Was this cop out of line?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I'm all for the cops being free to bring an ass-kicking when they have to come and get you, especially after a high-speed chase, which I view as the same thing as shooting a gun into a crowd of people. If you don't kill anyone, it's only by dumb luck. But I don't know that this lady was trying real hard to evade. Aside from his totally ineffective screaming and appearing to not be in control of himself, how did he do?

audiman08 · 04:39 PM

Way too extreme...looks like he was pumped up with adrenaline and seeing red, and took it out on the lady.

Gogar · 04:52 PM

IMO he did a poor job of controlling himself and/or the situation, but the woman didn't do a very good job either.

Apparently the woman was afraid that he wasn't a "real cop", and refused to stop for a few miles.

In Denver there was a rash of "fake police" stops where women were assaulted, and the cops suggested that if you were suspicious of a "fake cop stop" you should drive to a safe place and a real cop would be understanding about it. Apparently this cop was not so "understanding", but it's possible that this woman came up with that defense after the fact.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

he forced her to lie down in a traffic lane

also, when you scream, many people can't tell what you are actually telling them to do

no an easy job, but....

OTOH, the sanction was to fire him after 11 years??? maybe there were other things in his file?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I think I'd fire anyone who screamed like that while on the job. It's not just a gross lack of self-control, it needlessly escalates situations. Anyone who is really running from the cops isn't going to suddenly get religion at the sound of screaming, if the gun pointed at them doesn't do anything either. I understand there's a lot of adrenaline in a foot chase or even a high-speed car chase. But sheesh. This lady was driving slowly on the shoulder and the cop had eight miles (probably upwards of 10 minutes) to collect himself for the arrest.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

He clearly lost it, but he's just a human being like the rest of us...

A930Rocket · 02-01-2011, 05:11 PM

I thought I recognized the video from just the still shot at the begining. He lost it, but I gotta say, she probably didn't need to be driving in the first place...

flatbutt · 02-01-2011, 05:14 PM

a human being with a pistol and a badge.

sc_rufctr · 02-01-2011, 05:44 PM

OK... Why did she drive for 8 miles before she stopped her car?

She claimed she didn't know he was a cop? In a Patrol car??? Yea right!

Having said all that he was totally out of control and extremely unprofessional.
Did the color of her skin have anything to do with his behavior? Who knows???

But did he deserve to loose his job over it?

If that decision had been up to me he would have been sent for some additional
training and relegated to a desk for an appropriate length of time.

According to the video she got a six figure settlement. I might come to the US, get pushed around by some cops and retire on the proceeds.

But seriously, six figure! That's ridiculous!

stomachmonkey · 02-01-2011, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gogar

In Denver there was a rash of "fake police" stops where women were assaulted, and the cops suggested that if you were suspicious of a "fake cop stop" you should drive to a safe place and a real cop would be understanding about it. Apparently this cop was not so "understanding", but it's possible that this woman came up with that defense after the fact.

Same thing happened in NY a bunch of years back.

There were public announcements from the police that basically said the same thing. If you were getting pulled over by an unmarked car then drive to a lit public at a normal pace, lock the door crack the window and request a marked vehicle.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

I'd like to see the video of the first 8 minutes.

sc_rufctr · 02-01-2011, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWebb

I'd like to see the video of the first 8 minutes.

I think you mean the first 8 miles... Me to

Jeff Higgins · 02-01-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

OK... Why did she drive for 8 miles before she stopped her car?

She claimed she didn't know he was a cop? In a Patrol car??? Yea right!

Young black woman getting pulled over in Georgia? I bet she was scared to death. And yes, as stated above, we do have criminals pretending to be police to pull folks over on lonely roads, or at night. We had that very thing going on around my area years ago, with police warning us to proceed to a busy, well lit area.

Do you know what kind of patrol car this was? In my area at least, we are seeing a big increase in both totally unmarked cars and marked cars with no roof light rack, so you can't pick them out in the rear view mirror. It has apparently become more important to sneak around unnoticed in an effort to catch speeders than it is to be a visible presence to calm traffic. The debate rages on that one, by the way.

On a different note, I wonder why the camera wasn't running from the moment he saw her "speeding". Or at least from the moment - eight miles previously - that it became apparent she was not pulling over. Incomplete or missing film under these circumstances is always rather suspicious. I bet it either was running, and she wasn't speeding, or it wasn't, and she wasn't.

It's still tough to be black in our South, or, for that matter, in much of the U.S. Especially when police are involved. Right here in Seattle, it looks like our police will come under United States Justice Department investigation for it's (too often caught on film) brutality directed at minorities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Having said all that he was totally out of control and extremely unprofessional.
Did the color of her skin have anything to do with his behavior? Who knows???

See above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

did he deserve to loose his job over it?

He deserves to do time for aggravated assault, just like the rest of us would.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

that decision had been up to me he would have been sent for some additional training and relegated to a desk for an appropriate length of time.

We see this all too often when it's left up to cops to police their own. An eleven year veteran is not going to change with any amount of additional "training". He is what he is. And, guaranteed, this is not the first and only time he lost it like that. I wonder how many were afraid to complain, how many complaints were cleared by an internal "investigation". This behavior does not manifest itself just once. This cowardly prick has more than likely made a career of it, and his buddies have covered for him. His firing speaks to that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

to the video she got a six figure settlement. I might come to the US, get pushed around by some cops and retire on the proceeds.

But seriously, six figure! That's ridiculous!

Should have come out of his hide, not the taxpayers. That's the only thing that will finally bring this to a stop - personal liability for their misdeeds on the job. Everyone else is liable, from doctors to engineers to daycare providers. How have cops escaped for so long?

sc_rufctr · 02-01-2011, 10:22 PM

Thanks Jeff. Excellent reply.

rsNINESOOPER · 02-01-2011, 11:20 PM

One of the more disturbing points during the video is when the Trooper flings the door open into the gun in his other hand. That might not have ended well. The guy exhibited an extreme lack of self control and sloppy dangerous decisions. All of these things are what an officer is trained for, and employed to be able to control not to mention he is paid by the public to protect it no matter what.

Fired= good move on the department

cashflyer · 02-02-2011, 04:37 AM

Pretty typical for SCHP.
I've also been on the ground at gunpoint over a traffic stop in SC, and I am white.

What is not typical is that they fired him over this. Usually they promote the guy for doing a good job. Probably the only reason he was fired is because the video went public.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

She claimed she didn't know he was a cop? In a Patrol car??? Yea right!

What makes you think it was a patrol car?
In SC we use plenty of generic unmarked cars; camaros, SUVs, pickups, etc.
All I see in the video is the hood. I can't see any markings. Can you?

sc_rufctr · 02-02-2011, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflyer

...

What makes you think it was a patrol car?
In SC we use plenty of generic unmarked cars; camaros, SUVs, pickups, etc.
All I see in the video is the hood. I can't see any markings. Can you?

The cop is in uniform. Or do they do things differently down there???

Here if they are uniform they are in marked patrol cars. I assumed it was the same over there.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I got pulled over in an unmarked Camaro once and the cop was in uniform. I had no idea at all it was a cop until the lights came on.

Jeff Higgins · 02-02-2011, 05:34 AM

All of our police, deputies, and troopers are in uniform regardless of whether or not they are in an unmarked patrol car. Plain clothes detectives do not drive traditional patrol cars.

Part of the idea behind this is so that we can readily identify them as LEO's when they get out of the car. I'm not sure it occurs to them, however, that most of us couldn't tell a real uniform from a Halloween costume, or some private security firm's uniform.

The current proliferation in unmarked, or no light bar cars is a clear indication of where modern traffic enforcement's priorities lie. Certainly not with being a visible, calming presence on the roads. It's all about ticketing and the revenue associated with it. Too bad it's come to this; they have lost an awful lot of respect now that they are all glorified meter maids with guns.

sc_rufctr · 02-02-2011, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

...

The current proliferation in unmarked, or no light bar cars is a clear indication of where modern traffic enforcement's priorities lie. Certainly not with being a visible, calming presence on the roads. It's all about ticketing and the revenue associated with it. Too bad it's come to this; they have lost an awful lot of respect now that they are all glorified meter maids with guns.

That surprises me. If they have a PR department (doubtful) they're not listening to them.
I'm not sure what else to say.