A woman in Amarillo was seriously injured (including a severed leg) when the car she was helping to push off an I-40 exit ramp was rear-ended by another car exiting. The issue: the Amarillo Police Department was notified earlier of the disabled vehicle, and an APD squad car passed the vehicle and citizens pushing it shortly before the accident occurred. According to the department's spokesperson, by the time the officer had turned around to go investigate, the accident had already occurred.
Corporal Jerry Neufeld of the Amarillo Police Department said APD does not have a specific policy stating they "must" help broke down vehicles on the side of the road.
"If an officer is approaching or sees a vehicle that's broke down or somebody is trying to do something with them, depending on the situation, the day, and the time, he's gonna do everything he can to keep that person from getting hit or an accident occurring." said Neufeld.
Neufeld said it is unknown where the vehicle was at the time the officer passed, but he has no doubt that the officer would have stopped had the situation looked dangerous at the time he had passed.
Okay:
#1 There is no specific policy stating they "must" help broke down vehicles.
#2 Up to individual officer's judgment.
#3 If the situation had looked dangerous....anybody else think pushing a vehicle of a major interstate highway's off-ramp during morning rush hour may not look dangerous?
http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/story.aspx?id=937511
So the popo have no duty to render aid...and the Supreme Court has decided that they have no duty to defend/protect you....so why do we have police, anyway? Just to show up, mill around, and draw chalk lines?
ReplyDeleteI use my truck and flashers to block/protect people with broken down vehicles all the time at work. Its sad when the dog catcher feels more responsibility for people's safety than LEO does.
ReplyDeleteRabidAlien said... Just to show up, mill around, and draw chalk lines?
ReplyDeleteYep. That and write reports.
FIRST they shoot you, THEN they draw chalk outlines around your body.
ReplyDeletePaladin, I've seen the highway department guys rendering aid more often than sheriff/police.
Yep, it looked dangerous. That's why he kept going.
ReplyDeleteThis occurring on an Interstate, why wasn't Texas HPD or Potter County Sheriffs Deputies dispatched rather than an APD officer? Also, occurring on an Interstate where the average speed limit is 70 MPH, why is the APD officer to blame in this situation when it sounds like he passed the disabled vehicle (probably clocking 90 MPH), went to the next exit to turn around to return to the scene and arrived in time to write a report on the accident?
ReplyDeleteFrom everything I've read, it sounds like an officer that wasn't even supposed to be there went in search of a motorist in distress, passed by said motorist, attempted to double back to offer assistance and a terrible accident occurred before he could reach them. How is this the officers fault, regardless of policy?
You're grouchy lately. Stop it or I'll take my beer and go home.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we continue to pay for any of the "services" that the .Gov allegedly provides? If you gotta do it youself anyway....
ReplyDeleteYou guy's give the popo a break, there was a long line at the Dunkin Doughnuts just down the street. It was most certainly not the officers fault, just ask his union.
ReplyDeleteccbpc, I-40 is jointly handled by DPS and APD. DPS mostly handles moving violations and drug stops. They both handle accidents. The call gave a specific location with the specific off-ramp, slow traffic to right for the off/on ramps, so unless he was completely new to the area and had never patrolled I40, he knew exactly where they were, pull to the right lane with flashers, move up behind them, provide assistance. If he was in the middle or left lanes, traffic from city limit to city limit is 60 mph, he wasn't looking too hard. I have seen them jump medians and cut people off to pull over a speeder, I think he could have safely driven in the slow lane to come up behind them.
ReplyDeleteAngel eyes, sorry to see you go.
I changed my mind after reading this.
ReplyDeletehttp://weaselzippers.us/2013/08/22/89-year-old-wwii-veteran-beaten-to-death-by-two-black-teens/#disqus_thread
ccbpc, are you not beginning to sense the miss-trust in all our government agency's??? also, if a "county" cop from 60 miles away from the "county" he catches me speeding in can give me a speeding ticket, how the hell is this NOT relevant???
ReplyDeleteThat was just jest, I wouldn't leave ya, Red. You're too...something.
ReplyDeleteOr other.
:)
Yes, apparently I'm too cranky. :-P
ReplyDeleteWho said that? Who the fuck said that? Who's the communist twinkled toed...you know the rest!
ReplyDeleteBear hug to ya, you need it.
A little more groveling if you please, and then tell me I'm pretty and give me chocolate.
ReplyDeleteYou are pretty. I've seen the tolios to prove it. Godiva ok?
ReplyDeleteGodiva dark, and you are forgiven.
ReplyDeleteI take a knee to thee.
ReplyDeleteOkay, that's marginally better than taking a ping pong paddle, unless you're into that sort of thing?
ReplyDeleteBend a knee. A Knight's Tale.
ReplyDeleteOhh, humor. I'm catching up.
Wait....less cops and knees, more about the pingpong paddle, please...!
ReplyDeleteSmack dat a##?
ReplyDeleteSpaulding or Killerspin?
Cops dear readers, like all of the King's Men of history, are there to collect the king's tax, protect the kings deer, and keep the serfs silent ,working and worshipful. Everything else is wishful thinking.---Ray
ReplyDeleteAngel, that's the info that I needed from a local. Things are different around here, that was a fucking dick move on the part of the APD asshat. Thank you for the clarification and fuck the police.
ReplyDelete