m scared to death of the police and will tell them whatever I think they want to hear. I wished he could have thought of something else to say.
Apparently, so did Officer Tiemann. He grabbed Dan by the lapels and threw him on the hood of a nearby truck, causing Dan to hit his head and popping a button off of his shirt. On the whole, his manner was very threatening. Afterwards, we asked him what he thought he had proved. He said that he had proved to Dan that he could too crack his skull if he wanted to.
Over a year ago, LIFE magazine printed an article on St. Louis’ Seventh District, the upshot of which was that it’s a rough place for a cop to work, largely because the police don’t have the respect and cooperation of the community. This is unfortunate, but cooperation can’t be won by threats and intimidation. Officer Tiemann would do well to consider that the next time he asks somebody, “Which way did they go?”
Originally published in The Paper, October–November 1972.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1972_10.pdf, printed page 2.
