So I'm off to pick him up at a gas station in Albertville. I get there, and the place is closed. All the lights are out and Ben's (the bassist's) car is there. Andy gets in the car with me; Ben goes to drop Brandy off at her house; and just as I'm about to pull out of the station I see flashing red and blue lights. We've been picking Andy up at this station for at least two or three years without incident, so I'm a bit surprised, to say the least.
I get out my wallet and wait as the officer walks around to my window, where I give him my drivers liscense, etc... He walks back to the rear of the car and just stands there for a bit. After a while another police cruiser pulls up, and the officers confer. Andy and I figure they must think we were drug trafficking or planning a robbery; because I, for one, could see how it might look suspicious. Because we were at this convenience store after it had close and we had met another car there. I could see how it might've looked like we were moving drugs or something. But then a third police car pulls into the parking lot, and the officers confer.
A moment later the officer who made the initial stop walks back to my window and says, "Mr. Good I need you to step out of the car."
So I do.
"You're not carrying any concealed weapons, are you?" he asks as I'm getting out of the car.
I'm in gym shorts and a t-shirt, so it's not like I have a lot of places to conceal anything. I should have said 'DUH! NO!' But I restrained myself and responded with a "No."
"I need you to put your hands on the car," says the officer. And when I do, he grabs one arm, proceeds to cuff it behind my back, and says, "There is a warrant issued for your arrest in Guntersville."
"WHAT?!," I say, "What for?!"
In case you don't know me, I've never even thrown a fist at anyone before, and I'm so afraid of becoming addicted to anything that I rarely drink caffinated beverages. So I'm actually thinking 'WHAT THE CRAP?!!!' My rep is the equivilent of your stereotypical church choir boy if not better. They were arresting the freaking choir boy here!
He turns to one of the other officers present, and asks if the Guntersville PD said what the warrant was for. One said something about 'failure to show.' He walks me to his car asking me if there is anything illegal in my car, speciffically marijuanna, weapons, etc..., because they're about to search the vehicle. I told him no, of course, knowing full well that they would actually find items such as my Bible and church materials, which I take with me pretty much everywhere. I wait in the back of the police car with my hands cuffed behind my back, watching them search the car I just came from and frisk Andy. And let's not forget there are three officers there at this point in three seperate cars. Can you say 'OVERKILL?'
Once they complete the search, the first officer proceeds to expedite me to the Guntersville PD at the lowes on Sand Mountain. I get out there, and he uncuffs me, which is a relief to my shoulders, and the other officer cuffs my hands in front of me.
Once he and I are in the car, I ask what the warrant was issued for. And let's make sure everyone's clear on this. Not only were the charges void, but the warrant was issued without anyone ever notifying me. About a year or two ago a head light went out on my car, and I was stopped one night by an officer. That officer called it in, and he gave me a few days to show up at the police department with the repaired light and have the car inspected by an officer. Funny thing is that it was done at least a year ago. But apparently they issued a warrant between that time an now without ever making an effort to notify me. After hearing that, I'm trying to keep myself from busting out laughing because it was so rediculous. When we got to the station, my photo was taken. It wasn't a mug shot, but apparently a standard procedure, nonetheless. I almost spent the night in jail, by the way. We convinced them not to put me there. Once they entered information on me in their database, they let me go. My parents picked me up from there, and we went to get my brother who was stuck in Albertville for about an hour or so. Now we're all trying to decide whether or not to file a lawsuite. Some ten year olds could probably make a case against the city of Guntersville as well as the A'ville PD for the arrest and warrant. We didn't get home until around 2:30am.
The matter was resolved the next day, but, yes, this did really happen.
--Robert