San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 The officer has apologized, the Police Department was immediately apologetic and admitted that the situation was mishandled in no uncertain terms. They did not even attempt to erect the blue wall of silence or closing of the ranks as is so common in these situations. That speaks volumes. I know law enforcement officers work under a lot of duress and stress. But if this officer had one iota of wisdom, one ounce of discretion or judgment, he would have "checked himself" after absorbing the situation and changed tack. It became all about the cop and his ego. I would imagine the ability to assess a situation without prejudice would be the difference between an excellent cop and a hack. And with anything else, not all cops are created equally. The tape is pretty clear...not too much left to the imagination. It was handled poorly by the cop and no one debates this. Moats didn't even attempt to play the "do you know who I am card?" To me this situation is pretty black and white...not gray at all. The cop is indefensible in this instance. And that's not to say he's a bad cop...just that he made a bad play. Like...a good quarterback making a bad read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 They'd been there all day. They were told she was stable, and that they should go home and try to get some rest. Later, they got a phone call saying she'd taken a turn for the worse, she didn't have much time left, and they needed to get there as quickly as they could if they wanted to say goodbye. I've gotten a call like that twice myself. Both times, I made the trip to the hospital -- 20 miles away -- in less than 20 minutes. You're telling me you wouldn't do the same? Moats had his four-ways on. Stopped at the red light, where the only other driver at the intersection waved him through. If I see that, then follow the guy to the hospital, my first thought is that there's some kind of emergency. Instead, while this cop took TWENTY MINUTES to write a ticket and deliver a lecture about "attitude," Moats' mother-in-law died. F%^& this guy. What she said. Why would you ask a stupid question like that? This isn't a hypothetical situation. It has specific context. They were right in the hospital parking lot. Maybe the officer could have escorted Moat, and his family, into the hospital and checked on the situation, himself. Protect and Serve! And, the very fact that the cops ass is sitting on administrative leave, and his superiors say they are "embarrassed" by his behavior, suggests you are the one out of touch, in this instance. What he said. Maybe because being a cop nowadays is a wee bit different than "back in the day"? I've pulled my weapon (please, no sarcastic comments!) more times than I would like, on the job. Was it because I had every intention of using it? Yes, it was - as a response if a deadly threat presented itself. Do cops always have to wait for the weapon to be displayed before they react? Common sense says no! Its all too easy for everyone to sit back, with knowledge of facts obtained afterwards, and judge the officer based upon facts he knew at the time. In this case, the woman jumps out of the car, refuses to obey the numerous verbal commands of the officer and he draws his weapon. I see no problem with that. At that point in time, he has no idea what her intentions are. Or, even if she is acting as a decoy so the driver can attack. He could have, if he wanted to, gone hands on at that point. He chose not to. To me, its when tensions relax, and the matter starts to come in to focus, where the officer really screwed up. I have a sneaky suspicion that he backed himself into a corner during the initial encounter with the "tough talk", that he couldn't back down and do what I believe he knew to be the right thing to do. He felt he had to keep being the tough cop. Its hard to flip that switch, guys. Trust me. One minute, you are concerned that something seriously amiss is going on, the next you are asked to change gears and be compassionate, kind, and caring. I appreciate the input from someone who's been there. I was pulled over for a speeding ticket and the officer asked me for proof of insurance and I had to go to the glove compartment. He put his hand on his gun as I moved over to open the compartment. IMO, that is exactly what he should do. He doesn't know what I have in there. I guess you could put me into the "white and non-menacing looking stereotype" so I believe he did it to everyone. Some people would probably go off on him; "I'm not gonna shoot ya can't you tell I'm not a threat! Stupid cop!!" Then they'd probably get his badge number and call his supervisor. A lot of people are jackholes. I have little problem with the gun pull but add things up. 1. The car has it's flashers on. 2. It pulls into the parking lot of a hospital 3. He gets out yelling that his mother is dying inside. 4. The woman thinks the cop is a jackhole and runs off screaming her mother is dying. 5. Moats asks him to write a ticket and let him go. He was obviously in tough-cop power trip mode and, IMO, it wouldn't matter if Moat's wife was pregnant because the same BS would have gone on. A nurse comes out to tell the cop the mother is dying and he blows her off. IMO, this cop doesn't have a shut off switch. I'd be willing to bet he's a jackhole all the time with people. He strikes me as the kind of guy who becomes a cop for the power rush. JMO I'm all for backing up the cops when it's more than justifiable but there are a few times they are wrong and this is definitely one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjbills69 Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 [/b]no they aren't thats the point..instead of thinking you know everything y don't you try listening to others and taking some advice.... And the whole "i don't pay attention to caps is BS..you had to turn it on and turn it off so you were paying attention and knew exactly what you were doing don't play it off lmao... really!thats your whole problem?r u serious?so whos the one trying to start an argument?im thinking that would be you!like i said sorry for the caps whether you believe it or not i dont care!and when you learn to read you can give me advice.i went through my posts and oh my the spacing is just fine! i never once said i knew everything but apparently you believe that you do! so take some of your own advice and stop worrying about whether or not my caps and spacing is ok!and yes im lmao! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PushthePile Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 What she said. What he said. I appreciate the input from someone who's been there. I was pulled over for a speeding ticket and the officer asked me for proof of insurance and I had to go to the glove compartment. He put his hand on his gun as I moved over to open the compartment. IMO, that is exactly what he should do. He doesn't know what I have in there. I guess you could put me into the "white and non-menacing looking stereotype" so I believe he did it to everyone. Some people would probably go off on him; "I'm not gonna shoot ya can't you tell I'm not a threat! Stupid cop!!" Then they'd probably get his badge number and call his supervisor. A lot of people are jackholes. I have little problem with the gun pull but add things up. 1. The car has it's flashers on. 2. It pulls into the parking lot of a hospital 3. He gets out yelling that his mother is dying inside. 4. The woman thinks the cop is a jackhole and runs off screaming her mother is dying. 5. Moats asks him to write a ticket and let him go. He was obviously in tough-cop power trip mode and, IMO, it wouldn't matter if Moat's wife was pregnant because the same BS would have gone on. A nurse comes out to tell the cop the mother is dying and he blows her off. IMO, this cop doesn't have a shut off switch. I'd be willing to bet he's a jackhole all the time with people. He strikes me as the kind of guy who becomes a cop for the power rush. JMO I'm all for backing up the cops when it's more than justifiable but there are a few times they are wrong and this is definitely one of them. I agree, this guy is most likely a bad apple. At the very least he's a kid who might have gotten spooked and responded poorly. Most importantly you used the term jackhole three times in your post and that has to be a TBD record. Nice work! On a side note Blake Griffin is a freak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I agree, this guy is most likely a bad apple. At the very least he's a kid who might have gotten spooked and responded poorly. Most importantly you used the term jackhole three times in your post and that has to be a TBD record. Nice work! On a side note Blake Griffin is a freak. Lori, are stats kept for that kind of thing? Do I get put in the Guiness Book of TBD? BTW, STFU about Griffin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick the Greek Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 not to play devil's advocate, but the guy RAN A RED LIGHT!! with that said, i think its safe to say we're lucky he didnt massacre a family of 4, kill himself and his mother in law (who was gonna die anyway) and create some great fodder for the creep-o's at rotten.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PushthePile Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Lori, are stats kept for that kind of thing? Do I get put in the Guiness Book of TBD? BTW, STFU about Griffin. LMAO Sorry, I wasn't directing that at you. I didn't even notice the Doug Marrone/ Orange comment. The dude's a feak though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 not to play devil's advocate, but the guy RAN A RED LIGHT!! with that said, i think its safe to say we're lucky he didnt massacre a family of 4, kill himself and his mother in law (who was gonna die anyway) and create some great fodder for the creep-o's at rotten.com He waited until he was the only car at the red light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Most white cops have no clue how to deal with minorities. It is just a real shame. For the most part I believe racial relations especially amongst blacks and whites are much better than when I was growing up in the 70's and 80's. However, that seems to be more the case amongst somewhat educated white people. A lot of cops are just stupid meatheads who use their badge as an excuse to bully people especially black males. It is too bad that cops get paid so poorly, because if they were paid better, maybe their would be a higher quality cop who had an ounce of common sense. Until than, black athletes will be on the most wanted list of most police departments. All you conservatives on the board can flame away if you like now. all those black guys doing nothing wrong and the badd bad white cops just persecuting them for the fun and games of it. I get ya BRO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Officer apologizes after delaying Texans' Moats as mother-in-law died http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true "I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions," Powell said in the statement. "After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions." Did he send flowers to funeral? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Officer apologizes after delaying Texans' Moats as mother-in-law diedhttp://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true "I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions," Powell said in the statement. "After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions." Did he send flowers to funeral? Somehow I believe that if this had never been reported outside the PD he wouldn't have issued an apology to anyone. JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Officer apologizes after delaying Texans' Moats as mother-in-law diedhttp://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true "I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions," Powell said in the statement. "After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions." Did he send flowers to funeral? Think he would have issued that without being forced to? Think he actually believes it? Yeah, me neither. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 HAHAHAHA IM NOT YELLING ABOUT IT AND IM NOT WANTING TO START AN ARGUMENT.JUST MAKING A POINT!sorry about the caps thing i dont pay attention to caps or not.i understand that moats and family were in a distressed situation but they could have just followed directions and not overwhelmed a lone police officer!and it probably would have been alot easier for him to get things straight with what was going on! Not saying your wrong about the "lone police officer" theory, but in Texas (I live here), I believe, unless there is some incredible circumstance preventing it, all police cars are manned by two officers. When there is a traffic stop, on officer approaches the driver, while the other positions him/herself at the back passenger side of he vehicle. Either way, my dad was a police officer. I understand the fear aspect that you are speaking of, but a good police officer can make the distinction of where and when his job is to serve or protect. In this case, the officer had ample time to assess the situation. He really was very insensitive to the situation. I wouldn't care to speculate whether race played a part in the way the officer and Moates interacted, because it would only be speculation. All in all, an example of poor judgment on the officers part, but as Magox and Steely said, I don't think any laws were actually broken by the officer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyBillsFan Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Did you watch the video? Moats was very nice about it, all things considered. If it was my Mother-in-law, Id be VERY nice too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 It's not all just racial. Here's a guy who's 83 year old mother died in the backseat of his truck just a mile from the hospital as a cop wrote him a ticket... Mom dies while cop writes ticket This one is just as bad. I wonder why this one didn't get that much publicity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 This one is just as bad. I wonder why this one didn't get that much publicity I live in the area, (I posted this in the OTW thread, but I think he posted this first) and people are really ticked about this one. Only no apology, no tremendous embarrassment, no investigation that we know of. One cop (maybe he is a troll and not a cop) had the gall to post on the Commercial Appeal board that it was his fault for letting his tags expire. A mere 12 days to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I live in the area, (I posted this in the OTW thread, Actually, that's probably where this thread belongs, too. ---I'm just sayin'--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyal2dagame Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Why would you ask a stupid question like that? This isn't a hypothetical situation. It has specific context. They were right in the hospital parking lot. Maybe the officer could have escorted Moat, and his family, into the hospital and checked on the situation, himself. Protect and Serve! And, the very fact that the cops ass is sitting on administrative leave, and his superiors say they are "embarrassed" by his behavior, suggests you are the one out of touch, in this instance. dean, i think you are misunderstanding my initial post. my comments were directed not at the incident directly, but at the article written by florio being out of touch with reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I'm generally empathetic and supportive to cops. However, I can't for the life of me understand your logic. I hope he lives in your neighborhood and not mine. Gotcha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Actually, that's probably where this thread belongs, too. ---I'm just sayin'--- For a man that smokes weed, you are sorta uptight. Glad you had a take on the other story I mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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