9. A Police Officer Wants to Question Me About a Crime I Know I Didn’t Commit. Can I Harm My Own Interests by Talking?

　　Quite possibly. It is often perfectly sensible and socially desirable for innocent people to cooperate in a police investigation. However, they should be aware of the risks. Here are several important questions to ask yourself before agreeing to a police interview:

　　a. Even If I Haven’t Done Anything Wrong, How Sure Am I About the Events That the Police Officer is Asking Me About?

　　Unfortunately, people who haven’t done anything wrong are sometimes mistakenly accused of crimes. Equally unfortunately, these same innocent people may unwittingly （不知情地、无意地）add to the evidence against them if they talk to police officers before they are prepared to do so. Individuals who are unprepared to talk about certain events may become confused and answer incorrectly, especially when confronted by police officers.

      These individuals may then want to change what they’ve said to "set the record straight." But the police （or a judge or jury） may regard the change of story as itself suspicious and indicative of guilt（有罪）. Thus, even individuals who want to cooperate with police officers ought to make sure that they have a clear recollection （回忆）of the events about which the officers are asking. Individuals who are unsure of what to do should at least ask the officer to return at a later time.