DPD Cop Involved In Stop Of NFL Player Resigns

[RamboLiberal]

Source: cbs11tv.com

Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell, who delayed NFL player Ryan Moats and his wife from the hospital bedside of a dying relative, has resigned.

Powell handed in his resignation Wednesday morning.

"With a heavy heart and great sadness, I resigned from the Dallas Police Department this morning. I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers, and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward. I still hope to speak with the Moats family to personally express my deep regret, sympathy, and to apologize for my poor judgment and unprofessional conduct. I also want to apologize to my fellow officers. I have sincere respect and admiration for the men and women of the Dallas Police Department and the work they perform daily, and I wish them well."



Read more: http://cbs11tv.com/local/powell.resigns.dallas.2.973181.html

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Good, you were in the wrong line of work ex-officer Powell. I hope you have truly learned from this experience common sense and humanity.

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

1. Excellent!

I feel bad for his family, but his attitude was not ready for prime time. He didn't show the maturity needed to handle situations such as this one. He was arguably OK at the beginning, but the changing circumstances demanded a different response, and he wasn't up to it. Maybe the Police Department can find a more mature and professional person to replace him, and maybe he can spend some time in the podunk pd until he grows up.

[Alexander]

2. Wow, they didn't just transfer him for put him on paid leave.

I'm pleasantly surprised.

[Frisbee]

3. At least...

he is acknowledging errors in his judgment and accepting responsibility for those errors. "apologize for my poor judgment and unprofessional conduct" That is a far sight better than most of the "I apologize if my words offended anyone" apologies we seem to get today. Still, Dallas will be a better place without him serving on the PD. Next stop, mall cop.

[TheEuclideanOne]

10. I agree

I had the same reaction when reading it.

[mbperrin]

4. It's Texas. NFL football or cop? Easy call....

Before anyone questions my creds, I'm not only a native Texan, I'm native to Odessa, the home of Friday Night Lights.

Yes, THAT football town.

[EvtheBev]

5. The Right Thing To Do ...

.. this police officer has done the honorable thing and perhaps others will learn from his mistake. With this action alone, he has regained his honor and integrity. Nice to see a genuine apology too - especially with the common "non-apology's" we see too much of nowadays.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

6. Wanna bet he applies to be a State Trooper?

Not one word in that letter leads me to believe he's gonna stop being a cop in one form or another. He just intends to switch locations and hope nobody recognizes him.

Friggin' flatfoot copper.

[cosmicone]

7. seems like a decent human being .. very un-cop like n/t

[CubicleGuy]

12. The question is...

... did he write this himself, or was it written for him?

[progdonkey]

16. "very un-cop like"?

So, when he prevented someone from attending to his dying mother-in-law for a stupid traffic ticket that no other cop would've written up given the circumstances, I guess he was being a "typical cop"?

But when he was forced to resign from the police department--which reacted very negatively (i.e. decently) to this situation--then he "seems like a decent human being... very un-cop like"?

You know, maybe he was being "un-cop like" when he was abusing his authority and the ones who were behaving like cops were his superiors at the department who reacted very strongly and were very apologetic immediately. :eyes:

[Fumesucker]

20. Most of us think that if the person he harassed was not a celebrity of sorts..

Absolutely nothing would have happened to the cop..

Disclaimer: I have cops in my family and they tell me there are more than a few "bad apples" in the police, they also say that many people are changed for the worse by being cops and shouldn't be cops for too long.

[FriendlyReminder]

8. Good. I think he was probably in the wrong line of work anyway.

Hopefully he finds a career that he enjoys in order to support his family. He might want to consider one that doesn't give him too much "power".

[curiousdemo]

9. So long sucker!!

You can go ahead a file your unemployment claim on line at http://www.twc.state.tx.us/jobs/job.html

A word of advice, please don't apply for a police officer job.

[tularetom]

11. Mr Powell became a man in my eyes by this action

He has learned humility at an early age, something that takes most of us a lot longer. His statement reflects true regret instead of the non apology apology that is so common today (I'm sorry if I offended anyone). I believe he will be well served by his actions and I wish him well whatever path he chooses.

By the way IMO any young kid who is eager to become a police officer probably has no business being one.

[Summermoondancer]

13. More should learn from his example

when you screw up big time you should face your error and deal with it in the proper way...he did that. Now, he can find another job, but he shouldn´t find another police job until he takes some training to deal with situations that require empathy...

[w8liftinglady]

14. I hope the officer gets treatment,and that the department looks at critical incident debriefing

I am not defending this officer's actions.However,as the mom of a soldier with PTSD,I just wanted to remind everyone of the things cops see every day-especially in Dallas.I don't know what their debriefing program is,but if it's anything like the military's was,it sucks.
This website is dedicated to cops with ptsd,who have committed suicide.Their stories are heart-wrenching.
http://www.tearsofacop.com/police/articles/articles.html

[MilesColtrane]

15. I hear the Army's hiring, Mr. Powell.

You'd still get to carry a gun and point it at people!

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

17. i feel bad for him

He was a relatively new cop, just 3 years on the force. He made a mistake, apologized and was forgiven by the Moates. Yes, it was a BAD mistake, but after 4 oakland cops died in the line of duty last week and 6 cops died in 18 months in philly, I can understand that he was, no pun intended, gun shy. I believe in redemption and that one well intention mistake shouldn't end a career.
My heart goes out to the Moates and they have showed true character in forgiving the officer. This mistake shouldn't end his career, imho.

[MilesColtrane]

35. This guy was a douchebag on a power trip.

How many more stops like this one happened?

Since when do people get arrested and cuffed for an illegal U-turn?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/032909dnspo1athomas.3ecf949.html



Maritza Thomas, the wife of NFL linebacker Zach Thomas, saw a familiar face as she watched the video of Officer Robert Powell detaining Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats as he and his family rushed to a hospital to see a dying loved one. That face was Powell's.

On July 27, 2008, while her husband was at training camp with the Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif., Maritza Thomas was pulled over by Powell for an illegal U-turn near NorthPark Center (shopping mall).

Maritza Thomas was issued five tickets by Powell, four of which were later dismissed. Thomas was handcuffed, placed in the back of a police cruiser, spent about three hours in the Dallas County Jail and was threatened with the possibility of spending the night behind bars.

[Missy Vixen]

18. He will have another job ASAP

I'm sure there are departments in other areas of the country that will be more than willing to overlook this.

I also think the apology was written by his attorneys.

Yes, I am cynical.

[deathrind]

19. Babies and Bath Water...

This is wrong. What he did was wrong also, but you learn from your mistakes that is how people evolve and become better people or in this case better police and we need these more then ever. Most cops would have come unglued on people getting out of the vehicle after not stopping for the flashing lights... at least this guy showed some sense although not enough, he certainly could have started tazzing or shooting everyone... Not everyone is willing to stand between you and a very bad event which is what officers do. So unless you are or have been in their shoes do not be so quick to judge. Maybe I am giving to much benefit of the doubt here to Mr. Powell perhaps there is a history with him and treatment but the DPD should not accept his resignation just because of this incident. The flip side of this is this. I have had several family members succumb to a terminal illness Doctors are disconcertingly good at predicting time left and from what I understand is was not a case that the mother-in-law was fine and coded out of the clear blue sky, she was ill and it was well known... I think it is clear where I am going with this.

[avaistheone1]

21. Sorry this cop is a complete idiot.

He can't think on his feet. He was not eve in a stressful situation either.

That cop is better off doing something else, and the community is better off without him.

[Dirigo]

22. Dallas PD Post Officer Powell

It is regrettable this young, inexperienced, obviously poorly supervised and poorly trained police officer has become yet another statistic of failing on the job. I blame his supervisors more for his inexperience and immaturity. I think everyone responding here pretty much summarizes what most people "feel" about this situation that the young officer created and ignited into a firestorm of protest. Surely there were signs of inexperience and questionable judgment in this officers daily routine during the past 3 years that should have caused concern by any sergeant, lieutenant or captain to counsel the boy and help him along the way. When is the last time he was checked out on his firearm, how and when to use his firearm and what of the principle you never pull your gun unless you intend to use it? I have a serious question as to whether this young officer is of the right mental capacity to be a uniformed police officer given what I've seen on his MySpace tatooing on his arm for christsakes of a police shield which to me is the height of immaturity. I would have liked to see him further trained and reigned in before being turned loose to hurt himself, the public in a poorly managed minor encounter, or defaming his department which may be partly responsible in any event. When is the last time this young officer was inspected by his sergeant, contacted and visited by a superior officer on patrol? Clearly he was left to fend for himself the best way he knew how. I would like to see him (the young officer) get some police department psychological counseling even though he has voluntarily resigned. I believe there are lingering issues that must be addressed to ensure he directs himself safely in the right direction. It may well be a Mall Cop, or a gated community security officer, or again a uniformed patrolman in a hick town in that hick red state. I wish him well. I do applaud his well scripted resignation and apology to the Moates family. Not everyone is entitled to become a uniformed police officer and not everyone is a natural candidate to become a police officer. The video-cam was a damning testimony demanding far more questions and answers than what were apparant. I was a young state trooper once upon a time and in those days with limited training, no bullet proof vests, no state issued blanket to at least cover the dead, and tube radios with transitor radios just coming in, and .38 caliber revolvers. Thank God I had wonderful sergeants, lieutenants, and captains to counsel me along the way and I learned everyday. My superiors respected me and I respected them. They showed an interest in me and I gave it my best. I ultimately was starved out by lack of pay and upon getting married I quickly learned "two can eat as cheaply as one so long as one doesn't eat".

[groundloop]

23. Cop who stopped NFL player in hospital lot resigns

Source: Yahoo

DALLAS (AP)—The police officer who pulled out his gun and threatened an NFL player with jail instead of allowing him inside a hospital where his mother-in-law was dying resigned Wednesday.

Officer Robert Powell had been placed on paid leave pending an investigation of the March 18 incident.

“I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward,” Powell said in a statement issued through his attorneys.

He had stopped Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats’ SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in suburban Plano after the vehicle rolled through a red light.

The officer pulled out his gun and threatened Moats with jail as the player and his family pleaded to be allowed to go inside the hospital. Powell continued writing Moats a ticket and lecturing him even after a fellow officer confirmed that Moats’ mother-in-law was dying.

Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, died of breast cancer before Powell allowed Moats to go inside the hospital.


Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-nflplayer-stopped&prov=ap&type=lgns

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Finally a little bit of decency from this guy. He clearly was in the wrong line of work.

[loyalkydem]

24. Rick's

Sanchez is about to update this. I'm glad. The man was in the wrong

[Froward69]

25. Cops like that get

good cops shot. good riddance!!!

[noiretextatique]

26. glad he did the right thing

before he killed someone.

[qanda]

27. Wow! That woman was only 45

I'm glad the man resigned but even more tragic is the fact that cancer is snatching away so many lives. RIP Mrs. Collinsworth.

[pacalo]

28. That statement was clearly written by his attorney.

I like this part, which would describe how Bush's resignation was sorely needed: ...my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

29. I can't understand the amount of shock regarding this pig's actions.

Maybe it's because I come from Chicago - where the motto was changed from ... "To Serve and Protect" ... to "What The Fuck Are You Looking At"

[JJ]

30. He made a huge mistake

in that he harassed a rich guy.
Poor folks get treated that way by cops every day, and those cops don't have to resign.

[CANDO]

31. Far too many cops are Type A personalities looking for power.

eom

[Mithreal]

33. Couldn't it also be average intelligence with strong adherence to principle and justice?

I wonder how things would be different if we recruited from among the most intelligent and high achieving young people for positions in local law enforcement. Mercy isn't very much apart of law enforcement either. Enforcement even sounds aggressive and violent to me.

I have current police, retired state police, and even a murdered on duty police officer in our family. My strong inclination is to believe it has more to do with average intelligence and strong adherence to principles more than other explanations so common here. Add stress and so regularly seeing people at their worst and it can be hard for some to handle and live normal lives.

[LynnTheDem]

32. "allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect

reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward,” ???????!

Ummm...how 'bout YOU reflect on YOUR mistake, Powell????!!

[garybeck]

34. My horror story of rude cop doing something similar, basically killed my dog.

It's been 22 years but it seems like yesterday

My dog had been poisoned and we were rushing to the vet. A cop pulled me over because of a tail light. I explained the situation. He was rude to me and blamed me for my dog being sick. he moved really slowly, went back to his car, took his time, wrote me a ticket. all the time we were frantic and pleading with him, and he couldn't care less about our dog or us.

When we got to the vet, every minute counted. He immediately gave her some medicine to make her vomit up the poison she had ingested. But it was too late and she left us, as we held her in our arms.

It was one of the most horrible days of my life.

I received a ticket in the mail for the taillight. I wrote a letter to the judge, telling him the story. I said because I felt I was mistreated by the police officer while i was experiencing an emergency, I could not, morally speaking pay the fine. I said I could not come up to plead my case in court either, as I lived several hours away. I said if they wanted to put me in jail I would not resist arrest and was willing to my my fine as jail time, but I could pay a single penny because of what happened.

I never heard another word from the court, the judge, the police officer. I checked my driving record some time after and nothing was put on my record.

So justice was done as far as my ticket was concerned, but my dog Althea, a very sweet young spaniel, lived a very short life and died a tragic and horrible death and to this day I blame the police officer as much as I blame the person who poisoned her.