This is beyond reproach... To serve and protect my ass, this officer should be fired

[Kev]

Nah...Sorry Bilbo but this guy made the situation about himself and his authority,looked to assert himself with provocation 'do we have a problem'.....when it was clear,YES officer the problem is that my mother is dying while I answer your questions.... he had little control from the get go as the women ran for the door....and he was not about to let it happen twice.

Some times in a position of authority,you have to adapt and improvise as situations unfold minute to minute.He seemed to lack the ability to think/decide past the by the book strict rulebook mentality 101.The family violated a traffic signal and he detained the occupants and vehicle without incident.He had everything in front of him,license plate,vin # and drivers license,registration to fulfill his paperwork obligations while still addressing the unique situation.He had already called for backup and I personally can see a case in him 'escorting' the distraught family member to verify his information with hospital staff.

Down here,they do not even stop you at times should you run a red light.They have traffic cameras that automatically snap a pic of your plate when you run a red.They look up your info at the presinct....run you for violations.....and actually send a ticket in the mail.No interaction with officers what so ever.

Laws need to be up held.No doubt.But common sense and logic are essential,especially in times like that.

I agree the officer sounded like a complete knob jockey and shouldn't have given a ticket but eveything else he pretty much had to do.

In this country if you jump a light in front of a cop car they will flash you and pull you over. They will definitely follow you and want words if you just carry on driving and don't stop for them.

Then they would need to see ID and insurance from you to back up your story. That's what I'm saying.

He HAD to stop them and talk to them and he HAD to ask for their details else he wouldn't have been doing his job.

The issue is more about his tone imo than the actual detaining.

I cannot really fault him for the ticket or the stoppage,you are correct.Its his conduct after he is aware of the situation...and the man handing his information,identity over.He had everything he needed but was reacting to the sons understandable elevated state.Backup on the way,car secured and a very unique situation.Accompany the son inside or tell him to go in while officer does the paperwork,write the ticket.But to sit there and draw it out like it was his first day of training?Definatly called for tact.

Yeah I agree completely with you then. He definitely sounded like a complete jackass.

I thought everyone was jumping on him for stopping the driver and making him produce his insurance and ID, I mean that's just his job he'd be derelict in his duty if he didn't do that.

If I can be so bold as to defend the cop a little bit though I imagine they hear all manner of excuses for people jumping lights, speeding, not stopping when being flashed etc and I'm sure 'My mum is dying' is not the first time its been said and that it hasn't always been the case before.

I mean most people on here and in America it seems have now already decided this cop is an asshole and a disgrace after seeing just under 2 mins of his life with no prior knowledge.

If that cop stops 50 people a day and 30 of them tell him bullshit lies and made up excuses you can understand that maybe when someone tell hims the truth he doesn't automatically know.

I mean consider this scenario. You have just stolen a car and then a cop sees you jump some lights. You know if he stops and ID's you he's going to find out you arn't the owner of the car and have no insurance and stuff to produce and your not crazy enough to try a 120 mph getaway through the streets. What else could you do to maybe get away with it?

Well if there's a hospital nearby you could dash for there and park right by the emergency ward and then when the cop gets out scream at him ' My mum is dying its an emergency she has only minutes to live!'

He might just say 'ok no worries you get in there quick son God bless you and your family' and the car thieves get clean away and the cop gets reprimanded for failing to do his duty.

So it is a fine line. Obviously it looks outrageous on the outside because we have the benefit of full knowledge, the cop didn't.

And now people are saying this cop should be fired again based on only one pretty biased news clip. If you knew the whole situation he might be a great cop. He may have 10 years service and be known as one of the best cops on the beat. He may even have been a hero in other circumstances. I'm not saying he was of course just pointing out that we simply don't know and are basing our opinion on just one tiny 2 min clip of footage of him.

In a way the media and the public are guilty of the same stereotyping jumping to a conclusion that the cop is.

It's kind of inconsistent to say the cop should have properly assessed the situation and dealth with it using his own initiative and then leap to the conclusion that he should be fired and reviled, it's the same sterotyping that we are accusing the cop of who may well have thought this guy was spinning him a line like hundreds have before him.