One Thing You CAN’T Ask a Cop in Minnesota

Knowing your rights is important, especially regarding potentially stressful interactions with Minnesota Law Enforcement. Surprisingly, there is one question that Police in the North Star State are no longer allowed to ask, yet many drivers have heard it before.

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"Do You Know Why I Pulled You Over?"

That's a phrase countless drivers who have had the unfortunate luck of being pulled over have heard for years. But that's now a thing of the past, thanks to a new compromise negotiated by the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA) and Communities United Against Police Brutality of Minneapolis.

According to Michelle Gross of the organization (courtesy of FOX 9 Minneapolis), that question can put Minnesota drivers in a tough spot:

We don't want people making spontaneous confessions, and we don't want law enforcement officers to ask people questions except in a formal interrogation setting where they are Mirandized.

-Michelle Gross via the Fox 9 Website

As of June 8, 2024, police in Minnesota can no longer ask the question "Do You Know Why I Pulled You Over" during a routine traffic stop. Now, they must first tell the driver why they were stopped in the first place. However some say this law isn't officially binding, as there are no real consequences if officers do ask the question.

To learn more about this new law in the state of Minnesota, check out the article, along with a video from Fox 9 News Minneapolis.

Story Sources: FOX 9 News Minneapolis Website, Google Generative AI