When Is The Right Time To Begin A Wrongful Arrest Investigation?
In general, the police are very careful and well equipped with the knowledge required to determine when to make an official arrest. But, unfortunately, there are always exceptions. A wrongful arrest can happen for any number of reasons--mistaken identity, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, an over zealous police officer, or even--rarely-- intentionally due to malice. In any case, being the victim of a wrongful arrest is always a traumatic experience.
Lasting Impact of a Wrongful Arrest
Whatever the reason, a wrongful or false arrest has a severe impact on the individual who is wrongfully arrested, even if they are eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. There is no undoing the fact that you were arrested, even if it wasn’t your fault--you will always have to account for it. For security clearances, you will always have to report the details of the arrest even if the records are expunged. It’s highly embarrassing, with neighbors and coworkers usually learning of the arrest, and then of course there’s the obvious inconvenience of being held against your will and losing your freedom. A lot of mental anguish will also result and this often sticks with the victim for years.
So what do you do, God forbid, if YOU are the victim of a wrongful arrest? Relying on the situation to just “work itself out” may be tempting. After all, you’re innocent, right? Surely the truth will prevail. This way of thinking is highly dangerous. Police investigators are often over-worked, understaffed and are dealing with slim budgets. Once you are arrested they may not have the time or resources to thoroughly review your case to ensure whether or not your arrest was legitimate. No, what you need to do is find a private investigations firm that offers wrongful arrest investigations , quickly.
Seeking Help When You Are Wrongfully Arrested
For one, wrongful arrest investigations can be used to exonerate you if the official police investigation is not going your way. Second, they can be used to support the award of money damages after the fact to compensate you for your pain and suffering. Money damages can vary widely based on the egregiousness of the situation surrounding your arrest, but you are entitled to be compensated for the harm caused. Furthermore, awarding monetary damages acts as a deterrent against wrongful arrests in general and keeps departments accountable for their actions.
Wrongful arrest investigations comprise an independent gathering and assessment of the facts at hand and are your best chance to be exonerated. While the police investigators are the most qualified individuals to conduct criminal investigations, limits to time and budget along with heavy workloads will often leave them not in the best position to thoroughly investigate your particular situation.
At Radius Investigations, we employ a special team of former police officers, federal agents, detectives and military. We conduct independent wrongful arrest investigations that are court admissible. They can be used to get your arrest thrown out and secure your freedom, as well as to support lawsuits against the offending police department or municipality. Call us, 24 hours a day, at 888-698-0077.
