Good post. I wish your wisdom would spread to others that need it.

 

Michael Johns - Mike lost his life December 28, 2001 while serving with the Coppell, Texas Police Department. While attempting to catch a traffic violator, Officer Johns' motorcycle was struck by another vehicle.

The "other vehicle" failed to yield to Mike while he passed on the left with his emergency lights and siren activated. The "other driver" decided to turn left as Mike passed, and not pull to the right and stop as required by Texas law. The "other driver" struck Mike on his Police Motorcycle. Mike was thrown from his motorcycle and struck an adjacent curb with his face. That's the reason I don't always turn on my lights and siren when operating my Polce Motorycle. I don't necessarily want to die by a driver, who upon seeing and hearing an authorized emergency vehicle approaching, decide to rectally insert his/her cranium and blow a fart.

Mike's death was my first fatality out of reconstruction school. Mike was also my first Field Training Officer. He was killed on my wedding anniversary. But I digress.

 

I am not trying to take away from your friends death so don't take this the wrong way. I just have a few questions. What did the traffic violater do that made him pass on the left? Was it just a two lane road or a four lane road ? I don't want to start trouble but I have seen police officers go to great extremes to catch up to someone for going ten miles over the limit. I am not saying these people don't deserve to get a ticket but at what cost. This time it was a mans life. Again I don't know the whole story so I don't want to pass judgement. Just trying to get all the facts.

 

Geez folks. Get there safely without killing yourself or someone along the way.

That's all.

Get there safely without killing yourself or someone along the way.



Jack, I don't envy your job. Be safe.



EDIT: motorjock, I too don't mean to trivialize the tragedy you refer to, but that's a double edged sword. What do you tell the families of those bystanders killed in high-speed pursuits?

 

No, but you can't let your problems get in the way of doing your job.

There are lots of professions that require the ability to set aside personal issues while on the job. LEOs are not unique in that regard. As just one example, how would you respond to an air traffic controller who had just stacked two 747s together and said, "Sorry, I was having a bad day."

 

Mental note that next time I get a call from a pizza delivery guy that is describing the guys that just held a gun to his face, that are currently running down the road, to be sure to tell all responders to run full lights and sirens and keep all the lights activated went setting up a perimeter, and be sure not to pass any traffic until they are sure the cars ahead have identified the patrol car, determined it is not them that are being watched after a quick panic attack, then finally decide to look for a spot to pull over to let the "maniac" through ...

 

Why do you get so defensive. You can not tell me that as a cop that you have never broken the speed limit just because you are in a cruiser. My problem is when a law enforcement officer passes me like Im sitting still and when I exit off the highway I see him in the convenience store getting a coffee or a soft drink. Real emergency there. Im not saying all cops are like this but they are out there and you guys need to realize that. I dont think anyone is knocking the good ones. Just the ones that think they are above the law.

 

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Good one Redleg!!

 

You were so defensive, you were compelled to post a complaint about this on a forum. So much so, that you did it probably knowing the owner was a L.E.O. and would probably respond. Yet, not enouph to take the time to contact the P.D. to find out if he was in fact headed to a call, and if so, should respond a little more safely. All I did was respond to a thread. I'm not all heated up, it wasn't in caps. I've said before there are some bad ones like any job. If it was a limited goof, the supervisor will know and handle accordingly. If it's constant complaints on the guy, he may get asked to move on. AND you ARE wrong, I CAN say I didn't speed "just because". Where am I gonna speed to? The end of my shift? I can't make time move, no matter how hard I try. But. I have been called off something, then pull into a store for a quick brake before I get sent to the next one. The stick-up example was not exagerated though. It happens a lot, but we'll still respond appropriately.

 

I guess what I was trying to say came out wrong or I worded to sound like it was directed twoards you in particular. Why cant we just agree that just because you dont do it doesnt mean it doesnt happen. And as for the owner of this site being a LEO, well that really shouldnt really effect the way I or anyone else posts on here as long as it is within the rules. The original post was because a guy was concerned that a LEO acted in an unsafe manner. Most people can tell what is safe or not safe if they have half a brain and this man says it was unsafe. As someone posted earlier it doesnt matter what kind of call he was on if he was acting unsafe. What good is he going to be to the pizza guy with a gun in his face if he is trying to pry his car away from the pizza guys car he just hit. I know on our FD we have always been taught that if we crash on the way to a call we not only endanger our own lives but the lives of the people we help to protect. Nobody here said that every cop did it but there are some out there everyday doing it along with fire and EMS personnel. I will leave this one alone for now because it seems to strike a nerve in some people and I understand that.

 

I have have no problem with the complaint, Eric. You just seemed to do a lot of generalizing. I literally just had a call on a volunteer FF that "almost took me head on". I told him to contact the dep't., not to tie up 911. We had a full timer in a pumper truck prosecuted a year or so a go, for blowing a red light and killing a woman. Like I said, EVERY job has them. Generalizing doesn't weed out the bad ones. Honestly, we don't like the ones that give the rest a bad name, and probably don't even get a long with most of them. "Problem children" probably wouldn't even see much protection in a formal complaint. Contrary to what some may believe, they do even get prosecuted when they goof.

 

Well we both agree that every profession has them Law enforcement, FD, and EMS. I am done with this since it is a silly debate. Bottom line everyone including all Emergency Responders need to watch what they are doing when out on the roads. No offence to anyone on here and please no hard feelings.

 

eric13

It was a two lane road with a shoulder. If the driver he was passing had moved to the right, this tragedy wouldn't have occurred. Running CODE 3 somewhat limits are movement thru traffic. We are bound to wait for traffic to move over, before we pass(hence, move to the right and stop). I work in a "Soccer Mom" city. Cell phones and SUV's are the norm. Lights and sirens only seem to confuse those we are approaching. Everyone is quick to point, the officer should have his lights and siren activated. This officer did, and it cost him his life. Not every situation requires the use of lights and siren. In fact, we rarely run Code 3 to calls. Most calls require an expedited response, but few require an emergency response. On a motorcycle, it is easier for me to navigate traffic without the use of emergency equipment. By the way, the violator was going 19 over the limit.

I will never condone illegal or improper behavior by an LEO. My purpose here is to present my experiences as an LEO in hopes someone may pause and consider the other side of the story.

 

Thank you for elaborating. If i offended you in any way I appoligize. You are right about sometimes lights and sirens causing more confusion, and cell phones should be banned in everystate while driving. I am sure we all see accidents almost caused everyday by some one on the phone not paying attention. Mine gets turned off as soon as I get in my truck.

 

Please don't apologize. I was certainly not offended by anything you stated. I try and keep my comments to myself and just read the threads. Every now and then, I feel compelled to post a comment or present my views, but never with any vain or anger.