Do Cops Have the Right to Stop Students and Ask for ID?

Police bodycam video of the arrest of a 21-year-old college student riding a bike is sparking fury and questions about the rights of cyclists.

Genesis Hansen, a student at Oregon State University, was stopped by a cop after police say she was riding her bike the wrong way on the road right outside the campus.

There was an intense 20-minute stand-off as cops asked her to identify herself. She did not provide identification, and she was placed under arrest.

There are Stop and Identify laws in 24 states that give police the power to stop and ask for ID of anyone they suspect has committed or may be about to commit an offense. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri (Kansas City only), Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Oregon does not have such a law.

Oregon State University is calling on cops to deescalate incidents involving students, and now the state police have cancelled a contract to provide security on campus. 

The district attorney has not charged Hansen. 

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