Posted on 09/19/2013 9:37:43 AM PDT by moonshinner_09
Cop caught on video forcing three family members to lie in the road at gunpoint after minor traffic dispute spiraled out of control in quiet neighborhood
A routine traffic stop quickly escalated out of hand after a transport cop forced three members of a family to lie down in the road at gunpoint.
Neighbors in the quiet suburb of Raintree Village near Toledo, Ohio, captured the incident on cell phone and posted it on YouTube.
Local police chiefs have suspended the officer after the footage attracted a lot of attention and questions were asked about how it had gotten so out of hand. Scroll down for video
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when mom-of-two Cassandra Meyers was pulled over by officer Eric Hart for a license plate violation.
When her father-in-law, Aaron Tatkowski, arrived on the scene in his truck with his girlfriend and Meyers two children.
Tatkowski has said he approached Officer Hart because he didnt like the way he was speaking to his daughter-in-law.
He is reported to have said: Im [expletive] sick of you cops. Im [expletive] sick of you harassing people for no reason.
He hollered for me to get back in my truck, so I got back in my truck, Tatkowski told Toledo News Now. Next thing you know, I'm yanked out of the truck and it made my girlfriend say a few things. He yanked her out of the truck.
Tatkowski says the officer threw him, his girlfriend, his daughter-in-law, and 14-year-old son to the ground.
The police report says commands were not listened to, so Officer Hart got out his taser and handgun.
Tatkowski says he complied with Hart, but worried for his two granddaughters, who were still in his truck, so he asked witnesses to start recording what was happening.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Mobile home park off of Alexis Road, by Stickney Ave... (North end - about a thou yards south of the Mich line...)
How come I kinda figured that?
We should ask the British reporters to illegal immigrant here to do the reporting Americans refuse to do. What do you think?
I am sick of the “How dare you speak to me that way” cops. They are supposed to be trained to difuse situations not just bark orders.
“He is reported to have said: Im [expletive] sick of you cops. Im [expletive] sick of you harassing people for no reason. “
So cops are supposed to ignore license plate violations?
“to shouting insults or trying to draw a crowd when an officer is questioning or arresting someone. The latter is a special cause for concern, as as officer can find himself outnumbered and at personal risk for executing his duties. “
So? Government officials should be in fear of their lives at all times. Right now the government thinks We the People should be in fear of our lives at all times especially when confronted by a cop.
I think these cops do take security seriously, but I also think they try to make work for themselves. Face it, it’s a boring job. If they nab anyone with half an attitude they push their buttons to make them react, next thing they are obstructing an officer.
In this case, if the Canadian had said I’m going to the shoe store, the cop would ask, what kind of shoes. If he said basketball shoes, he’s say what brand? etc until the guy reacts...
But in a word, no, we have no rights in such situations. This is what they have wanted all along.
Whose voices are those, that voiced concern for the officer’s safety and told “Aaron” to shut up? It seems the people who were there video taped the event for the benefit of the officer. One of them even gave his phone to the cop, who resisted taking it. When the guy literally forced the phone into his hand, he tossed it aside.
This does not look to me like police brutality. It looks like an inbred family that likes attention.
He’s is suspended with pay, so a paid vacation, and will come back and be on duty to march on as he currently does. The one thing about cops, they are like major league umpires, they think it is about them. AND, hey, I have all kinds of cops in my family. My cousin is county sheriff; my nephew is a cop in the Birmingham area; and his brother is a Alabama state trooper. I can tell you that BOTH of my nephews think it is about them. They both have become blow hards. They drive their PERSONAL automobiles 20-30 miles above the speed limit. If stopped, they flash their badge and lie they are going somewhere. When I came down to visit my mother in Alabama, the Bham cop picked me up at the airport. We hit the interstate and he was doing 90-100 MPH all the way. I questioned him and he said he could drive like that with no fear, he’d just flash his badge if stopped. One of my trooper nephew’s fellow troopers around here has a huge reputation as a smart ass on EVERY stop he makes. Complaints about his behavior go unheard. Just saying, they all ain’t saints.
I watched the video. It began with the driver on the ground in cuffs, her dad who showed up and got involved and was cuffed and lying on the ground. A teenager who I think is the driver’s son appears to have showed up on a foot powered scooter and was lying on the ground not cuffed.
The officer had his taser out and was in a heated discussion with the driver and her dad....no punches were thrown nor did I see anything in the story or video alleging any force being used or injuries to the driver, dad or teenager.
We have people angry about being stopped, bystanders apparently inserting themselves in what the story described as a simple traffic stop, and a lone officer dealing with three people, two of which appeared to be emotionally out of control.
Looking at the entire video I don’t see any crime committed by the cop or any excessive force.
I think he may have been able to put his taser away earlier but really...is that such a big deal? He didn’t taser the guy and torture him or anything....he pointed at the guy who was handcuffed on the ground and was continuing to be out of control emotionally.
I will continue to reserve final judgment until I hear or see what occurred prior to the cell phone video started rolling....but as of right now I don’t see anything terrible other than an adult man and woman screaming at the top of their lungs for attention.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.