I live in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex where a police officer has been placed on administrative leave over a traffic stop involving an NFL player Ryan Moat, whom he kept in a hospital parking lot and threatened to arrest while Moat's mother-in-law lie dying inside the building. Officer Powell also drew his gun during the March 18th incident.
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". Looking at the video, I feel the player should have been given the benefit of the doubt and not been harassed by the officer. Mr. Moat's story was easy enough to check out. A couple of nurses and even a fellow police officer attempted to pursuade officer Powell to let Moat enter the hospital to no avail.
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. To read the story in its entirety click here. Moat's mother-in-law passed away before he was able to get to her bedside. To be fair, the officer has since attempted to apologize personally to Mr. Moat and his family, claiming that he showed poor judgment (you got that right!). Was the officer just being difficult or is this incident racially motivated?
19 comments:
I guess to know if it's racially motivated we'd have to know if this police officer acts like this with everyone he comes in contact with, white and black, because if nothing else he is a jerk and likes to abuse his power.
Playing Devil's advocate, I would guess - speaking from experience from having been stopped by the police myself - this officer, as all officers, hear similar "reasons" a thousand times over, with very, very few actually panning out.
But there was no real crime. Police are in a position to protect and serve -- NOT to be inconsiderate assholes. Profiling, I'm not sure. As John stated, the officer's actions with other people would tell the tale: Jerk or racially motivated.
Good post, good blog ... but I'm still waiting for the actual "diversity." :-)
Normally, I would say that the dude should have stopped...but since he pulled into a HOSPITAL, and had his hazard lights on, and stopped at the red light, and checked traffic before proceeding...all these factors should have alerted the officer that it was an emergency.
I realize that officers have to be extra careful because they don't know what they are dealing with on the streets (daily), but once he heard this family get out of the car, again AT THE HOSPITAL, he could have (and should have) taken a different course of action. Maybe following them into the hospital to check the story would have allowed them to be with their dying family member, and saved everyone this embarassment.
But instead, based on what I saw in this video, he behaved like a total asshole and asserted his authority unnecessarily. Keeping them detained in the parking lot, after hearing their cries and pleas was just him being a dick.
I can't surmise whether this is racially motivated, because I don't like to go there unless I have absolute proof. But what I do have proof of is his unnecessary abuse of his badge and uniform.
Hi John, It seems that the officer has been on the job for three years and this is not his first incident. He could benefit from of that sensitivity training his boss referred to in his public apology.
Hi Josh, What is your definition of diversity? This blog does present varying perspectives on a variety of topics. I guess diversity is a relative term. Thanks for commenting.
Marvalus, This type of thing happens all the time. I work closely with a parole officer who is very familiar with police procedure. I asked him why this idiot would allow himself to be videotaped because it is the tape that nails him to the wall. My colleague informed me that they hardly ever review these tapes unless there is an incident and then only if the incident merits or warrants investigation.
Most people who are violated probably let it go because they do not think they can win or because for whatever reason further contact with law enforcement is more harm than good. This is especially true of men of color. Sometimes (like this time) the police happen upon someone with a little clout with a voice that will be heard.
Abuse of power without a doubt. Officer Powell's supervisor is hopping mad. This episode may well cost this fool his job. At the very least he is going to be penalized after internal affairs is through with him.
Yeah, it reaks a bit of racial undertones and the cop later resigned. I feel bad for all involved. It's hard for black men to get much sympathy. Had this been a little old white lady don't think this would have happened.
My immediate reaction is that it was racially motivated. However, John makes an excellent point. It would be interesting to find out if Officer Powell "does his job" a little more when it comes to people of color.
By the way, I am keen to hear Josh's definition of diversity. :-)
Well, of course, "diversity" is being "diverse" and diverse is difference; a wide range; variety.
It's the right of the posters to post whatever they please; I'm simply a reader. But on the scale of everything that happens --racially tinged-- in the world on a daily basis, the blog's theme seems streamlined.
It's not my place to tell the posters what to post. And obviously no one forces me to read. I'm just pointing it out. :-)
As one of Diversity Ink's regular contributors, I'd like to express my appreciation of the point Josh raised. I'll even agree, thus far, the opinions expressed here aren't as "diverse" or "inclusive" as I'd hoped they be (smile).
BUT, I would like to point out that the real "work" of diversity isn't the sole responsibility of any one group.
It's sort of like when "well-intentioned" folks (I am very much extending the benefit of the doubt *smile*), ask--"Well, why do all of the Black kids sit on one side of the lunchroom?" My question to those folks, and with all due respect, is always, "Well, since you view that as a problem, what's keeping YOU from going over and having a seat amongst them?"
Change isn't a one-way street nor a dead-end, unless you insist on viewing it that way. I believe, like Ghandi, that the responsibility for each of us is to be the change we want to see in the world.
So Josh, if you find the views and topics here too narrow and limited, why not discuss with Malcolm the possibility of adding your voice to the mix, if not on a regular basis, in the form of a guest post, perhaps?
Lastly, your willingness to weigh-in on these topics and in some cases, even disagree, add to the diversity here. Don't discount the contribution you've already made to the diversity of these discussions.
Officer Powell quit on Wednesday because he was going to be fired on Friday. I do not think that was what Mr. Moat and his wife wanted (they reported wanting only a sincere apology) and I hate to see this man lose his livelihood.
It was also reported on the daily news that while he can never work for the Dallas Police Department again because he was under investigation, he can apply for position at the other departments in the area and believe me there is no shortage of departments in the Metroplex. I just hope the young man has learned something from this situation.
On another note, I would love to have you join us Josh and help us to bring more diversity to the blog. What do you say?
Josh: First, thanks for providing us with your feedback. However, I'm hoping you can provide examples, specifics, etc. You say diversity is "difference; a wide range; variety". My question is, a difference of what? a wide range of what? a variety of what? It could be ethnic diversity, ideological diversity, diversity of topics, etc. After reading your latest comments and those of Lori's, it sounds as if you both are talking about two slightly different things (You- diversity of topics; Lori-diversity of not only topics, but opinions as well). You also stated that the blog's theme seems streamlined. Again, I'm loving the constructive feedback. However, I'm also hoping for some examples and specifics as to why you feel this way.
Please keep in mind that Diversity Ink has been around for barely two months. Give us time. :-) There will be more diversity in the topics that are covered. I won't speak for any of the other contributors, but there are several post ideas I have that are a departure from what I've written here so far. It's simply a matter of having the time to write about them in a clear and concise manner.
In the previous paragraph, I alluded to the time factor. This is why I reached out to people to see if they were interested in being a contributor to Diversity Ink. Even with the number of contributors, there are going to be racially tinged stories that don't get covered here. Either because they slip under our radar or we don't have the time to cover them adequately (all 9 contributors have their own blogs in addition to writing for Diversity Ink). It goes without saying that we also are all trying to get through this thing called “Life”, which can cut into blogging time. :-)
When I contacted people to see if they were interested in being contributors to Diversity Ink, I made a conscious effort to try and get as diverse a mix as possible. The hope was that this mix would generate diverse opinions, topics, etc. Unfortunately, talking about race (even in an online setting) isn't easy for everyone. As a result, one of the original contributors to Diversity Ink quietly resigned. One of the reasons they gave is that they felt in the minority and therefore were intimidated to share their thoughts. Although I respect their reasons, I was disappointed.
It's funny that Lori mentioned that you contact me about possibly being a contributor. A couple of days ago, I was thinking about asking you if you are interested. If you want to join, shoot me an email/IM and we can talk. If you don't, I hope at the very least that you will continue to voice your opinions in the comments section.
Well, anyone who's read my blog knows that I have little problem talking about racial issues. I'm a firm believer that widespread "racism" is a myth perpetuated by liberals and that most discrimination in today's America is really classism. As such, I'm always trying to convince people that I'm right ;)
I don't mind posting my opinions anywhere at any time. I'd be happy to contribute my views on the world as I see it.
And about not being diverse: I know the blog's fairly new. I wasn't criticizing at all -- only simply pointing it out.
What I've read (I think I've read at least most of the posts) are essentially accounts of slights (possible, to boot) toward the African-American community. And I know that's a big part of what the blog deals with, but there are gigantic stories out there that reach past the battle-worn trials of white V black.
I enjoy reading and commenting on old Duke posts and the most toned down traffic stop video to ever catch buzz, but there are gargantuan stories in the country that I feel are being ignored -- not only here, but by everyone.
Mixon's murder of police officers and ensuing protest proclaiming him a hero.
Robert Reich's insistence that all stimulus money should be used to create jobs ... just not for white, male construction workers.
Bobby Jindal being made fun of for his heritage by the same mainstream media that will crucify anyone to disagree with Obama only after labeling them a racist.
Yikes. These are national stories that simply go away for political reasons. And they all have a huge racial angle.
The Post's chimp cartoon got more national coverage than all three stories I named combined. And it's just my opinion, but it seems like a lot of stuff is intentionally being overlooked. Again, not only here but everywhere.
@ Lori (I forgot to address it in the first comment)
I'm not sure if I'm taking you wrong, but are you suggesting that I should have walked over to the lunch table to "take a seat" instead of speaking up about it at all?
Speaking up is my walking over.
Hi Josh, Like I said...it is all relative. You might feel some stories are more important than others and that we are focusing on less essential, racial issues. I write what I feel like writing and when I start trying to please you or anyone else, then I will no longer be a contributor. I know you have been invited to join us and the offer is still open. I know you like visiting, playing Devil's advocate and such. I feel you on the classism issue which is valid, but racism, classism, sexism, ageism, etc. are just tools of oppression meant to degrade some sector of the population. But I digress.
This post was not about the chase, but rather about the direspectful way in which this man was treated, even after a nurse and another police officer tried to intervene. While this incident might lack importance and relevance for you, I found it very relevant. As Lori stated, your voice has done a great deal to make the arguments presented here less one-sided and your contributions are very much appreciated. You can join us and write about the more relevant stuff :-)
To me the saddest result of this whole episode is that Mr. Moat was unable to be with a loved one at the end of their life.
My heart goes out to Mr. Moat and his family.
Hi Pop Art Diva, I miss you. I got to get back on my blog game :-) That result did make this reason why I even wrote about this in the first place. Can you image not being able to be at your loved one side after being a summoned? Who knows whether she has some departing words of wisdom, encouragement, etc. That is the tragedy. I will be over to visit Diva Land soon :-)
Well, it seems that you've taken my comments about the blog in general as a personal attack on your particular post -- which isn't the case at all.
Maybe I've misunderstood the intent here.
I brought up those 3 topics not so much because they're important to me personally, but because they're huge national issues: Police V the community at its most violent; Widespread media bias - only claiming racism if it's from non-liberals; Racially motivated individuals hoarding billions of TAXPAYER money.
As I've said a few times, I'm not trying to tell people what to post at all. I'm just surprised that no one has even brushed up against these national topics.
The larger the issue, the larger the debate. Case in point: My simple "where's the diversity" comment has really peaked interest.
I didn't mean for you to take it as an attack against your post... which I've complimented, btw.
Hey Josh, That is the problem with the written word people can misinterpret them meaning behind them. I was not offended at all. I did not take your comments as an personal affront, quite the contrary, I said that I welcome your opinions. You made a valid argument, point taken, and I hope to see you back here :-) Keep stirring it up!
Josh: Thank you for providing specifics/examples as to why you feel that Diversity Ink's theme is streamlined. However, your comment that most of the posts are essentially accounts of slights toward the African-American community simply isn't true. Of the 18 regular posts we've done (I'm not counting the introductory one which states the purpose of Diversity Ink), only 5 could be deemed as accounts of slights against African Americans. I'm being generous because I'm even including the two posts that were written about the Confederate Flag. Even though some may view those two posts as accounts of slights against African Americans, I think that's only part of a bigger picture that they cover. Again, 5 out of 18 posts is hardly what anyone would call "most".
You seem to be under the impression that Diversity Ink's main goal is to cover current/national events that have a racial angle. That's only part of what we do here. If you haven't yet, please check out the introductory post that I mentioned earlier. It should help explain why John wrote the post "What Do You Say?". Although the post isn't about a current event, it fits in perfectly with the theme of Diversity Ink. In case there are other posts you may have missed (perhaps “The History Lesson“ or “Mother to Son“), feel free to view those as well.
Josh: By the way, if you are interested in doing a guest post here, you can reach me at ultfan@gmail.com. I'm also available to "chat" through Gmail as well.
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