Incarnate Word Student Killed During Traffic Stop (crimes, buy)

[Neshomamench]

Originally Posted by pr57001

It has been well reported a university officer is licensed in every county where said university has a presence.

Every Texas Peace Officer has the same license and it is issued by the State of Texas. Counties do not give Peace Officer licenses...but the license doesn't do anything for you other than give you the right to be sworn in as a commissioned Peace Officer in Texas. The license is just a credential.

You can actually be a licensed Peace Officer and still not be a "cop." You have to be commissioned (sworn in/hired by an agency) before you actually have Peace Officer powers. If I quite my job right now, I am still a licensed Peace Officer, but without a commission through an Agency, I have no Police Powers.

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Recently?

I drive it nearly every day (well, between M-F), and am a frequent pedestrian along that stretch. The lanes change daily due to the construction, and even in perfect daylight it can be hard to know where to go. As a pedestrian, I see many other cars having trouble navigating it (the stretch from Allensworth to about where CM is). It can be really unclear where you're supposed to go when the lane is in a different location from day-to-day. The other day when it was foggy and raining, it was extremely difficult to tell.

That said, my first assumption, given the time of night and age of the victim, and knowing finals had just ended, was that he'd been drinking - it's a reasonable assumption. But I found it odd that initially, none of the reports mentioned the possibility of alcohol being a factor. Now, a few days later, a friend says they'd been out drinking, but usually reports will mention it immediately as a possibility. By the time they'd stopped, though, he was off the road.

I was surprised they hadn't talked about this, as well! The first thing I thought after hearing the parents say that his alleged behavior was completely unlike him was "perhaps alcohol or drugs?". I guess we'll find out.

Originally Posted by ItsTheTruth

You seem to be a level-headed guy, yet all I and others on here see is a cop blindly defending one of his own. Is this really the guy you want to defend?

The cop in this case:
-bounced around 8 different agencies.
-morbidly obese. Don't you guys have physicals? He looks to be about 100-150lbs overweight.
-No working camera.
-No tazer.
-No pepper spray.
-Reports wrong location, therefore no backup.

I hope he is charged with murder, and I hope you stop defending criminals like this cop who really make you look bad.

Er, speaking of blindly defending...

[pr57001]

Originally Posted by ItsTheTruth

You seem to be a level-headed guy, yet all I and others on here see is a cop blindly defending one of his own. Is this really the guy you want to defend?

The cop in this case:
-bounced around 8 different agencies.
-morbidly obese. Don't you guys have physicals? He looks to be about 100-150lbs overweight.
-No working camera.
-No tazer.
-No pepper spray.
-Reports wrong location, therefore no backup.

All of these are contributing factors that, if changed, may have caused a different outcome. The primary cause was the fact the person (allegedly) fought with the officer, beat him with his baton, and likely charged him while he was at gunpoint.

Being fat, no tazer, no pepper spray and no camera are the fault of the University. They have set the officer up to fail by allowing these conditions to exist.

Much like an airline crash, there is never just one cause.

[staunchcharacter]

Originally Posted by ItsTheTruth

morbidly obese. Don't you guys have physicals? He looks to be about 100-150lbs overweight.

This is the one thing I see in SAPD, BCSD, AHPD and SAT cops that makes me laugh and also depresses me. Guys who look like they couldn't catch a cold... Is there ANY physical weight requirement that these agencies demand from their officers? It's not only a detriment to their job, but it's downright ugly to look at when you see morbidly obese police officers waddling around.

As for him not having the right equipment: So, it's fine that he's issued a weapon that could kill, but not simply restrain or take down in a non-lethal way? That's his fault as much as it's UIWs fault. I blame them both, but moreso him for pulling that trigger and ending someone's life.

[geargrinder70]

Originally Posted by staunchcharacter

This is the one thing I see in SAPD, BCSD, AHPD and SAT cops that makes me laugh and also depresses me. Guys who look like they couldn't catch a cold... Is there ANY physical weight requirement that these agencies demand from their officers? It's not only a detriment to their job, but it's downright ugly to look at when you see morbidly obese police officers waddling around.

As for him not having the right equipment: So, it's fine that he's issued a weapon that could kill, but not simply restrain or take down in a non-lethal way? That's his fault as much as it's UIWs fault. I blame them both, but moreso him for pulling that trigger and ending someone's life.

Here is a link KSAT Defenders investigate officer fitness | Defenders - Home that will answer your question about weight requirements for SAPD and BCSD. Seems to be just another problem brought on by our PC culture and unions.

[kevcrawford]

It's pretty shameful to see all the folks on here judging this police officer without having a shred of evidence. The one thing we KNOW is that a young man is dead and that it's a horrible tragedy that no family should ever endure.

Is it possible that the cop used force when he shouldn't have? Absolutely and if the investigation turns that up, then he should be severely punished.

Is it also possible that the cop was defending himself and felt the force was justified? Absolutely.

Those that comment that he shouldn't have pulled his weapon for getting hit have never been in a fight. It ain't the movies, folks. Someone who knows how to punch can end you in one punch. If I get in a fight for my life, it won't end well for the other party, because I know a few blows that will finish the fight in less than 2 seconds. Give me a baton and it's over.

If this is true, the student was attempting to use deadly force and was overmatched. Don't bring a knife to a gun fight, folks.

I hear the family saying that it "wasn't in his character" and that's probably true. I TOTALLY understand his family's pain and hope it's something I never have to endure, but let's just stop all the personality disorder talk. One word...alcohol. We've ALL done things out of our character after having a few too many. I bet drinking and driving wasn't in his character. Most of us have looked back and said "crap, how am I still alive?" after going out drinking with friends.

It's called "liquid courage" for a reason.

The bottom line is that nobody was there. I'm pretty sure this cop didn't set out to kill a kid one night. And I'm pretty sure that this kid didn't set out to attack a cop. However, here we are. This will likely all come out in the wash, but it's going to take time.

For now, pray for both families and respect what our police officers do for us. Not one of us has a job where we kiss our family goodbye, not knowing that we may not walk back in the door that evening.

[Merovee]

Don't drink and avoid those who do so that never crossed my mind.

If drunk driving, and no one in the public really knows anything at this point, but if drunk driving then isn't the common wisdom that the officer just saved other people's lives in the future by taking a drunk driver off the road once and for all?

[majormadmax]

Well put, Kev; and I don't think people realize that when a person is carrying a weapon and someone is beating on them, there is a chance that person can be knocked unconscious and that weapon can be used against them with deadly consequences.

Therefore, a simple "fist fight" becomes a much bigger issue when one of the individuals is armed. Since the officer was clearly armed, it was a bad decision on the part of the UIW student to attack him no matter what the reason.

People can Monday morning quarterback it all they want, but the truth is they weren't there (nor was I) so it is all speculation until such time as an investigation is completed. I am curious as to the results of the blood work done on the student, which shed light on what substances (if any) were in his system when the incident occurred. I believe that one factor will be a deciding one in how this matter is handled...

[Soviet]

If the kid had never been pulled over, this may have never happened.

Interesting to think about. And anyone who states that he could have killed someone while driving: look at where the shooting occurred. In his apartment parking lot. He obviously made it home, didn't he?

Not condoning drinking & driving here, merely making an observation.

[pr57001]

Originally Posted by Soviet

If the kid had never been pulled over, this may have never happened.

Interesting to think about. And anyone who states that he could have killed someone while driving: look at where the shooting occurred. In his apartment parking lot. He obviously made it home, didn't he?

Not condoning drinking & driving here, merely making an observation.

It might not have occurred if prohibition was never repealed.

It might not have occurred if his parents didn't buy him a car and forced him to take the bus.

It might not have occurred if the cop brought his lunch, rather than going to Whataburger.

It might not have occurred if he ran over two pedestrians on Broadway, dumped his car on the side of the road, ran home, pretended to be asleep and denied knowing the whereabouts of his vehicle.

So what??