Failure to obey a police officer, failure to obey a police order, or failure to obey a lawful order is a crime in certain jurisdictions. In Canada it is a criminal offense for a motor vehicle driver to disobey an order to stop, with flight from police causing death punishable by up to life imprisonment. In the United States the charge is typically a misdemeanor, while in Sweden refusing an official police command can be punished with a fine or up to six months imprisonment.
Facts
Classification CodeClass 2 misdemeanor in Virginia (Virginia Code section 18.2-464, failure to obey order of conservator of the peace). 2 Typical PenaltyVaries by jurisdiction; in Sweden, refusing an official command from a police officer is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for a maximum of six months. 1 Elements of OffenseCanada, Criminal Code section 320.17 (flight from peace officer): operating a motor vehicle or vessel while being pursued by a peace officer and failing, without reasonable excuse, to stop as soon as is reasonable in the circumstances. 3 Notable ExampleIn Sweden, environmental activist Greta Thunberg was charged 1,500 Swedish krona for refusing to disperse from a peaceful protest on September 15, 2020, one of the notable individuals cited under the statute. 1 Jurisdiction VariationCanada: flight from police causing injury or death is always indictable, with maximum penalties of 14 years and life imprisonment respectively. Other jurisdictions treat the conduct differently, including the United States (typically a misdemeanor), Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom. 1 Classification
Offense GradeInfraction or Violation 1 In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Europe, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: North America, found in there.
Sources
1. Failure to obey a police order (Wikipedia)
Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failure_to_obey_a_police_order, lead paragraph
Failure to obey a police officer, failure to obey a police order, or failure to obey a lawful order is a crime in certain jurisdictions.
Sweden section, first paragraph
It is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for a maximum of six months.
Canada section, first paragraph
Flight from police causing injury or death is always indictable, with maximum penalties of 14 years and
Sweden section, Greta Thunberg citation
Notable individuals who have been cited under this statute include Greta Thunberg, who was charged 1,500 Swedish krona for her refusal to disperse from a peaceful protest on September 15, 2020.
View the Source 2. Virginia Code 18.2-464, Failure to obey order of conservator of the peace
Section 18.2-464, full textQuote, Section 18.2-464, full text
he shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor;
3. Criminal Code (Canada) section 320.17, Flight from peace officer
Section 320.17Quote, Section 320.17
Everyone commits an offence who operates a motor vehicle or vessel while being pursued by a peace officer and who fails, without reasonable excuse, to stop the motor vehicle or vessel as soon as is reasonable in the circumstances.
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