What do you guys think of this situation? (Justifiable force or cop rage in Leon Valley?) (lawsuit, assess)

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

You can martyr her all you want, but in my opinion you are just encouraging other idiots to be similarly stupid and the next time they may not be so lucky!

I rather see it as a an example for other officers to act more professionally and with greater integrity so as to not invite this type of scrutiny and public criticism, or worse, a lawsuit.

She also is not an idiot to have fought for her rights and won.

Ad hominem attacks on her person, example, or socioeconomic status do not compensate for the indefensible position the officer created through his actions. He messed up but we still do not know if it is really his fault or the city's.


Also the comments on the WOAI site have the young woman in question stating she actually believed she was pregnant at the time. So the news story as well as those chiding her for playing the pregnant card seem to be wrong in this instance.

i was calm with him through the whole thing, i was polite like my momma taught me, and if he wouldhave been polite back this could have been averted. ON the topic of my prego ness we, joseph and i thought i was prego. i missed my period ad the test came out positive, when i went to the hospital they told me my tests were negative. I did not lie about bein prego, i whole heartedly believed i was and was disappointed when i found out differently.

http://www.woai.com/mostpopular/stor...spx?p=Comments

[ItsTheTruth]

Originally Posted by LexiloosMom

This woman is just one more example (along with those who applaud what she did) of a huge problem in today's world. People have no respect for the law, authority or police officers. Officers put their lives on the line every day to keep the rest of us safe, and what do they get in return? People like this idiot and so many others who are arrested and then try to file "civil rights" violation lawsuits on the department or people posting these videos and slamming them for doing their job.

People should be taught to respect people who offer the same. People shouldn't be robots, blindly accepting untruths. I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to someone with a perceived sense of authority. I'll take my chances with jail, a judge, and a lawsuit.

Notice the officer didn't ask her to exit the vehicle until the tow truck came. He is allowed to ask you to exit the vehicle when investigating a traffic violation, NOT because he wants to tow your vehicle.

Lastly, traffic cops in Leon Valley don't put their lives in danger, unless you're talking about glazed donuts clogging their arteries and causing a heart attack. Municipality police departments like Leon Valley, Balcones Heights, Shavano Park, etc. exist purely to generate revenue.

[ItsTheTruth]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

You can martyr her all you want, but in my opinion you are just encouraging other idiots to be similarly stupid and the next time they may not be so lucky!

The cop might not be so lucky either. He picked on a woman who he thought was pregnant, someone who he thought wouldn't fight back.

[Merovee]

The only martyr might be the officer having to take the fall when most likely the city pressures them to tow rather than just be nice and help push off the side of the road.

If that is the case I hope the city changes it policy regardless of loss of revenue to keep an officer on rather than letting him take the full blame.

I am still just speculating but I would like to know how much cut the city gets from each tow if any.

[LexiloosMom]

Originally Posted by Merovee

I rather see it as a an example for other officers to act more professionally and with greater integrity so as to not invite this type of scrutiny and public criticism, or worse, a lawsuit.

She also is not an idiot to have fought for her rights and won.

Ad hominem attacks on her person, example, or socioeconomic status do not compensate for the indefensible position the officer created through his actions. He messed up but we still do not know if it is really his fault or the city's.

What rights did she fight for? You think she had the right to break the law? She refused to do as she was told by a police officer.

Before you start throwing around phrases like "ad hominem" you should really know what the meaning of it is. It's interesting you chose to use that phrase yet your assumption regarding the "relationship" between the city and towing companies is what you base your opinions on -- the rest of us are going on what we saw in the video.

To the original question --- I think it was justifiable force!

[LexiloosMom]

ItsTheTruth wrote:

"People should be taught to respect people who offer the same.

People shouldn't be robots, blindly accepting untruths. I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to someone with a perceived sense of authority. I'll take my chances with jail, a judge, and a lawsuit."


You think the police only have a "perceived sense of authority"?

Good luck with the jail, the judge and the lawsuit. I'm pretty sure you'll be on the losing end of that one, especially if that is the attitude you show to the police.

[Merovee]

Most people show respect to the police.

The problem is perhaps some are unable to differentiate that at times some police do make unreasonable requests that will have consequences if followed, when you know in your full judgment they are wrong, and they can be respectfully challenged.

She did not move so it would not be towed. She stood her ground and won. She did nothing criminal or disrespectful.

I do not understand the warnings of 'good luck with the jail, the judge and the lawsuit' when we have clearly seen that standing up for your rights does allow you to win.

Allowing her car to be towed would have been an injustice she saved herself from.

Good luck with the public, the press, and the lawsuit. I'm pretty sure officers who act like this will be on the losing end of that one, especially if that is the attitude they show to the public.

[TexasRedneck]

Originally Posted by ItsTheTruth

Lastly, traffic cops in Leon Valley don't put their lives in danger, unless you're talking about glazed donuts clogging their arteries and causing a heart attack. Municipality police departments like Leon Valley, Balcones Heights, Shavano Park, etc. exist purely to generate revenue.

This comment does nothing more than illustrate not only your juvenile attitude, but your complete and total lack of knowledge, maturity and judgement. I would love to see you ride along with some of these PD's to learn for yourself not only just what the job entails, but also the day-to-day requirements of the job. I've worn a badge, and am SO glad I do so no longer, because it's not only a thankless job most days, many of those you encounter will lie to you even though the truth is obvious.

When an officer is shot or killed, it's because they screwed up, either in their threat assessment or in the execution of their procedures. Either way, they're *dead* - and there's no going back. A perp doesn't care what city they might work for - if he's in the way and they want out bad enough, they'll pull the trigger. Try adding THAT to YOUR daily job, my friend.

[Merovee]

The only problem is she was a stranded motorist in need of assistance and not a perp in need of harassment. The only crime some see here is assault on her person.

She was not being place under arrest. She was not resisting arrest. All this talk of she could have been placed under arrest tells me one thing. That some would be willing to bend the law and arrest someone on false charges, apply the law how it is not meant to be used in other words. She was going to be tazed just so she could have her vehicle towed. That is what is unacceptable to some. Just because he could have turned it around and then arrested her for resisting and did not shows he does have some integrity, it is just a tow after all, not worth all the effort, and this is why I wonder if it is Leon Valley policy to not help and tow instead.

I hope that these PDs do not find their job so thankless and demanding that they put on blinders and would actually begin to see everyone as perps in need of harsh treatment.

We respect the job of the police and the police. When one officer begins to harass citizens though as in this case the public is not going to respect that. Simple.

[TexasRedneck]

Originally Posted by Merovee

Most people show respect to the police.

Perhaps - but she certainly didn't.

Originally Posted by Merovee

The problem is perhaps some are unable to differentiate that at times some police do make unreasonable requests that will have consequences if followed, when you know in your full judgment they are wrong, and they can be respectfully challenged.

The PROPER place to challenge them is in court - NOT on the side of the street.

Originally Posted by Merovee

She did not move so it would not be towed. She stood her ground and won. She did nothing criminal or disrespectful.

She ABSOLUTELY broke the law. Period. Get that into your head. Right or wrong, that is the procedure/policy/law - if an officer tells you to get out of your car, you are to do so. If he tells you it will be towed, it should be towed. Interferring with an officer in the performance of his duties is a violation of law. Proving he was wrong is done in court, NOT on the side of the street. The ONLY thing the officer screwed up on is by not arresting her - but he was TRYING to be decent, even after her blatant disobedience and resistance.

Originally Posted by Merovee

I do not understand the warnings of 'good luck with the jail, the judge and the lawsuit' when we have clearly seen that standing up for your rights does allow you to win.

Because, had the officer charged her, she would've been convicted in court. What she did was clearly against the law.

Originally Posted by Merovee

Allowing her car to be towed would have been an injustice she saved herself from.

Really? And had another vehicle clipped the back of their car (which was clearly in the traffic lane), THEN what?