It seems that some here are wringing their hands in joyful exuberance that a cop got fired. I guess it is just a case of getting revenge on a past situation they had encountered. But I, for one, would like to ask those that are happy the cop got fired if during the course of their workday, how many times they get confronted by a drunk/drugged socio-path that would just assume kill you than look at you?

Sure, after the facts came to light, the cop was deemed as over reacting. But if the woman driving had a car full of drugs and weapons available and tried to shoot it out with the officer, would he be judged as over reacting?

Someone said earlier that it was their right to pull over where ever they felt it was save for them to do so. In some cases that may hold merit but I don't normally suscribe to that theory. Police are taught to initiate a vehicle stop at a time and location that is to the officer's benefit, not the violator's. The officer may have thought that the driver of the car was getting rid of evidence, preparing a weapon to use against him or taking him to a predermined location to ambush him. (As a cop, all those scenarios have to be entertained).

The cop in the video should have simply conducted a "Felony Stop" procedure and got the driver back to his car for quesitoning. But, I'm sure he perceived the failure to stop as a threat or a "Scoff-law". His anger interfered with his professionalism...cops are human too.

 

redloop- please explain to me how you could see that the women posed no threat through the computer screen? Also my family would have more sense and pull to the shoulder quickly.
After a few hundred feet I would think that anyone one behind the wheel of a vehicle failing to stop IS a threat. Here in Florida you DO NOT have the right to find a spot that you like better to pull over in. When I used to work at night in a car I have several women that would take a few blocks to pull over. I think that the longest one was about 12 blocks. The reason for the stop was speed and when I activated my patrol cars light bar she slowed to about 20mph in a posted 45 and put on her emergency flashers. To me this was a dead give away that she wanted to stop in town ( which was where she stopped and was heading to) and that her intention was not to run. I was not totally comfortable with this but I can understand the reasoning behind it and the distance was not that far at all. This still in Florida is illegal and yes she could have been arrested.
I really don't feel that the cop should have been fired for this incident. If the driver would have stopped the incident would not have happened. the officer was dealing with a felon ( for fleeing) and through the short video appeared to be alone during the arrest. To all those that say that even they know better or are again cop bashing have you ever walked a day in my shoes?
The punishment I could see if any should have been training to wait for other officer and conduct a felony stop on the driver instead of approaching.


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