Quote:
Originally Posted by SBXVII
Wow, Ok, I'll take the beating. To your answer...yes and no. On a traffic stop, any traffic stop, the first thing the officer is trained to do is "Keep officer safety." In some states it's a rule that the public has to get out of their car during a traffic stop(driver only). If anyone else gets out he/or she should be worried about their safety. A gun will be coming out of the holster.
In Va. most officers want the individuals to stay in their car. Also how would this story look if ....the ladies got out crying, walking toward the hospital, then the driver got out and shot the cop? Then later you found out the driver had kidnapped the ladies and their car. What if the man took his wife and her sister and stopped the car in hopes of having a "suicide by cop" incident. Which is where someone wants to die but would rather not do it themselves.
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I said it in the off topic area:
The cop was absolutely wrong, once they entered the hospital parking lot by the er (where security cameras abound in reference to your argument) his whole view of the situation should have changed and been seeing if they were in need of assistance. What if a man had come out bleeding, by your argument the cop would have had the right to cuff him. but the actions leading up to his stopping were:
1. he had his hazards on, he slowed at the redlight to check it was clear
2. he did not drive "recklessly" but did go through a red light.
3. he identified his emergency immediately on exiting the vehicle
4. he kept his hands in sight at all times.
It is the police officer's duty to be aware of all the circumstances and to respond correctly and with the correct level of authority. This officer so clearly violated that. He was in a fairly secure environment for a traffic stop and the story was reinforced quickly by hospital and police personnel.
This is the type of conduct that gives police officers a bad rap, and I am glad the police chief did not delay in suspending him, and personally, I hope he is fired. (if i missed my mom or dad's last moments, i would be incensed!)
As to racism? who knows(I think yes), but if this had been a man(white or black) with a pregnant wife, would he have reacted like this?