When the Police Come to your Door

23 Jan 2023 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:00

In this short video, the speaker addresses a common question about how to respond when police knock on your door. He begins by affirming support for law enforcement while emphasizing constitutional protections for individuals. He explains that police may only enter a home in two primary ways: (1) with a valid warrant, or (2) with the homeowner’s consent. He notes limited exceptions, such as when officers witness a crime in progress, see a suspect fleeing into the house, or observe evidence through an open door. If there is no warrant and no exigent circumstance, the homeowner is not obligated to open the door or answer questions. The speaker advises that any interaction can be conducted from the porch rather than inviting officers inside, and stresses that the next immediate step should be to call a lawyer. The overall message balances respect for police with a clear reminder of the individual's right to protect themselves legally.

Chapters

What do you do if the police come to your door? This is a little off topic for me, but somebody asked me, so I'm going to answer it. And let me start by saying I support the police, but I also support the rights of people given under the Constitution to protect themselves. I'll also say that once you're in the system, even if it's by mistake and you're totally innocent, it's hard to get out cleanly. So the bottom line is this: there are primarily only two ways that law enforcement can enter your home. Number one, if they have a warrant. Number two, If you let them. There are some other ways. If they see you committing a crime and you run into the house, or they see a crime being committed in the house, or you've left the door open and they see something related to a crime inside. Otherwise, they've got to have a warrant, or you just tell them, yeah, come on in, I'll answer your questions. You may have absolutely nothing to hide, but you can answer their questions out on the front porch just as easily as you can in your living room. Actually, if they don't have a warrant and they haven't witnessed some type of crime, you don't have to speak to them nor answer the door. So if they have a warrant, they're in charge. Step aside, let them do their work. Either way, the next thing you should do is call a lawyer.