General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Another outrage in Sandra Bland injustice: She couldn’t find $500 bail [View all]Demit
(11,238 posts)I don't think they specifically mentioned the order to put out a cigarette, though.
I don't consider being asked to do something a "variant" of being ordered to do something. They are two different things. The fact that "virtually all" cops phrase things that way indicates to me that they consider their power absolute, just as I said.
And your examples are orders. "Turn off," "Get out," "Put out" are all imperative sentences, and as such they are clearly commands. No one can mistake them for requests. Saying "I'd like you to put out that cigarette" or "I'm going to ask you to put out that cigarette"--those are not commands. That's not a cop being polite, that's a cop being ambiguous.
The cop could say "I'd like you to take your blouse off," and that might be what he'd like you to do, but his being a cop doesn't make it a lawful command, and it doesn't mean you have to comply.