This isn't a case of a few bad apples. Behavior similar to this goes on all the time. How many cops ever get speeding tickets once they show their id?Unlike the case in Mesa, where a police officer reported he could smell booze on the breath of a woman who hadn’t been drinking, the cops in San Jose pointedly couldn’t smell liquor on the breath a former cop who was so drunk, she couldn’t remember what year it was.
Newly obtained court documents show there was ample evidence a former San Jose police officer was drunk when she crashed her SUV in March, but police chose not to question her about alcohol use or test her blood.
Soon after Sandra Woodall’s March 25 multi-car accident, she told paramedics that she was just out of rehab, had consumed “a lot” of alcohol and was so disoriented that she thought it was 2006, according to documents. Both of the paramedics who treated Woodall noted the strong smell of alcohol on her breath.
Sgt. Will Manion - a well-regarded senior officer who was the police supervisor on the scene - noted none of these things. Instead, Manion seemed to EMTs to be coaching Woodall on the correct way to answer their questions. He later tried to prevent them from taking her to a hospital, an EMT alleged. Manion insisted that he had no evidence she was drunk, and was trying to determine whether she could be forced to go to the hospital against her will.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
This is why so many people do not like or trust cops
Behavior like this. And I doubt any of them will lose their jobs. [Link]
2 comments:
How do you know "this goes on all the time?" Are you basing this on anything verifiable, or just on the fact that we only hear the stories of the few bad apples, so it appears to be all-pervasive?
You're probably getting tired of my coming to the defense of the bureaucrats and cops, but I was in enforcement for a lot of years, and I feel like our side doesn't get enough good press.
There are, in fact, bad apples in every walk of life. And there are enforcement types who abuse their power from time to time, as well as giving too much credence to the so-called "Thin Blue Line." However, I'm here to tell you that these are the minority. You don't hear the good stuff.
For example, Beeline Hway, patrol officer stopped for speeding, badges the deputy sheriff, who replies:
"If I were coming through the airport and you found drugs in my luggage, would you let me pass because I was a fellow enforcement officer? Thought not." And gave the guy a ticket. There really are good guys out there, too.
Ok, I was probably painting with a too broad brush.
At the same time, power does tend to corrupt. Slippery slopes are an occupational hazard when you have easily used power over others.
Plus, I have an instinctive distrust of authority figures.
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