Cop Threatens Motorcycist For Honking At Him… Really?

This is absolutely some of the most ridiculous passive-aggressive badge flexing I’ve ever seen. Go ahead and hit the play button on this video below, then come back and read up and tell us what you think about the actual Colorado law, as it’s worded in the books.

According to Colorado’s Title 42, Article 4, Part 2 subsection 42-4-224: Horns or warning devices: The driver of a motor vehicle, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, shall give audible warning with the horn but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway.

You just watched this video, so I’d like to hear your translation of the law as it applies to the situation in the footage. The biggest factor in my opinion is that the driver was, in fact, on his phone while operating a motor vehicle on the highway. We all know that is illegal, regardless of whether or not the motorist is an officer of the law. I looked up the Colorado law on operating a vehicle while using a cell phone and found this: “Operating a motor vehicle” means driving a motor vehicle on a public highway, but “operating a motor vehicle” shall not mean maintaining the instruments of control while the motor vehicle is at rest in a shoulder lane or lawfully parked.”

This officer was not lawfully parked or at rest on the shoulder, his vehicle was in gear in the entrance to a traffic circle, where he should have continued into the flow of traffic at the earliest opportunity. Instead, he was on his phone making a call that he says is “police related” but not an emergency call, which would allow it to be exempted from the law.

And instead of taking the honk as a sign to notice he had a clearing to enter the flow around the traffic circle and proceed, he decides to get out and spend several minutes arguing with a motorcyclist about the use of his horn, which from what I can tell, was completely legal, as well as morally and ethically correct, as he was trying to signal to the other driver to hang up and drive. The vehicle wasn’t clearly marked as a police car and the rider had no way of knowing the driver was a cop, so the cop’s argument that the rider should have known he was making a police-related call is completely invalid.

I really want to know what you guys think. I’d especially like to hear from any members of the law enforcement community to see what you guys think about this. Hit us up in the comments and let us know what you think!