You probably know that if you lie to law enforcement officers or to the courts, you can wind up facing criminal charges and consequences. However, what you might not realize is that police officers can and often do lie to individuals during questioning and investigations as a means of gathering information and compelling someone to talk.
From claiming there is a witness to an event that never occurred to stating that they are looking for someone else associated with a crime that didn’t happen, there are many ways that officers can trick people into saying things that they later twist to imply that the subject of their questioning committed a crime.
When police lie, innocent people can wind up in serious trouble
Officers can concoct very complex stories that multiple members of their department all individually affirm to someone subject to an investigation or questioning. From false claims about evidence and security footage to manipulative efforts to get someone’s DNA samples or fingerprints, there are many questionable tactics officers use to gather evidence.
Police officers lying to someone can produce an intense emotional response, whether it’s fear of consequences related to a crime that person didn’t commit or a strong desire to help solve a crime when that isn’t the goal of the officers involved. Given that officers can generally mislead people with impunity, individuals speaking with police should typically consider getting legal advice and help when interacting with police to avoid getting themselves into a legally precarious situation.
After a court conviction, such unscrupulous behavior by law enforcement could help with a post-conviction appeal, depending on the details of the situation.
