I'm surprised I have to explain such things...

If you have ID on you, you are less likely to be out and about for nefarious purposes. If the gun you're carrying is of high quality and in a holster, you are less likely to be seeking to commit crime with it.

Funny how we all know there are "tells" in boxing and playing poker, but when it matters, well, they have to be doing this to hurt people.

All please note that I have not said these are absolutes. Don't make claims I haven't.

She'd nearly been hit by a truck that had come up behind her. I can see why they stopped her.

She was walking in the car lane, with her back to traffic, and wearing earphones. That's a pretty stupid thing to do.

1. She is walking on the wrong side of the road. I was always told - walk facing traffic.

2. There is a perfectly fine sidewalk where she can do her thing without tempting the police safety power six feet to the right.

They ask for the ID to try to enforce open warrants. They are always enforcers of the state - and the further away from them you are, the better. So, I'd obey #1 and get on the sidewalk.

I'm a white guy, where button up shirts, drive a plain-old midsize car. I got cornered in my own driveway by some police yahoo who didn't like that I "got up to speed" faster than his old crapbox, that my car has red instead of yellow turn signals, or, once in my subdivision, I didn't signal long enough to make the 180 degree turn from the entry around the boulevard into my driveway in my private subdivision on a private road. I will not forget how many times he called me "boy", "monkey", "maniac", fingered his gun, or said that, if he found out I'd lied that this wasn't where I was supposed to be (I owned the property he confronted me on...), he would make life difficult for me.

It's just good advice to let the overly-juiced-up enforcer brigade to move onto the next target by not being too peculiar.

One of my coworkers used to work with her. Let's just say the cops aren't the ones with the problem.

One of my coworkers used to work with her. Let's just say the cops aren't the ones with the problem.

This lady is a minority trying to leverage herself into notoriety with a lie.

The bigger crime here is that Yahoo insists on defaulting to Autoplay.

I'm also convinced having videos automatically start when the page is loading should be punishable by death. But hey, that's just me.

If the cops stop and interact with you then I think they are wise to know who they spoke to. Then when they are arbitrarily accused of racism they will be able to identify their accusers

When the police stop you, even for a warning, they always ask for ID. This is to check for warrants. Whether you provide is another issue.

I still see no real need for the woman to provide ID. Police officers should violate our civil liberties -- like the right to privacy -- as little as possibly required to protect public safety.

I disagree with this. Police don't need to avoid violating our civil rights as little as possible. You need to assert your rights as much as possible.

It is no crime for police to ask for ID.

I still see no real need for the woman to provide ID.

Because a Class C misdemeanor is a violation. She was breaking the law, and the cops get to make you provide ID when you break the law. If she were using the sidewalk like a normal polite person, they would not have even stopped her.

That's why they asked for ID.

Walking briskly in the street, with her back to traffic, flapping her arms like a migrating goose...

That's "walking while black"?

If I was "walking while black" I wouldn't be surprised if the police stopped me to ask a few questions.

Screw her - I couldn't care less about keeping her safe. I'm more concerned with the driver who comes across her as she wanders out into the road and hits her. That driver will be put through hell for her stupid behavior.

There is no "power grab" in asking her for an ID.

If she is stopped because of something she is doing that is a possible danger to others the cops not only have the right to ask who she is they have the duty to find out who she is so they can see how often she is a problem; and, then, respond accordingly. First time doing this on record? Okay, let her go with a warning. She has done this before? Step up the response, because the warning from last time didn't help.

The police officers were polite and professional.

Who is she to make a statement that she pays a lot of taxes? Just what does that have to do with her behavior?

Oh, now I get it. Maybe she was flapping her arms to shake that chip off her shoulder.

My first thought when I saw her flapping and meandering was "Escaped mental patient". Who in their right mind walks in the street when there is a perfectly good sidewalk available? The cops were right to stop her and make sure she wasn't in any danger, and she should be glad they showed concern for her welfare.
So they asked for her ID? They do that out of habit, it's SOP for them to know who they are talking to.