Does a police officer have a duty to respect a lawful order?

The defendant's contention that the frequent approaches of the police officer were responsible for the unusual increase of the crowd, even if accepted, did not lessen his duty to respect a lawful order. It is possible that some of the curious were attracted by the patrolman's shuttling between his post in the middle of the intersection and the defendant. But, in my opinion, the primary cause of the confusion at the interesection and the impediment to traffic there was the crowd's following the defendant into the roadway, and the admitted refusal of the defendant to render any co-operation to the police officer. The directions given by the officer were reasonable and within the scope of his own obligation to maintain a free flow of traffic. Those directions should have been obeyed. (People v. Nixon, 248 N.Y. 182.)