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PLANO, Texas -- A Dallas police officer who delayed Houston Texans' running back Ryan Moats from visiting his mother-in-law before she died in a Plano hospital has been reassigned to dispatch pending an investigation.

On the Web site of the Dallas Morning News, video from a police dashboard camera shows a Dallas police officer stopping Texans running back Ryan Moats in front of the hospital where his mother-in-law lay dying of cancer. Watch Video

Moats, his wife and other family members rushed from their suburban Dallas home to Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano during the early hours of March 18 after getting word around midnight that Moats' mother-in-law, Jonetta Collinsworth, was dying. She had breast cancer.

According to Dallas-area media reports, Moats' vehicle, which rolled through a red light, was stopped by Officer Robert Powell in the hospital's parking lot.

Powell kept Moats and another family member for 13 minutes, threatening Moats with arrest and lecturing him. By the time Moats was released and entered the hospital, Jonetta Collinsworth had died.

Dallas police have dropped the ticket.

The Moatses, who are black, said Wednesday that they can't help but think that race may have played a role in how Powell, who is white, treated them.

"I think he should lose his job," said Ryan Moats, a Dallas native, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Dallas-Fort Worth television station WFAA-TV also obtained dashboard video from inside Powell's cruiser, detailing the exchange in which Powell threatened Moats with arrest.

When the car was pulled over, Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, and her great aunt got out of the car to get into the hospital.

"Get in there!" Powell said, according to the Dallas Morning News' account of the footage. "Let me see your hands!"

"My mom is dying," Tamishia Moats replied. She and her great aunt ignored the officer and headed into the hospital, while Ryan Moats and another family member stayed behind, according to the report.

"I waited until no traffic was coming," Moats told Powell, explaining why he had rolled through the red light. "I got seconds before she's gone, man," he said, the newspaper reported.

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As I was reading the story I could see where the officer was coming from; Moats ran the red light, two people exit the vehicle, leave and dis-regard instructions to get back in the car. While I continue my reading, the officer was presented with pretty conclusive evidence that the story Moats was telling was true, but yet he continued to lecture him. The officer maybe caught in the moment, failed to swallow his pride and release Moats. I am sure looking back both would admit they could've possibly handled the situation differently, but here's my question to all of you. What would you do in this situation, look at it from both points of view? I, as Moats, would've ran the red light and continued all the way to the hospital emergency room drive-up and went to my dying mother's side. As the officer, I would've pulled Moats over, called for back up as the two females ignored my commands, addressed Moats, but once the hospital employee informed me of the situation I would've immediately apologized and released him.

Another snippet from the story that leans on the side of Moats, but really isn't specific:

But Powell spent several minutes inside his squad car, checking Moats for outstanding warrants.

A total of 13 minutes is said to have passed in dealing with this officer. There were people disobeying an order of the officer.

"My mom is dying," Tamishia Moats replied. She and her great aunt ignored the officer and headed into the hospital, while Ryan Moats and another family member stayed behind, according to the report.

They're lucky they weren't handcuffed for an act like this.

"I waited until no traffic was coming," Moats told Powell, explaining why he had rolled through the red light. "I got seconds before she's gone, man," he said, the newspaper reported.

I would have waited at the red light. I've been in vaguely similar circumstances, and I obeyed traffic lights.

Powell demanded his license, which Moats produced, and proof of insurance, which Moats could not find. "Just give me a ticket or whatever," Moats said, his frustration beginning to show, according to the report.

Disrespect to an officer and will get nothing positive from the officer.

"Shut your mouth," Powell told him, the newspaper reported. "You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

In another exchange reported by the Morning News, Moats again asked the officer to complete the traffic stop quickly.

"If you're going to give me a ticket, give me a ticket," Moats said.

"Your attitude says that you need one," Powell replied.

The piece was cut in a few places... I'd like to see the whole piece. They didn't listen to the officer, and that will hold you up, plain an simple.

Overall, both sides could have handled it better. Having dealt with the law a few times in my younger years, Moats did everything he wasn't supposed to do. Talk back, tell the officer what he should do, ect.

I realize that it was a dire circumstance, but ultimately, it's the officer's judgment call, and if the officer isn't receptive to Moats situation, then really, what is Moats supposed to do? He admittedly ran a red light. The two other people disregarded a direct order from an officer. No respect for the law.

In watching that edited video and reading the slanted article, I believe the officer was completely within his rights and shouldn't be punished. I also don't believe it was racial.

I was in a similar situation once albeit it wasn't a truly life or death situation. I had to pick up my grandfather after I got out of a class I was taking and bring him to the hospital for dialysis. There was a time conflict between the time I got out of school and the time he had to be at the hospital. I tried to get him there as soon as I could so yeah, I was doing about 10 above the speed limit when a state trooper coming down the other side of the road spotted me, turned around and pulled me over. You know you are sunk when you make eye contact with an officer.

Anyway, when he came up to the window, I explained that I was rushing to get my grandfather to dialysis. Keep in mind that my grandfather was a very sick man who's body was shutting down from diabetes. It was quite obvious that he was sick and the mustang I had at the time, which had a modified suspension, had not so good ride quality. He looked at me, looked at my grandfather, looked down at my license and said he would be back in a few minutes with my summons.

Now, I can look at it from two angles. One is I shouldn't have been speeding and it wasn't like I didn't speed all the time anyway. Two, he should have let me go, because a person can die from not having their blood cleaned. Was I discriminated against? Maybe...It didn't help that I was 19 driving a loud bright red mustang (I am white by the way). The _ Bag of a cop could have let me go with a warning, but he didn't. It's not like I was going faster than everyone else, but I did stick out the most.

Now, at the beginning of Moat's story I was on the cops side, but the further I read the more it sounded like a power tripping cop. He will take someone to jail for running a red light? Get bent officer. Especially when the nurse comes out and says his mom is dying. Just an example of another power tripping police officer. I am glad that we have police to help regulate, but I think the power goes to a lot of their heads. Nothing corrupts like power over people does.

VetSkinsFan wrote:shouldn't be punished.

Police Officer's are constantly stuck in tough situations; I don't envy those who serve in that career. Having said that, the officer was absolutely in the right, but once the officer was told by hospital security and another employee that the mother was dying Moats should've been released. The officer could've kept their identification, escorted them into the hospital, and finished the matter at a later time.

VetSkinsFan wrote:I also don't believe it was racial.

I hope not, but you never know.

Cappster wrote:I am glad that we have police to help regulate, but I think the power goes to a lot of their heads. Nothing corrupts like power over people does.

I'd like to think this wasn't the case here. Police Officer's deal with idiots on a daily basis, can you imagine dealing with the same stuff day in and day out. I am sure he's heard every story, seen just about every situation, and have witnessed the same people doing the same thing over and over again. That job is extremely stressful, at least I imagine it is, and I could definitely see why they'd be strict even with the slightest discrepancy...I'd be tired of seeing the same crap everyday too.

I watched a few videos and read a few articles on this after my initial reply. If she was in the hospital with terminal breats cancer, it's not a total shock that she was passing when she did (my opinion).

Bottom line, though, is how much time did running that red light save if he hadn't been pulled over? I know in an emotional state judgment is skewed, but speeding/running a red light saves maybe 3 minutes, which would have been the difference between him holding his dead monther-in-law's hand and holding her dying hand.

I didn't see not one bit of remorse for the bottom line, he ultimately brought it upon himself. Break the law, pay the price. While this price was extremely hefty, if he had taken the minute to wait for the light (I know a significant portion of those lights have sensors), all of this wouldn't have happened.

Yes, the cop could have acted with more compassion, but they were in disregard for the law from before the officer engaged them. Everyone knows that you don't get out of the car on an officer, especially when you outnumber him.

But he did chose to break the law, and now that the consequences arise, it's racial. I saw no where in any footage where he was racially insulted. I saw no where that Moats was treated as a dog.

The only part I disagree with is when the nurse informed the officer that Moats was telling the truth. I believe then, I would have let them go. It would be interesting to hear the cop's side of the story and how he was feeling/thinking throughout this ordeal.

I think that this situation is a disgrace. I can't believe the officer acted in this way. What do you expect from someone when they receive a telephone call that someone in their family is dying. You expect them to act as everything is okay? I'm sure that they did panic in this situation and who wouldn't?

Honestly, I'm sick of situations like this, for example, being turned into a race issue. Maybe the cop was just doing his job? It is his job to question the person who just ran a red light. How was he to know when Moats ran the light that he was going to see a dying relative? I'm pretty sure that he would do this to anyone not just because he was black.

Now, would I (or anyone with common sense) have done this? No. What I would've done was just let him go into the hospital because it seems that Moats wasn't being rude and tell him that I would wait for him after he gets out. Tell the hospital security to keep an eye on him just in case he is a criminal or tries to make a dash. While he is in there check the vehicle and if its stolen or something then go get him but if everything is fine and he had a clean record just wait for him. This cop was just out to screw with somebody and he picked the person he saw run a red light. A lot of cops, at least where I live, just pull you over to mess with you and ruin your day just because they have the power to do so.

jeremyroyce wrote:You expect them to act as everything is okay? I'm sure that they did panic in this situation and who wouldn't?

VetSkinsFan brought up a good point about how they knew she was in the hospital with terminal breast cancer; they had to know she was going to pass soon and should've been better prepared for the situation. Seeing that they weren't prepared...I could definitely understand their "hurrying" and panic, but that doesn't excuse their behavior. I would've taken the red light chance too, but would have accepted my consequences after the cop tracked me down next to my mother's death bed.

4 years ago, following my daughter's wedding, my wife and I were watching our grandson, Desertskin's son. They were out partying... Late in the evening, our grandson began to have allergic reaction. His mouth and lips began to swell... this had the potential to be very serious. I piled my wife and the boy into the car, and headed to the hospital where I work, about 15 miles away. I did have my 4 way's on. I was exceeding the posted speed limit by 15 - 20 MPH. I slowed, then went through several red lights. A police officer saw this... and followed me to the hospital. Once there, he followed us in, and confirmed that we were actually taking an emergency to the hospital. He asked my name, and left.


There are times when a police officer needs to step back and think out of the box a bit.

Of course, I suspect that having the 4 ways on helped...

Countertrey wrote:There are times when a police officer needs to step back and think out of the box a bit.

I am a firm believer in officer discretion, but the public shouldn't be allowed scrutinize it (either way) on Monday morning. In your instance I believe your four ways, as you said, were a major contributor to your allowed leeway; the Moats situation seemed to escalate once two people exited the vehicle without listening to the officer's instructions.

Cooter wrote:

Countertrey wrote:There are times when a police officer needs to step back and think out of the box a bit.

I am a firm believer in officer discretion, but the public shouldn't be allowed scrutinize it (either way) on Monday morning. In your instance I believe your four ways, as you said, were a major contributor to your allowed leeway; the Moats situation seemed to escalate once two people exited the vehicle without listening to the officer's instructions.

What is a 4 way?

I am sure all of us in one way or another have had a run in with the law traffic wise. Some of us have brought a situation upon ourselves as in speeding or running a red light. And some of us have been wrongfully accused by a prick of a cop for doing something we haven't done. I have been in both situations, but in both/all instances the cop has been a prick. It doesn't matter if I was pulled over for doing something wrong or if the cop was trying to find something wrong.

If I were a passenger in the car and my mom was on her death bed then screw his orders to get back in the car. If I am not making a move towards him or threatening him in any way he can get the details later. If they are in a dire situation they don't ask question until you are in cuffs (no, I do not know by experience but have seen enough on cops). Yes, the cops have to treat every situation with caution and I do not fault them for that. What they don't have to do is antagonize a person by asking them by saying "I will take you to jail." Especially for a traffic violation where the person just wants to get to his dying mother.

Cooter wrote:

Countertrey wrote:There are times when a police officer needs to step back and think out of the box a bit.

I am a firm believer in officer discretion, but the public shouldn't be allowed scrutinize it (either way) on Monday morning. In your instance I believe your four ways, as you said, were a major contributor to your allowed leeway; the Moats situation seemed to escalate once two people exited the vehicle without listening to the officer's instructions.

It turns out that Moats was also running his 4 ways (FLASHERS for the signal impaired). I have watched the video, and observed a distraught and frustrated Moats behaving in pretty much the same, and actually very tolerant manner that I would have. The cop was wrong.

For the record... I'm as law and order as they come. I served as a reserve patrol officer for some 3 years when I was much younger. I have also followed an individual who was clearly making a conscious effort to be careful while minimally violating laws and operating the 4 ways. He was not operating dangerously. Once he arrived at the ER, I confirmed his emergency, and left. Had he been faking, he would have taken a ride. There was no rush. It's not difficult to spot an individual who is trying to get help. That is fairly standard procedure.

I was also serving on active duty at the time... interesting, that... I had no idea, nor did my chief, nor my commander on base, who approved my moonlighting, that we were possibly in technical violation of a Federal law forbidding the use of the military in law enforcement.

I watched the video of Moats, flashers on, slow down, proceed carefully through the light, then pull into the hospital parking lot. The individual driving the car was CLEARLY being deliberate and careful... not behaving as a scofflaw.

That cop was just plain wrong. His first question should have been... "Do you have an emergency?", not "get back in the car".

The Chief of the Dallas PD was also clearly embarrassed.

I am gonna have to watch this video; I knew this was going to be an interesting conversation. Thanks guys, talk to everyone later.

EDIT: Just watched the video, and WOW! Although the video doesn't show the entire incident, I believe this officer could've used better judgment. Like I've stated before, the officer could've confiscate identification, escort the family in the hospital, verify the situation, and deal with it accordingly. That's just my Monday morning quarterbacking though. People make mistakes, and police officer's deal with the scum of the earth on a daily...I'd say they're allowed to make a few mistakes too. Unfortunately for them, their mistakes are in the spotlight, and the majority of ours are not. Hopefully, Powell and other officers learn from this incident, but I also hope some bonehead criminal hasn't learned a new trick either.

Countertrey wrote:4 years ago, following my daughter's wedding, my wife and I were watching our grandson, Desertskin's son. They were out partying... Late in the evening, our grandson began to have allergic reaction. His mouth and lips began to swell... this had the potential to be very serious. I piled my wife and the boy into the car, and headed to the hospital where I work, about 15 miles away. I did have my 4 way's on. I was exceeding the posted speed limit by 15 - 20 MPH. I slowed, then went through several red lights. A police officer saw this... and followed me to the hospital. Once there, he followed us in, and confirmed that we were actually taking an emergency to the hospital. He asked my name, and left.


There are times when a police officer needs to step back and think out of the box a bit.

Of course, I suspect that having the 4 ways on helped...

The circumstances are different. You were transporting someone who needed immediate medical attention. Moats was not.

Again, I never said the officer acted in the best possible way, but I don't see how he was totally in the wrong, either.

In watching that edited video and reading the slanted article, I believe the officer was completely within his rights and shouldn't be punished. I also don't believe it was racial.

Well the police department certainly doesn't agree with your assessment of the situation.

Dallas police Chief David Kunkle faced reporters Thursday afternoon to express his embarrassment over the incident and to publicly apologize to the family. He said the officer involved failed to use common sense. Officer Robert Powell, a three-year veteran, has been placed on leave facing internal charges of misconduct.

"I certainly hope anybody who saw the videotape immediately understood how serious the misconduct is," Chief Kunkle said Thursday afternoon. "I don't know how you train for these circumstances other than to hire people with good common sense and people skills."

"My understanding is that Officer Powell — even after he saw the videotape — believed he had not acted inappropriately," Chief Kunkle said, a view that was underscored by Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson, who reviewed the tape with Officer Powell on Wednesday.

"His belief was simply that he was doing his job," Chief Simpson said. "It did concern me that it just seemed that the compassion was not there."

Even the nurses from the hospital and another cop tried to step-in.

The hospital twice sent nurses to try and get the officer to release Moats.

"We're blue-coding her for the third time," a nurse said on the police videotape.

A Plano police officer stopped to make a plea for the officer to let Moats go. "Hey, that's the nurse," the Plano officer said. "She says the mom is dying right now, and she wants to know if I can get him up there."

Dallas police have launched a review of the incident.

“When it came to our attention, we immediately called for an internal investigation to be done,” said police spokesman Lt. Andy Havey.

"The essence of being a police officer is common sense and discretion," Chief Kunkle added. "I can't imagine a worse circumstance."

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family and announced that Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation.

"When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed," Kunkle said. "It's hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate."

Kunkle said Powell was not necessarily acting improperly when he pulled his weapon out, but that once he realized what was happening should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way.

"His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.

Kunkle said the video showed that Moats and his wife "exercised extraordinary patience, restraint in dealing with the behavior of our officer."

"At no time did Mr. Moats identify himself as an NFL football player or expect any kind of special consideration," Kunkle said. "He handled himself very, very well."

Hopefully he gets fired because we certainly don't need cops like him out there. The role of the police is to protect and help the public, and the officer in this case certainly wasn't acting in that manner. Stopping someone from being with a dying relative over a meaningless ticket is a disgrace. That officer should be ashamed of himself.

VetSkinsFan wrote:

Countertrey wrote:4 years ago, following my daughter's wedding, my wife and I were watching our grandson, Desertskin's son. They were out partying... Late in the evening, our grandson began to have allergic reaction. His mouth and lips began to swell... this had the potential to be very serious. I piled my wife and the boy into the car, and headed to the hospital where I work, about 15 miles away. I did have my 4 way's on. I was exceeding the posted speed limit by 15 - 20 MPH. I slowed, then went through several red lights. A police officer saw this... and followed me to the hospital. Once there, he followed us in, and confirmed that we were actually taking an emergency to the hospital. He asked my name, and left.


There are times when a police officer needs to step back and think out of the box a bit.

Of course, I suspect that having the 4 ways on helped...

The circumstances are different. You were transporting someone who needed immediate medical attention. Moats was not.

Again, I never said the officer acted in the best possible way, but I don't see how he was totally in the wrong, either.

Did I mention that I was a cop for several years when I was much younger? The cop needed to ask one question. "Do you have an emergency?" He then needed to permit common sense and compassion to rule his actions.

I've known cops AND people in the military who behaved like he did. Invariably, they were self important, and oafish in their singleminded enforcement of what was "right". In the military, they tend to sit behind a desk, or a counter, making the lives of combat soldiers a series of hoops that need to be jumped through. You know, them, VSF...

They tend to be concrete in their interpretations, and cannot resolve the abstract. They have no frame of referrence to make decisions which don't fit within the box of rules they are slaves to.

They are the embodiment of the concept that "common sense isn't".

I'm sure he's a decent guy. But he sure sounded like Barney Fife the other night. I was expecting to hear him asking Andy to come and verify his authority at any second.

Take his bullet away, chief.

Disgusting and I don't even know why this is even being defended. The mans mother was dying.

I can understand officers never really know what they're up against until they investigate.. But seriously. How many hardened criminals would choose to "flee" from the police with hazards flashing, not drive all over the road, secretly planning a believable story with all of the other occupants in the car on the way, turn into a hospital, stop at a stop sign within the grounds of the hospital to check for traffic, find a parking spot, and then still decide not to run on foot? Yeah...that sounds exactly like how the thugs do it.

Give me a break.

If anything, hospital security could've followed the gentleman into the hospital to confirm his story while the officer stayed with the SUV or vice-versa.

Even when another officer comes to the car to relay the second nurse's message:

"That's the nurse. She said that the Mom is dying right now and she wants to know if we can get him up there before she passes."

The jerk officer has the audacity to say,

"Alright, I'm almost done."

I"m sorry but I don't want a cop without common sense and compassion serving the public. He doesn't need to be on the streets.

There's another part to the video that may or may not have been shown in this particular snippet. The cop tells Moats that he can really screw him over, insinuating that he can spitefully make the situation even worse.

He didn't run a redlight, he came to the red light stop, saw no traffic and continued, this was after midnight. He didn't endanger public life. And if you ever have driven over the posted speed limited, you point is invalid.
[url="Dash Cam"]http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032609dnmetcopstop.3e9c080.html?nTar=OPUR[/url]

Chris Luva Luva wrote:Disgusting and I don't even know why this is even being defended. The mans mother was dying.

Actually, his mother-in-law. But still...

This is precisely the kind of problem you get when police agencies are more military than they are civilian. The general attitude of "submit first, complain later" is a huge problem. That's a strategy for people who are presumed to be unable think and act appropriately for themselves—it's how you treat an enemy, or an objectified, non-person. Civilized human beings have no reason to listen to or condone that kind of crap, and any cop who thinks and acts otherwise about citizens has no place barking orders.

Moats and his family were absolutely doing the right thing; it's a shame this had to happen to them.

When it rains, it pours.

Another allegation has surfaced against the officer who prevented Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats from entering a hospital to see his dying mother-in-law last week.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Maritza Thomas, wife of former Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas, was handcuffed and spent approximately three hours in jail after Dallas officer Robert Powell pulled her over for an illegal U-turn in July 2008.

"This in no way compares to what happened to Ryan Moats and his family," Thomas told The Morning News. "But we wanted to tell our story, not knowing how many others have been affected by Officer Powell. We know the vast majority of the Dallas police force are good and professional people, but this guy just seems excessive."

Four of the five tickets issued against Maritza Thomas were later dropped including failure to show proof of insurance, running a red light, improper address on driver's license and a registration sticker was not on the windshield. She accepted deferred adjudication for the illegal U-turn charge, and her record will be cleared next month.

I'm speaking from a first-person perspective here. The old-timers at Hogs.net will know what I mean. I don't care to rehash the details.
Who was wrong and who was right here will vary wildly. Those who are in the job will tell you that one look at the size of the driver tends to make the officer nervous, and hysterical females serve no other purpose (in the mind of the officer) than to put the male instinct to protect into overdrive. IMHO, Moats conducted himself very calmly, yet assertively. The officer went on automatic pilot, mentally. It's a self-preservation mode that many people who carry supervisory, military or police responsibilities have ingrained.
The real problem here is that the family (and here is where my perspective comes in) tends to subconsiously assign blame to the officer for the death of the loved one. As crazy as that may seem to those who have never been on either side of the situation, it's true. Those precious, last few seconds of a life...you want to be there. When something or someone gets in the way of that, you seethe. You feel like, if only you would have been there, you could have done something, anything...that your very presence might have somehow delayed or even changed the outcome.
Of course, the reality is that a final stage cancer patient on a morphine drip and is beyond regular means of communication, has one last sure-fire way of letting the staff know that they're ready to let go. They lose control of their bowels. At that point, the staff immediately calls the family to advise them to get there, and get there fast.
Moat, and his family, were denied the chance to say goodbye by an officer who clearly was not working without fear or possibly prejudice. He will be questioning himself for a very long time if he is just a guy and not some schmuck.
The family, on the other hand, will always remember the man that kept them from the final farewell.
Nobody wins here, folks. There's nothing to be gained here other than a mea culpa. The civil suit that's sure to follow will not do anything to relieve the pain, even if the proceeds are donated to pink ribbon campaigns.
Sometimes, [you-know-what] happens. That's as close as I've come to forgiving the officers who kept me from the scene of my particular loss, saying only that everybody who was there was doing their very best and that I should go wait at the hospital.

Cooter wrote:When it rains, it pours.

Another allegation has surfaced against the officer who prevented Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats from entering a hospital to see his dying mother-in-law last week.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Maritza Thomas, wife of former Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas, was handcuffed and spent approximately three hours in jail after Dallas officer Robert Powell pulled her over for an illegal U-turn in July 2008.

"This in no way compares to what happened to Ryan Moats and his family," Thomas told The Morning News. "But we wanted to tell our story, not knowing how many others have been affected by Officer Powell. We know the vast majority of the Dallas police force are good and professional people, but this guy just seems excessive."

Four of the five tickets issued against Maritza Thomas were later dropped including failure to show proof of insurance, running a red light, improper address on driver's license and a registration sticker was not on the windshield. She accepted deferred adjudication for the illegal U-turn charge, and her record will be cleared next month.

Now even more it sounds like this cop is just a total jerk that abuses his power.

A police officers main duty is to protect and serve the public. I wish they can remember this. Instead so many but not all who have authority seem to wield there power like a sword.

We as taxpayers pay your salary police man. Do not ever forget that.

As a police officer you have to exercise some good judgment. I do not think he should have resigned. But, disciplined maybe.

Also I am not going to blame the officer for Moats missing his mother in law passing away either. 13 minutes so!

When my grandmother was ill years back my family was there for a week in waiting. We all knew she was going to pass. If your mother is dying you take your vacation time and stay with her bed side. Do not blame the cop for that thirteen minutes. You should have already been there. Or the wife actually since that is the mother in law of the Moats.

The officer showed poor judgement yes. But, it is not his fault Moats wife missed his mother passing. Should have been there bed side in the first place.