Police Officer Stops Football Player From Seeing Dying Mother-n-Law
Posted by Media Outrage on March 27th, 2009
NFL player Ryan Moats was stopped by a police officer en route to see his mother-n-law who was dying in a hospital. Moats ran a red light to save time and was pulled over in the hospital parking lot where he was detained by the racist officer.
Via Eurweb:
*Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized Wednesday for the behavior of an officer who stopped a family outside a hospital emergency room, reports WFAA-TV.
Officer Robert Powell has been placed on paid administrative leave in connection with an incident last week in which he stopped the family rushing to visit a dying mother, detaining them for 13 minutes to write a traffic ticket.
“His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit,” the chief said during a press conference.
During the traffic stop, caught on the officer’s in-car camera, Powell berated the driver, ex-Philadelphia Eagles and now Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats, 26, and threatened him with arrest for running a traffic light.
“I can screw you over,” said Powell, 25. “I’d rather not do that.”
Kunkle appeared to bite his tongue a bit when expressing regret over the officer’s actions.
“When we in the command staff reviewed the tapes,” he said, “we were embarrassed, disappointed — it’s hard to find the right words and still be professional in my role as a police chief.”
Moats rolled through a red light as he and his wife were en route to Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. A Dallas police squad car pulled their SUV over near the hospital’s emergency entrance and drew his gun. Moats and his wife begged the officer to let them hurry on to her mother’s bedside.
“You really want to go through this right now?” Moats pleaded. “My mother-in-law is dying. Right now!”
His wife, Tamishia Moats, ignored the cop and ran into the hospital with her great-aunt. Tamishia’s mother, Jonetta Collinsworth, was struggling at 45 with breast cancer that had spread throughout her body. Family members rushed to her bedside from as far away as California.
Ryan Moats, who stayed behind with the father of the dying woman, said Powell also pointed his gun at him. He said he put his hands on the car because he was afraid that he might get shot. He tried to explain the situation to the officer.
“I waited until no traffic was coming,” Moats told Powell, explaining his passage through the red light. “I got seconds before she’s gone, man.”
Powell demanded his license and proof of insurance. Moats produced his license but said he didn’t know where the insurance paperwork was.
“Just give me a ticket or whatever,” he said, beginning to sound exasperated and a little argumentative.
“Shut your mouth,” Powell told him. “You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light.”
There was more back and forth. “If you’re going to give me a ticket, give me a ticket,” said Moats.
“Your attitude says that you need one.”
“All I’m asking you is just to hurry up.”
Powell began a lecture. “If you want to keep this going, I’ll just put you in handcuffs,” he said, “and I’ll take you to jail for running a red light.” Powell made several more points, including that the SUV was illegally parked. Moats replied “Yes sir” to each.
“Understand what I can do,” Powell concluded. “I can tow your truck. I can charge you with fleeing. I can make your night very difficult.”
“I understand,” Moats responded. “I hope you’ll be a great person and not do that.”
Hospital security guards arrived and told Powell that the Moatses’ relative really was upstairs dying. Powell spent several minutes inside his squad car, in part to check Moats for outstanding warrants. He found none. 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, and she’s wanting to know if they can get him up there before she dies.”
“All right,” Powell replied. “I’m almost done.” (For the complete dialogue between the two, click here.)
As Moats signed the ticket, Powell continued his lecture. “Attitude’s everything,” he said. “All you had to do is stop, tell me what was going on. More than likely, I would have let you go.”
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.
The Moatses, who are black, said Wednesday that they can’t help but think that race might have played a part in how Powell, who is white, treated them.
“I think he should lose his job,” said Ryan Moats, a Dallas native who attended Bishop Lynch High School and now plays for the Houston Texans.
This is the video of the stop:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eohMXOELnJY&feature=player_embedded]
Mediaoutrage- Suspended with pay? That officer should lose his job for that nonsense. Why are cops continuoulsy allowed to abuse their authority without proper reprimand? And people wonder why the youth are so violent towards cops. Ashame.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
For all of you that may say this was not about race,, Kiss my ass! this was clearly about race, if it were a white male he would have been allowed to go and no ticket issued…. Hell yes this is an embrassment. What damn idiot does not have compassion for the dying? Only a racist one.
You are right MO police officers wonder why our youth have no respect for them. Most believe the police are a gang with the ability to abuse their authority… This is a prime example.. Even the womans husband was not allowed to leave.
Catch his funky ass in a alley without his gun and radio to call for help and he becomes a punk ass trick.I pray he loses his job, if not I hope the table turns and someone he loves is dying and for whatever reason he gets his ass kicked on that day and can’t get to her.
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March 27th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
This might of been about race, it might not have been….maybe the cop didn’t like the Texans…maybe he was a Cowboys fan…we don’t know for sure, but either way what this cop did was very wrong! He should be suspended without pay. This is crazy! This cop should be suspended indefinitely for what he did…..
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March 27th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
This was blantant racism.
They need to sue the fuck out their asses!!!!
I am so sick of ignorant people in this world. He saw a black man in a luxury vehicle and was being an ass. 13 minutes for a ticket…get the fuck outta here
!!!
I would file all kind of complaints on his ass and the cop that was his back-up.
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
That’s a dayum shame he wouldn’t let that slide… Someone needs to stick that ticket straight up his a$$…
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
A bunch of racist punks hiding behind their guns. I always make sure to stay the hell away from them. They hate black people and they are afraid of black. Watch their reaction when a black person walk or approach them, they tense up and automatically get defensive. Most of them are a bunch of bitch ass punks who got bullied in school.
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
A bitter lowly paid racist white civil servant saw a young rich black man driving an expensive car and decided to take out his miserable existence on him. Simple really and very wrong.
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I have no words right now. This hurts my heart deeply. I am so hurt that this man was not able to say goodbye to his mother-in-law because of a senseless prick ….
There should be outrage and his job should be on the line. I hope that Mr. Moats and his family sues the city and the cop for allllllllllllllllllllll they got.
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I agree with you YeaISaidIt….I live in Texas I know the drill.
It was just an opportunity to show who was the boss… stupid idiot!!
He was so smart he forgot about the damn dashboard camera!!!
They need to make an example of him,, I am so proud the way Ryan handled himself, otherwise it could have ended very badly.
Make that city pay for his “racist stupidity”
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I agree with you M.O. although its not a reason or excuse; this is one of the main reasons the youth of today hate cops. Look at what that young man did in Oakland just this past week. More of this is to come if the mayors and chief of police don’t start holding the offices accountable.
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
That ignorant cop, probably only a few years out of the academy, has embarassed the ENTIRE Dallas police force. It could have been about race, it could have been about power but either way- he came off looking like a straight asshole. How sad for the Moats family. I hope they sue…
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March 27th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
@Ucanb2….I so agree with you. I am so proud of the way Ryan handled it. He could have been volatile and combative, but he remained as calm as he could in light of the situation.
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March 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
This is a sad situation! This cop need 2 leave the force, and need 2 be suspended without pay.
Ppl need 2 think before they act!
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March 27th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
@ Ucanb2.. You are so right, at least Ryan handled himself very wisely. Racist jerks always forget “important stuff” like the dash cam.
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March 27th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
First off my condolences to Ryan and his wife especially and the rest of their family.
Ryan’s wife was on the radio here in Dallas this morning and she discussed the part about that bitch ass cop pulling the gun on her when her and her greataunt got out to go into the hospital. She said that’s getting taken care of when they get back to Dallas. I hope they sue too. That young ass cop was on a racist and power trip and they got him on paid administrative leave. That ain’t cool at all, he needs to be fired because what he did was heartless. That’s why I don’t like or trust cops now. Never have, never will. Dallas cops are about as bad as the ones in LA & NY.
Also, I too am glad Ryan handled it the way he did. He didn’t even mention he was a pro football player.
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March 27th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
i dont think suspension is enough for this bitch! he needs to lose his job!!!!
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