Attempting to Elude a Police Officer Lawyers

When In Doubt, Stop!

If you suspect you are being asked to stop by police, you should always stop. Always!

In Arizona it is unlawful for a driver of a vehicle to willfully fail or refuse to stop his or her vehicle. It is also unlawful for a driver to flee or attempt to elude police officers, whether they are pursuing you by motor vehicle or if they give you a visual or audible signal to stop the vehicle.

For example, if you are driving and you notice police lights or hear a police siren, you are supposed to immediately pull your vehicle to the side of the road. Other signals given by police may be by hand, voice, emergency light or siren.

Just as you have a responsibility to stop your vehicle for police when requested, they have a responsibility to the public as well. They must be in uniform, which should prominently display his or her badge of office every time they attempt to stop a person driving. The police officer’s vehicle must also prominently display markings indicating it as an official police vehicle.

Penalties for Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Arizona Police Officers

If you are convicted of fleeing or attempting to elude a Arizona police officer, you will be charged with a misdemeanor. The fine can range from $300 to $5,000. If this is your second conviction within a five-year period, the fine can range from $600 to $5,000. For a third conviction in a five-year period, the fine will increase from $1,000 to $5,000.

You can be convicted of a felony if while fleeing or attempting to elude police, you were found guilty of driving faster than ten miles over the posted speed limit. You can also be convicted of a felony if you left the state and/or if any bodily injury was caused during the pursuit. The penalty is one to five years in prison.

If you were charged with any of these crimes, it’s best to seek an experienced Arizona fleeing or attempting to elude an officer lawyer. At Ronald Zack, PC, our attorneys have experience defending clients accused of this criminal action.