Cop stops NFL Player as relative is dying

[diverg]

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/ ... 8d86d.html

Cop who stopped Texans player as he rushed to be with dying relative put on leave

Dallas police chief calls incident 'embarrassing'

05:53 PM CDT on Thursday, March 26, 2009

By Jeff McShan & Ron Trevino / 11 News

PLANO, Texas – A Dallas police officer is under investigation after pulling over Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats as he and his wife were trying to rush to the bedside of a dying relative.

Video

Houston Texan pulled over while rushing to the bedside of a dying relative
March 25, 2009
Dash cam: Cop stops Texans player View larger E-mail Clip More Video Moats said he was in a hurry to get to Baylor Hospital in Plano after nurses informed him that his wife’s mother was dying.

In his haste, Moats said that as he got close to the hospital, he turned on his emergency flashers and ran a red light. Dallas Officer Robert Powell followed them and pulled the couple’s car over as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

In a news conference Thursday, Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle said he'd placed Powell on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Kunkle admitted Thursday that the officer mishandled the situation.

“When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed. It’s hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate," Kunkle said. "At the point the officer was told that they were responding to a dying family member, that should have been his concern -- to help those people get access to that family member."

On the police video, the officer is heard telling the two of them to get out and put their hands on the car.

Moat's wife ignored Officer Robert Powell's commands and rushed to see her dying mother. But Moats was detained.

“I've got seconds before she is gone,” said Moats, as he tried to explain the urgency of the situation to the officer.

To make matters worse, in the confusion, Moats couldn’t find his proof of insurance card.

“My mother-in-law is dying,” said Moats , while desperately trying to leave the officer and be at his wife’s side.

But the officer was not about to let the Houston Texans running back go.

“If you can’t verify you have insurance, I'm going to tow your car. So you either find it or I tow your car,” Officer Powell said. " I can screw you over. I’d rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens.”

The police video continued to record the scene as the two men argued, but then the officer became irate.

“Shut your mouth. You can either settle down and cooperate, or I can take you to jail for running a red light,” the officer said.

Over the phone, Moats told 11 News that he couldn't believe how he was treated.

“For him to not be sympathetic and basically treat us like dogs, it shocked me,” Moats said.

Not once, but twice during the incident, nurses tried to convince the officer to let Moats go and be with dying his mother-in-law. Even a Plano police officer stopped to help make a plea.

The Dallas officer eventually decided to ticket Moats for running the light, but the argument wasted 20 precious minutes. By the time Moats was released, his wife’s mother had died.

“I went up after she passed and held her hand, but she was already gone,” Moats said.

She was buried in Louisiana on Saturday.

Dallas police have apologized to Moats and his family. They launched an investigation and have dropped the ticket.

Kunkle said it was a matter of common sense and compassion.

Kunkle said Powell still believes he did nothing wrong and was just doing his job.

Moats, a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 out of Louisiana Tech, was cut by the Eagles in August and later signed with the Texans. In three seasons as a backup, he’s rushed for 441 yards and scoured four touchdowns.

He was a standout at Bishop Lynch High School, a private school in Dallas, rushing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.

DASH Cam video of the incident here.

http://www.wfaa.com/video/featured-inde ... 6&noad=yes

[Wino you know]

This thing is going to take on a life of it's own.

It's going to be EXTREMELY intresting to read everyone's take on it here.

[East Texas Parrothead]

It's all over the news ... even our piddly-a$$ local channels have picked it up.

Sad. For everyone.

[diverg]

This thing is going to take on a life of it's own.

It's going to be EXTREMELY intresting to read everyone's take on it here.

That is why I posted it. My opinion is the cop probably had the fight to do everything he did, but I don't think he handled the situation well at all.

[JustDucky]

Not to mention he's a racist fat pig.

I mean racist pig.

[RinglingRingling]

was he within his rights to do the traffic stop for the run red light? yeah.
if the player had waited out the light, the lost 20 minutes for the argument wouldn't have happened

that said... The cop should have put two and two together when the vehicle stopped in the hospital lot, and if he needed a hint, "my mother is dying" should have been his next clue. An attitude like, "I can mess you up because I have a badge" probably isn't more than 20 seconds away from his conscious stream of thought either.

and when a brother officer and the nurses came out to plead the case, he really should have had enough hints that the ticket could wait until after things settled down. and guys like this wonder why LEOs get less than the maximum respect they feel they are owed.

[C-Dawg]

there won't be any winners in this case...everyone loses

[SchoolGirlHeart]

I only watched about half the video. Too angry to watch the rest. This officer needs to be fired. Now. The rest of what I have to say is unprintable.

[diverg]

From this article http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 9c080.html

“My understanding is that Officer Powell, even when he saw the videotape, believed he had not acted inappropriately," Kunkel said. Kunkel is the Police chief.

[Wino you know]

Not to mention he's a racist fat pig.

I mean racist pig.

Yeah, sure. OF COURSE he's a racist.

I think Stevie Wonder could've saw THAT coming.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

From this article http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 9c080.html

“My understanding is that Officer Powell, even when he saw the videotape, believed he had not acted inappropriately," Kunkel said. Kunkel is the Police chief.

I liked this quote from the chief: “When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed. It’s hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate," Kunkle said. "At the point the officer was told that they were responding to a dying family member, that should have been his concern -- to help those people get access to that family member."

Can you imagine what the chief said behind closed doors? Probably not printable...

[diverg]

From this article http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 9c080.html

“My understanding is that Officer Powell, even when he saw the videotape, believed he had not acted inappropriately," Kunkel said. Kunkel is the Police chief.

I liked this quote from the chief: “When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed. It’s hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate," Kunkle said. "At the point the officer was told that they were responding to a dying family member, that should have been his concern -- to help those people get access to that family member."

Can you imagine what the chief said behind closed doors? Probably not printable...

Since Officer Powell still feel he did nothing wrong he probably just tuned the chief out.

[diverg]

Not to mention he's a racist fat pig.

I mean racist pig.

Yeah, sure. OF COURSE he's a racist.

I think Stevie Wonder could've saw THAT coming.

I will not go so far as to say it was a race issue, but I definitely think it was a power trip when I watch the video.

[ph4ever]

I've watched the un-edited video 3 times now. I believe the officer should loose his job - period.

I believe because this was a predominately white area and Moats black that race probably played a factor - like it or not racism is alive in the south. Not long ago being black and driving in certain parts of Dallas at night would get you pulled over for no reason.

I dated a DPD Sgt (a 25 year veteran with DPD) before Don and I got married. At that time the department was in shambles. They had a police chief who had no business being a chief and morale was at it's lowest. His actions contributed to DPD loosing a lot of GOOD police officers and had bad cops ruining arrests with false reports and planted evidence. DPD also has had a reputation of giving officers a pink slip, only to re-instate them later. My boyfriend was just counting the days until he could take early retirement because of the actions of that police chief.

Current Police Chief Kunkle needs to clean up the department and restore the department's image and integrity. This officer has no business holding a badge in any police department in the metroplex.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

If as reported the officer drew his weapon it took a lot of guts for Mrs. Moats to ignore him and go inside to be with her mother. Thank God she did.

Running a red light with flashers on headed into a hospital. What about that doesn't scream, " I have an emergency on my hands"....

Sad as it is to say so, I do believe race was involved....

[popcornjack]

I'm surprised nobody has pointed out the real reason the officer was giving this guy such a hard time:

he's a Houston Texan in Dallas Cowboy territory.

[ph4ever]

I'm surprised nobody has pointed out the real reason the officer was giving this guy such a hard time:

he's a Houston Texan in Dallas Cowboy territory.

at no time during the stop did Moats indicate he was a NFL player.

The cop is just a bad cop with a bad attitude and needs to lose his job.

[popcornjack]

I'm surprised nobody has pointed out the real reason the officer was giving this guy such a hard time:

he's a Houston Texan in Dallas Cowboy territory.

at no time during the stop did Moats indicate he was a NFL player.

The cop is just a bad cop with a bad attitude and needs to lose his job.

i was trying to be funny. not that humor is really appropriate for such an event, it's just in my nature, you know? Like the story of the frog and the scorpion.

[ph4ever]

I'm surprised nobody has pointed out the real reason the officer was giving this guy such a hard time:

he's a Houston Texan in Dallas Cowboy territory.

at no time during the stop did Moats indicate he was a NFL player.

The cop is just a bad cop with a bad attitude and needs to lose his job.

i was trying to be funny. not that humor is really appropriate for such an event, it's just in my nature, you know? Like the story of the frog and the scorpion.

I know and appreciate it - I'm still in pi$$ed off mode about this. Having been close to someone in the DPD - one of the good ones and seeing how bad cops try to get away with everything from beating their wives to driving drunk and thinking it's ok to racial profiling it really pulls my chain.

[Glorfindel7]

All I can say is sad... I had the same problem with hospital staff when my Grandmother died (I just got there too late )

Yes, I'm angry about this incident as well