About 53.8 million U.S. residents over the age of 16 had some type of contact with police in 2020. This number was down from prior years, likely due to the pandemic. Whether you are being questioned as a suspect in a felony or misdemeanor offense or as someone with information about a crime, it can be anxiety-inducing to face police questioning.
People are often so intimidated by being questioned by the police that everything they know about “the right to remain silent” simply goes out the window. While most of us know that once we have actually been arrested, we should ask for a lawyer and stop answering police questions, what about when a police officer stops you on the street and begins asking questions? What if you are asked to come into the police station and answer questions, and you do so voluntarily?