Don't pull that speeding driver over!

[draco664]

Florida State Trooper Watts watched a car speed past her, so she pursued. The five-minute chase reached speeds of up to 122 miles an hour, which I suspect is a touch beyond the speed limit in Florida.

Watts eventually pulls the car over and detains the driver. Charges him with reckless driving.

All is good, right? Someone doing 120 is a textbook example of reckless driving, right?

Nope, Watts received a formal warning from her chief.

Why? Because the man she pulled over was an off-duty cop. Violating professional courtesy between cops is a disciplinary offence, apparently.

Apparently there's a heap of law enforcement blogs out there going bananas. Some are saying Watts shouldn't have drawn her weapon, shouldn't have cuffed the cop. Some are saying the cop shouldn't have been speeding. But there's talk of the troopers and Miami cops not backing each other up when called together - and that's a seriously fucked up can of worms that common sense would have avoided.

[bainsidhe]

Crazy. I completely supported the officer doing the handcuffing until I read she was chasing a patrol car. Don't get me wrong, no way should an officer be traveling 120 mi/hr unless it's towards an emergency, but pulling over a cop car? Really?

Quote: "Yet to be answered: Did Watts check to see if the car had been reported stolen while she was following it? Did a supervisor order her to stop her pursuit? Did Watts violate FHP regulations or training in any way, particularly when she pulled her weapon and approached the car instead of waiting for back-up from a same distance?"

Good questions. I hope the speed-demon is fined and reprimanded for his insane driving, and I won't be surprised if the other officer is reprimanded as well. I'm still just dumbfounded she pull over a cop car.

[Greenday]

I don't get the "Back up all fellow cops!" attitude. It should be "Back up all fellow cops who do the right thing!" instead. When a cop does something wrong, they embarrass not only the station itself but cops everywhere. Cops should shun bad cops so as to prove that being a cop isn't about being a jerk above the law.

[Panacea]

The off duty cop in question was rushing to get to an off duty job. He was moonlighting, and running late.

He's the one who should have been disciplined, not the Highway Patrol trooper.

She did exactly right.

[Rapscallion]

He's allowed to use police equipment to at minimum travel to his second job?

She's in trouble for stopping a speeding cop?

Fuck me drunk. I'm glad I don't live over there.

Rapscallion

[bara]

I understand the 'look out for our won' mentality. But those doesnt mean turning a blind eye when the law is being broken.

[Eisa]

I don't get the "Back up all fellow cops!" attitude. It should be "Back up all fellow cops who do the right thing!" instead. When a cop does something wrong, they embarrass not only the station itself but cops everywhere. Cops should shun bad cops so as to prove that being a cop isn't about being a jerk above the law.

I actually agree with this. He was rushing to his second job, it's not like he was rushing to a crime scene. He SHOULD have been pulled over. And why is he using a cop car to get to his second job anyway?

[smileyeagle1021]

And why is he using a cop car to get to his second job anyway?

I don't know how the laws and rules vary from state to state, but at least in Utah cops are not only allowed to use the cars for personal use (as long as they provide their own fuel) but sometimes encouraged to, because having the cars out on the road and in the community makes it seem like they have a larger presence than they really do... it (hopefully) deters crime.

[Andara Bledin]

Plus, in an emergency, they won't have to go home to fetch the car; it's already there.

However, that's the only part of it where he was excused. The speeding, resisting, etc are all on him and he deserves to be cited for every law he broke.

Not that it's going to happen with the atmosphere over there, though. >_<

^-.-^

[Gravekeeper]

I don't get the "Back up all fellow cops!" attitude. It should be "Back up all fellow cops who do the right thing!" instead. When a cop does something wrong, they embarrass not only the station itself but cops everywhere. Cops should shun bad cops so as to prove that being a cop isn't about being a jerk above the law.

^ That right there.

Much of the problem at the moment is it seems like its the reverse in some areas. Its not shun the bad cop, its shun the good cop until he or she agreeds to play by the "rules" of the bad cops who are typically in a position of power above him. The good ol' boys club.

Once Bad Cops(tm) are entrenched, Good Cops(tm) can't get any traction.

[Evandril]

IMO, the one not 'sticking up for their own' was the cop breaking the rules, and expecting their badge to give them a get out of jail free card. One bad cop makes ALL of them look bad, since you don't know who you can trust. When I was growing up, "talk to a police officer" was common advice given to kids if you needed help with something...and I did so. That's not advice I'd give my kids now, nor would I talk to a cop without a damned good reason, atm. 90% chance I'd be fine...but 'tis not worth that %10 to me. *shrugs*

[draggar]

This has been big news down here and triggered a war between FHP and MIami-Dade Sheriff's office.

1) No way in HELL anyone should be driving 120 MhP on the highway unless they are an emergency vehicle with their lights on going to one hell of an emergency. The speed limit in that area is 65 which means the driver was going 55 MhP OVER the speed limit - he was passing cars like they were standing still on the highway.

That is an extremely dangerous speed to travel at and from the video he went form the far left lane, to the far right lane, and then back to the far left lane - NO SIGNAL and just went straight across.

The chase lasted 7 minutes. The Miami officer had plenty of time to PULL OVER but he didn't. That means she chased him for 10-15 miles.

Everyone loves to look back and say "well, she should have done this, she should have done that" and so on. Even if she called in to see if the car was reported stolen - how does she know the officer wasn't a hostage or even dead? A car is only reported stolen when someone realizes that it is missing.

Also:

The Miami-Dade officer was off duty and going to a second job.
He was in Broward County when this happened.
It was very early in the morning (still dark out)

I say the Miami-Dade officer was being wreckless and if any of us had did the same I guarantee you our faces would have been planted on the pavement and then our asses would have been hauled to the county lockup - why should someone else be different just because they're driving another police car?

[Ghel]

My understanding has always been that emergency personnel can only break traffic laws if they must do so in the line of duty. If they're not apprehending a suspect or reporting to the scene of an emergency, they must obey all traffic laws. And, unless secrecy is an issue (such as not alerting a suspect to their approach), they're supposed to have at least their flashers on if not their siren, too. If this is not what the law states, it should be.

[Andara Bledin]

That's always been my understanding as well, but I regularly see officers flagrantly breaking the law and driving in a dangerous or reckless manner for their own personal gain.

Yet one more reason I want to have a dashcam.

^-.-^

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

^ That right there.

Much of the problem at the moment is it seems like its the reverse in some areas. Its not shun the bad cop, its shun the good cop until he or she agreeds to play by the "rules" of the bad cops who are typically in a position of power above him. The good ol' boys club.

Once Bad Cops(tm) are entrenched, Good Cops(tm) can't get any traction.

That's pretty much the plot for Training Day, a movie far more close to reality than many of us wish it was.