So family comes first even if it means putting other people in danger? Not too smart if you ask me but it is what it is. How is putting people in danger, then going to jail going to help your family?

 

How am I putting others in danger?

 

For one, if you come flying out of the car when an officer stops you, that's a HUGE red flag. If you don't get back in the car when ordered, then you're going to find youself face down on the ground. Contrary to popular belief, we can't read minds and in many situations, the most clean cut person can and has been a dangerous criminal. What makes you think that we know you're any different just by the way you look? Your actions by doing such things put an officer in danger because we don't know if you have a gun or not, it puts others in danger by you disobeying traffic laws, and it puts you in danger of being shot, tazed or hurt. So if you want to take your chances with that, it's probably not a smart move on your part. Again, we're not mind readers. I'm just trying to give this to you from an officer's perspective. One who's at home right now and has been for 3 months because of a broken ankle that I received in a fight on the side of the road with someone who was high and drunk. After going through that a couple times, come back and ask me again how you're putting someone in danger. It's not about being God or being "overzealous" as so many like to put it. It's about being able to go home at the end of the shift without holes in your body. Case law in these situations is on my side.

 

I would have no intention of harming anyone.....I understand you may perceive danger.......................please don't stand between me getting urgent medical care for a loved one. I don't want the situation to end badly either.

 

You know this is all hypothetical. I'm sure if an Officer like you and I were involved, you would recognize the situation correctly and be the first to lend me a hand.

 

Officer Powell will pay a much larger price for our perception of his mistake. I believe in a moral sense, it could have been handled differently, HOWEVER since I was not there or actually part of the situation then my opinion is just that, an uneducated opinion.


As far as the Uk cops go, they undoubtedly did the right thing, as horrible as that may sound. A 3 victim incident is better than a 6 victim incident, especially if the later could be prevented. It is a tough choice when I have to abort a search because I am getting cooked to death through my turn out gear. If I have to back out due to heat and smoke, then no other person on this planet could tolerate the conditions without the proper ppe, no matter how tough they think they are. The neighbors desire to help is heroic, just not well thought out.



Tim

 

With 34 years in law enforcement I am trying to look at this from all angles. By watching video I felt the officer was a total jerk. His video showed the people had on their emergency flashers. By what I understand they stopped at the red lights and then proceeded as there was no traffic coming. They pull into a hospital ER parking lot and start bailing out of the car. Yes, he had reason to be cautious but at the same time he could have obtained the drivers info and followed him into the hospital to verify facts. I have been in a similar situation. You have to protect number 1 but I think his ego got in the way. Cops today are constantly being challenged and second guessed. No matter how he handled it someone would have said he was wrong.

 

It is hypothetical for you but I'm giving you examples of things I face and see on the road. I can HOPE that I recognize the situation correctly. It all depends on how someone acts. I've been in the situation before where someone came driving up to me on a traffic stop, slammed on their brakes and got out screaming coming toward my car. I got out, ordered him back in and had my hand on my gun just in case. Few minutes later, we delivered a baby right in the car. It happens, and we try hard to be understanding toward people. All I'm saying is that we would also hope that you understand where we are coming from as well. We have seen things that most people don't and have been in situations where we wonder if we're going to be able to go home that night.... That's all I'm saying.

 

I agree with you on that, and I don't have nearly as much time on as you. The officer had an attitude and that's the kind of officer who needs to find another line of work. Preferably out of the public eye and out of public contact.

 

AMEN to that.

 

The family member was getting urgent care. Don't confuse the issue.

I was in complete agreement with the officer at the start. Cooler heads could have prevailed in the end.

Many times I have watched a videotape made with my car and wondered wow, how did I miss that?

If it seems black and white from home it is, two dimensional.

The grey area of fear/adrenaline/anger/training/experience/perception is only understood by two men in this case, the officer and the guy stopped.

Everybody posting has an opinion. Reality is your situational awareness and hard earned "grey area" training would and will dictate how you perform under stress.

 

Seems none of this would have even happened if the gentleman would have pulled over when the lights first came on. Was the guy a football player that was driving?

 

He plays pro ball, but not for Dallas....what does that have to do with it?.....I don't play and would have done the same.

 

I agree 100% with lary ellis The cop did act out a little but like stated if they would have stoped they would have gotten a police escort. There actully lucky they didnt get tasered or shot or somthing the cop was just involved in a chase and his adrenaline was pumping. Yes things could have been handled different but I think this is just somthing that is getting blown way out of porportion the guy actully broke the law by going through red lights stop signs and not pulling over when he should have and endangered many people . just my 2 cents take it or leave it.

 

After watching the video.....the Officer should be fired.........he showed no signs of every believing he was in danger.....he was never threatened..........he only acted like a idiot bully with power.