I think anyone with that particular experience that can relate first hand will always feel that way and maybe ur right? But I can tell you that I chased many cars into the ER after recieving a call of someone traveling at a high rate of speed cutting people off and operating recklessly. I'm not saying this guy was but I can tell you it's been more then a dozen instances in 13 years.
I could really care less about this particular subject but the cop bashing ignorance (Not you 86Brick) is getting so thick around here I just couldn't help myself......
I can tell you that all of those people were all Black males except two (Just stating facts, not making any racial comparisons) and all but (2) were rushing to the ER because their friend or relative was shot with a gun and they were rushing to see him. Those other (2) stopped lawfully and explained why they were operating recklessly and were enroute to the hospital. That took all of maybe 15-20 seconds to accomplish that
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Not only did I let them go but I escorted them to the hospital lights and sirens and actually called the hopital to advise them what the problem was when they arrived. The problem was they were pregnant! THEY were having a medical problem! Yet they both obeyed the law and the law actually helped them get to where they were going. Traffic was a nightmare that day. It would have taken them (25) mintues to get to any hospital in the city and we got there in (5) minutes.
What most people outside the field of law enforcement don't realize is that those who are shot have family members enroute to the hospital at a high rate of speed and are not normally what one would consider pillars of the community. They too carry guns because they live that lifestyle and have had many friend and family members shot and killed. They also are more likely to have outstanding warrants and have weapons in their cars that are possibly stolen. They are not smart enough to dump their guns. Point is they ALL end up at the hospital after a shooting at a high rate of speed. Either victim or friend/family member.
Anytime a reports comes in that someone has been shot and their is no victim on scene I instruct officers to respond to all city hospitals and look for someone dropping off a shooting victim or any cars operating recklessly. Some are speeding to get there, other to get away after dumping off a shooting victim and leaving the scene because they too have weapons in the car or are possibly wanted persons.
Those driving the gun shot victims to the hospital were likely there when the shooting took place and may be armed as well for protection against a rival gang member or the Police. They are also potiental witnesses as well. And the vehicle would also be siezed as evidence. This has happened numerous times under the circumstances I described in cities all over the country. There is more to looking at a video then meets the eye. Sometimes the call doesn't come in to dispatch that there are shots fired and a victim and the cop simply makes an on site observation of someone operating recklessly. Again, cops are not mind readers.
I see a lot of members bashing cops. Sometimes cops do really stupid things and deserved to be hung by their balls for sure. But usually what ur seeing is just that, what YOU are SEEing. I veteran cop SEES things differently then others do and plays out these senerios in his mind. It's what prepairs him for the worst so he can go home to his family that night. Over reacting can get you suspended or maybe worse. Under reacting usually gets you killed or worse.... Ya know, like eaten thru a staw.
So there are a lot of possibilities that could have transpired and any seasoned cop will have these thoughts running thru his head when following behind a vehicle that is refusing to stop. And lets face the facts, 99% of those failing to stop from the police are criminals and are running for a reason. Was this an exception? Of course it was. There are responsible ways to handle a situation like that by stopping and there is the way this guy handled it.
When you primarily deal with the worst of people it becomes your survival mode when ur working. Who calls the police to tell them what a great job they are doing?
I have yet to get that call.
I'm not saying what he did was right or wrong in this guys mind, i'm just saying there are other things to consider when you are pursuing someone and they are failing to pull over. I hospital is no exception sorry.
We place officers in the trama room after a shooting for just that reason. What do you think would happen if someone came in and shot the person the hospital was working on after just being shot? Think it hasn't happened before?
They would sue the PD because they were aware of it and did nothing to protect him. Obviously someone was trying to kill him. These are the things that are or atleast the things that should be going thru the mind of a cop. Id rather be judged by 6 then carried by 12. Some cops are a liitle more cautious then others and handle a situation like that with more poise. But that dosen't mean the guy did anything wrong.
I'm sure that guys intentions were to simply see his mother because she was sick. No one doubts that. But that is something he knew, not the officer. I did over hear them say that their mother was ill and wanted to be with her but like I said sometimes things are not as they seem. It would have taken seconds to resolve that situation if he had just stopped. That's the bottom line!
I realize cops are sopposed to be sensitive but when you work in Dallas which has quite a few shootings each year your sensitivity shield becomes weakened i'm sure...
