Police interrogations can get very intense. The officer will do everything they can and employ different tactics in order to get a person's “side of the story.” Sometimes, they may even present themselves as friends — people who can help the accused out of the mess as long as they know what happened.
But something that people have to remember is that the police are not always there to help. They are precisely the people trying to convict them of a crime and take away their freedom. You must be careful about saying anything to the police during an interrogation.
While it sounds difficult to get out of a conversation with the police, there are magic words that can instantly stop them from proceeding with the interrogation.
Fifth Amendment Right
First and foremost, the person being interrogated must exercise their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, or, in other words, to testify against themselves. They can do this by simply staying silent or telling the officer that they would like to exercise their Fifth Amendment right.
Some police officers may still try to coerce or convince the individual to speak up. And that's where the magic words come in.
“I Want an Attorney”
Every American citizen has a constitutional right to counsel, which they can exercise during police interrogations. Simply telling the officer “I want the assistance of an attorney” or “I'm not saying anything until I have an attorney” will immediately stop any further questioning.
The police are obligated by law to allow the accused to contact their attorney or provide them with one. Only when the attorney is present can the interrogation resume.
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