Dashcam catches off duty police officer out of control!

[saevel25]

the fact staying alive after dealing with police officers is considered a triumph is the issue.

I've been pulled over 3 times in my life and never once felt threatened or have been threatened by a police officer. My Uncle is a state highway patrolman for Ohio. He is one of the kindest people I know.

Keep your stereotyping to a minimum please.

Absolutely right. However, fighting, disrespecting, and resisting are not the proper ways to show your disapproval of the cop/cops in question. Something needs to be done for sure, but in my suggestion all of these people would still be alive. There are thousands of cops who are wonderful and act professional only to be killed while controlling their emotions. STOP PROVOKING COPS. File your complaint and protest peacefully.

Pretty much this.

Are there cops who shouldn't be cops, yea. There are far more good cops than bad cops. I think the media is doing a terrible disservice latching onto all the bad stories and making it seem like it's the norm.

I do think cops needs to take steps to really not be confrontational even after being provoked. If the person has committed a crime in the way they provoked the cop then be calm and call for backup. The cop can always arrest them at a later time under the cops terms. Be smart about it.

My uncle reviewed the shooting up in Cleveland, of the kid with the airsoft gun. He said the cops shouldn't have been in that place to begin with. The guy driving the car was a rookie cop who basically didn't follow procedure and forced his partner into a bad situation because he was put themselves into harms way. Just stupid stuff like that can help a lot.

[newtogolf]

My answer to the bold is "Who is the professional in the room?"

Who supposedly has the training to ratchet down the emotions and place the citizen at ease?

The officers in these videos appear to have as many issues as the citizens.

While they are there to enforce the law and place the citizen at ease, they seem more intent on enforcing their authority in an aggressive manner on the citizenry.

We need officers who can control their emotions and are aware.

Perhaps the answer is better screening of candidates, higher quality officers, and better training.

You're right, there are cops out there that have no business being a cops (again this can be said for all vocations) but most of the problems you see with officers are in inner cities.  Here in NY a LOE that works in the city and most dangerous areas have a starting salary of $41,000.  You're not going to attract the best candidates to work in the worst areas of the city for $41,000 when you can go work in the safer long island suburbs or upstate for more money.

The biggest problem I think that exists in law enforcement is the brotherhood and unions are so strong the good cops are hesitant to report bad behavior they witness from their co-workers which typically escalates over time.

[Abu3baid]

I've been pulled over 3 times in my life and never once felt threatened or have been threatened by a police officer. My Uncle is a state highway patrolman for Ohio. He is one of the kindest people I know.  Keep your stereotyping to a minimum please.  Pretty much this.  Are there cops who shouldn't be cops, yea. There are far more good cops than bad cops. I think the media is doing a terrible disservice latching onto all the bad stories and making it seem like it's the norm. I do think cops needs to take steps to really not be confrontational even after being provoked. If the person has committed a crime in the way they provoked the cop then be calm and call for backup. The cop can always arrest them at a later time under the cops terms. Be smart about it.  My uncle reviewed the shooting up in Cleveland, of the kid with the airsoft gun. He said the cops shouldn't have been in that place to begin with. The guy driving the car was a rookie cop who basically didn't follow procedure and forced his partner into a bad situation because he was put themselves into harms way. Just stupid stuff like that can help a lot.

What would you suggest? The media not report on it? The normal interactions will never be a story? It's like electricity at my house, I expect it to be running and it is only a big deal when it gets cut off.. Of course stories like this will be reported, and it has nothing to do with disservice to anyone.. Although, maybe because of your relative being a police officer there is a little bias in there. I haven had bad interactions, but that doesn't mean anything.. Others have, case in point the video.. It is all about image in the end, as long as the cops internally take swift actions against the cops who are proven to have gone against protocol and make that sort of thing publicly, then the people will know that those who commit these things aren't infallible against the law and the cops on the inside will know that hey my job is always on the line if I start acting like a tough guy and threaten people that I will blow their heads off while I'm off duty (or on duty).

[iacas]

I haven had bad interactions, but that doesn't mean anything.. Others have, case in point the video..

Yes it does, on the whole, when you consider that you're one of millions who have never had "bad interactions."

Very, very, very few have. They're often over-sensationalized when they happen, but they're still a tiny minority.

All I think @saevel25 is saying (and all I am saying) is that we should be careful not to lose our perspective and make assumptions.

[Mr. Desmond]

Absolutely right. However, fighting, disrespecting, and resisting are not the proper ways to show your disapproval of the cop/cops in question. Something needs to be done for sure, but in my suggestion all of these people would still be alive. There are thousands of cops who are wonderful and act professional only to be killed while controlling their emotions. STOP PROVOKING COPS. File your complaint and protest peacefully.

Most of us know not to provoke law enforcement ... and this again goes to "Who is the Professional?"

Within our society, we have different classes and cultures of people who do not handle "situations" or perceived injustice in the same way as others within our society. They are not taught submissiveness to authority, are tired of perceived injustice, etc. and react more strongly to these situations.

It is the job of the professional to recognize these people and ratchet down the situation -- in the Bland case, I think even most of us without training could have recognized issues and ratcheted down the situation.

[newtogolf]

Yes it does, on the whole, when you consider that you're one of millions who have never had "bad interactions."

Very, very, very few have. They're often over-sensationalized when they happen, but they're still a tiny minority.

All I think @saevel25 is saying (and all I am saying) is that we should be careful not to lose our perspective and make assumptions.

This was my point exactly.  If we put any group or vocation "under the microscope" the way LEO's are today we'd be outraged by what we saw with how certain individuals go about doing their jobs.  Most of these videos that go viral represent the worst in law enforcement, if you compare the number of videos being released compared to the number of interactions LEO's have with the public on a daily basis I'd doubt it would be over .001%.

[Abu3baid]

This was my point exactly.  If we put any group or vocation "under the microscope" the way LEO's are today we'd be outraged by what we saw with how certain individuals go about doing their jobs.  Most of these videos that go viral represent the worst in law enforcement, if you compare the number of videos being released compared to the number of interactions LEO's have with the public on a daily basis I'd doubt it would be over .001%.

The main reason they are put under the microscope per se is because they carry guns and have and will use it.. Most of the time it is a legitimate use of that weapon, but the time that it is not legitimately used especially when the officer isn't following protocol it will garner a lot of attention.. I don't know about others, but I haven't made an generalizations about police officers, what I have is discuss specifically what this guy did and how he did it and how it badly reflects on him and the force.. If you don't think it reflects badly on the force that's fine, but I'm the realm of public opinion this is the case unfortunately.. Will, I feel any differently the next time a cop pulls me over? No, not at all.. Would I ever stop to listen to some maniac jumping out of his truck? Never.. I would press the gas and just go, especially if he is saying I'm going to blow a hole in your head.

[saevel25]

The main reason they are put under the microscope per se is because they carry guns and have and will use it..

That is total BS.

Most cops never have to pull their gun in their career. It is very very very rare for an officer to have to pull their gun on someone. Typically just knowing they have the option is enough to make a person stand down.

Again it is the over-dramatized negative opinionated media world we live in that has given a false pretense to nature of the job that a cop has to do.

Also it's the fact cops have to deal with the worst in our society that it naturally puts them in a bad position to begin with. Really cops have a lose-lose situation with the media and public perception.

What would you suggest? The media not report on it? The normal interactions will never be a story?

How about the media report on the drug rings broken up. How cops arrested a murderer or rapist. How about all the good stuff cops do for their work. 99% of the news is negative crap because it gets them volume on their news channels and websites which drive revenue.

What gets more hits, the very rare cop having to shoot someone or how about a story like this,

http://www.people.com/article/cops-mow-lawn-disabled-man?xid=socialflow_facebook_peoplemag

I don't see stories like this on CNN, ABC, Foxnews, MSNBC, ect...

[Abu3baid]

That is total BS.  Most cops never have to pull their gun in their career. It is very very very rare for an officer to have to pull their gun on someone. Typically just knowing they have the option is enough to make a person stand down.  Again it is the over-dramatized negative opinionated media world we live in that has given a false pretense to nature of the job that a cop has to do.  Also it's the fact cops have to deal with the worst in our society that it naturally puts them in a bad position to begin with. Really cops have a lose-lose situation with the media and public perception.  How about the media report on the drug rings broken up. How cops arrested a murderer or rapist. How about all the good stuff cops do for their work. 99% of the news is negative crap because it gets them volume on their news channels and websites which drive revenue.  What gets more hits, the very rare cop having to shoot someone or how about a story like this, [URL=http://www.people.com/article/cops-mow-lawn-disabled-man?xid=socialflow_facebook_peoplemag]http://www.people.com/article/cops-mow-lawn-disabled-man?xid=socialflow_facebook_peoplemag[/URL] I don't see stories like this on CNN, ABC, Foxnews, MSNBC, ect...

Cops breaking up drug rings and arresting rapists is their job!!! If it doesn't get reported well it is because they are doing their job!!! Also, when a cop does a heroic thing it is reported, start a thread about the story about and we can all talk about it, no one prevents you from posting.. Total BS or not, that's my perception like it or not.. Heck, the same day I read the story about the cop that shot the black guy because he wouldn't come out of his car.. I think you should start a thread on how media mistreats cops because this thread is about the crazy off duty cop who threatened to blow a hole in the guys head because he broke a traffic law.. And no he wasn't dealing with the worst of the worst..

[saevel25]

Cops breaking up drug rings and arresting rapists is their job!!! If it doesn't get reported well it is because they are doing their job!!!

So the news should never report how well a cop does his job, but just when they F'up. Way to show America who well their cops are doing. Lets just keep portraying a negative image of cops. No wonder cops are on edge. The whole country is against them because of the news. If I was a cop and saw the news every night I would be edgy all the time because I know everyone is just going to give me shit about my job.

How about this, 1 out of every 10 new stories can be about a cop doing something bad. The rest of the time it should be about stuff they do right. That is still over stating how much bad stuff they do, by a lot.

I think you should start a thread on how media mistreats cops because this thread is about the crazy off duty cop who threatened to blow a hole in the guys head because he broke a traffic law.. And no he wasn't dealing with the worst of the worst..

Again the media misrepresents cops by not showing enough of them doing their job correctly.

What is your perception going to be if you watch the news regularly and you see that 95% of the time cops are represented in doing something they shouldn't? You would think that is the way it is in the real world.

I am not saying don't show the negative stuff. This guy definitely deserves to be reprimanded or fired for what he's done. News articles have stated he has had issues in the past as well.

I am saying if they show the negative stuff they should proportionally show the stuff they do right or stuff they go out of their way to do a good thing. There was a story of a cop who, on duty, went into a store and bought shoes for a homeless war vet. This got written as a news article and got no play on the primary news network. You get a cop who shoots a guy and it gets a week's worth of play on the primary news networks.

Honestly, all the media is doing is making the job harder for the cops.

[Mr. Desmond]

So the news should never report how well a cop does his job, but just when they F'up. Way to show America who well their cops are doing. Lets just keep portraying a negative image of cops. No wonder cops are on edge. The whole country is against them because of the news. If I was a cop and saw the news every night I would be edgy all the time because I know everyone is just going to give me shit about my job.

How about this, 1 out of every 10 new stories can be about a cop doing something bad. The rest of the time it should be about stuff they do right. That is still over stating how much bad stuff they do, by a lot.

Again the media misrepresents cops by not showing enough of them doing their job correctly.

What is your perception going to be if you watch the news regularly and you see that 95% of the time cops are represented in doing something they shouldn't? You would think that is the way it is in the real world.

I am not saying don't show the negative stuff. This guy definitely deserves to be reprimanded or fired for what he's done. News articles have stated he has had issues in the past as well.

I am saying if they show the negative stuff they should proportionally show the stuff they do right or stuff they go out of their way to do a good thing. There was a story of a cop who, on duty, went into a store and bought shoes for a homeless war vet. This got written as a news article and got no play on the primary news network. You get a cop who shoots a guy and it gets a week's worth of play on the primary news networks.

Honestly, all the media is doing is making the job harder for the cops.

One can say the media misrepresents almost everyone because doing your job is not news -- it's when you do not do your job correctly and its affects on others -- that is Eyewitness Type Broadcast News.

And a lot of this is also driven by social media -- mainstream feels obligated by competitive ratings to report the sensational, unusual, you know, the freak circus type occurrences, not only to let the public know but for ratings.

[Lihu]

I didn't really see anything wrong with what the Dick told the driver. This is how everyone in Medfud talks.

The driver was uncooperative, he tried to flee the scene, didn't shut off his motor immediately when he realized it was a detective. He also drove through a rotary without yielding to traffic inside the Rotary. I was driving in Roxbury and Dedham recently and saw a couple near accidents on the rotaries with out of state vehicles.

It's tough driving in Boston, but it's obvious and possible even for a Californian to drive there.

[Abu3baid]

I didn't really see anything wrong with what the Dick told the driver. This is how everyone in Medfud talks. :-P The driver was uncooperative, he tried to flee the scene, didn't shut off his motor immediately when he realized it was a detective. He also drove through a rotary without yielding to traffic inside the Rotary. I was driving in Roxbury and Dedham recently and saw a couple near accidents on the rotaries with out of state vehicles. It's tough driving in Boston, but it's obvious and possible even for a Californian to drive there.

I'm not sure that we watched the same video.. I thought the guy was extremely cooperative and polite as well.. Flee the scene? You mean when he backed up as that enraged crazy guy who just jumped out of the truck reaching into his pants was coming at him saying I'm going to blow a hole in your head? :)

[Yukari]

I'm not defending the officer in the video or any others that have abused their power but step back for a moment and think about all of the interactions police have with citizens (some armed and dangerous) on a daily basis and we see a video like this at most once or twice a week.  We see, because that's what the media wants us to see, the worst of the worst in law enforcement because it's a hot issue today and these videos go viral in minutes. Let's make sure we video every fast food worker and post videos every time they spit in food or throw food that is served on the floor or worse.  Let's video every politician and post every instance where they are making a back door deal or pocketing money on the side.  Of course there are bad cops, just as there are bad teachers, bad accountants, bad doctors, etc but no other vocation is under the microscope like cops are today (except for the dentist that shot Cecil). I've been pulled over a few times and in my experience if you treat LEO's with respect you are treated in return with respect.

I agree. There are bad apples in every profession. For better or worse, the LEO are being scrutinized under a microscope these days.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I didn't really see anything wrong with what the Dick told the driver. This is how everyone in Medfud talks.

The driver was uncooperative, he tried to flee the scene, didn't shut off his motor immediately when he realized it was a detective. He also drove through a rotary without yielding to traffic inside the Rotary. I was driving in Roxbury and Dedham recently and saw a couple near accidents on the rotaries with out of state vehicles.

It's tough driving in Boston, but it's obvious and possible even for a Californian to drive there.

I'm not sure that we watched the same video.. I thought the guy was extremely cooperative and polite as well.. Flee the scene? You mean when he backed up as that enraged crazy guy who just jumped out of the truck reaching into his pants was coming at him saying I'm going to blow a hole in your head? :)

Yes, we saw the same video. I suppose when I lived there (for a little bit), we just kind of expected everyone to talk that way. "I'll put a hole in your head" simply meant "I could have put a hole in your head. . ." as in past tense.

You have to remember that there were a lot of gangs in the area, and criminals typically flee from cops. The detective could have simply assumed the driver was a criminal and shot him as he fled (backed up).

[Mr. Desmond]

Yes, we saw the same video. I suppose when I lived there (for a little bit), we just kind of expected everyone to talk that way. "I'll put a hole in your head" simply meant "I could have put a hole in your head. . ." as in past tense.

You have to remember that there were a lot of gangs in the area, and criminals typically flee from cops. The detective could have simply assumed the driver was a criminal and shot him as he fled.

So you agree with shooting people who flee for a minor traffic violation?

Police must not stereotype everyone in the area based on their presence in the area....

I don't know about all this shooting or ratcheting up the tension ... it tells me we have a lot of mentally ill people ... must be in the water or what is not in the water ... we've taken lithium out of our water -- maybe we need to inject it into the system.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Yes, we saw the same video. I suppose when I lived there (for a little bit), we just kind of expected everyone to talk that way. "I'll put a hole in your head" simply meant "I could have put a hole in your head. . ." as in past tense.

You have to remember that there were a lot of gangs in the area, and criminals typically flee from cops. The detective could have simply assumed the driver was a criminal and shot him as he fled.

So you agree with shooting people who flee for a minor traffic violation?

Police must not stereotype everyone in the area based on their presence in the area....

I don't know about all this shooting or ratcheting up the tension ... it tells me we have a lot of mentally ill people ... must be in the water or what is not in the water ... we've taken lithium out of our water -- maybe we need to inject it into the system.

The driver was even trying to get witnesses to tell the cruiser that he was "threatened" to make even more trouble. All he had to do was play a good citizen once he realized it was a detective that stopped him. He should also have known that he can't run a rotary like that.

The driver appeared to be the one who was mentally ill, he broke the law and then tried to play victim and acted defiant to the end.

[Abu3baid]

The driver was even trying to get witnesses to tell the cruiser that he was "threatened" to make even more trouble. All he had to do was play a good citizen once he realized it was a detective that stopped him. He should also have known that he can't run a rotary like that. The driver appeared to be the one who was mentally ill, he broke the law and then tried to play victim and acted defiant to the end.

We need some clarification, but does the detective even have a right to pull someone over for a traffic violation? I'm not conceding that this is even a traffic stop, to me his was more vigilante like behavior by the "off duty" detective.. Tell me how was he defiant? He made an honest mistake and took a turn he shouldn't have.. I didn't sense he was lying at all.. People make honest mistakes.