(no subject)

[bluesilverkdg]

Did ya hear about the cop who stopped a guy for speeding while taking his dying dog to the vet? The dog was choking, and while her owner was pulled over, the dog died. The officer responded to the pleading man by saying "it's a dog. You can get another one."

If I'd been stopped for speeding (which I was) while trying to get to the vet on Tuesday, and the officer had made such a remark to me, I can't say I would've been able to control myself.

Here's the video, if you can bear to watch.

I was watching this on CNN and they were taking call-ins. Someone suggested that the policeman could've escorted him to the vet and THEN given him the ticket after she was receiving medical attention, just as they probably would've had it been a human emergency. I'm not saying he didn't deserve a ticket at all, but it sure could have been handled a lot more sensitively.

Thoughts?

Comments

[seraaalicious.livejournal.com]

OMG! I would probably be arrested if that was me driving my cat to the vet for an emergency. That cop is an ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!! Mother fucking ASSHOLE!!!!!!!! Wow. I feel so bad for the guy. :( I agree that they could have escorted him to the vet then given him the ticket. I couldn't watch the whole thing.

[i-beckygardens.livejournal.com]

I actually could not watch it through...but it sounds as if the driver was doing over 100 MPH and wouldn't pull over until there was a convoy of cops... so I imagine the adrenline on both sides was pumping. Believe me, the asshattery of the cop saying "it's just a dog, get another one" really bothers me, however, the cop probably sees murders and rape and things we can't imagine, so maybe he didn't feel it was as important. I do believe maybe if the driver had pulled over immediately, explained, it might have been more the escort to the vet situation. I feel so sorry for the guy and his dog though.

Texas

[suzieboz.livejournal.com]

Yeah, who'd of thought? Rolls eyes, drips sarcasm.

I'm sure Texas has some good things but there is just too much crazy crap that goes on there. First and foremost, W., but thats a whole other topic.

Re: Texas

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

molly_mcb is actually from TX. She's a good thing.

[glaw2424.livejournal.com]

Well Kim, although his comments were not good I applaud the officer for stopping a car going 100mph and not initially stopping and doing his job....a typical traffic stop is about 15 minutes. He needed to be sure these people were not wanted, drunk, etc.

I understand the sensitivity to animals (I am a dog owner and love my Bernie), but other than his stupid remark the officer did the right thing.
He is not there to protect and serve animals ergo no escort and not an asshole as others have said (on a talk radio show this morning).
The officer was right, the dog owner was a potential risk - big risk - to other drivers...but the officer could have chosen his words better.

Now, one has to wonder why there isn't a business for animal transports like humans have ambulances...I'd invest in that.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally agree that he should've been stopped and ticketed..there's no dispute that he was posing a risk. I just think it could've been handled a lot differently.

Animal transport does actually sound like a good idea, and I wonder if it's available anywhere.

[nessachan.livejournal.com]

Yes, most major cities have animal emergency services. But I think you have to call them directly, it's not like you could just dial 911. But I don't know.

[darcyzero.livejournal.com]

I didn't watch.... I don't know if I can. That is horrible. :(

Did you get pulled over with Sabrina?

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

No, I was just acknowledging that I was speeding (30 mph over the limit.) Thankfully I didn't pass any cops!

[darcyzero.livejournal.com]

Oh, ok, I totally read that wrong and almost freaked. :(

Hey, can you email me your address on myspace?

[janietrain.livejournal.com]

I'm absolutely enraged. Once they looked in the car and saw that the kid was obviously hysterical because his dog was dying, they should have responded in a reasonable manner. What a heartless fucker.

[theldara.livejournal.com]

I'd be hysterical, which is why my vet is a 5 minute drive from where I live. Even if we have our differences, which we do, he is still the closest to me. I'd be a mess. The cop is right on many counts - by driving over 100mph he was putting many lives at risk, human and animal. It was the cop's job to stop him. Even if it had been a child in the car, driving 100mph risks everyone's lives. Ambulances aren't even allowed to do those speeds. The owner was in the wrong on that count. Understand how he got there, understand how I could easily have been in his place were it my Emma in that car, but also understand that he was acting extremely dangerously and putting more than just his life at risk because of his actions. He could have easily killed himself, those in the car, his dog, and cars full of other people.

The cop handled the situation poorly, as did the driver - in such a situation, one thing the driver shouldn't have been going 100mph anyway and when he was noted, he could have slowed down to legal speed, he phoned 911 or dispatch immediately, told them the emergency and asked if they could radio the cop(s) behind him. Likely they would've moved in front of him, escorted him, and ticketed him at the vet. I have the numbers of JC and Kingsport PD's in my phone for reasons like this, especially since I will not pull over for a cop at night unless it's in a public place. I have a legal right to go to a public place to pull over, but I must acknowledge the cop immediately as well.

Another thing is he could've pulled over immediately and not had a potential threatening chase happen, which just riled the cops.

The cop handled the situation poorly, in terms of sensitivity and what he vocalized repeatedly. There were other ways this could've been handled, such as hauling the dog into the cop car and driving them on, handling the legal mess later. If it'd been a K-9 cop, I suspect they'd have done something like that - they'd understand.

The cops that came to Mom's last month were terrified of Bailey though, and you remember the stories over the last few years of family pets getting shot during traffic stops, so this increasingly leads me to believe that cops just aren't that keen on dogs in general and so I can see the lack of sensitivity as potentially a normal thing. That does scare me. That's why Emma's always strapped into the car and why I crate the cats always... to reduce that risk. My Mom's friends won't even take their dog with them on trips, because it's a pit bull mix (the biggest baby ever) and they're afraid it'll be shot on sight by a cop.

I also think that becky_gardens has a point too, that the cop's perspective is different because of what he sees every day - human suffering, lives at risk, etc. That doesn't mean how he handled this was professional, but it does explain a bit.

[samuraigrrrl.livejournal.com]

yes, if it had happened in tennessee, the officer would have just shot the dog...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv0T2X1dXcI

we should have some kind of animal ambulance. i'd pay for that, too.

i think if the kid would have pulled over IMMEDIATELY and explained the situation to the cop, things would have turned out better for everyone involved. when it comes to cops, the "yessirs" get you a LOT farther than pissing them off.

[macaholic.livejournal.com]

The office made a bad choice. The ticket could have waited. But, realistically, unless she were within a couple of minutes of the vet's office, I don't think that the dog would have made it any way.

The office is right about one thing, the driver needs to calm down.

[bogartbabe78.livejournal.com]

Eh too bad it wasn't a K-9 cop, they usually are way more sensitive! I agree he should of followed the guy to the vet..........then gave a ticket. Some cops can be insensitive a-holes though..reason I won't date cops lol But than again knowing and seeing what I do, you really have to have a hard heart to be a cop, otherwise you snap like a twig and go postal
But as for the post....that saddens me , I didn't watch the video though, trying to keep myself in a sortof good mood for work

[angelsmom.livejournal.com]

You watch how fast I'd fucking sue the police department. Why the HELL didn't they give this guy an escort?? Serve and protect, you miserable motherfucker. What...escorting him doesn't qualify as "serve and protect"? With all the himming and hawing he did about protecting everyone on the road?! Everyone's more protected and YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB BY SERVING when you help this guy.

Fuckers like this have a special place in hell.

[suzieboz.livejournal.com]

I saw it once on the news and can't bear to watch it again.

That being said the whole world knows now what a prick that cop is and hopefully karma will get his ass in the end.

[madbax.livejournal.com]

Emotions running high on this one, video and the responses... Kim, I never, ever would have expected such visceral and coarse anti-authority, anarchistic replies on one of YOUR threads. I know, it is not your fault for what follows after you prompt the throng for their two cents on a topic of concern for you.

Most of the posts are sincere and reflect good judgment.

For the odd few of you...

It's natural to get angry in the face of stupidity/tragedy but for all of you that want to resort to the acting like a bunch of college Sophomores on a message board shows a lack of respect for Kim and the rest of us that post and refrain from crude language and other forms of intellectual laziness when we reply with something that is jovial or meaningful. Call me a hypocrite if you want, but what I post on my page comes with a warning label. I make no bones about my content and welcome constructive criticism, abuse, etc... Don't make Kim's LJ look like a tasteless dumping ground for whatever beef you have with the (so called) system of laws and it's administrators.

Let's all just take a deep breath and post comments with a bit of consideration for Kim and anyone else who might glean something reassuring and useful from a loss of a loved one. Adored pet or otherwise.

[madbax.livejournal.com]

PS: Also before you jump my case and remind me that, "it's about a video"... Try and be more articulate in your moral outrage. Thanks.

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

I can't tell from that video what kind of road that is. It's clearly not a residential street with a 30 mph limit. If it's a freeway, and since it was close to 1 in the morning with virtually no traffic on it, I don't consider that kind of speeding to be dangerous to the public. Those roads are designed to handle speeds (for emergency vehicles and such) well in excess of their posted limits.

That cop clearly has an attitude problem and should be set behind a desk if he isn't outright canned.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

He actually says something about speeding "on the interstate." And yes, at 1 in the morning, I can't imagine too many families of four (as the cop kept talking about) would be out and about then. He had his emergency flashers on, as well. The other day (during the daytime, just after lunch), a lady blew by me on I-26 doing at least 90 (I had my cruise on 70 and she passed me like I was sitting still), but she had her blinkers on and I figured something was amiss and didn't think two thoughts about it, other than to wonder what was wrong.

According to the segment on CNN, he will have to undergo sensitivity training to learn how to "address each situation individually", and he and his boss watched the tape together to figure out how he could've handled it differently. So, apparently no leave for him.

[headbanger118.livejournal.com]

I would've proceeded to the vet, if I'd been the man, and gotten the ticket there. And yes, the police officer is a turd.

Thank goodness I wasn't choking the night you got stopped when you were taking me to the hospital for my broken foot!

[lala2.livejournal.com]

I didn't watch the video...I just can't do it. But I already know that the cop was a heartless ass. I don't care what he personally THINKS about pets and their people. He had no right to make the comment he did. what a jerk.