Cop dies chasing Bike, rider convicted!/FL

[banditcilik]

Where I live the thing did happened the other way round. A police station get thrashed by local people. These guy ran amok after one of local kid gets killed during a motorcycle chase. They blamed the police officer for lost of the dumb kid's live.

[Nitro]

Nobody even asked if the tire was a Firestone? Or if it had been repaired? Sorry, I would just think that all law enforcement vehicles would have speed rated tires, and not allow an repaired tires to remain in service.

[CWO4GUNNER]

Its important that the law be consistent in its application otherwise this sort of thing can evolve into murdering a cop for talking on a cell phone and breaking too fast. The guy was responsible for causing endangerment to everyone and the community but it wasn't premeditated or motivated just a cause of death due to sever willful negligence and deserves a sentence of man-slaghter about 3 years without parole. As a former police chief thats my opinion.

[dgc]

3 years?  no, he deserves something in the 15 range.  first of all, he is a known squider, who already served a stiff sentence for traffic violation (30 months!), so he is no newbie to endangering human lives in an extreme manner.  
second, it wasnt as if he took off and ran for a couple of blocks, he was on a high speed persuit, during which he had plenty of time to change his mind and realize the seriousness of the situation.  but he did not.  and in this guys case, it was only a matter of time 'till something bad happens.  
  i also firmly believe that an asshole who just about an hour ago rode through my residential neighbourhood on his bike doing (around) 75mph+ on 35mph should be punished with something he is going to remember.  everyone is guilty of it at times, but the chances being taken with such behaviour...

[ZenMan]

As a former police chief thats my opinion.

Hmmmm.... so youv'e repeated a million times that you were in the navy for 6 years, then coast guard for 24 years. That's the 30 years you keep reminding us of constantly. Then you retired at 49.

So if you joined up at 19, served 30 years, then retired at 49, when did you have the time to work your way up to "police chief"?  

Was that before you were a space shuttle pilot, or after your career as a secret agent?  

[CWO4GUNNER]

I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to experience so much and participate in so many missions and titles all over the world, and yes even Chief of Police (OK).  I've seen great cities and land marks and even small farms like yours along the way. So I don't worry about the details or whether people like you believe me or not. I guess the contrast is something your going to have to live with Zen, but I have some good stories for you brother if you want to live vicariously.

As a former police chief thats my opinion.

Hmmmm.... so youv'e repeated a million times that you were in the navy for 6 years, then coast guard for 24 years. That's the 30 years you keep reminding us of constantly. Then you retired at 49.

So if you joined up at 19, served 30 years, then retired at 49, when did you have the time to work your way up to "police chief"?  

Was that before you were a space shuttle pilot, or after your career as a secret agent?  

[ZenMan]

I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to experience so much and participate in so many missions all over the world.  I've seen great cities and land marks and even small farms like yours along the way. So I don't worry about the details or weather people like you believe me or not. I guess the contrast is something your going to have to live with Zen, but I have some good stories for you brother if you want to live vicariously.

You still didn't answer the question... when were you a "police chief"?  

As far as the rest of your smug postulating, once again you make foolish assumations that are ill-informed. You are not the only traveler in the world, though you seem to think of yourself as some "old wise man of the sea"... sorry to burst your bubble.

I've lived a full life... been more places and done more things than most do in ten lifetimes. And I've done most of it on my own, not shuttled around by the military, bound by orders and restrictions as you have.

I've had to work for a living... not have my meals provided, my laundry done, my health care attended to as you have.

And I've seen my share of violent death and tragedy, and not from the relative safety of a ship's deck, either.

Above all, you don't hear me bragging about it, as you do. How many times must we endure your incessant "30 years" mantra over and over? Something weak about that... are you so insecure that you must constantly blow your horn?

I've known plenty of military lifers like you... most don't have a clue about the real world, they've been living in a closed society for so long. Most are extremely naive and self-indulgent, as you are, CWO.

The civilian world is quite different and more complex than what you are used to. And that rank insignia that you kissed captain's butt and ratted on your shipmates to get doesn't carry any weight at all.

Now, are you going to explain your "police chief" claim, or do we just chalk it up to another fantasy of yours? Like the homeless man with the pipe, or the chasing cars down with a 1911?        

[SteelD]

This may sound simplistic and it is a bit simplistic but if they run we chase.  Not just because they are driving fast but because they are running for a reason.  The last pursuit I was in started because of a bad lane change.  When the bad guy finally ran his car into the ground and decided that his two feet were no match for the 5 guns being pointed at him, we figured out that he was a parolee at large driving a stolen car with stolen plates.  Did I know all this when I started chasing? No. Should I have terminated the pursuit when it topped the ton on the freeway? Would society have been better served if I had let Mr. Parolee scum bag stay free?  Would we all be better off if bad guys know that all they have to is stomp on it because the cops won't chase them?  The bad guys get away with enough stuff as it is.  I dont want to let them get away with more if I can help it.  Yup, pursuits are dangerous. Yup, people get hurt and that sucks.  Personally I think that if you run you need to pay a hefty runners fee starting with when the cop yanks you through the vents and ending 5-10 years later when you leave prison.  

This dead cop chose to chase for the same reason he might choose to wade into a bar fight or point guns at bank robbers or stop to give a little kid a police sticker.  He was wired that way.  He got unlucky, experienced a bad equipment failure and wasn't good enough or lucky enough to pull it through.  Who's to blame? The cop was doing what regular people want and pay him to do.  The crook didn't have to run.  He just didn't have the stones or the brains to stop and take whatever lumps he earned for riding too fast.  Let him pay.

OK, I'm off my soap box now.
By the way I only sound like a right wing knee jerker sometimes.  Personally I'd like to see about half of the laws on the books repealed and used for toilet paper. And yes I too have wound it out on empty and not so empty roads.  I also stopped when to cop told me to.

I wouldn't argue with any of that banditoverde - you've got a tough job. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't, but you have my support.

[Dave 02 1200]

The message here seems to be that speeding and running are two vastly different things.

I might run my B 1200 up into the high numbers on a back road from time to time - but if I see a cop with a light on, I'm going to pull over and just accept my ticket.

[03banditrdr]

I've had to work for a living... not have my meals provided, my laundry done, my health care attended to as you have.

And I've seen my share of violent death and tragedy, and not from the relative safety of a ship's deck, either.

   Not to get in the middle of the two of you but these statements are off the chart of ignorance as far as military life/work, including life on a ship as "safe".

[ZenMan]

Not to get in the middle of the two of you but

That's exactly what you are doing.

these statements are off the chart of ignorance as far as military life/work

"Off the chart of ignorance" is assuming things about people you don't know.

I never said I was in the military... and I never said I wasn't.

Are you disputing the fact that all branches of the military provide meals, laundry service, haircuts, health care. etc?

including life on a ship as "safe".

I said "relative safety of a ship's deck". Relative to a lot of other places to be in a war.

If your'e gonna quote me, be accurate.

I have no beef with you, '03. This is between CWO and me, and it's not as much about the military as it is CWO's constant bragging and claims to have done things and know things that is just plain fabrication.

Don't get your panties in a bunch, my intention is not to denigrate the military here, ok?  

[SteelD]

Don't get your panties in a bunch

We call it getting your knickers in a twist on this side of the pond.  

[ZenMan]

Don't get your panties in a bunch

We call it getting your knickers in a twist on this side of the pond.  

I like it!  

[Red01]

Are you disputing the fact that all branches of the military provide meals, laundry service, haircuts, health care. etc?

No bunched panites/twisted knickers here, and not to spoil your fun with the Gunner, but when I was in, the only time ALL those things were provided to me was in boot camp. After that, I paid for my own haircuts (not in a style I wanted to wear at the time) and laundry. I did get free laundry when I was shipboard, but usually passed on that unless I had no choice. Ship's laundry was great at losing whole bags of your stuff, turning white things yellow and generally doing a bad job. I'd just save it up until we got into port and do it myself. Once one gained enough rank to move out of the barracks or married and in a non-deployed status, they didn't provide meals either. I did always have health care, but then I've had that in my better civilian jobs since I got out. I'm not calling military health care bad, but it's not as good as what you get on the outside.

[ZenMan]

Your'e not spoiling my fun, Red.  

That's all well and good, but it's way off the point here. Godammit, I don't know why I have to explain the obvious, but if that's what it takes, here you go.

Of course you pay for your own stuff if you move out of the barracks, or off base. My point is this...

In the civilian world, nobody pays for any of your stuff, unless you are on welfare (which I've never been!). If you don't buy food, you starve. If you don't go to the laundromat, your'e filthy. And if you have no money, you don't get health care. And if you don't have $$$ for rent, you sleep on the street.

In the military, you are guaranteed all those things AT THE BASIC LEVEL. The military will not let you starve, go around naked or filthy, or be sick. You can always go to the mess hall, or requisition a new pair of service boots, or go to the base doctor. And you are guaranteed basic shelter, even if it's the barracks.

Not only that, the military takes care of your transportation. If you are assigned to a foriegn country, they take you there... whether it's military transport or commercial charter, they take care of it. If it's home on leave, you can jump a C-130 (or whatever they use these days) and at least get to the nearest base home. You don't pay for the gas.

In civilian life, if you want to go somewhere, you pay the ticket, buy the gas. rent or buy the vehicle, etc. If you don't have money, you don't go anywhere.

With CWO's bragging like he's the only one whose life is meaningful, I feel the need to remind him that there are those of us who have just as many, if not more, experiences and miles traveled as he does... and some of us did it all on our own, no help from anyone.

That means I payed my own way, with money that I worked for, and there was no "safety net" of guaranteed basic necessities for me to fall back on. Food, clothing, shelter, health care, all of it... at the same time gas, vehicle maintenance, traveling expenses... everything... just like everybody else.

Now it seems simple enough... and I'd be suprised if you didn't understand my point in the first place... but you just like to make me type a lot, don't ya?