Can a Greensboro criminal defense attorney explain what authority an off-duty officer has? Yes, of course! It’s pretty common for people to think that an officer needs to be on-duty and dressed in their official uniform with all of their department issued equipment to have authority. What most people don’t know is that an officer can still have the authority to do things such as make arrests even when they are not dressed in uniform or on-duty. If you’ve had an experience with an off-duty officer and you have more questions about the interaction, you should speak with a Greensboro criminal defense attorney today!
Many law enforcement officers have off-duty jobs where they act as security for nightclubs or even direct traffic at large public events. It may surprise people to know that if the officers are employed through the law enforcement agency to provide security at private business events or a public space, like at a local baseball game, they are still considered to be an officer in their official duty. This means that they can make arrests, and that people can even be charged with things such resisting, delaying, or obstructing an officer (that is, so long as the person had reason to know the officer is indeed an officer). Speaking with a Greensboro criminal defense attorney regarding charges such as this is important if you have had an interaction with an off-duty police officer!
There are two exceptions to when an off-duty officer has no official authority. The first is when the officer is working off-duty for a solely private entity, specifically something like licensed security company that was not provided to the officer by the law enforcement agency. The second instance is when the officer is engaged in private business of their own. An example of this could be if the officer was drinking alcohol and intoxicated. At that point, this exception would probably work. For more information on when an officer has no official capacity, you should contact a Greensboro Criminal defense attorney for more information.
A Greensboro Felony Lawyer can explain all of your options to you in your specific situation. The criminal defense attorneys at Garrett, Walker, Aycoth, and Olson are here to help! Call today at 336-379-0539!