Ask A Cop – Getting pulled over

Published 2:11 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Gene from Port Arthur Asks- officer Antoine thank you for this awesome column, and your educational and entertaining radio show on 96.9fm The Breeze, both programs should be syndicated so your safe driving message can get out to everyone. You are a jewel to this community as far as I’m concerned by keeping people safe while driving, Officer Antoine I have a question about keeping safe while having interactions with law-enforcement officers on side of the road. Officer Antoine, can you please tell us how to stay safe while been stopped by police officer, what things we can do to keep ourselves safe from being perceived as a threat to the police officer who stops us for a traffic violation.

Answer- Good Question Gene! Thanks Gene for your kind words of support for this column. It is one of the goals of Port Arthur’s chief of Police Tim Duriso that we constantly strive to bridge to gap between law-enforcement and our community. What an awesome question given the current circumstances that seems to be reoccurring on the roadway where dangerous and sometimes deadly interactions between Police Officers and Citizens. Gene Law enforcement officers and citizens both should feel safe while conducting a traffic stop. Gene here are the five (5) things I believe WE ALL can do to keep ourselves safe when we’re stop by a police officer for a traffic violation on the roadway.

1st- Pull over to the RIGHT side of the roadway as soon as you can safely do so, don’t ignore or pretend you don’t hear or see the police unit behind you attempting to stop your. Definitely don’t try to evade or out run the police unit. REMEMBER they are equipped with radios and you CANNOT out run the radio because there are police officers throughout the city and adjacent cities as well that’s in tune to the interaction! 

2nd- Place hands on steering wheel to show you are NOT a threat to the police officer, if there are passengers in your vehicle have them place hands on the glove box and back passenger can place their hands on the back of the driver and passenger seat or on their laps with the palms of their hands facing UP!

3rd- Sit calmly in your vehicle and wait for the police officer to arrive and give you the reason why you are stopped and what items they need you to display! Stay quiet until you are questioned by the police officer and do NOT allow your passenger to engage with the police officer about the reason YOU are stopped unless the officer is addressing them!!!!! I’ve witnessed too many times where the passenger made the situation escalate because they got involved. REMEMBER all but 3 offenses in the Texas Transportation Code are ARRESTABLE offenses, so the officer can arrest you instead of an issuing a warning or citation(ticket).

4th- Do not try to argue your case(reason you are stopped on side of the road by a police officer if you are not in agreement with the police officer) that’s what the judicial system is for. You will NOT win on side if the road but if the officer decides to issue you a citation, FIGHT and ARGUE in court that’s your RIGHT!!!! Or if you feel strongly about how you were mistreated during the stop you have the RIGHT to call and speak with a supervisor and file a complaint. Don’t say ain’t nothing going to happen, blue brotherhood stick together. Well I can’t speak for ALL police departments but I can assure you that Chief Tim Duriso of the Port Arthur Police Department make sure ALL complaints are thoroughly investigated, because improper conduct by his officers towards citizens will not be tolerated.

5th- SIGN THE CITATION(TICKET)!!!! Your signature is not a plea of guilt, only a promise to appear before the municipal court of Port Arthur or wherever court the officer instruct you to appear before. There’s a great chance, better than great chance that you will be arrested and your car will be towed within the state of Texas if you refuse to sign the citation. Remember by you signing it, you’re not saying that the officer is right and you are guilty, only that you will address this matter(offense you are accused of) in the court of that jurisdiction. I really don’t understand people that refuse to sign the citation and are arrested, because before you are released from jail, guess what you MUST sign before you are released? You must sign the EXACT SAME promise to appear to the court in JAIL that the officer tried to get you to sign while you were FREE on the roadway!!!!

Jose from Port Arthur Asks- Officer Antoine I often hear vehicles on the roadway In my neighborhood with very loud music that is very nerve racking.  I’m sure there’s a law against how loud someone can play music from a vehicle.  What is the law against playing loud music from a car?

Answer- Good Question Jose! I’m sure many readers can identify with the issue of loud music from a motor vehicle. Yes there is a city ordinance in the city of Port Arthur regarding loud music from a motor vehicle. Jose In the city of Port Arthur there’s an ordinance that states you can NOT play your music to the degree that someone can hear any audible tone emitted from your motor vehicle over 50 feet away. That will be approximately 2 vehicle lengths away from your location. Jose many motorists tell me they have factory stereo systems in their vehicle and they don’t have a box or any aftermarket sound in their vehicles. Just because you don’t have an aftermarket stereo in your vehicle that factory system could easily provide a tone that would put the driver in violation of the city of Port Arthur Arthur ordinance. Keep in mind you don’t have to actually understand clearly the words in the song, all that’s needed to be in violation is to hear the sound. Jose check with your city to see if there’s an ordinance against loud noise from a motor vehicle.

Join Me, Officer Antoine and the CREW Stephen “Buzzard Boots” Mosley, Lelo “mouth of Hwy 69/73” Washington , Tejas “Lil Man”Morning Star & Reginald (Sir Reg)Trainer the Ask A Cop live, on KSAP 96.9 FM The Breeze radio station, every Tuesday for 2 hour from 1p-3p. Tune in and listen as Officer Antoine discusses in detail the newly released “Ask A Cop” article that’s printed in The News. You can also tune in via internet atwww.ksap969thebreeze.org. Feel free to call in and ask your question live to Officer Antoine at (409) 982-0247. Now you can make a comment or Ask a Question via TEXT(409)748-6106. Remember to email your questions torickey.antoine@portarthurtx.gov, or call 409-983-8673 and leave a voice mail question, or mail them to: Ofc. Rickey Antoine,645 4th Street, Port Arthur, Texas, 77640. If you happen to see me in public you can always free and comfortable to approach and “Ask A Cop”!