Shocking traffic stop

[classicman]

Shocking traffic stop for Moats
Texans RB detained while relative lay dying

DALLAS — The Dallas Police Department confirmed Thursday that an officer drew a gun on Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats and his wife after stopping them to give them a ticket even as they begged to hurry to the bedside of her mother.

As he rushed his family to the hospital, Moats, 26, rolled through a red light. A Dallas police officer pulled their vehicle over outside the emergency room at the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.
Powell, 25, spent several minutes writing Moats a ticket and threatened him with arrest during the incident last week. The scene was captured by a dashboard video camera.

"I can screw you over," the officer told Moats. "I'd rather not do that."

Moats' mother-in-law, Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, was struggling with breast cancer that had spread throughout her body.

About midnight March 17, the Moatses received word that they needed to hurry back to the hospital if they wanted to see Collinsworth before she died. The couple, along with Collinsworth's father and an aunt, jumped into the vehicle and headed back toward the hospital. They exited the highway just down the street from the hospital.

Moats turned on his hazard lights. He stopped at a red light, where, he said, the only nearby motorist signaled for him to go ahead. He went through. Powell, watching traffic from a hidden spot, flipped on his lights and sirens. In less than a minute, he caught up to the Moats and followed for about 20 more seconds as Moats found a parking spot outside the emergency room.

Tamishia, 27, was the first out. Powell drew his gun and yelled at her to get back in.

"My mom is dying," she said. Tamishia Moats and her great-aunt ignored the officer and headed into the hospital.

Powell lectured Moats, telling him at one point, "If you want to keep this going, I'll just put you in handcuffs and I'll take you to jail."

Hospital security guards arrived and told Powell that the Moatses' relative really was upstairs dying. Another hospital staffer came out and spoke with a Plano police officer who had arrived.

"Hey, that's the nurse," the Plano officer told Powell. "She said that the mom's dying right now."

"All right," Powell replied. "I'm almost done."

It had been about 13 minutes.

Moats and Collinsworth's father went into the hospital, where they found Collinsworth had died, with her daughter at her side.

I am speechless at the moment. What a terrible thing to happen to this family.

[TheMercenary]

Cop on a power trip.

[Sheldonrs]

I read this story this morning too. It made me SO fucking pissed. It just seems like that "cop" had his mind set on how he was going to do this and he wouldn't deviate from the script in his head.

Not only should he be fired and barred from EVER having a position of authority, he should be put in jail and fined his life savings.

[glatt]

In his mind, he would be weak if he deviated from the script in his head. Can't be weak. Fragile ego.

[Shawnee123]

Wow. Remember when they'd give you a police escort in a situation like that? That is just horrible.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

And the cop apologized today, expressing regret for his "poor judgement."

And Ryan Moats probably is going to be mighty careful about red lights for at least the immediate future. Attracts unfavorable attention, d'ya know.

[sugarpop]

I wonder if he will sue him.

You know, the officer could have just gone up to the room with him and wrote the ticket there, if he really felt the need to write one. Some people just have no sense.