South Florida Road Rage gone wrong!!!

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by big mean bear

Good ol' Miami temper that is so famous on So Fla roads and highways.

After driving to Miami on a 22 hour journey from far away (like me), once you get into Palm Beach County you can start to notice a difference the way people drive. By Broward county, there is a definate change - people swerve 4 lanes at a time, they tail gate, they routinely go 30 mph over the speed limit. By Dade, you KNOW there is something up with the way people drive - you are in Meeeeee-ami!!! Smile

Yep pretty much going south by PGA if you weren't alert before, you'd better sit up really straight and pay attention! I even have to remove my stupid sunglasses since the slightest impaired peripheral blind spot, you're in trouble.

I turn into an old lady driver in the right lane so I don't have to watch them passing on the right and trying to fight for a quarter car length space ahead in front of me that another driver passing on the LEFT is fighting for.....going freaking 70 mph.

[like2fish]

man, i dont see how the people put up with all the crap, just driving gives you a headache, and puts you in a bad mood at times. i know too, as i live in orlando. and it aint no picnic here either, believe me. a lot of the bad drivers from all over call orlando home too.

[runswithscissors]

(I haven't read every post). I was in the car in BROWARD during this whole thing, glued to the radio. I was tooling around Tamarac and Vic Park listening to talk radio after getting off of I95 during the big man hunt updates. The callers were bashing cops and a police union guy called in to calm things down. I was feeling the callers were exaggerating in their assertions about "police brutality" etc...

During the manhunt time period or right after I forget, I remember them reading the police report. And I remember thinking what the hell was the reason that the victim followed the killer into the parking lot with his KID in the car? Then I thought well maybe I got it mixed up. Then later it appeared that the police were trying to back off of that fact.

Just from a sociological viewpoint I think it's very interesting to see the police's spin on this event. And the trial is going to be interesting too, if it goes that far.

Of course the old guy acted wrong. But I want to point out, not that it justifies killing someone, but I remember a couple of friends in the office complaining how their fathers on dialysis were totally messed up, depressed, difficult to deal with and a PITA.

Here's my observations.

Here's the police press conference (very tedious at first while they're all telling each other how great they are):

Pembroke Pines Police Press Conference - Videos - WTVJ

1. The police report states the killer went into the parking lot first and the victim followed afterwards.

When you watch the press conference the cop keeps avoiding that answer when the press asks and eventually settles on saying "didnt follow him DIRECTLY" into the lot. He even carefully adds the word directly. Then he keeps saying its an ongoing investigation and hasn't been determined yet but "they both ended up there". He repeats this a couple of times, exactly like you would if you were trying to be careful with our wording. As if nobody has a clue. But we know he has a clue because he kept carefully adding "directly" as if driving from another entrance or something mitigates his actions.

A few minutes later the press keep insisting on him explaining why he won't say who went in first, since the police report says the killer went in first and the victim followed. Eventually the cop says, yes the killer went in first. But it took ALOT of cajoling. About 3/4 way into the video.

Also subsequent press says "it's unclear who went in first and who followed". Well if you read the police report it's very clear the victim followed the guy in.

2. THEN the reporters ask if it's true that the victim was on active duty. Yes.

3. Then the reporters ask isn't it odd that a law enforcement officer would have their children in the car being on active duty. You can't really understand his rational for the answer except that the Dept of Homeland Security confirmed it.

And the vehicle was a department vehicle.

4. Then the reporters ask was it true that he was prevented from receiving dialysis when he got there. They wouldn't answer except to say he went back the next day, very muddy.

5. In the beginning they allege that the killer gave the victim a break job on the road and was weaving in and out around the victim. Then by the end of the conference they were saying the killer was "driving erratically".

6. THEN they sorta say in a vague way that him going into the parking lot after the guy became a "law enforcement action". WTF.

7. I also found it interesting the cop kept correcting himself when he discussed the killer "cooperating" with police and he kept saying "confession" and changing it to "admissions". Nice Miranda and the old guy is obviously not too experienced to be yapping to police after killing somebody.

IMO, these guys don't need to be giving press conferences on how great they are and the "facts". They needed to shut up and announce that the threat to the community is over and it came from a road rage two way fight period. NOW, everybody and their mother is mad that this INS guy got supreme law enforcement treatment when your average victim can rot. Lets talk about how long it took police to round up the little creeps in the Dunbar Village matter. It took MONTHS from what I recall.

This isn't good for police relations and definitely is going to be bad at trial. Unless they do a plea to keep it on the DL. That's what I'd do.

The poor kid, all her life she's going to have to remember this incident, bad enough grow up with no father but having to live through the violence and having that picture stuck in her head of her father having his brains blown out.... God only knows what kind of post traumatic stress she's going to have and other issues.

I remember my DH was parked right next to a Home Depot in Virginia when those two guys were shooting all those motorists out of the back hole of their car a couple years ago. His kid, aged 13 didn't wanna go in and was sitting in the car listening to his music. The cops came and threw open the doors of the car , threw the kid on the parking lot ground with weapons drawn and stepped on his head yelling questions at him. I can tell you that kid never wanted to go near that lot again and will never forget it. And in that case nobody got killed or even hurt. I can tell you my DH's wife was about to kill him for leaving her son in the car, that's for sure.

The whole thing is very sad and law enforcement made it worse IMO. It appears they regret making it such a major public manhunt before knowing for sure who actually made the first "threat". My money's on a good defense attorney defending this guy's actions as "thinking" it was self defense.

There was also some talk about the victim having his gun on the seat of the car but I forget where I read or heard that....

By the way, I would never want to be a police officer and think they are underpaid however, I don't consider this victim to be a "normal" police officer in the traditional sense and in my opinion really wouldn't have made a very good one, either. If he couldn't even keep his cool driving with his own kid in the car? Bets on how furious his wife is deep down with HIM.

deranting now LOL

[Wild Style]

^^

great post. this story will be interesting to see unfold. I doubt the old man will get a fair shake though if it does turn out he was provoked or felt threatened. Which by law you can shoot someone here if you feel your life is in danger.

[MisterNY]

Yes indeed, great post. You covered just about all angles. I think they need to move this trial, if it goes to trial, out of South Florida. You should have been here to see how they were working to get this guy. A neighbor of mine owns a gray Chrysler 300C, mostly garaged. You should have seen how fast they got to that house to ask questions. Undercover Detectives (good looking ladies, I might add), jogging in the area. (One of them pulled out her badge on my brother in law, asking questions). You see how they care for their own, but dont see the same energy when a civilian is shot. I had to add that...

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by MisterNY

Yes indeed, great post. You covered just about all angles. I think they need to move this trial, if it goes to trial, out of South Florida. You should have been here to see how they were working to get this guy. A neighbor of mine owns a gray Chrysler 300C, mostly garaged. You should have seen how fast they got to that house to ask questions. Undercover Detectives (good looking ladies, I might add), jogging in the area. (One of them pulled out her badge on my brother in law, asking questions). You see how they care for their own, but dont see the same energy when a civilian is shot. I had to add that...

I thought of you right away because I know you live there.

That's what the cop was trying to defend on talk radio. He was saying, look, yeah sometimes we give each other a break like with tickets just like a dentist will give another dentist free treatment. That didn't go over so well ...even though he said as the union rep, they would NEVER defend another officer who did "wrong". He was making that case very sincerely. He said you can read all their disciplinary actions and see that the union only wants an investigation and if the cop is found in the wrong they don't pursue it.

All the callers clogged up the lines calling him a disgrace and corrupt and scum of the earth and went all ways of ape sh$# on the poor guy for opening up his mouth about the free ticket deal.

THIS GUY, however is not a FLL cop but a Dept of Homeland Security guy. I really don't think they were too sure at first they were so Dragnet about it. I kept hearing it was an FBI agent on the radio.....I was pretty sure it was a work related deal....like an assassination or something...and I was REALLY sure that nobody in their right minds would ever jeopardize their kid by contributing to the situation...yeah right...

ETA : LOL I shoulda been a lawyer. If you think about it even IF the victim was the first one in the parking lot, what kind of cop STOPS THE VEHICLE when they are being in a dangerous situation with the kid in the car. Don't the cops always say if someone is bothering you in the car, go directly to the nearest police station don't STOP? Jeeze....

[island mermaid]

I just wanted to jump in and say Congratulations to runswithscissors on the CD gift card to Overstock.com! Nice job!


Now I'm off to go find doggiebus!

Peace!

[SLCPUNK]

Originally Posted by planetsurf

EVERY PERSON that reads this can do SOMETHING about it. Ignore the nuts, wave sorry if you do something wrong, let someone cut in front of you, NEVER pull over.
WE created the problem and everyone living here is part of the problem and part of the solution too.

Exactly.

Check our egos at the door.

It makes driving so much easier.

[jhlcomp]

Also, not sure this was mentioned, but in order for the widow to receive the over $300,000, her husband had to be on duty.

This entire situation was most unfortunate. And to be sure, it was avoidable. When we are on the highways here or anywhere and particularly in today's world - I concur, check your ego at the door, do not engage, keep your eyes open and if there is a nut case who wants to play tag, just pull over or better yet, go to the nearest exit ramp or turn at the next street - just get out of the way.