Jury reaches split verdict in Burks trial: Watch the dash cam video

[bstone]

Reggie Burks testified that his wife was driving him to the hospital after he was injured in a fall. Jacqueline Burks did not pull over for Troxel until reaching the hospital at which time a verbal confrontation ensued between Troxel and Jacqueline Burks.

http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/01/24/breaking_news/doc4798c7f3a0365148918596.txt

The first 2 minutes infuriated me. The officer clearly did not care that the woman was begging to have her husband allowed into the ER but rather cared more for the traffic violation. But then her husband cracked his cane over the officer's head. Wonder how injured he was.

Now the cane part was inexcusable and criminal. But the horrifying part was the officer not allowing the woman to bring in a person of unknown medical emergency into an ER.

Thoughts?

All of this over a turn signal. Ugg.

 

[firetender]

How often do you see a woman being pulled over for a traffic infraction and being approached by a cop with a gun drawn?

Maybe I ought to qualify. How often do you see a WHITE woman being pulled over for a traffic infraction by a cop with gun drawn?

Just curious.

 

[JPINFV]

I'm split. On one hand, I do agree with the officer that if it was "major" then they should have called an ambulance. Then again, I have to remember that my own father is too stubborn/stupid to call 911 himself (he waited out a hypertensive emergency [190/110 BP via machine with facial numbness] because he had an appointment with his PMD the next day. Prior to that, he waited out several episodes of difficulty breathing which prompted the PMD visit to begin with. Everything, thankfully, turned out fine for him. He's also had my mom drive him to the ER after deciding to cut his finger in half with a circular saw) when he should have.

At the same time, there have been cases (I, unfortunately, couldn't find the link) of people complaining of fake medical conditions in an attempt to get out of a traffic stop.

The fact that they were already at the hospital indicates that it wouldn't have been too hard to get him checked in and then write the tickets. None of this excuses the fact that the husband attacked the officer with a cane.

 

[Flight-LP]

The cop got what he deserved, if it had been me, I'd have beat his a@$ too. There was absolutely no reason why he could not have assisted the man into the ER or allowed the wife to get a wheelchair, then write his precious little citation. He was confrontational and failed to keep a simplistic situation under control. Poor judgement on his part and an embarassment to professional law enforcement, thats how I'd describe him.

I thought it was humerous how he started crying like a little b*#@h when he got hit though. It was actually kind of humerous, all over not using a turn signal....................

 

[VentMedic]

Tough call but this is one of the oldest tricks in the book in attempt to escape going to jail. I see the "CP, HA, can't see, fall down, seizure flail etc" almost every shift in the ED and saw the same stuff frequently when I worked the ground ambulances. It doesn't matter what race, sex, age or religion a person is, they can all try to pull off the same stuff when faced with the potential of an arrest. Sometimes it was just to avoid a traffic ticket.

The instant a police officer stops being on his/her guard or suspicious, they become very dead very fast.

This officier probably should have had backup sooner. The woman's behavior could have presented a danger for any hospital professional that didn't meet her demands for attention also.

 

[bstone]

Few months ago a close friend had chest pain, short of breath, etc. I said let's call an ambulance. She wouldn't hear of it. No way, no how, no matter how much begging. So I drove her in my POV.

I believe that the officer was WAY out of line by preventing entry into the ER. His actions were possibly criminal, or at least should be. The actions of the man with the cane were terrible and demonstrate he wasn't that badly injured, but just imagine if he was sitting in the front seat with a bleeding aorta. The woman was certainly pleading with the officer and he just didn't seem to care.

All over a turn signal. Hmmmm.

 

[certguy]

Felony stupidity

Sometimes people get too stupid and stubborn for thier own good . I used to drive a commuter bus route roughly 50 miles one way from the Kern River Valley to Bakersfield CA through a windy , narrow canyon road . There are those who don't like our local hospital , don't want to drive the canyon , and don't want to pay an ambulance bill . What's the solution ? Take the transit bus !!!! I had to deal with several medical emergencies while driving that route . The worst were the probable MI that started at 10:30 the night before , ( I found out 12 hours later when another passenger noticed the guy clutching his chest , sweating buckets , and getting smurfy ) and a status epilepticus while I was driving an alternate route even longer and more isolated than our regular due to a rockslide . I counted 17 siezures in the 23 minutes it took first responders to get to us . Medics took another 6 - 7 min. Thank god I never had a code in the canyon , but I've come close . Times have really changed . First aid and CPR were a requirement when I started , now the company's position is that they don't want us to help past giving them first aid supplies and calling 911 . I've tried challenging thier policy , but I think it'll take a lawsuit ( that they think they're avoiding ) to change it . Nowadays I drive locally , but my position's the same . I won't let someone die for company policy .

 

[bstone]

The cop got what he deserved, if it had been me, I'd have beat his a@$ too. There was absolutely no reason why he could not have assisted the man into the ER or allowed the wife to get a wheelchair, then write his precious little citation. He was confrontational and failed to keep a simplistic situation under control. Poor judgement on his part and an embarassment to professional law enforcement, thats how I'd describe him.

I thought it was humerous how he started crying like a little b*#@h when he got hit though. It was actually kind of humerous, all over not using a turn signal....................

:lol: I like how you phrase things. :lol:

But it's absolutely true. The cop truly escalated the situation into a lot more than it actually was. Let them in the ER, write the citation and be on their way. Now there is a thread on some random EMS website, showing how complicated it's gotten.

 

[SC Bird]

How often do you see a woman being pulled over for a traffic infraction and being approached by a cop with a gun drawn?

Maybe I ought to qualify. How often do you see a WHITE woman being pulled over for a traffic infraction by a cop with gun drawn?

Just curious.

Look at it from the cops P.O.V....vehicle that fails to yield to an officer, continues to drive for a good little ways, then the driver stops and immediately exits the vehicle....sorry but my gut reaction would have been to have my weapon drawn as well...or at least a hand on it.

You never know what the intentions of the party exiting the vehicle are. Do notice that he did holster his weapon as soon as he realized she wasn't coming out swinging/shooting.

So I don't think that race was an issue in this.

Could the police officer have let the woman get a nurse or someone to take her husband into the ER then issue the citation, sure....did he, no.

The "patient" definetly should not have struck an officer....he's got a two year felony charge to think about it now...

-Matt

 

[Flight-LP]

Look at it from the cops P.O.V....vehicle that fails to yield to an officer, continues to drive for a good little ways, then the driver stops and immediately exits the vehicle....sorry but my gut reaction would have been to have my weapon drawn as well...or at least a hand on it.

You never know what the intentions of the party exiting the vehicle are. Do notice that he did holster his weapon as soon as he realized she wasn't coming out swinging/shooting.

So I don't think that race was an issue in this.

Could the police officer have let the woman get a nurse or someone to take her husband into the ER then issue the citation, sure....did he, no.

The "patient" definetly should not have struck an officer....he's got a two year felony charge to think about it now...

-Matt

"You need to stay right here" and then he placed his hands on the woman.

WRONG ANSWER! He had no provocation and was attempting to muscle her, period. He should be charged with battery. Again, there was no need to stop her from helping her husband into the ER. Should he had a debilitating condition or would have fallen out while outside, it would have been the officers a$@. And you can't tell me that this officer would have done the same thing with a white woman getting out of a Lexus. As unfortunate as it is, race does have something to do with everything. Go back and review a few of our threads and it will show you clearer than day that we do take race into immediate consideration in our day to day activities. Regardless, the officers actions were wrong and he should be held accountable........

 

[bstone]

Flight-LP is ded on. This is a clear race issue, tho I was utterly infuriated just by seeing an officer of the law refuse a human being entry into an ER due to a traffic ticket for failure to use a turn signal.

 

[ksffemt]

I have to agree with SC Bird.

The officer does not know what is going on. Let's go with what the officer knows. He knows he spotted a vehicle commit a traffic infraction by not using a turn signal. He knows this vehicle is failing to yield. He knows that they are pulling into a very crowded place with lots of potential hostages and he knows that the driver gets out of the vehicle very fast.

What does the officer not know about. He doesn't know the vehicles intentions. He doesn't know why the vehicle failed to yield. He doesn't know the drivers or passengers possible criminal record. He doesn't know why the driver exited the vehicle so quickly upon finally yielding. He doesn't know about the medical emergency.

The officer exits his vehicle with gun drawn for good reason. He doesn't know what is going on but does know that this vehicle and driver have violated numerous traffic laws. The officers main goal is to go at home at the end of his shift.

When the officer reaches the driver she starts yelling and trying to move away from him. Why would someone do that? Could it possibly be to run? The officer then takes steps to keep the driver near the vehicle where they can talk. The driver gets very agitated and keeps yelling. The passenger, the one with the supposed injury, gets out of the vehicle he is given an order to stop where he is. He disobeys that order and keeps approaching and then assaults the officer with the cane. For his troubles he is taken to the ground and handcuffed. The wife keeps trying to interfere and at one point is behind an officer touching his back. That is a huge no no. Are you going for his gun? For her troubles and interference she gets handcuffed for the officers safety.

The driver is required by law to yield to an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens activated. That is end of story. All the driver had to do was yield when first "lit up" and explain the situation to the officer. She didn't do this instead she violated the law and kept driving.

Is this a sad story sure but not because of the officers actions but because of the actions of the driver. All of this could have been avoided if she had complied with law, complied with the officers orders, and remained calm.

 

[colafdp]

All of this could have been avoided if she had complied with law, complied with the officers orders, and remained calm.

you work in EMS. How many bystanders \ patient's relatives, actually stay calm? haha

 

[ksffemt]

I do work in EMS and I must say that 95% of my calls they are fairly calm. The 5% where they are not calm when I get there 4.9% are calm with in a few minutes and don't hinder my ability to work. If they don't calm down or hinder my ability to work PD is asked to interview them away from the patient.

 

[VentMedic]

I'm sure we would have been reading a different story if the lady and her husband made it inside the ED and did not get immediate satisfaction. I'm sure those that are finding fault with the officer for taking an agressive approach would have been complaining of not being aggressive enough if an EMT, nurse, physcian or another patient was injured with that cane.

In EMS if this was the scene, most of you would have been calling for LEOs to assist.

More police officiers are killed doing routine traffic stops than any other reason. These are only some of the recent ones within the last year or two. If you google this topic you will get many pages. I'm sure there are some here who will find fault with these officers and say they got what they deserved also. It's easy to talk about what they should have done after the fact including the officer that is the topic of this thread.

Police Officers Shot During Brooklyn Traffic Stop
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/n...00ee11589d28d7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

New York Officer Killed During Traffic Stop
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Officer-Down-News/New-York-Officer-Killed-During-Traffic-Stop/2$35692

Officer Shot During Traffic Stop
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=triangle&id=5543765\

Florida Police Officer Killed During Traffic Stop
http://ballyblog.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/florida-police-officer-killed-during-traffic-stop/

Prescott Police Officer Shot During Traffic Stop
http://prescottenews.com/news/police-reports/prescott-police-officer-shot-during-traffic-stop.html

Police officer get shot and dies in routine traffic stop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz5--_qI_hU

UPD officer killed during traffic stop (Ole Miss Police Officer)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1723709/posts

Detroit officer shot during traffic stop
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071211/UPDATE/712110418

Fla. trooper fatally shot during traffic stop
http://www.policeone.com/officer-down/1203915/

N.H. officer fatally shot 4 times during traffic stop
http://www.policeone.com/officer-down/1244899/

Officer killed during a routine traffic stop
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2003/06/14/export12663.txt

Slain officer could 'lighten up the day' (another traffic stop)
http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/0223gl-holly23Z18.html

State Police Corporal Killed During Traffic Stop
http://kdka.com/topstories/state.trooper.killed.2.380629.html

Utica Police Officer killed
http://www.nystpba.org/pages/public/showPubDocDetails.asp?news_id=2811

LAPD Officer Shot at During Traffic Stop
http://www.lapdonline.org/february_2006/news_view/23369

 

[bstone]

No one says that police work isn't very dangeorus work. My hats off to those who can do the sort of work.

But when the officer was told in clear and unambiguous language that there was a medical emergency, why did he not drop the Mr Important act and assist in getting a human being to the care just feet away? It's maddening, truly.

 

[VentMedic]

No one says that police work isn't very dangeorus work. My hats off to those who can do the sort of work.

But when the officer was told in clear and unambiguous language that there was a medical emergency, why did he not drop the Mr Important act and assist in getting a human being to the care just feet away? It's maddening, truly.

Do you believe everything you are told when under suspicious circumstances? A hospital ED driveway could just be a convenient excuse for the moment.

You are looking at this from only one point of view as a medical person. The LEO must analyze the scene for the safety of all. That also should be your concern as an EMT before you rush up to offer assistance to a person who is engaged in an escalating encounter with LEOs. You may end up putting everyone in the area in jeopardy.

For those of you who believe this was racially motivated, the next time one of you white all American looking types are pulled over for a "routine" traffic stop, get out of your car without the LEO asking you to. You will see his/her weapon real fast and the tone of the stop will immediately change.

 

[JPINFV]

For those of you who believe this was racially motivated, the next time one of you white all American looking types are pulled over for a "routine" traffic stop, get out of your car without the LEO asking you to. You will see his/her weapon real fast and the tone of the stop will immediately change.

I can vouch for this. My dumbass father (see earlier post) decided to do that because he "always meets the officer at his car," [yea, maybe that worked in Delaware 30 years ago, but not nowadays] a few years ago when my family was back East for a family reunion (parents and I lived in Southern California at the time). He was told, in no uncertain terms, to get back in the car. Strangely, for what ever reason, he actually was left off with a warning.

 

[bstone]

Do you believe everything you are told when under suspicious circumstances? A hospital ED driveway could just be a convenient excuse for the moment.

You are looking at this from only one point of view as a medical person. The LEO must analyze the scene for the safety of all. That also should be your concern as an EMT before you rush up to offer assistance to a person who is engaged in an escalating encounter with LEOs. You may end up putting everyone in the area in jeopardy.

For those of you who believe this was racially motivated, the next time one of you white all American looking types are pulled over for a "routine" traffic stop, get out of your car without the LEO asking you to. You will see his/her weapon real fast and the tone of the stop will immediately change.

If the LEO was truly concerned for the "safety of all" then he would have suspended his criminal investigation until the health of the non-criminal (the passenger) was assured. Then and only then be concerned about issuing a $50 citation to the horrible criminal who forgot to use a turn signal.

Yes, I am looking at this from a medical point of view. Which, once the scene was safe (the woman had informed the LEO that her passenger was in immediate need of emergency services mere feet away), the officer knew he was in no immediate need, he holstered his gun and thus should have attended to the medical emergency at hand.

 

[JPINFV]

If the dude had enough strength to wobble over and break his cane over the officer's head then I doubt that it's an emergency. You are also assuming that no one ever lies to a police officer.