Minivan Stop Turns to Wild Chase for Mom, Kids

[Dispatch Ninja]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet, or if it has I didn't see it.

http://gma.yahoo.com/minivan-stop-turns-wild-chase-mom-kids-233648112--abc-news-topstories.html

 

[PemLam]

I agree; because of my profession I usually don't comment in these threads but I'm shocked a few posters in particular hadn't posted this earlier and followed up with the typical "cops suck", "trigger happy", "they're all corrupt" rants I see them post constantly.

That being said, while I believe the woman was in the wrong from the get-go and her actions (and those of her son) caused this to spiral out of control, the actions of the police officers after the initial stop were inexcusable.

The woman and her son deserve the charges they received, her because she willfully and knowingly placed her children's lives in danger by fleeing the scene and her son because he assaulted the officer. The officers in this case, the shooter especially must be fired. There is no other acceptable alternative.

 

[cherokeesam]

I agree; because of my profession I usually don't comment in these threads but I'm shocked a few posters in particular hadn't posted this earlier and followed up with the typical "cops suck", "trigger happy", "they're all corrupt" rants I see them post constantly.

That being said, while I believe the woman was in the wrong from the get-go and her actions (and those of her son) caused this to spiral out of control, the actions of the police officers after the initial stop were inexcusable.

The woman and her son deserve the charges they received, her because she willfully and knowingly placed her children's lives in danger by fleeing the scene and her son because he assaulted the officer. The officers in this case, the shooter especially must be fired. There is no other acceptable alternative.

I'll be the first to admit to a general "cops suck," "trigger happy," "they're all corrupt" mentality, but I read this case carefully and can't point the finger at anyone other than the mom here.

I don't see why the officer that fired at the van needs to be fired himself....he didn't shoot at the kids, and he purposely (allegedly...) aimed low to disable the van without endangering the children. Plus, he was backup, and had no idea what he was getting into, other than the fact that the arresting officer had evidently already let everyone know that the perp was fleeing, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer, in possession, and endangering children. The mom deserved all the physical heat that the cops brought. For all the cop knew, this could have been a kidnapping case and he was trying to rescue the children.

 

[PemLam]

I'll be the first to admit to a general "cops suck," "trigger happy," "they're all corrupt" mentality, but I read this case carefully and can't point the finger at anyone other than the mom here.

I don't see why the officer that fired at the van needs to be fired himself....he didn't shoot at the kids, and he purposely (allegedly...) aimed low to disable the van without endangering the children. Plus, he was backup, and had no idea what he was getting into, other than the fact that the arresting officer had evidently already let everyone know that the perp was fleeing, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer, in possession, and endangering children. The mom deserved all the physical heat that the cops brought. For all the cop knew, this could have been a kidnapping case and he was trying to rescue the children.

At the time of the shooting, none of the officers' lives were in imminent danger (as evidenced by the fact that neither of the other officers pulled their sidearms) so firing at the van, regardless of where the officer was aiming, was reckless and unwarranted.

I will not disagree that the mother (and the son) deserves everything they have coming to them, but the FIRST thought of the officers on the scene must be for the safety of the children in the van, and by firing his weapon when not absolutely necessary, he completely failed in that regard.

 

[NickNitro]

I'm sorry but that mom's a ****ing moron. If you truly want to protect your children you don't attempt a high speed chase with authorities. I don't care how innocent you think you are. She put their lives in danger way before the officers did.

Don't get me wrong I'm pissed off the backup officer fired shots at the car but as a mother she shouldn't of let the situation get to that point in the first place.

 

[bullets]

The cop shooting was reckless. The mother deserves to be locked up for life.

 

[NickNitro]

If anything he should of aimed for the tires. That would to me be the only logical reason for opening fire.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Ya I saw this on the news the other day, that mom is a complete idiot. She thinks she really can disobey the cop and then run from him? Total moron, and she should lose the rights to her children for putting them through that. (They also found drug paraphernalia on her person).

That being said the officer who discharged his weapon 6 times at a van full of kids needs to be fired. I don't care if he was shooting at the tires or not, that is reckless endangerment and should not be tolerated. At no point did the mom threaten the lives of the officers or anyone nearby.

 

[NickNitro]

Ya I saw this on the news the other day, that mom is a complete idiot. She thinks she really can disobey the cop and then run from him? Total moron, and she should lose the rights to her children for putting them through that. (They also found drug paraphernalia on her person).

Mother of the year award goes to.............

 

[Pink Ranger]

I agree that the woman was 99% in the wrong here, but I have to wonder what kind of end-game the cop was envisioning when he drew his weapon and fired at the back of the car.

Was he intending to kill the woman? I know that "shooting out the tires" is a ridiculous concept that only exists in movies, but I would like to know what justification he had for drawing his gun and firing like that. The bashing in windows with his truncheon is something I would support though.

 

[PemLam]

I agree that the woman was 99% in the wrong here, but I have to wonder what kind of end-game the cop was envisioning when he drew his weapon and fired at the back of the car.

Was he intending to kill the woman? I know that "shooting out the tires" is a ridiculous concept that only exists in movies, but I would like to know what justification he had for drawing his gun and firing like that. The bashing in windows with his truncheon is something I would support though.

Possibly. Though I would be more inclined to agree if it was the driver or passenger window he was smashing versus the passenger rear window as it was stated. Again, he was risking possible injury to the innocent children in the back versus the moronic woman and her equally idiotic son.

 

[bullets]

I agree that the woman was 99% in the wrong here, but I have to wonder what kind of end-game the cop was envisioning when he drew his weapon and fired at the back of the car.

Was he intending to kill the woman? I know that "shooting out the tires" is a ridiculous concept that only exists in movies, but I would like to know what justification he had for drawing his gun and firing like that. The bashing in windows with his truncheon is something I would support though.

It just wasn't a well though out plan in a stressful situation and thankfully he didn't kill any of the kids.

 

[cherokeesam]

I agree that the woman was 99% in the wrong here, but I have to wonder what kind of end-game the cop was envisioning when he drew his weapon and fired at the back of the car.

Was he intending to kill the woman? I know that "shooting out the tires" is a ridiculous concept that only exists in movies, but I would like to know what justification he had for drawing his gun and firing like that. The bashing in windows with his truncheon is something I would support though.

And shooting out the tires wouldn't have been a good idea for the kids' sake, anyway. When a tire blows out in the middle of a chase, the car usually crashes out in spectacular fashion.....there would have been dead kids all over the road. Not particularly safety-conscious there, Deputy Barney Fife.

 

[Breogan]

Possibly. Though I would be more inclined to agree if it was the driver or passenger window he was smashing versus the passenger rear window as it was stated. Again, he was risking possible injury to the innocent children in the back versus the moronic woman and her equally idiotic son.

I can't tell which window he struck, either way there was going to smashing glass everywhere it will be spun as the "wrong" window regardless. The back window may have actually had more clearance space between window and kids (much more room in the back of a van to move away), while smashing the passenger front window would have trapped the son right there with nowhere to go from shattered glass and possibly getting struck.
The lawyers can just as easily spin the front as the more "intentionally" violent intentionally harmful move. Or if it was the back, they'll spin it so that one was.

The big one is the cop who opened fire, what did/didn't he "know" going into this.
What did he think had happened until then.
Did he know there was kids in the van? Did he just get assault on an officer alert! And no other details?

 

[PemLam]

I can't tell which window he struck, either way there was going to smashing glass everywhere it will be spun as the "wrong" window regardless. The back window may have actually had more clearance space between window and kids (much more room in the back of a van to move away), while smashing the passenger front window would have trapped the son right there with nowhere to go from shattered glass and possibly getting struck.
The lawyers can just as easily spin the front as the more "intentionally" violent intentionally harmful move. Or if it was the back, they'll spin it so that one was.

The big one is the cop who opened fire, what did/didn't he "know" going into this.
What did he think had happened until then.
Did he know there was kids in the van? Did he just get assault on an officer alert! And no other details?

The news report states he smashed the "side rear window" (though another report says it was the passenger window). As for the officer that fired his weapon possibly not knowing all the details, I can almost guarantee when the lady took off the first time that the pursuing officer radioed his dispatcher with any details he might not have relayed during the initial stop. Those details would include that there were additional occupants in the vehicle (including children). That information would in turn be relayed immediately to all responding officers.

I will almost always defend a police officer over someone else but in this circumstance, the officer who discharged his weapon was absolutely in the wrong and the one who busted out the window, regardless of intentions, should have taken another course of action.

 

[Teelie]

Everything up to the cops firing on the van and then beating out the glass with children inside was all on the mother. She escalated this to a dangerous situation but the cops over reacted by firing on the vehicle and bashing in the glass.

This is why there's not a "cops suck", "trigger happy", "they're all corrupt" response; in this case the mother and to a lesser extent the 14 year old are why the situation went out of control.

 

[Ant-manic]

i would have just scribbled down the license plate and caught up with her, later.

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

I think the shooting of the vehicle was necessary, but everything else definitely was.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Like I said earlier she should lose all rights to her children, and as for the son. Why on earth would you think it is a good idea to go at a cop like you are gonna try something with him?! I know he was trying to protect his mom but he should have realized she was being an idiot and told her to just do what the cop says. Either way there is no excuse for the cop to fire his weapon 6 times at a van full of children, had one of those children been hit this would have been one of the biggest news stories of the year

 

[Iron_Stark]

The idiot mother is fully to blame on this one. Had she just gotten her ticket none of this would have happened.

Now the dummy has a lot of charges on her, her vehicle is damaged and her 14 year old is facing jail time, all because she is an idiot.

 

[Teelie]

Probably traumatized the kids too.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

They weren't going to give her a ticket she was being arrested and decided to do all this moronic stuff

 

[NickNitro]

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The Taos County District Attorney will not seek criminal charges against the officer who shot toward a van full of kids. "[Additional] information could come in, but at this preliminary stage, what I've viewed and what I've reviewed I don't see any criminal charges against any of the officers," he said.

Surprise surprise

 

[Mike_D202]

Surprise surprise