What are the consequences of resisting arrest?

Never try to resist an officer, even if they are already using force against you or jostling you. Go prone, let them cuff you and ride calmly to the station or county jail. Do not try to pull away or lunge to get away from the officer. Keep your mouth shut, but do not be rude or defiant to the officers. If you are lucky, the police may even treat you decently for cooperating.

Never, ever, touch a police officer (on duty or off, unless she/he is your husband or wife). You may be charged with an additional misdemeanor or even a felony, and you will enrage the arresting officers so badly that they may beat or even taze you. Many police cars now are equipped with dash cams, so any he said she said goes out the window and the DA has a slam dunk case. In some jurisdictions, such as Arizona, any resisting is a felony. Any move that puts an officer in apprehension of physical contact may be construed as assault. Any contact may be charged as assault and battery on a peace officer, even slapping an officers hands away or bumping an officer). This is a FELONY and can send you to prison or put you on extensive probation and stay on your record forever. It also makes you look violent, and police are past masters at making piddly encounters look like life threatening incidents if you tick them off.

A felony conviction will ruin your life, and since courts frown on people fighting law enforcement officials, chances are you will be convicted, especially if you cannot afford a lawyer and if the town does not know you from Adam. Even if you only have an underlying offense as simple as reckless driving, public intox or some other piddly misdemeanor, resisting can turn even a simple traffic stop into a felony conviction. Even if you are innocent and wrongly accused or identified, cooperate, shut up, get your lawyer, and let it sort itself out from the jail or in court.

This was written by a licensed attorney.