Ryan Moats-Racial Profiling? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

ngdawg · 03-26-2009, 10:00 PM

YouTube - Shutdown Corner: Ryan Moats Police Video, Part One

Quote:

PLANO, Texas - 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.

“I think he should lose his job,” Ryan Moats said.

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.

Source

In short, this cop was a dick. All he had to do was follow them into the hospital, let them go upstairs as he confirmed the patient was there.
He saw black skin and went off and I agree with the chief that Moats showed remarkable restraint under the circumstances.
Can't cops file charges later? Wait around? Say "Oops"?
He didn't even know the name, so guess he's the only resident of Texas that doesn't watch football, too.

Reese · 03-26-2009, 11:19 PM

Sorry, Not racial profiling imo. The cop could have made things a lot easier but so could the guy. I've seen a few episodes of the TV show cops and criminals will say pretty much anything, including "my momma's dyin!" It's unfortunate that it happened. I'm surprised the cop even let the two women leave the scene. He could have been a real douche bag and had them all handcuffed while he processed them.

dippin · 03-26-2009, 11:35 PM

I am always amazed at how quick people are to dismiss race as a factor.

And yet blacks are still pulled over a disproportionate number of times. "Driving while black" is real.

In this case, the guy was driving with his emergency blinkers on, slowed down before the traffic light in question, and was clearly driving towards a hospital. Kind of unlikely that he was a criminal, and even while stopped the cop still took his god damn time while he knew the person was in a hurry.

And all of this comes in the heels of a scandal where not far from dallas a police department was targeting black drivers for a scam where they were forced to donate their items to the police department or be charged with bogus crimes. Highway robbery? Texas police seize black motorists' cash, cars -- chicagotribune.com

Destrox · 03-26-2009, 11:39 PM

Night time, hard to see in vehicles? Add a few notches on the threat level.

Not pulling over for police over a rather extended time? Bad idea.

I saw him go through a stop sign, and make turns at speeds that are unsafe. Also bad idea.

Jumping out of the car when police are pulling you over? Really bad idea.

I dont blame that cop for being on edge.

Some things were rather dick like, but cant really blame it. Why he even let the two go is beyond me. They could have ditching evidence/drugs/guns whatever.

People lie all day 24/7, and I'm sure cops get it worse. To toss race into this is doing the big-media's job for them.

There are bigger things to worry about when it comes to "Racial" issues.

*edit* This is coming from someone who has little actual respect for cops as I've seem more douche-bag ones than not. More so out here in big cities than back in my small-town home.

SecretMethod70 · 03-27-2009, 12:46 AM

I lean slightly toward thinking race had something to do with this. I don't think he was pulled over because of his race, but I don't have a hard time believing that race made the situation worse than it would have been if he were white.

Yes, cops get lied to all the time I'm sure. Only this guy pulled into the emergency drop off section of a hospital, he and his passengers were clearly genuinely upset and in a hurry (watch the video), and a nurse came down - TWICE - to plead with the cop to let the guy go see his dying mother-in-law.

People lie to police officers, but they rarely get an entire hospital in on the ordeal.

Not to mention that even another police officer came by and pleaded with the ticketing officer to let the guy go. To paraphrase a comment on Fark, when other police officers are telling you you're being a dick, then you're REALLY being a dick.

I can understand pulling the guy over, and I can kind of understand taking a little while to register what was going on, but the SECOND the nurse came down the first time, he should have let the guy go. And I don't have a hard time thinking that if the guy were white then he would have.

That said, whether or not race was related doesn't really matter in my opinion. This guy should lose his job either way. Like I said, up until the nurse came down I can forgive it, but to abuse his power in such a way that TWO pleas from hospital nurses and the plea of a fellow police officer doesn't bring you to your senses, that's simply inexcusable.

The_Jazz · 03-27-2009, 05:13 AM

This cop lacks common sense. Everything up to 7:30 in the video was ok, everything after that is either stupid or just being an asshole. That said, I would have answered at about 3:00, "you want to tow the car, fine. Tow it. I'll supeona that dashboard tape and let the judge decide how much of the city's money to award me."

The threats at about 6:30 are compound this guy's stupidity. Did race play a part? Probably, but it certainly wasn't the biggest contributing factor.

03-26-2009, 11:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
Reese Delicious	Sorry, Not racial profiling imo. The cop could have made things a lot easier but so could the guy. I've seen a few episodes of the TV show cops and criminals will say pretty much anything, including "my momma's dyin!" It's unfortunate that it happened. I'm surprised the cop even let the two women leave the scene. He could have been a real douche bag and had them all handcuffed while he processed them. __________________ “It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

03-26-2009, 11:39 PM	#4 (permalink)
Destrox Metal and Rock 4 Life Location: Phoenix	Night time, hard to see in vehicles? Add a few notches on the threat level. Not pulling over for police over a rather extended time? Bad idea. I saw him go through a stop sign, and make turns at speeds that are unsafe. Also bad idea. Jumping out of the car when police are pulling you over? Really bad idea. I dont blame that cop for being on edge. Some things were rather dick like, but cant really blame it. Why he even let the two go is beyond me. They could have ditching evidence/drugs/guns whatever. People lie all day 24/7, and I'm sure cops get it worse. To toss race into this is doing the big-media's job for them. There are bigger things to worry about when it comes to "Racial" issues. edit This is coming from someone who has little actual respect for cops as I've seem more douche-bag ones than not. More so out here in big cities than back in my small-town home. __________________ You bore me.... next. Last edited by Destrox; 03-26-2009 at 11:43 PM..

03-27-2009, 12:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	I lean slightly toward thinking race had something to do with this. I don't think he was pulled over because of his race, but I don't have a hard time believing that race made the situation worse than it would have been if he were white. Yes, cops get lied to all the time I'm sure. Only this guy pulled into the emergency drop off section of a hospital, he and his passengers were clearly genuinely upset and in a hurry (watch the video), and a nurse came down - TWICE - to plead with the cop to let the guy go see his dying mother-in-law. People lie to police officers, but they rarely get an entire hospital in on the ordeal. Not to mention that even another police officer came by and pleaded with the ticketing officer to let the guy go. To paraphrase a comment on Fark, when other police officers are telling you you're being a dick, then you're REALLY being a dick. I can understand pulling the guy over, and I can kind of understand taking a little while to register what was going on, but the SECOND the nurse came down the first time, he should have let the guy go. And I don't have a hard time thinking that if the guy were white then he would have. That said, whether or not race was related doesn't really matter in my opinion. This guy should lose his job either way. Like I said, up until the nurse came down I can forgive it, but to abuse his power in such a way that TWO pleas from hospital nurses and the plea of a fellow police officer doesn't bring you to your senses, that's simply inexcusable. __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling Last edited by SecretMethod70; 03-27-2009 at 05:51 AM..

03-27-2009, 05:13 AM	#6 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	This cop lacks common sense. Everything up to 7:30 in the video was ok, everything after that is either stupid or just being an asshole. That said, I would have answered at about 3:00, "you want to tow the car, fine. Tow it. I'll supeona that dashboard tape and let the judge decide how much of the city's money to award me." The threats at about 6:30 are compound this guy's stupidity. Did race play a part? Probably, but it certainly wasn't the biggest contributing factor. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

03-26-2009, 11:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
dippin Crazy, indeed Location: the ether	I am always amazed at how quick people are to dismiss race as a factor. And yet blacks are still pulled over a disproportionate number of times. "Driving while black" is real. In this case, the guy was driving with his emergency blinkers on, slowed down before the traffic light in question, and was clearly driving towards a hospital. Kind of unlikely that he was a criminal, and even while stopped the cop still took his god damn time while he knew the person was in a hurry. And all of this comes in the heels of a scandal where not far from dallas a police department was targeting black drivers for a scam where they were forced to donate their items to the police department or be charged with bogus crimes. Highway robbery? Texas police seize black motorists' cash, cars -- chicagotribune.com