Officer writing statement down on hand??

[Slowing-Dee]

I witnessed a three car pile up today on my way home from work and one of the people involved was being a real jerk to me, the girl who hit him, and the guy that he hit (yet claimed didn't actually hit the guy even though his bumper was still up against the side of the other guy's car.), and the police who attended.

The first thing the guy told the officer was that he had terrible terrible whiplash and that he was in the utmost pain. The officer offiered to call him an ambulance, but he turned it down. However, one thing I noticed was that the officer was writing everything that his guy was telling him on his hand, rather than in his notebook, where he was writing my statement.

Is that normal, or is that just the officer's way of showing that he's writing it all down, but knows it a bunch of BS so this way he can keep it out of his report and out of a legal document?

[Bing_Oh]

Maybe he ran out of pages in his notebook. I hate when that happens.

[jerrymaccauley]

Unless you had something greatly different than what he could remember, the officer probably just jotted down a few things to put in his report later. I've taken notes on stranger things than my hand before. It's usually not too hard to figure out what happened in an accident and he probably just listed you as a witness.

[deputy x 2]

I write on my hand all the time. Notes, times, address, license plates etc

There is no way he was writing the statement on his hand. He might have been taking notes to remind himself WHEN he does take the statement.

He might have been writing down the time the guy refused the ambulance. Who knows?

A statement is just that, important as to what was said at the moment as oppose to what is thought about after. It will be in the report.

[Slowing-Dee]

Maybe he ran out of pages in his notebook. I hate when that happens.

He took my statement after this guy's, so he had room in his notebook.

I find it interesting that the guy neglected to mention he was talking on his cellphone when he hit the first car.

[jerrymaccauley]

Ordinarily, an officer can only write down what he hears when taking a statement. Your statement can include the cellphone reference, but the officer can only testify to what he saw when he got there and what you all told him. Courts usually ask for independent witnesses, not those who are directly involved in the crash. Your comments will be included on his report, maybe just not in his notebook.

[Guitar Cop]

I write notes on my hand all the time

It is called a

REDNECK PALM PILOT


.

[Centurion44]

First off, you don't know what the officer was writing down. Maybe your statement went on the notebook, but stuff like the guy's name and DOB went on the hand.

It all goes to the same place, so don't worry about it.

[Slowing-Dee]

First off, you don't know what the officer was writing down. Maybe your statement went on the notebook, but stuff like the guy's name and DOB went on the hand.

It all goes to the same place, so don't worry about it.

I'm not worried about it. Why would I be worried? I had nothing to do with the crash other than I saw it all happen. I just thought it seemed odd that he was writing stuff down on his hand. I would have assumed it would go on something a little bit more permanent than something that goes away when you wash your hands after using the washroom.

[jerrymaccauley]

Even the notebook gets copied, so it's all good.

[ejay]

Haven't you ever heard of shorthand.

HA! I kill me!



But seriously, there could be a number of reasons.

He could have already have got the relivant info and only needed spelling but couldn't find his note pad. I have done it before.

Thats why I always keep FI cards on me.

[Caesar2845]

It could be that the officer got [i]burned[i] before, so is careful what he puts on his Whip-out pad. I remember a couple of my instructors talking about this back when I was in the academy. On guy made mention of the grilling he got from a defense attorney who was reading from his notebook whlle questioning him. When we asked him why, the instructor told us that he'd jotted down items he needed from the grocery store in a free space at the bottom of his notes regarding a burglary lol.

It seems stupid (my note pad is my personal property), but there it is...

[Blackdog F4i]

I have scribbled stuff on my hand before. It dosent happen often. The Gel Rollers I use don't like to write on skin without smearing bad.

It just all depends. Usually at accidents unless i am assisting I just take everyones paperwork back to the car and write directly on the crash report. Less writing that way.

ALWAYS be careful about what you write in your notebook. It could be entered as evidence some day.

[Slowing-Dee]

When we asked him why, the instructor told us that he'd jotted down items he needed from the grocery store in a free space at the bottom of his notes regarding a burglary lol.

One of my textbooks for my English class mentions not to write anything personal in your notebook.

What was this guy doing? A walk through of a house only to be reminded that he needed to pick up milk, eggs, and bread on his way home from work?

[deputy x 2]

I write notes on my hand all the time

It is called a

REDNECK PALM PILOT


.

That was funny!