Posted on Aug 5, 2016
A black woman called 911 because she was afraid of a police officer. A violent arrest followed.
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
I already know what the majority of comment here will say but put yourself in the position of a person seeing video executions of people who look like her on a near weekly basis. A little patience from the officer as the backup unit was on the way was all that was required. A more professional and level-headed Officer would have just exercised that patience. Hey at least on the bright side she didn't become yet another video of a life being snuffed out unnecessarily and being defended by the usual suspects re: Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, John Crawford, Alton Sterling, Walter Scott, Philando Castille and on and on.
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SSG Jeremy Sharp
LTC Yinon Weiss - I agree but the officer needed that license to issue that citation and she admits to the dispatcher that she would not give it to him because she did not feel safe doing it.
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SSG Jeremy Sharp
Some department's SOP's have the officer remove them from vehicle. I have my troops leave them in the vehicle for both the driver and officer's safety. Very little chance of being assaulted by a seated person. Control the scene, be respectful and courteous and the stop is usually completed on a positive note.
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This is a troubling video for me to watch as a Police Chief and trying to understand how this transpired and the situation escalated to a physical arrest out of a minor traffic offense. I will preface my comment by saying that I am not certified in the State of Texas so I am sure there are differences between Texas and Ohio laws. From my experience, in Ohio, traffic laws are enforced by summons in most instances. The problem is that the "victim" in this case elevates the situation by refusing to provide the officer with her Driver's License. This refusal to properly identify is one of the exceptions in our state that makes the traffic offense an arrest-able offense. Officers that are engaged in enforcement operations have the right to request the license in order to establish a driver's identity and issue a summons/citation for the infraction. The fact that the driver does not agree with the infraction is not relevant, that is what the court procedure is for, to contest the citation. The other troubling part of this video is that the officer approached the vehicle with cuffs in hand on a minor traffic infraction, is this to be perceived as a predisposition to make a physical arrest? The driver does not get a choice of what officer she chooses to subject her "surrender" of her license to. Not a factor in this case but what if he is the only officer on duty for a specific jurisdiction? A poorly handled interaction on both the part of the officer and the driver. Driving is a privilege, not a right. It is a requirement to show a valid license when stopped by police for an infraction. If you fail to provide the license or another form of identification upon request then you are escalating the situation into arrest-able offense. In the officer's performance of duty, I inquire why not request another unit when she refuses to be compliant with the simple request to provide her license. As an officer I cannot issue the citation without you, the driver, providing the required documentation of driving privileges and identification. Upon failure to do so, the situation then escalates to a requirement for some other enforcement that may include arrest. Don't set the confrontational tone as a driver or an officer and the situation will resolve itself. That is the business of judges, attorneys and courts, to establish guilt or innocence. I would like to know how the court resolved this matter and what their comment was concerning the driver's demeanor and refusal to produce license as well as the officer's attitude, taser threat and physical arrest.
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SSG Trust Palmer
Set a confrontational tone? Even without confrontation this happens. SN: thanks for protecting and serving the community.
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SSG Jeremy Sharp
Unfortunately the poor decisions of a few police officers have made the job extremely difficult and dangerous for the rest of us. I have been serving for 37 years to date and no plans to retire till I hit at least 40. Most of my interactions with the public end on a friendly note even if they aren't happy with my enforcement action, they remain cordial and respectful.
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SSG Jeremy Sharp
It is not a right to request a superior, who knows, this officer could have been the shift supervisor. I would have advised waiting for back up, if it is available, but that would not necessarily have resulted in a different outcome. If she had continued to refuse to present her license then the recourse of the officer is to arrest the offender. I guess I fail to understand both the officer and drivers perspective on this situation. Stopped for a violation, present driver's license, registration, proof of insurance take you citation and contest in court. Officer, take the time to explain, not argue that a failure to produce license or sign citation could result in arrest. I work in a rural area miles from other jurisdictions one officer on duty most shifts. I do not debate the violation on the roadside (in this case the parking lot). Think of all the horrendous scenarios that could occur by requiring the simplest task most officers encounter, traffic enforcement, to require a back-up because the driver doesn't like the way an officer looks. Tragedies occur because people are forcing first responders into situations that exhaust assets to complete the most mundane tasks.
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SSG Trust Palmer Another distasteful situation is on video! I must ask Sergeant Palmer, what do you do when pulled over for a traffic violation? I pull over asap upon finding a safe place to do so. When instructed, I reach for the documents in the glove box or my wallet. I never get out of the car, verbally only express my doubt as to my having made an error and sign the citation. Nuf said!
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