x96bryan10 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/29895162/ PLANO, Texas - A police officer was put on desk duty after pulling over an NFL player rushing to see his dying mother-in-law in the hospital and holding him in the hospital parking lot as she died. Dallas police officer Robert Powell stopped Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center during the early hours of March 18 after Moats rolled through a red light. Moats and his family had gotten a call saying his mother-in-law was dying. 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 Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, to get back in the SUV, but she ignored him and rushed inside the hospital to see her mother, Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, and was by her side when she died a short time later. She had breast cancer."Get in there,'' said Powell, yelling at 27-year-old Tamishia Moats, as she exited the car. "Let me see your hands!'' "Excuse me, my mom is dying,'' Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?'' Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light and that his mother-in-law was dying, right then. Moats couldn't find his insurance paperwork, and was desperate to leave. "Listen, if I can't verify you have insurance...,'' Officer Powell said. "My mother-in-law is dying,'' Moats interrupted. 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.'' The officer later told Moats, "I can screw you over. I would rather not do that. You obviously will dictate everything that happens; and right now, your attitude sucks." By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, 25, at least 13 minutes had passed. When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead, The Dallas Morning News reported in Thursday's editions..........click link for rest of article Wow...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpskins10 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Sickening. Just because you're a police officer doesn't waive your obligation to be a human being in times like these. You hear stories like this and then wonder why policemen, who are supposed to be in charge of protecting society, are looked at so negatively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoney26 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Sad story. Im shocked the cop didnt shoot the wife after reading some stories on Texas cops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpskins10 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Sad story. Im shocked the cop didnt shoot the wife after reading some stories on Texas cops. I agree, I'm very surprised she was able to get away without him trying to pull something. You always hate to say things are race-related, but it's hard to believe that the policeman just felt like being a jerk. Powell thought he was doing his job, apparently. But the quote from the police chief says it all: "When people are in distress, we should come to their rescue. We shouldn't further their distress." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPinstripe Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I agree, I'm very surprised she was able to get away without him trying to pull something. You always hate to say things are race-related, but it's hard to believe that the policeman just felt like being a jerk. Powell thought he was doing his job, apparently. But the quote from the police chief says it all: "When people are in distress, we should come to their rescue. We shouldn't further their distress." What an ass... Yet another cop on a power trip. Those kinds of cops should be stripped of their job. When a cop is in it in order to have power over people, its not a good combination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFKFedEx Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Edited after viewing video link: The cop had every right to pursue him for running the light. It looked as if the guy was running from him when the blue lights started flashing. Nothing else needs to be said if you saw the rest of the video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilsu Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I agree, I'm very surprised she was able to get away without him trying to pull something. You always hate to say things are race-related, but it's hard to believe that the policeman just felt like being a jerk. It may have been race, it may have been the policeman being a jerk, and it may have been both... I've brought this up a couple of times before to some controversy, but there is a high percentage of people who become police officers simply because they could not get a better job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 police officers hear all kinds of excuses on traffic stops, some true and most are not. how was the officer to know the mother in law was going to die at the time of the stop? the officer should not be on desk duty, thats bs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurd Cudins Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 police officers hear all kinds of excuses on traffic stops, some true and most are not. how was the officer to know the mother in law was going to die at the time of the stop? the officer should not be on desk duty, thats bs!They were in the parking lot of the hospital. That negates that argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forehead Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'm willing to bet that the player gave the cop attitude before he gave it back to the player. I usually give cops the benefit of the doubt, but they do have the transcripts that were recorded, and it sounds like Moats was being very respectful, just a little agitated that he was being held up. Edit* More from ESPN, where I read this initially. Has more of the conversation between Moats and the officer. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4017382 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neophyte Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Sad story. Im shocked the cop didnt shoot the wife after reading some stories on Texas cops. I realize that TX in general and Dallas in particular have a bad rap on this board but cops in Tx aren't any worse than cops in any other part of the country. I grew up in VA in watched friends have problems with cops just because the cop was having a bad day or on some sort of power trip just like it happens here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamshatterer Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Normally, Iwould see both side of the arguments. But since they got to the hospital parking lot, the cop had a easy thing to do. Ask for Moats to park, stand by the car till they come back. Thier is cameras in hospitals. OR run into the hospital with them to help them out and you could tell by then if they were telling the truth or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HapHaszard Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I realize that TX in general and Dallas in particular have a bad rap on this board but cops in Tx aren't any worse than cops in any other part of the country. I grew up in VA in watched friends have problems with cops just because the cop was having a bad day or on some sort of power trip just like it happens here. I'll agree, I have spent a lot of time in Texas, never had any problems with the police there, the few times I have interacted with them they have been polite. I can't say the same for Tennessee, I've been stopped several times in Tenn. just because the trailer I'm pulling looked different than normal ones. (they are) Once was delayed for 3 hours because they wanted to have their drug dogs check out my trailer, and we waited until they could bring them in from Nashville. Once the dogs were done, all I got was a grudging you can go now, nothing else. They acted like they were pissed off because they didn't find anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 They were in the parking lot of the hospital. That negates that argument. how, because the officer was told someone was about to die? you dont think someone would ever add that to the story to get out of a ticket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurd Cudins Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 how, because the officer was told someone was about to die? you dont think someone would ever add that to the story to get out of a ticket?You are missing the point. If he had been pulled over on the side of some random highway, then yes he has a right to be suspicious. That's not the case here. He was pulled over in the parking lot of a hospital. Based on the transcripts the officer went out of his way to be obtuse and delay Moats even after hospital officials had vouched for his story. This officer does not deserve to wear a badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santana_Fan Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I've always like Ryan Moats. That's a real tough story. I've seen something similar happen on one of these cop tv shows before. A man was trying to rush his wife to the hospital, when the cops pulled him over, to do the normal questioning, then also decided to ask the man a million more unnecessary questions. After it was over, he continued trying to get his wife to the hospital, and his wife died not too long ago after she got there...Doctors later said that if they had more time, she possibly could have been saved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santana_Fan Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 You are missing the point. If he had been pulled over on the side of some random highway' date=' then yes he has a right to be suspicious. That's not the case here. He was pulled over in the parking lot of a hospital. Based on the transcripts the officer went out of his way to be obtuse and delay Moats even after hospital officials had vouched for his story. This officer does not deserve to wear a badge.[/quote']He sure doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpskins10 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Normally, Iwould see both side of the arguments. But since they got to the hospital parking lot, the cop had a easy thing to do. Ask for Moats to park, stand by the car till they come back. Thier is cameras in hospitals. OR run into the hospital with them to help them out and you could tell by then if they were telling the truth or not. Exactly. There were better ways to handle it and he was just on a power trip. If you're a HUMAN BEING, you pull over the guy in the PARKING LOT OF A HOSPITAL, and the officials are VOUCHING for the guy, you at least let him go inside. If you must give him the ticket, you wait. I'm sure Ryan would have taken triple the fine rather than not be at his mother in law's side during her last moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMonkey Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Here is the whole incident on video from the cop's car for those that want to see it before passing judgement. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032609dnmetcopstop.3e9c080.html?nTar=OPUR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpskins10 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Here is the whole incident on video from the cop's car for those that want to see it before passing judgement.http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032609dnmetcopstop.3e9c080.html?nTar=OPUR Link's broken. I would be very interested in seeing it though. Never mind, it works. Didn't work the first time for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicious Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 This sounds like an unfortunate set of circumstances, but I'm taking the cops side on this one. You can't allow people to run from a vehicle during a traffic stop. How was the cop to know that this woman wasn't a wanted on fellony warrants? I'm willing to bet that the player gave the cop attitude before he gave it back to the player. Because they are in front of a hospital. Do you know how many traffic laws are broken in front of a hospital? With babies being born, people being maimed and DYING RELATIVES? Get Freaking Real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gortiz Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 This sounds like an unfortunate set of circumstances, but I'm taking the cops side on this one. You can't allow people to run from a vehicle during a traffic stop. How was the cop to know that this woman wasn't a wanted on fellony warrants? I'm willing to bet that the player gave the cop attitude before he gave it back to the player. i ususally would blast you for this response but in light of the 4 officers dieing in oakland, mayabe this paticular officer wasn't playing around...i'm not saying he is justified, but these guys have a tough job man, real tough. its sucks all around, but i'm not going to jump to Moats defense just yet...without knowing EVERYTHING. I could see the cop being a power hungry a-hole and i can see moats makign his job real, real tough... still sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicious Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 "A Dallas police spokesman said that Officer Robert Powell told his commanders that he drew his gun, but did not point it. Lt. Andy Harvey said it is not unusual for officers to draw a gun without pointing it. Drawing a gun is not unusual in traffic stops where officers feel threatened. " I bet you this is the real reason he was benched. He lied. You don't draw a weapon unless you have the will to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullnelson9999 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 i ususally would blast you for this response but in light of the 4 officers dieing in oakland, mayabe this paticular officer wasn't playing around...i'm not saying he is justified, but these guys have a tough job man, real tough. its sucks all around, but i'm not going to jump to Moats defense just yet...without knowing EVERYTHING. I could see the cop being a power hungry a-hole and i can see moats makign his job real, real tough... still sucks. Watch the video. Theres no reason to take the cops side if you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpskins10 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Sometimes I wish police officers were required to get college degrees before getting the job. I've seen way too many ignorant, stupid policemen to believe that their "education" is adequate for the job they do. If their jobs are so important, find smarter, more educated people to do it. Sorry guys, I'm just really disgusted by this and I apologize in advance to any policemen out there. Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.