This happened two years ago, and I wrote down the events shortly after. In fact, I was pretty close to posting it on Hexus at the time, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea. In light of the recent posts, I figured that I would share my own experience with officers of the law.
After spending a week with little/no sleep (I am known for pulling all nighters for several days during exam periods), I went straight to bed after my final exams. In the late afternoon, I heard some knocks. Half-asleep, I looked through the peep hole and saw two officers. When I opened the door, I realised that they were actually armed. At that point I thought that maybe something happened and they are looking for witnesses. They told me that they were investigating a claim that someone with a firearm/something that looked like a firearm threatened a passer-by on the street below from the window earlier in the afternoon. I explained that I am just exhausted from my exams, have been sleeping the whole afternoon and denied possessing a firearm or anything that looks like one, let alone threatened a passer-by with it (and my window doesn't even open fully). They then asked for reconfirmation and suggested that it would be much better to fess up right then if I did do something like that, as opposed to them finding out later that I had lied. They were not physically threatening, but whether it was intentional or not, and whether it was meant to be a friendly warning or not, mentioning that it was a tough job market, and I did not want to end up with a criminal record was psychologically intimidating. But since I really didn't do anything, I could only reaffirm my position and they left.
Yet they obviously didn't believe me because 10 minutes later, they knocked on my door again, and asked for permission to search the flat. They made it clear that I was not obliged to let them in, but they would be back with a warrant if I did not let them. I was quite annoyed because I knew that I've not done anything wrong, but I also understood that it's a severe accusation and one that I would expect them to thoroughly investigate. I also had more reasons than most to co-operate and to not get into trouble with the law. Not that not that there is ever good to get in trouble, not that I was already in trouble or anything, but for one, I was going on a research trip overseas for the dissertation component of my course in a few days, with my flights and appointments with property developers already booked. I was also hoping that by being co-operative, they will go a bit easier with the search (I have a lot of stuff, and it's just a pain having to move things to get access to boxes/briefcases behind them). I was also weary of raising suspicions since I did fit the description they gave of the accused.
They were quite thorough and I had to call my flatmate to gain access to some of his locked belongings, and I got a bit nervous when I realised that we had an electric screw driver (vaguely shaped like a gun with enough of imagination). But common sense prevailed and they didn't look at that twice. After they were done, they conveyed that they were reasonably satisfied and that it should be the end of it. They took down my name (obviously already had my address) and left their police ID number when asked.
As a whole, I can't say that it ended badly. Since they didn't assure me that it was definitely the end of it, I did spend a while worrying that they will be back, and I asked my flatmate to keep me updated even after I left for the trip (he is off the hook since he was at work during that time and has his colleagues to vouch for that). The officers attitude did mellow as they carried on with the search and no damage was caused. The beginning could've been much better, yet it could've been MUCH worse too.
What I do find unfair though is that someone can cause so much hassle (and distress) by making a false accusation (I don't think it's a case of wrong flat because no one else in the block fits the description), and as far as I know, I can not take legal actions against them since I do not know who made such an accusation. And I am also concerned about, is what would've happened if I did indeed possess a BB gun and admitted to it when they first questioned me. Is the accuser's account sufficient to 'prove' guilt?
And would any of you have done anything differently (keeping in mind the circumstances)?


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), given a bollocking & then let off I do have a great deal of respect for the police and tend to give them the benefit of the doubt more than your average joe!


) then it's possible, yes. 
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