This is why I hate some cops

[Option D]

 
Officer delayed Moats as relative died

Officer delayed Moats as relative diedComment Email Print Share ESPN.com news services
PLANO, Texas -- A Dallas police officer who delayed Houston Texans' running back Ryan Moats from visiting his mother-in-law before she died in a Plano hospital has been reassigned to dispatch pending an investigation.


Video: NFL player pulled over
On the Web site of the Dallas Morning News, video from a police dashboard camera shows a Dallas police officer stopping Texans running back Ryan Moats in front of the hospital where his mother-in-law lay dying of cancer. Watch 


Moats, his wife and other family members rushed from their suburban Dallas home to Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano during the early hours of March 18 after getting word around midnight that Moats' mother-in-law, Jonetta Collinsworth, was dying. She had breast cancer.

According to Dallas-area media reports, Moats' vehicle, which rolled through a red light, was stopped by Officer Robert Powell in the hospital's parking lot.

Powell kept Moats and another family member for 13 minutes, threatening Moats with arrest and lecturing him. By the time Moats was released and entered the hospital, Jonetta Collinsworth had died.



 
Moats

Dallas police have dropped the ticket.

The Moatses, who are black, said Wednesday that they can't help but think that race may have played a role in how Powell, who is white, treated them.

"I think he should lose his job," said Ryan Moats, a Dallas native, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Dallas-Fort Worth television station WFAA-TV also obtained dashboard video from inside Powell's cruiser, detailing the exchange in which Powell threatened Moats with arrest.

When the car was pulled over, Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, and her great aunt got out of the car to get into the hospital.

"Get in there!" Powell said, according to the Dallas Morning News' account of the footage. "Let me see your hands!"

"My mom is dying," Tamishia Moats replied. She and her great aunt ignored the officer and headed into the hospital, while Ryan Moats and another family member stayed behind, according to the report.

"I waited until no traffic was coming," Moats told Powell, explaining why he had rolled through the red light. "I got seconds before she's gone, man," he said, the newspaper reported.

Powell demanded his license, which Moats produced, and proof of insurance, which Moats could not find. "Just give me a ticket or whatever," Moats said, his frustration beginning to show, according to the report.

"Shut your mouth," Powell told him, the newspaper reported. "You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

In another exchange reported by the Morning News, Moats again asked the officer to complete the traffic stop quickly.

"If you're going to give me a ticket, give me a ticket," Moats said.

"Your attitude says that you need one," Powell replied.

"All I'm asking you is just to hurry up," Moats added.

"If you want to keep this going, I'll just put you in handcuffs," the officer said, "and I'll take you to jail for running a red light."

Powell continued on, making several more points, and Moats replied "Yes sir" to each.

"Understand what I can do," Powell said, according to the report. "I can tow your truck. I can charge you with fleeing. I can make your night very difficult."

"I understand," Moats responded. "I hope you'll be a great person and not do that."

Hospital security guards then arrived and told Powell that the Moatses' relative really was upstairs dying, the newspaper reported. But Powell spent several minutes inside his squad car, checking Moats for outstanding warrants. He found none.

Another hospital staff member emerged from the hospital and spoke with a Plano police officer who had arrived on the scene. "Hey, that's the nurse," the Plano officer told Powell, according to the Morning News. "She said that the mom's dying right now, and she's wanting to know if they can get him up there before she dies."

"All right," Powell replied, according to the report. "I'm almost done."

As Moats signed the ticket, Powell made another point.

"Attitude's everything," he said, the newspaper reported. "All you had to do is stop, tell me what was going on. More than likely, I would have let you go."

Powell, hired in January 2006, did not return a call for comment, the newspaper reported. But Dallas Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson said Powell told police officials that he believed that he was doing his job.

"When people are in distress, we should come to the rescue," Simpson said, according to the report. "We shouldn't further their distress."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4017382

[BigNBloated]

fukk that pig.

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

How funny. I went on my Vegas trip with four cops.

People may claim to hate them but that perception goes out the window when you need them the most. Same thing with lawyers.

[Option D]

How funny. I went on my Vegas trip with four cops.

People may claim to hate them but that perception goes out the window when you need them the most. Same thing with lawyers.

Thats why i put some.

[BigNBloated]

The police in my area are nothing but young jergoffs who create suspicion out of everything you do. They cop the same attitude that this guy seems to have. Protect and serve is their business. Not attitude education with every single person you have contact with. I was being questioned by an accident reconstruction officer after a fender bender. He asked me what happened I told him I gave a written statement to the other officer and I was given the most brutal of meltdowns about how my attitude was keeping him from doing his job. They ask you the same questions 1000 times to create confusion in people who arent telling the truth, well when I protect myself from such tactics I'm told I'm out of line and need to change my approach. Fukk them.

[body88]

The police in my area are nothing but young jergoffs who create suspicion out of everything you do. They cop the same attitude that this guy seems to have. Protect and serve is their business. Not attitude education with every single person you have contact with. I was being questioned by an accident reconstruction officer after a fender bender. He asked me what happened I told him I gave a written statement to the other officer and I was given the most brutal of meltdowns about how my attitude was keeping him from doing his job. They ask you the same questions 1000 times to create confusion in people who arent telling the truth, well when I protect myself from such tactics I'm told I'm out of line and need to change my approach. Fukk them.

By the tone of your post you seem pretty angry in general.  Automatically assuming an accident reconstruction officer is trying to use some shady tactic to "confuse you"?  Could be, but chances are he was trying to reconstruct the accident as that is his job.  The statements you gave the other officer does not fulfill his duty, since he is in a special unit dedicated to accident reconstruction.  There are many cops who are assholes and love to give people a hard time, but for the most part 99% of cops are just trying to make a living the honest way.  The 1% give the rest of them a bad name.  I would say 1 in 20 cops is a real asshole.

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

By the tone of your post you seem pretty angry in general.  Automatically assuming an accident reconstruction officer is trying to use some shady tactic to "confuse you".  There are many cops who are assholes and love to give people a hard time, but for the most part 99% of cops are just trying to make a living the honest way.  The 1% give the rest of them a bad name.

it's usually the younger guys fresh out of the academy. They adopt a save the world mentality for the first 2-3 years. They tend to settle down after that.

I got a buddy who's 26 years old and is fresh off a suspension with pay for one month for choking out a drug dealer in west Baltimore. He's also a trained MMA fighter(he's a serious badass, not some TAPOUT T-shirt wannabe) so he loves combat in any form. He found out real quick that he couldn't do shit like that because all potential suspects have more rights than the cops themselves. Cops have to be extremely careful when enforcing the law because of all the legal loopholes that protect the suspect.

Fuck that. I want cops to use their authority to impose order and rule. The people who usually complain about cops are jerkoffs in life who find trouble instead of trouble finding them.

I love cops. God bless 'em.

[body88]

it's usually the younger guys fresh out of the academy. They adopt a save the world menatlity for the first 2-3 years. They tend to settle down after that.

I got a buddy who's 26 years old and is fresh of a suspension with pay for one month for choking out a drug dealer in west Baltimore. He's also a trained MMA fighter so he loves combat in any form. he found out real quick that he couldn't do shit like that because all potential suspects have more rights than the cops themselves. Cops have to be extremely careful when enforcing the law because of all the legal loopholes that protect the suspect.

Fuck that. I want cops to use their authority to impose order and rule. The people who usually complain about cops are jerkoffs in life who find trouble instead of trouble finding them.

Agreed, in 95% of the people who always have a problem with cops, are trouble makers with attitude problems.  I'm not saying that there are not dickheaded cops out there, but the vast majority of cops are reasonable people.  Infact, since the cops have little to no rights, they take a lot of shit in many cases.

Typical goon who hates the police:

Loser type who likes to party
Always looking for trouble
Angry person
No drive or ability to take responsibility for their own actions

Not talking about BigNbloated here......just saying.

[Option D]

it's usually the younger guys fresh out of the academy. They adopt a save the world menatlity for the first 2-3 years. They tend to settle down after that.

I got a buddy who's 26 years old and is fresh of a suspension with pay for one month for choking out a drug dealer in west Baltimore. He's also a trained MMA fighter(he's a serious badass, not some TAPOUT T-shirt wannabe) so he loves combat in any form. He found out real quick that he couldn't do shit like that because all potential suspects have more rights than the cops themselves. Cops have to be extremely careful when enforcing the law because of all the legal loopholes that protect the suspect.

Fuck that. I want cops to use their authority to impose order and rule. The people who usually complain about cops are jerkoffs in life who find trouble instead of trouble finding them.

I love cops. God bless 'em.

Yeah...but look at that shit above...thats some fucked

[body88]

Yeah...but look at that shit above...thats some fucked

Agreed, but like I said, that cop(pig in this case), falls in to that 1% of asshole cops who give the rest of the force a bad name.  That guy should be fired or even forced to make an apology to the family that he hurt and also do community service.

For every asshole cop out there, there are 20 who save a life or do the right thing every day.  No one talks about that though.  People only talk about issues like the one posted above.  It's like a plane crash.  There are literally MILLIONS of plain flights each day, and no one marvels at the miracle of flight...it's only when one goes down that people pay attention.

[Option D]

Agreed, but like I said, that cop(pig in this case), falls in to that 1% of asshole cops who give the rest of the force a bad name.  That guy should be fired or even forced to make an apology to the family that he hurt and also do community service.

For every asshole cop out there, there are 20 who save a life or do the right thing every day.  No one talks about that though.  People only talk about issues like the one posted above.  It's like a plane crash.  There are literally MILLIONS of plain flights each day, and no one marvels at the miracle of flight...it's only when one goes down that people pay attention.

AGREED.  My god brother is a cop. And he is the person who was born to be a cop. I dont mind cops. I Love Atlanta police dept. The black cops (i know its not race thing) but they are assholes. The white cops for APD and Dekalb are always hella nice to me..i mean like hella nice. I got caught by a white cop after homecomming. drunk as shit.. driving. told him i was drinking. (this was after i made a u turn at a red light) i told him it was homecomming and i was try to get to this chicks house that was in grad school at Dartmoth and was out for the weekend..he escorted me to her house. Wild story

Another time. I was flying down the street. I had to piss because i had been eating those trioplex bars and i need a shit load of water to get those things down. I ran a stop sign, head light out..the whole 9...i told him what the story was..he let me go.

Black cops for some reason..are assholes.. just my experience

[body88]

AGREED.  My god brother is a cop. And he is the person who was born to be a cop. I dont mind cops. I Love Atlanta police dept. The black cops (i know its not race thing) but they are assholes. The white cops for APD and Dekalb are always hella nice to me..i mean like hella nice. I got caught by a white cop after homecomming. drunk as shit.. driving. told him i was drinking. (this was after i made a u turn at a red light) i told him it was homecomming and i was try to get to this chicks house that was in grad school at Dartmoth and was out for the weekend..he escorted me to her house. Wild story

Another time. I was flying down the street. I had to piss because i had been eating those trioplex bars and i need a shit load of water to get those things down. I ran a stop sign, head light out..the whole 9...i told him what the story was..he let me go.

Black cops for some reason..are assholes.. just my experience

I think some cops are just dicks.  Black cops might be meaner to African American men because they feel that these young men should do a better job of staying out of trouble and not advancing the self inflicted destruction that the African American community is experiencing.

Lets be honest here....right now, African American culture is in a bad place.  Young black men grow up thinking you solve problems with guns, that women are ho's and that life is all about cash and rims.  There are exceptions to the rule, but the problem has spun out of control.  Things will get better in time.

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

Yeah...but look at that shit above...thats some fucked

Just watched CNN/Larry King about this case and saw the full video. The cop was put on paid suspension for 30 days with pay and faces the real possibility of losing his job. The police Cheif held a press conference and slammed the shit out of the guy for wrongdoing and lack of common sense.

It's justified. The punishment to the officer, that is. Don't know if he should lose his job over it, though.

[The Showstoppa]

I don't really have a problem with what the cop did UNTIL the hospital staff started coming out and telling him the mother-in-law was dying.  Cops hear constant lies all day long, every day and have to learn to be able to tell who is bs'n them, but when the staff told him what was happening, he should have cut the guy lose.  I say suspend, but I wouldn't fire the guy unless he has other things in his record.

[body88]

I don't really have a problem with what the cop did UNTIL the hospital staff started coming out and telling him the mother-in-law was dying.  Cops hear constant lies all day long, every day and have to learn to be able to tell who is bs'n them, but when the staff told him what was happening, he should have cut the guy lose.  I say suspend, but I wouldn't fire the guy unless he has other things in his record.

What this cop did was fucked up....I watched the tape and he was 100% in the wrong.  It's to bad, because he gives all the good cops a bad name.

[Cap]

Apparently the Chief said he didn't do anything wrong but did not act with the courtesy and respect that a police officer should.  He'll likely take some days without pay but considering this wasn't a physical incident I doubt he'll get fired.  If this were an average Joe we would likely not be talking about it; fame makes a big difference.  It's sad their bringing race into it now.  The first article I read about this didn't mention it, though it could be the authors prodding to make the story more interesting.

[BigNBloated]

I guess I can blame the coark soakers that made it this way. Cops can't relax because random melon farmers have guns and have no respect for them. Just a few years ago a couple kids fled the police and exchanged fire. One of the attackers actually ran into the woods and commited suicide. They were all white children of suburbia, ok there was one black guy. Anyway, my point is, while I may get pissed at the fact that cops can be aggressive these days I do UNDERSTAND why. Random 24 yr old potheads toting guns willing to shoot at the cops for no reason.  I'm not a complete ftp kinda person.

[The Showstoppa]

What this cop did was fucked up....I watched the tape and he was 100% in the wrong.  It's to bad, because he gives all the good cops a bad name.

I don't know about "100%" in the wrong.  He pulled over somebody who ran a redlight and asked him to produce license and insurance. Nothing out of line about that from the officer.  Moats couldn't prove insurance, so the officer was checking on it. When Moats told him he was there to see his dying mother in law, which the officer had to decide whether it was just another BS story, one of probably 25 he had heard that day, or the real thing...thats when things changed.   When he was in the wrong, like I said, is when the hospital staff backed up Moats' story.  At that point he should have let Moats go and he didn't. 

[body88]

Apparently the Chief said he didn't do anything wrong but did not act with the courtesy and respect that a police officer should.  He'll likely take some days without pay but considering this wasn't a physical incident I doubt he'll get fired.  If this were an average Joe we would likely not be talking about it; fame makes a big difference.  It's sad their bringing race into it now.  The first article I read about this didn't mention it, though it could be the authors prodding to make the story more interesting.

The cheif ripped the officer....and imo, the race card is warrented here.  Watch the video....unreal.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032609dnmetcopstop.3e9c080.html

"I am embarrassed and disappointed by the behavior of one of our police officers," the chief told a packed audience of media outlets that included Inside Edition. "His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit."

[body88]

I don't know about "100%" in the wrong.  He pulled over somebody who ran a redlight and asked him to produce license and insurance. Nothing out of line about that from the officer.  Moats couldn't prove insurance, so the officer was checking on it. When Moats told him he was there to see his dying mother in law, which the officer had to decide whether it was just another BS story, one of probably 25 he had heard that day, or the real thing...thats when things changed.   When he was in the wrong, like I said, is when the hospital staff backed up Moats' story.  At that point he should have let Moats go and he didn't. 

Bro, hospital staff came out and told the officer that the mother-in-law was dying.  Watch the video, there is absolutely no excuse here.  None.  The officer should have escorted Moats into the hospital to see the mother-in-law and then questioned him.  Also, the way the officer talked to Moats was out of line.  I'm not one of those fools who hates the cops....I call it like I see it.  This "officer" should lose his job. 

In this case (this one case) race was a factor, imo.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032609dnmetcopstop.3e9c080.html

[Dos Equis]

One of the most outrageous things I have ever seen.  That officer should be fired and the city needs to get out its checkbook. 

[body88]

One of the most outrageous things I have ever seen.  That officer should be fired and the city needs to get out its checkbook. 

Agreed I am the last one to buy in to this "all cops are evil" and "the police are out to get me crap"....but, I agree, this is one of the most ridiculous and racist things I have ever seen.  Clearly this cop should never represent the Dallas police force again.  Terrible.

[The Showstoppa]

Bro, hospital staff came out and told the officer that the mother-in-law was dying.  Watch the video, there is absolutely no excuse here.  None.  The officer should have escorted Moats into the hospital to see the mother-in-law and then questioned him.  Also, the way the officer talked to Moats was out of line.  I'm not one of those fools who hates the cops....I call it like I see it.  This "officer" should lose his job. 

In this case (this one case) race was a factor, imo.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032609dnmetcopstop.3e9c080.html

you and I are just not connecting on this, body....I said in my post you quoted that once hospital staff came out and told the officer, he should have let Moats go in....but up until that point, I really don't see the problem.  After that point, yes the cop was totally wrong and should be punished for it.  I think you and I are agreeing.  I don't condone what the cop did, but I'm talking about after the staff came outside, not before.  Once he was informed that the excuse was real, he should have let him go.

[body88]

you and I are just not connecting on this, body....I said in my post you quoted that once hospital staff came out and told the officer, he should have let Moats go in....but up until that point, I really don't see the problem.  After that point, yes the cop was totally wrong and should be punished for it.  I think you and I are agreeing.  I don't condone what the cop did, but I'm talking about after the staff came outside, not before.  Once he was informed that the excuse was real, he should have let him go.

I'm getting you on this, but I think the general tone of the officer's voice and the lack of common sense and intuition that this cop displayed was ridiculous.  Honestly, Moat creeped through the redlight with his hazards on and then pulled up to a hospital with his wife, his father-in-law and another women.  They were in a nice car and they pulled up to am actual hospital in hysterics.  This cop just wanted to be a prick, then he tried to save face when he knew he fucked up (by continuing on with "protocol".

I have a problem with the condescending and sarcastic tone the officer took with Moat from the get-go.  Thats not how you act as a police officer, period.

[Dos Equis]

Agreed I am the last one to buy in to this "all cops are evil" and "the police are out to get me crap"....but, I agree, this is one of the most ridiculous and racist things I have ever seen.  Clearly this cop should never represent the Dallas police force again.  Terrible.

Yep.  You will find no bigger supporter of law enforcement than me, but this guy is a bad apple.  With the exception of the LAPD, which seems to have corruption in its DNA, I think most law enforcement agencies do great work and are full of good people.  When idiots like this slip through the cracks, they need to be immediately removed.