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Police officers often shine a light into your car or even your eyes. I find this very annoying. Their reasons of using such light is to "check if there is a hazard or any other safety issues in your car". I did some research and in general, there is no relevant clause prohibiting the usage a flashlight this way.

My question is, in US and Canada, is it illegal for a citizen do the exactly same thing to a police officer: shine a light back at them out of your car or shine a light into their car? The reason is simple: before the officer show the police ID I cannot be sure that it is actually the real police that has been stalking me. I have to use a flashlight to examine if there is any hazard associated. The reason is safety and self-protection.

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    On a practical level, reaching into a pocket or glove compartment to draw a metal object while dealing with US police is a very bad idea.
    – Comic Sans Seraphim
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 18:51
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    "I would like to get shot. Is this a good way to go about it?"
    – Richard
    Commented May 8, 2023 at 9:25
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    So, just trying to understand: You find encounters with the police annoying/unpleasant, and the remedy you propose is to deliberately antagonize the police officers? Regardless of legality, this is staggeringly foolish.
    – Ryan Jensen
    Commented Jun 30, 2023 at 16:24
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    @dodo You and I both know that you only want to copy them because you think it will bother them.
    – Ryan Jensen
    Commented Jul 3, 2023 at 15:55
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    It's all about context. If the patrol car is upside down in a ditch and you are trying to see if anyone is hurt in the dark, it is in all likelihood fine. In other contexts, not so much.
    – ohwilleke
    Commented Jul 4, 2023 at 1:37

1 Answer 1

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The police will order you to stop and then you have to obey.

The moment you annoy the police in a way that is hindering their work (such as blinding them with a flashlight), they can demand you to stop. if you don't comply, then you are committing a misdemeanor. For example, Virginia calls this "refusal to aid [an] officer in execution of his office" and it is worded so widely, that the officer asking you to shut up and you don't, then you are guilty. If the order is in any way justifiable, then you not following the order is... well, criminal.

Plus, if you did not comply and they pulled out their handcuffs and you still don't comply with their demand, you are now resisting arrest, which at least in Virginia is again, a misdemeanor.

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    jesus. Who wrote these laws? Cops can and will abuse them
    – Sam B
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 19:10
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    The law is specifically limited to "in the execution of his office in a criminal case, (2) in the preservation of the peace, (3) in the apprehending or securing of any person for a breach of the peace, or (4) in any case of escape or rescue". They cannot legally order you to "shut up".
    – user6726
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 19:24
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    @user6726 'They cannot legally order you to "shut up"' This case and answer seems to disagree
    – User65535
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 20:03
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    @user6726 when they are doing policework, they can demand you to shut up so they can work.
    – Trish
    Commented May 8, 2023 at 6:48
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    @SamB "jesus. Who wrote these laws? Cops can and will abuse them": where have you been for the last 3<backspace>50<backspace><backspace>150 years? People abuse power. The law has to provide police with power. It therefore provides mechanisms to counter abuses of power by the police, but these mechanisms are imperfect.
    – phoog
    Commented Jul 3, 2023 at 7:27

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