Police officer, who delayed Texans' Moats as relative died, placed on leave

[Spunkonmyback DPOY]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true

 

 

Associated Press

 

 

DALLAS -- A police officer was placed on administrative leave Thursday over a traffic stop involving an NFL player whom he kept in a hospital parking lot and threatened to arrest while his mother-in-law died inside the building.

 

Officer Robert Powell also drew his gun during the March 18 incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats in the Dallas suburb of Plano, police said.

 

 

"I can screw you over," he said at one point in the videotaped incident. When another officer came with word that Moats' mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell's response was: "All right. I'm almost done."

 

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family and announced that Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation.

 

"When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed," Kunkle said. "It's hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate."

 

Powell, 25, a three-year member of the force, stopped Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano after Moats rolled through a red light.

 

Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job, and that he drew his gun but did not point it. Kunkle said Powell was not necessarily acting improperly when he pulled his weapon out, but that once he realized what was happening should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way.

 

"His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.

 

Moats' wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her.

 

"He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car," Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.

 

Ryan Moats told KRLD-FM in Dallas in a phone interview Thursday that after the officer pointed the gun at his wife, he pointed it at him. "I just tried to stay as still as possible to not scare him or do anything to make him react," he said.

 

He earlier told the newspaper he thought Powell should be fired but backed off that in his radio interview.

 

"All I know is what he did was wrong," Moats said. "He stole a moment away from me that I can never get back. I'm really not the judge on what should happen to him."

 

The Moats family did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press. Powell did not respond to requests for comment through the Dallas police union.

 

Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.

 

He ordered Tamishia Moats, 27, to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.

 

"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at Tamishia Moats as she exited the vehicle. "Let me see your hands!"

 

"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"

 

Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.

 

"My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You're wasting my time!" Moats yelled. "I don't understand why you can't understand that."

 

As they argued, the officer got irritated.

 

"Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

 

By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, about 13 minutes had passed. When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead.

 

Earl Jackson, Collinsworth's father, said he knew what Powell was doing was wrong. "This guy, he wouldn't listen to nobody," Jackson said in an interview with Dallas-Fort Worth station KDFW-TV.

 

Moats said he wouldn't have had a problem with the officer giving him a ticket after letting him go into the hospital.

 

"I don't know what he was thinking," he told KRLD-FM. "Basically, I was just shocked. I was very shocked that he wasn't budging on it. I even said I can't believe that this was happening."

 

Kunkle said the video showed that Moats and his wife "exercised extraordinary patience, restraint in dealing with the behavior of our officer."

 

"At no time did Mr. Moats identify himself as an NFL football player or expect any kind of special consideration," Kunkle said. "He handled himself very, very well."

 

The Moats family, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in the white officer's behavior.

 

When the exchange was at its most contentious, Powell said he could tow Moats' SUV if he didn't have insurance and that he could arrest him for fleeing because he didn't immediately stop when Powell turned on his sirens. The pursuit lasted a little more than a minute.

 

"I can screw you over," Powell said. "I'd rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens."

 

The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.

 

Texans spokesman Kevin Cooper said the team had no comment.

 

Moats, a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 out of Louisiana Tech, was cut by the Eagles in August and later signed with the Texans. In three seasons as a backup, he's rushed for 441 yards and scored four touchdowns.

 

He was a standout at Bishop Lynch High School, a private school in Dallas, rushing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.

 

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

[Snatch98]

 

 

GOOD! I was reading about this the other day and my blood was boiling. What a stupid prick. I imagine the outcry is enormous and people are likely calling for his job.

[onefellswoop7]

How sad.

 

PFT has the video from the dashboard.

 

 

Jeez.

[calfoxwc]

That officer should not be on the force. Can him, let him learn how to be human being instead of a dumbass arrogant "Robocop".

 

That's sickening, how the officer behaved. It's also stupid to have his gun pulled and aimed. The officer is garbage. Throw him out.

[Guest AdaM]

That officer should not be on the force. Can him, let him learn how to be human being instead of a dumbass arrogant "Robocop".

 

That's sickening, how the officer behaved. It's also stupid to have his gun pulled and aimed. The officer is garbage. Throw him out.

 

 

What do you recommend? Solitary confinement?

[ClevelandFanForLife]

What do you recommend? Solitary confinement?

put him in with the sodomites and let them deal with him.

[Gips]

Watching the dashcam sickened me it gave me the impression that this officer is on a power trip and shouldnt be allowed to return to the police force we dont need cops like this i dont think he behaved like a bigot just a real heartless moron..

[Guest AdaM]

My blood was also boiling when I saw this.

 

Just getting fired is too good for this guy, if there's any kind of criminal negligence that could filed against him I would love to see it. What he did was absolutely incomprehensible.

 

I hope they tar and feather him for this.

 

 

I think permanent demotion to meter-maid would be suitable. With a 15 year freeze on promotions.

[Legacy Fan]

Anybody still think Obama's plan for a Civilian Security Force - that will no doubt be littered with these kinds of assholes - is a good idea?

 

He [Moats] was a standout at Bishop Lynch High School, a private school in Dallas, rushing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.

And apparently 200-300 of those yards coming at the expense of Officer Powell's complete and utter lack of football instinct & athletic ability.

 

 

[heckofajobbrownie]

Leg, he's talking about groups like AmeriCorps, not some armed domestic security force. First responders, people to volunteer with at-risk teens, people to help veterans deal with their issues after returning home - that sort of thing. I only mention this to you because you'll understand you got bad information and adjust, unlike most people in here who are beyond helpless.

 

No one who looks at the speech he gave about this could come to any other conclusion, or would find this the least bit frightening, unless you find volunteering post-grads frightening. You're just getting this after it's been taken out of context by loons.

 

It's amazing what is being peddled for truth in here. It's like a mobius loop of unfounded paranoia. You guys need to go outside. Really.

 

It's going to be okay.

 

Obama's not seizing the means of production. He's not a socialist. We're having a debate on the appropriate levels of taxation in a democracy, and how best to get out of the most serious economic crisis since the depression. Maybe you'd like to join us.

 

Or you can watch Glenn Beck warn you about things that nobody is proposing and will never happen, and lose your mind along with him.

 

[Legacy Fan]

Ok, I can buy that. Horribly (hastily?) written speech though.

 

Anytime I've talked about AmeriCorps, it's been in discussions about other groups like the peace corps, Habitat for humanity, Mission of Mercy... those types - never immediately following a discussion about how the military doesn't have the resources to "achieve national security objectives that we've set." "Achieve" being another poor choice of words.

 

In a related note, I've just rattled off 3 groups in addition to your 1 that all currently receive federal aid (in the form of tax exemptions), so I'm sure with a quick flick of the google switch I could find 10 more. Why is an additional federally mandated group necessary?

 

The GDP of the rest of the world cant support another government entity with an equally large invisible budget like our military currently has.

[Mr. T]

What happened to background checks and physiological analysis of the officer before he was hired on to do this job. Maybe he needs to have a good ole fashioned ass wipping for his conduct.

[heckofajobbrownie]

Ok, I can buy that. Horribly (hastily?) written speech though.

 

Anytime I've talked about AmeriCorps, it's been in discussions about other groups like the peace corps, Habitat for humanity, Mission of Mercy... those types - never immediately following a discussion about how the military doesn't have the resources to "achieve national security objectives that we've set." "Achieve" being another poor choice of words.

 

In a related note, I've just rattled off 3 groups in addition to your 1 that all currently receive federal aid (in the form of tax exemptions), so I'm sure with a quick flick of the google switch I could find 10 more. Why is an additional federally mandated group necessary?

 

The GDP of the rest of the world cant support another government entity with an equally large invisible budget like our military currently has.

 

I don't think it was a horribly written speech at all, and it's very clear what he's talking about. It takes a very strained reading of the text to start worrying about the things you're worried about.

 

These are minor programs with small budgets, not a shadow military.

 

You can read it for yourself. I'm not trying to wade back into this board. I just thought I'd try to ease your mind, Leg. He's just talking about expanding (mostly) post-graduate service programs.

 

"Today, AmeriCorps -- our nation's network of local, state, and national service programs -- has 75,000 slots. And I know firsthand the quality of these programs. My wife, Michelle, once left her job at a law firm and at City Hall to be a founding director of an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that trains young people for careers in public service. And these programs invest Americans in their communities and their country. They tap America's greatest resource -- our citizens.

 

And that's why as president, I will expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals like providing health care and education, saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world, so that citizens see their efforts connected to a common purpose. People of all ages, stations, and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face, the American people are not the problem -- they are the answer.

 

So we are going to send -- we're going to send more college graduates to teach and mentor our young people. We'll call on Americans to join an Energy Corps to conduct renewable energy and environmental cleanup projects in their neighborhoods all across the country. We will enlist our veterans to find jobs and support for other vets, to be there for our military families. And we're going to grow our Foreign Service, open consulates that have been shuttered, and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renew our diplomacy.

 

We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

 

We need to use technology to connect people to service. We'll expand USA Freedom Corps to create online networks where Americans can browse opportunities to volunteer. You'll be able to search by category, time commitment, and skill sets; you'll be able to rate service opportunities, build service networks, and create your own service pages to track your hours and activities. This will empower more Americans to craft their own service agenda, and make their own change from the bottom up."

[Legacy Fan]

I stand corrected. Although, it's easy to see why the loons were able to take it out of context so well/easily. I still don't think it fits with the rest of the speech, but whatever.

 

As long as these programs aren't mandatory, these are ideas I can get on board with. Mandating this kind of program focuses the effort onto bureaucratic side rather than the purpose side. Checklisting and going through the motions type of thing. As a comparison, people who donate to charity are usually happier when they sign that check as opposed to signing the one on April 15th not to mention the process is often smoother.

 

 

I appreciate the heads-up, and it'd be nice to have you back on board. Even if you care not to "wade in" we could stand a "cannon-ball" every once in a while.