I was pulled over for speeding by Officer Ulman of the Cape Girardeau Police Department in September. His behavior towards me during this routine traffic stop was reprehensible!
When I showed him my driver's license and the accompanying change-of-address card that the License Bureau issues when you move to a new residence, he looked at me suspicioulsy and barked, "WHAT'S THIS?" I tried to explain to him what it was (calmly and politely, I believe as much as the next person that police officers deserve to be treated with courtesy) he cut me off and began interrogating me about whether or not I had insurance on the car.
He then went back to his vehicle and began writing out the ticket. When he returned to my car he asked me for my phone number. I began to say it to him in what I thought was a normal, perfectly polite tone of voice, and he again interrupted me with a harsh, loud "SPEAK UP, PLEASE!" After giving me the ticket and assuring me that signing it was not an admission of guilt, he snottily said, "Slow down, " before getting back into his vehicle.
I did nothing to warrant this type of treatment. As I said before, I believe in treating an officer of the law with consummate respect and dignity, and I was NOTHING but polite and cooperative when he pulled me over. I pled not guilty and in traffic court this officer testified that he had been facing south while parked at the side of the road, which was the same direction I was heading. He testified that his rear radar had beeped, which was what prompted him to pull me over. He did not mention having visually observed my speed before training the radar on my car, which was what an officer is legally obligated to do in order to have probable cause. During the trial, I tried to bring this inconsistency to light, but the judge just ignored it.
This officer is getting away with targeting women and he treated me like sh*t. I am a benign, polite person and you would have thought he'd had one of the FBI's 10 most wanted pulled over at the side of the road.
I'm 99% certain that if I had been a man he would have been a great deal more polite. If there are any other women out there with whom Officer Ulman of the Cape Girardeau Police Department has used these blatant intimidation tactics, I hope you will also file a report here on this website.
He is abusing his power as an officer of the law and he MUST be stopped. This kind of behavior is totally unacceptable in the 21st century!
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