History Main / FlashedBadgeHijack

* Played with in the Red Bull episode of ''FamilyGuy''. Lois is pouring out Red Bull, when it causes a daisy to mutate, stop a car, and claim, "Official Flower Business" and drive off.

* Martin Lawrence pulls it off in grand style in ''NationalSecurity''. His partner later attempts the same thing, only to be shut down by the SassyBlackWoman who owns the car. Bonus points for them not being actual cops but security guards. Hank, at least, is a disgraced former cop.

* Subverted in the movie ''SoIMarriedAnAxeMurderer'', when a cop stops a passing motorist, but can't get him to give up his vehicle. He has to settle for getting a ride from the driver to the crime-in-progress.

* {{Parodied| Trope}} in ''BadBoys2'' when Martin Lawrence's character tries to commandeer a rundown car driven by [[CreatorCameo Michael Bay]] and gets yelled at by Will Smith to get a better car than that. A second later they take a Cadillac that was being test-driven by Dan Marino.

** And in [[Film/Speed2CruiseControl the sequel]], the same guy ends up getting his boat commandeered by a member of the LAPD - in the middle of the Caribbean (The man points out how inherently absurd this is as it happens). But it ends better for him this time - not only is the boat still intact at the end of the movie, he ends up finding the parcel of stolen diamonds floating in international waters. Even if he doesn't get to keep them, he could probably demand a finder's fee from the original owners.

* In ''AmericanGangster'', Richie Roberts tries to get a taxi driver to give him his vehicle so he can follow a lead. The driver refuses, so Richie just [[TapOnTheHead knocks him out]] and takes the car while he's still unconscious.
* In the comedy/thriller ''FoulPlay'', the good guy cop commandeers a taxi - as he tries to explain what's going on to the Japanese tourists in the back, the word {{Kojak}} registers with them and they thoroughly enjoy the chase.
* Reversed in the comedy/thriller ''ThatManFromRio'' as the hero, a guy on a weeks leave from the service, sees his girlfriend get kidnapped, he gives chase on a motorcycle stolen from a policeman.

* ''TheFrenchConnection''. When the gunman of a shooting aimed at Doyle (in which a mother with her child is killed) hops on an El train, Doyle commandeers a Pontiac Le Mans sedan, and [[RacingTheTrain chases the train]], [[TropeCodifier and the rest is history]].

* In Creator/DanAbnett's TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 novel ''Literature/BrothersOfTheSnake'', Space Marines hijack a Princess Royal's car. She tries to stop them, until the Inquisitor who summoned them intervenes, and she runs off.

* Averted in the novel ''[[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal]]'', when Clarice Starling witnesses Hannibal Lecter being kidnapped by Mason Verger's thugs and is unable to get a couple driving a car to even call for help. She spends the next few hours silently cursing herself for not throwing them out of the car and chasing the kidnappers herself.

* In Creator/DanAbnett's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} novel ''Literature/BrothersOfTheSnake'', Space Marines hijack a Princess Royal's car. She tries to stop them, until the Inquisitor who summoned them intervenes, and she runs off.

** Technically, a "{{Posse}}" actually refers to the original purpose of these laws. The police can not only commandeer vehicles and items, they can commandeer you.

'''{{NPC}}''': I pay the city all these goddamn taxes, and you have to take MY car!?

* The chase scene in ''PoliceAcademy 6'' was conducted with the cops in a commandeered monster truck.

* Martin Lawrence pulls it off in grand style in ''NationalSecurity''. His partner later attempts the same thing, only to be shut down by the SassyBlackWoman who owns the car.

* Played for laughs in ''Film/HollywoodHomicide'', where Creator/HarrisonFord's character is on pursuit and tries the badge-flashing with a car driver - it doesn't work. He then resorts to hi-jacking a kid's bicycle.

* Franchise/{{Robocop}} [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbuevgWKiM#t=3m40s does this]] in ''Film/RoboCop3''. It doesn't end well for the car.

* ''Film/LiveAndLetDie''. When Sheriff J.W. Pepper's car is totaled, he commandeers a Louisiana State Police patrol car and continues in pursuit.

* AudioPlay/BelowBoard takes this UpToEleven in its second episode, when Detective Holloway effectively does this to the Panama Limited night train.

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* TruthInTelevision: [[WeAllLiveInAmerica Most]] [[EagleLand states]] have laws which allow law enforcement officials to commandeer civilian vehicles, though the owners can refuse with minimal consequences (technically, the consequences are there, but they're unenforced). In addition, owners have the right to be compensated for the use of their vehicles, up to and including any gas used and damage sustained, though often, it doesn't happen (certain states, like Texas, are more likely to enforce right of compensation). Supreme Court has limited the situations in which the police may do this.
** Technically, a "{{Posse}}" actually refers to the original purpose of these laws. The police can not only commandeer vehicles and items, they can commandeer you.
* This trope also works as a very devious real life scam. Scammers have been known to run up to bemused people who are next to their cars, flash a fake police ID at them and ask (very forcefully) if they could use the car, giving the owners a phone-number to ring when they want the car back. It's only when the car owners ring the number to find that it's a fake number do they realise that they've let someone steal their car and there's nothing they can do about it.

[[/folder]]

->'''[[TheHero Phelps]]''': ''LAPD! I need your car!''
->'''{{NPC}}''': ''I pay the city all these goddamn taxes, and you have to take MY car!?''

* In one episode of ''TheBill'', criminals who are holding one of the police officers as a hostage get her to do this for them. Which was dumb, because the car's owner immediately contacts Sun Hill to find out what's going on.

* ''TheRealHustle'' once showed how con artists would dress up as police officers and do this to steal people's cars. The guy they did it on did show some resistance, but mostly confusion. After a few seconds of protests the con artists were behind the wheel and driving off.

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}''. In "Reveille" Ari pulls up alongside Kate on the street, knowing she'll commandeer the first car she sees to chase him. Unfortunately it's [[NotMyDriver full of Ari's mooks]].

->'''[[TheHero Phelps]]''': ''LAPD! I Need your car!''

-->[[TheHero Phelps]]: ''"LAPD! I Need your car!"''
-->{{NPC}}:'' "I pay the city all these goddamn taxes, and you have to take MY car!?"''
-->--Typical exchange from VideoGame/LANoire

* Parodied in ''SeeNoEvilHearNoEvil'' when a bad guy ''pretends'' to be a cop and tries this. The driver of the car demands to see a badge. The bad guy just gives up and produces his gun instead. The driver gives up his car, complete with a whimpered "Please don't kill me."
* Subverted in ''RushHour'' when Carter tries to "borrow" a motorcycle, and the cyclist refuses, prompting Carter to shove him off and take the cycle.

* Franchise/{{Robocop}} [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbuevgWKiM#t=3m40s does this]] in ''{{Robocop 3}}''. It doesn't end well for the car.
* Hilariously inverted in ''SinCity'' in which an AntiHero violently commendeers a police car in order to flee the scene.
* In ''LoadedWeapon1'', the detectives do this to commandeer a couple of bicycles (which promptly explode for no reason).

* Popeye Doyle does one of these to start the famous car chase in ''TheFrenchConnection''.

* Played with in one episode of ''TimeTrax'' where two baddies steal Darien's wallet (with his badge inside), then steal a car by pretending to be cops & flashing the badge.