The policeman's motto.
They are not only there to catch those nasty bad guys. Their job is to protect us and serve us.
Wow. I guess that doesn't pertain to one certain cop in Dallas. OK, and lot's of others, but I'm just talkin about him right now.
If you haven't heard, Ryan Moats, a running back for the Houston Texans was on his way with his wife and other family members to say their last goodbye to his mother in law, dying from breast cancer at a hospital in Plano, Texas near Dallas. In their haste to make it there on time, Ryan ran a red light and didn't come to a complete stop at a couple of stop signs.
Seems that got Officer Robert Powell's skirt in a knot as he pulled Moats over in the parking lot of the hospital and preceded to throw around all that policeman authority. Clearly Moats was driving fast to get to hospital........but for what? Was he headed there for the great cafeteria food?
OK, enough of my sarcasm, here is the transcript:
Excerpts from Officer Robert Powell and Ryan Moats:
Moats: You really want to go through this right now? My mother-in-law is dying. Right now! ... I got seconds before she's dying, man!
Powell: If my mom was dying I'd probably be a little upset too, but when I saw flashing red and blues, I would stop.
Moats: Did I not stop at the red light?
Powell: You stopped, then you drove through the red light.
Moats: I stopped, I checked the traffic, I waved the traffic off, then I turned.
Powell: This is not an emergency vehicle. You do not have the right to control the traffic.
Moats: OK. All right ... just go ahead and check my insurance so I can go ahead and go. If you're gonna give me a ticket, give me a ticket. I really don't care, just ...
Powell: Your attitude says that you need one.
Moats: I don't have an attitude. All I'm asking you is just to hurry up. Cause you're standing here talking to me...
Powell: Shut your mouth and listen.
Moats: Shut my mouth? Is that how you talk to me, too?
Powell: Shut your mouth and listen. If you want to keep this going, I'll just put you in handcuffs, and I'll take you to jail for running a red light.
Moats: OK. All right.
Powell: I can do that.
Moats: OK.
Powell: State law says I can.
Moats: Yes, sir. Go ahead.
Powell: If you don't settle down that's what I'm gonna do.
Moats: Yes, sir.
Powell: All right, If you don't settle down, your truck's illegally parked – I'll tow that as well.
Moats: Yes, sir.
Powell: OK, I can screw you over. I'd rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens, and right now, your attitude sucks.
Moats: Yes, sir.
Powell: OK, I turned my red and blues on as you were going over the bridge ...
Moats: You think I'm gonna stop when my wife's mother is dying?
Powell: You are required to stop. What you're doing does not matter. Red and blues, you have to stop. I can charge you with fleeing right now.
Moats: Yes, sir. ...
Powell: I can take you to jail. I can tow your truck. I can charge you with fleeing.
Moats: Yes, sir, you can. I understand.
Powell: I can make your night very difficult.
Moats: I hope you'll be a great person and not do that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can't find where Moats was threatening enough or even disrespectful enough to cause Powell to pull his weapon......but he did. Moats didn't even play the "Don't you know who I am?" card. And do you know what Moats got out of this? He didn't go to jail and he didn't get to tell his mother in law goodbye. She died before he could enter the hospital.
Robert Power claimed he was just doing his job. Apology not necessary. Now, of course it came later, you know, after the sh*t hit the fan and all.
To his credit, Dallas Police Chief, Davis Kunkle, was appropriately indignant and disgusted with his officer. I guess after the plethora of police related shootings and the like in the first three months of this year, police chiefs are pretty much backed in a corner right now.
To read this story and watch the video of this routine traffic stop in the Dallas Morning News, click here.
9 hours ago
8 comments:
Thanks for publishing the transcript. Even though I watched the video a couple times on the news this makes it clearer. I just cannot believe that someone could be that callous. Even when the nurse and another officer chimed in it didn't shake him from his power trip. I hope the cop loses his job-- he is most certainly on the wrong career path.
I have heard much about this story. To play the Devils advocate, let's go back a few days to Oakland. An African American man was pulled over for a routine traffic stop. The man killed 4 police officers. There was nothing routine about it.
Cops have a tough job no one wants. They deal with liars, cheats, thieves and murderers. Every time they pull someone over, they risk being killed.
The cop in this story sees a man going through a red light and does not stop immediately. That immediately would send up a red flag for any other police officer.
He reacted with extreme caution. Granted, he didn't totally handle the situation the best way, but to be fair. I think it's ok to look at his side of the story.
Cops make life and death decisions on a regular basis.
I think the whole situation could have been handled better but at least no one died...this time.
William Greene
Socialhearts
William - You bring up a very valid point and I agree with you up until the moment Moats drove into the hospital parking lot. That's when the benefit of the doubt should have kicked in. Sure, he still should have been cautious to protect himself, but common sense at some point during this exchange should have determined what this situation was.
The uncalled for harassment is the problem in this situation.
Thanks, as always for your comment.
Hi Shirl,
I agree that policemen put their lives at risk whenever they step out of a police vehicle and approach a car. Would officer Powell react differently had Mr. Moats stopped his vehicle immediately? Only God knows that answer.
Where I disagree with William is that "Someone did die." If there had been no imminent threat of his mother-in-law dying, he would not have run the red light.
None of us can project what might or could have happened. What we know is what actually happened. I do not believe Officer Powell would have behaved this way if Ryan Moats were White; but that is speculation.
When a police officer tells a Black man, "...Shut your mouth and listen....OK, I can screw you over...I can make your night very difficult", I know what he's saying.
What I saw was a confrontation between a White man (not a police officer) and a Black man. The White man was in a position of power and he used every opportunity to make that point clear. The moment Officer Powell's emotions governed his decision making, he ceased to be an officer of the law.
U
OK, so here's the deal ...
When I was a hot 20-something, I was pulled over NUMEROUS times. I can probably estimate a dozen times per year. Not making this up.
Each and every time, I pulled a little stunt. I started crying. I gave lots of great reasons why I either "didn't see the stop sign" or "was going too fast ..." One time I deliberately turned left when I had a red arrow in the turning lane. When I was pulled over for it, I told the officer that because the light was green in the straight-ahead-traffic lane, I thought it was okay to turn. And then I started crying.
You know what?
I got out of it each and every time. No tickets. No lectures. No "get out of your car and I have the power to put handcuffs on you."
Nothing.
You can't tell me that looks don't have anything to do with this issue. I understand what William is trying to communicate, but we don't live in that world. We just DON'T.
We live in a world where a cute girl can cry and get away with practically anything, and an African American man who is rushing to a hospital to say goodbye to his mother-in-law gets threatened with jail.
I'll also bet that if my skin had been dark, my little crying routine would not have worked.
@U - I agree, it all boils down to a the dialogue between a two men. One white who is claiming he is in control and has the upper hand and one black. I admire Ryan Moats for his self control.
@Heidi - Every day I get to know you a little more....12 times a year? You were quite the rebellious one! Anyway, I too, always weasled my way out of a ticket, (OK except once). I always pulled the dumb blonde routine. It is in fact a world of double standards isn't it?
My husband is a columnist for the Dallas Morning News -- James Ragland. He wrote about this and did a 'Rant' about the subsequent 'apology' on a local news channel. We were both livid about the incident, of course. I wanted justice! He responded much more calmly. Experience, I suppose. My husband is Black. I'm White. We have two beautiful, beautiful biracial children.
@Shannon - Welcome and thanks for your comment. Like you, my husband always responds more calmly and rationally than I do. I will pay James' column a visit. I read the "apology" and thought it very stiff and impersonal myself.
Post a Comment