A-Hole Cop keeps Moats from seeing dying Mom-in-law

[ISUMatt]

http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/index.html?nvid=345572

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

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.

[minuteman65]

What a moron. Just another idiot giving the good cops out there a bad reputation.

[TCisMYhero]

What a prick. I was reading a newspaper blog earlier, and people were trying to justify this, saying "well he ran a red light, didn't have his insurance handy, etc. etc." He rolled through the light after checking both ways, and when the Plano officer AND the nurse told him that the guy needed to go, he still kept him. I hope this guy gets fired and loses his house.

[LeopardFan04]

Here's an extended video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Q49VztpLI

From there you can click to part two...


You'd think the cop might gather there's an emergency, since he pulled into the hospital...what an ahole...

[BlueHenRN]

The cop has no common sense, and no compassion. He should lose his job.

[Franks Tanks]

The cop has no common sense, and no compassion. He should lose his job.

Just like most local cops--

[Mr. C]

I have two similar stories. My best friend is a doctor in California and he had a cop stop him in the hospital parking lot and give him a ticket for speeding when he was on his way to an emergency delivery. My wife got stopped in the hospital parking lot on her way to work at 5:30 a.m. when she didn't stop at a light because of bad icing conditions. There was no one else on the road that day with the horrible weather, but she was going in to do Kidney Dialysis. A lot of cops don't use their brains.

[DSUrocks07]

What a prick. I was reading a newspaper blog earlier, and people were trying to justify this, saying "well he ran a red light, didn't have his insurance handy, etc. etc." He rolled through the light after checking both ways, and when the Plano officer AND the nurse told him that the guy needed to go, he still kept him. I hope this guy gets fired and loses his house.

there are some real idiots in this world...

[Cobblestone]

http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/index.html?nvid=345572

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

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.

If that were my mother-in-law I'd make damn sure to get that cop's badge number, report him to his commanding officer and stay on the case until he is fired. Now if it was my sister-in-law, I'd thank the cop.

[Cobblestone]

I have two similar stories. My best friend is a doctor in California and he had a cop stop him in the hospital parking lot and give him a ticket for speeding when he was on his way to an emergency delivery. My wife got stopped in the hospital parking lot on her way to work at 5:30 a.m. when she didn't stop at a light because of bad icing conditions. There was no one else on the road that day with the horrible weather, but she was going in to do Kidney Dialysis. A lot of cops don't use their brains.


They also have nothing else to do. I find that a few cops fit that stereotype of the big-fat-donut-eating-slob and don't want to do anything that is too strenuous. I remember I had a Providence cop pull me over once and give me a ticket for going through a red light. BTW, the light was on a pole on a sidewalk; makes great sense. Anyway, this cop had a gut that actually hung over his belt and down to his crotch. I pointed to his stomach and asked him if the Providence PD had a minimum standard for physical fitness or if HE is the minimum standard.

Needless to say I got an additional ticket.

[DSUrocks07]

┏┫　　｜　｜　　┣┓　　┏┓　This is for Officer
┗┫━━　┃　━━┣┛　　┣┫　Robert Powell, you're
　┃　━━━━━　┃　┏┳┫┣┳┓ an insensitive clod
　┗━━┳━┳━━┛　┃　　　　┃who is a disgrace
━━━━┃　┃　　　　┗━┳┳━┛to the profession

[SideLine Shooter]

Some people are missing the real picture here.

[whitey]

This cop was totally in the wrong. While I don't think he deserves to be fired he should be reprimanded and be placed in a desk job while he undergoes some sort of training, etc.

The first thing the police officer should have said was, "Sir. Is there an emergency?". Not, "Get in there! Get in there! etc."

[BlueHenRN]

This cop was totally in the wrong. While I don't think he deserves to be fired he should be reprimanded and be placed in a desk job while he undergoes some sort of training, etc.

The first thing the police officer should have said was, "Sir. Is there an emergency?". Not, "Get in there! Get in there! etc."
Compassion Management training.xnodx

[SideLine Shooter]

If the person would have pulled over when the officer hit the blue lights and explained the situation to begin with, like he should have done instead of running from the law, we probably would not be having this one sided discussion.

It doesn't seem to matter that the man was running from the law. The officer had no idea if he was running from a crime scene or to a crime scene. He may have had a giant car bomb and was going to blow the hospital up because a friend had died in that hospital. The officer had NO Idea what this man's intentions were.

[LeopardFan04]

If the person would have pulled over when the officer hit the blue lights and explained the situation to begin with, like he should have done instead of running from the law, we probably would not be having this one sided discussion.

It doesn't seem to matter that the man was running from the law. The officer had no idea if he was running from a crime scene or to a crime scene. He may have had a giant car bomb and was going to blow the hospital up because a friend had died in that hospital. The officer had NO Idea what this man's intentions were.


Okay, but then another cop came to explain the situation, then a nurse came down to explain the situation, and then the cop says, "okay, just finishing up writing the ticket..." before letting him go...at that point he was fully clued into what was going on...I think if he pulled over when the lights came on, he still would have held him up and lectured him, before writing the ticket and letting him go.

[SideLine Shooter]

Okay, but then another cop came to explain the situation, then a nurse came down to explain the situation, and then the cop says, "okay, just finishing up writing the ticket..." before letting him go...at that point he was fully clued into what was going on...I think if he pulled over when the lights came on, he still would have held him up and lectured him, before writing the ticket and letting him go.

I don't agree with that at all. But that is just my opinion. I'm sure the officer was so stewed by the time the man stopped. It all goes back to what I said in the earlier post. If the man had stopped when he should have, we probably would not be having this discussion.

[Big Al]

If the person would have pulled over when the officer hit the blue lights and explained the situation to begin with, like he should have done instead of running from the law, we probably would not be having this one sided discussion.

It doesn't seem to matter that the man was running from the law. The officer had no idea if he was running from a crime scene or to a crime scene. He may have had a giant car bomb and was going to blow the hospital up because a friend had died in that hospital. The officer had NO Idea what this man's intentions were.

Except he wasn't running from the law. I've been taught (by police officers, no less) that if the cop flips on their lights to pull you over and you can't pull over right away, you should turn on your dome light and hazards to let the cop know that you acknowledge their presence and will pull over at a suitable moment.

His hazards were definitely on. The cop should have been clued in.

[Big Al]

If the man had stopped when he should have, we probably would not be having this discussion.

I don't know about that -- Moats tried on several occasions to explain to the officer and the officer would have none of it. It really seems he wanted to exert control over the situation more than he wanted to hear Moats' explanation.

[whitey]

I don't agree with that at all. But that is just my opinion.

Well it's my opinion that you are wrong. xlolx xpeacex

Moats had his hazards on and was slowing down and proceeding through red lights as safely as he could have. There is no doubt that the cop was peeved that he did not stop when he initially turned his lights/siren on. However, that's where the cop went wrong. He has to have the ability to read different situations and not act like a robot. This officer doesn't appear to be able to do that. Therefore he is entirely in the wrong here.

[BlueHenRN]

I don't agree with that at all. But that is just my opinion. I'm sure the officer was so stewed by the time the man stopped. It all goes back to what I said in the earlier post. If the man had stopped when he should have, we probably would not be having this discussion.

You are entitled to your opinion, but the officers supervisors have said he was wrong and are embarrased by the officers behavior. It's pretty obvious the officer was out of line.

[ISUMatt]

When the Commander is apologizing for mis steps taken, I think its clear who ****ed up!!

[Panther88]

If the person would have pulled over when the officer hit the blue lights and explained the situation to begin with, like he should have done instead of running from the law, we probably would not be having this one sided discussion.

It doesn't seem to matter that the man was running from the law. The officer had no idea if he was running from a crime scene or to a crime scene. He may have had a giant car bomb and was going to blow the hospital up because a friend had died in that hospital. The officer had NO Idea what this man's intentions were.

I'm siding w/ SideLine Shooter on this one, pardon the pun. :D I think the outcome may have been very different if Mr Moats had pulled over immediately after noting the red/blue lights and siren. However, I do NOT excuse or condone what occurred after everyone had their adrenalin up (officer pulls gun out, etc but that's what they're trained to do in a perceived "hostile" situation).

I've been posting this all over the web lol:



Sec. 545.421. FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE POLICE OFFICER; OFFENSE.

(a) A person commits an offense if the person operates a motor vehicle and wilfully fails or refuses to bring the vehicle to a stop or flees, or attempts to elude, a pursuing police vehicle when given a visual or audible signal to bring the vehicle to a stop.

(b) A signal under this section that is given by a police officer pursuing a vehicle may be by hand, voice, emergency light, or siren. The officer giving the signal must be in uniform and prominently display the officer's badge of office. The officer's vehicle must be appropriately marked as an official police vehicle.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), an offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.

(d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor if the person, during the commission of the offense, recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.

(e) A person is presumed to have recklessly engaged in conduct placing another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury under Subsection (d) if the person while intoxicated knowingly operated a motor vehicle during the commission of the offense. In this subsection, "intoxicated" has the meaning assigned by Section 49.01, Penal Code.



Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.



Makes you think before it looks like you're "fleeing" from an officer of the law (here). xreadx

[SideLine Shooter]

I'm siding w/ SideLine Shooter on this one, pardon the pun. :D I think the outcome may have been very different if Mr Moats had pulled over immediately after noting the red/blue lights and siren. However, I do NOT excuse or condone what occurred after everyone had their adrenalin up (officer pulls gun out, etc but that's what they're trained to do in a perceived "hostile" situation).

I've been posting this all over the web lol:



Makes you think before it looks like you're "fleeing" from an officer of the law (here). xreadx



Thank you 88. Why can't people understand that. It is so simple.xnodx

[Skjellyfetti]

The cop should be fired... no doubt about it. Paid leave is just vacation.


I'm siding w/ SideLine Shooter on this one, pardon the pun. :D I think the outcome may have been very different if Mr Moats had pulled over immediately after noting the red/blue lights and siren. However, I do NOT excuse or condone what occurred after everyone had their adrenalin up (officer pulls gun out, etc but that's what they're trained to do in a perceived "hostile" situation).

I've been posting this all over the web lol:



Makes you think before it looks like you're "fleeing" from an officer of the law (here). xreadx

You do not have to pull over immediately (though... I would unless I had a good reason not to). You are within your rights to drive normally and find a safe location. I'm no lawyer... but, I don't think Moats' actions would constitute "fleeing" or "eluding" the police officer... he drove at normal speed and came to a stop in a parking lot.

Would you like to make a wager on whether or not Moats is charged with the misdemeanor you linked?

[BlueHenRN]

Thank you 88. Why can't people understand that. It is so simple.xnodx

It's not so simple. You have no way of knowing how things would have gone if Moats had pulled over immediately. The fact is, even after Powell knew the situation was an emergency, he continued to detain Moats while writing a ticket.

It's possible that if Moats had pulled over immediately, all of the family members would have been late getting to the hospital.

[SideLine Shooter]

It's not so simple. You have no way of knowing how things would have gone if Moats had pulled over immediately. The fact is, even after Powell knew the situation was an emergency, he continued to detain Moats while writing a ticket.

It's possible that if Moats had pulled over immediately, all of the family members would have been late getting to the hospital.

We will never know now. If moats had followed the law it may have worked out. I agree that it was an act of stupidity on both parties.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

I wouldn't call it "stupidity" for a person to do whatever it takes to get his family to the hospital where another family member is on death's door. Tell me you wouldn't do the same thing Shooter?

What really bothers me is the decision making by this officer. He's didn't read this situation worth a darn. Even when given information by a nurse and talked to by a fellow officer, he didn't back off. Scares the sh$t out of me wondering how he would have done in a much more intense scenario. Right now I'd prefer he never has a gun in his hand again while wearing a police uniform.

[BlueHenRN]

We will never know now. If moats had followed the law it may have worked out. I agree that it was an act of stupidity on both parties.

I don't think what Moats did was stupid. He rushed to the hospital in an emergency.

The police officer is the one who is supposed to be the "professional" in this case. If Powell had acted professionally, this incident could have been avoided.

Powell continued to write the ticket even after hospital staff told him the situation was an emergency - inexcusable.

[Panther88]

The cop should be fired... no doubt about it. Paid leave is just vacation.



You do not have to pull over immediately (though... I would unless I had a good reason not to). You are within your rights to drive normally and find a safe location. I'm no lawyer... but, I don't think Moats' actions would constitute "fleeing" or "eluding" the police officer... he drove at normal speed and came to a stop in a parking lot.

Would you like to make a wager on whether or not Moats is charged with the misdemeanor you linked?

DPD already dropped the ticket, almost immediately, Skjellyfetti. So, no wager required. But, if they were sticklers about the law verbatim, word for word, I'm sure they could've enforced the fact that it looked as though Moats was fleeing.

BTW, yes, I do agree, the cop definitely acted like an asshole after learning about the situation. There's enough blame to go around. Powell, the 25 yr old (I think), was pumped full of adrenalin and never backed off. In a really dire situation, that's a great thing. In that particular situation, it was the worst thing that could've occurred.

Also, by reviewing the video, there were plenty of spots that were "safe" to immediately pull over (into). :) Just thought I'd throw that in there.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

They also have nothing else to do. I find that a few cops fit that stereotype of the big-fat-donut-eating-slob and don't want to do anything that is too strenuous. I remember I had a Providence cop pull me over once and give me a ticket for going through a red light. BTW, the light was on a pole on a sidewalk; makes great sense. Anyway, this cop had a gut that actually hung over his belt and down to his crotch. I pointed to his stomach and asked him if the Providence PD had a minimum standard for physical fitness or if HE is the minimum standard.

Needless to say I got an additional ticket.

I thought only Massachusetts had those freaking traffic lights on a pole on the sidewalk? xconfusedx xmadx They probably still have four way intersections where no one has a stop sign too!! Just another example of why car insurance is so expensive in MA. xoopsx xlolx xlolx

BTW, for some strange reason I can see and hear you asking the Providence cop that very question!! xeekx xbowx xbowx xbowx :D :D :D :D :D :D :D xbeerchugx