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Was This Search Legal?

Location: Redmond, WA.

This happened last week, and something about the interaction has been bugging me. Can anyone please shed some light?

I was a witness to a car accident (car turned into a pedestrian at an intersection) and I got out, checked on the pedestrian, called EMS. My car was parked essentially on the side of the intersection; the driver of the vehicle who hit the pedestrian moved his car to a proper parking spot and then came to join the pedestrian while I continued to check her out and talk to her (I think she wound up being ok).

The first police officer (First Cop) on the scene instructed me to move my car a few feet in front of the pedestrian to protect her from oncoming traffic. I left it unlocked. Several more officers and EMS arrive, and while I’m giving my statement to the First Cop, I notice that another officer (Second Cop) is rummaging around in my car. I can tell by his motions he’s opening and closing my glove box, and then he opens the center console. That’s when I say to First Cop, why is he searching my car, and he shouts to Second Cop that it was my car and I was the witness.

At no point did I give consent for such a search. I assume Second Cop had no idea that the car in front of the pedestrian was not involved in the accident, but even so, would it be legal to search the car without consent even if it was?

Thank you!

submitted by /u/Level-Scholar-4806
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Was This Search Legal?

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