Wheelchair video released
Albemarle County Police released the dash-cam video tape shot from the front of Officer Gregory C. Davis' patrol car when he struck wheelchair pedestrian Gerry Mitchell in a West Main Street crosswalk on November 5. In a brief press conference preceding the release, Albemarle County Police Lieutenant John Teixeira expressed the department's regret over the incident. "We're very sorry," he said, in what may be the only official apology Mitchell will receive. As shown in the video, Davis turns left on a green light and strikes Mitchell's chair, throwing the chair forward and Mitchell onto the street. A red "don't walk" symbol is visible. Within seconds, Davis and witness Ben Gathright rush to Mitchell's side, and quickly hoist him back into his chair. Mitchell, who is wheelchair bound because medication he takes to control AIDS has rendered his leg bones too brittle to support him, says he suffered a torn rotator cuff and possible fractures in his shoulder from being lifted. He was treated and released from UVA hospital the day of the accident, but was readmitted the following day in renal failure. On New Year's Day, he reentered UVA hospital in "terrible pain" and with swollen joints. Today, says Mitchell, doctors informed him he will soon be
transferred to a nursing home for at least three weeks while his medical team works to get his pain and swelling under control and regain movement in his arms and legs. While it was an Albemarle County Police officer who struck him, what happened after the accident added insult to injury. Charlottesville police, who investigated the accident, ticketed Mitchell while he was being treated in the UVA ER for failing to obey a pedestrian signal. Although the charges were eventually dropped, Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Chapman refused to issue an apology and cited a technicality as the basis for the dismissal. Teixeira says the Albemarle County Police Department has learned a lesson from the incident– "to respond empathetically as soon as you can." Police policy prohibits officers from commenting on internal or external investigations, which Teixeira believes contributed to the community's feeling that the department was engaging in a cover-up or simply didn't care. "That's not the case," he said. Albemarle County's internal investigation into the incident will wrap in a couple of weeks, said Teixeira, who doesn't know whether any results will be made public. The release of the video, he said, is an effort to help people understand how the accident happened. "We're hoping by putting the video out," he said, "that people can make their own minds up." NOTE: Audio is original to the official police video. #
50 comments
Personally I think Kevin Cox should call Debbie Wyatt and see if she will come out of retirement long enough to handle this case for Mr. Mitchell. It's a win-win case for Mitchell and Wyatt.
hoo haa.. The bottom line is not the accident itself... it is the ticket and the circling of the wagons by the local PD. This is what is wrong with the system. No accountability to the people.
If the county had simply owned up to the FACT that Mr. Mitchell was in plain sight and had the Officer been 100% paying attention he would not have hit him then all of this hoopla could have been avoided. I avoid deer all of the time on Garth road even though I have the right of way and it is because I pay attention.
The county should have turned over it's insurance info like anybody else and let it play out. Thats what insurance is for.
The Officer should have stood up and admitted liability and if his superiors ordered him to shut up then he should have filed a complaint with his union.
The Police are losing the respect of the people because of their inability to accept responsibility for their mistakes.
The prosecuter needs to go also. I forget his name...Napoleon or something I think...
It's Karl Mansoor, not Monsoor. What was his beef?
The Albemarle County Police has a union?
quote "... circling of the wagons by the local PD.... The Police are losing the respect of the people because of their inability to accept responsibility for their mistakes."
I sure am glad to see I am not the only person who can clearly see this. Although The Hook has always taken the lead in reporting these less than favorbale police vs citizen incidents, the other media outlets have picked up on and started reporting them now. With the anonymous informants the media has within the police departments maybe the days of sweeping this stuff under the rug will finally come to an end.
Mark my words, it's just a matter of time before something like this happens in Charlottesville or Albemarle County:
http://www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=39674
2 Killed in Officer-Involved Crash in Maryland
Updated: January 9th, 2008 11:52 AM EDT
LARGO, Maryland -- Police are investigating a fatal multiple-vehicle crash involving a Mount Rainier police officer in Largo.
The crash happened just before 9 a.m. at the intersection of Route 202 and Technology Way.
Witnesses said the crash was extremely violent. They said the Mount Rainier police cruiser was headed southbound on Route 202 at a high rate of speed when it tried to go around a stopped car in a right turn-only lane.
The cruiser then collided with a PT Cruiser that was headed northbound on Route 202 and was turning left onto Technology Way, News4's Tracee Wilkins reported.
Witnesses said the vehicles hit with such force that both went airborne upon impact.
Prince George's County police said that two women that were in the PT Cruiser were killed in the crash. The officer was injured. He is expected to be OK.
I read via Goolge that he voiced some complaints about management, they told him to shut up, and then it became a free speech issue. The appeals court ruled in his favor. I just wonder what the original beef was, but it's probably too inside & complicated to understand anyway. One of the court decisions even says "now, if this had been a racial issue, his speech would be protected, so..." Something like management deficiencies is harder for an outsider to get a handle on unless you know the people involved.
OK, if you insist on discussing it, this is what I have found on Google.
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Albemarle County police officer Karl Mansoor has settled his lawsuit against Albemarle County, which alleged that his freedom of speech was violated. Mansoor filed the suit in 2000, claiming that Police Chief John Miller, then-Captain Doug Rhoads and deputy County Attorney Mark Trank violated his right to free speech by demanding that Mansoor refrain from criticizing the county in order to retain his job as a police officer. Mansoor, who had sought $633,000 in damages, has settled for an undisclosed sum. Mansoor claims that the county contines to bar him from speaking freely, and has filed another lawsuit for $250,000. Claudia Pinto has the story in today's Progress.
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RICHMOND, Va. ¢Ã¢â??¬” Officials in Albemarle County were not protected by government immunity when they barred a county police officer from speaking against the county in 1998, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday.
A federal judge in Charlottesville ruled in favor of Officer Karl Mansoor in February 2002, calling a gag order imposed by county police after Mansoor criticized the county and police "excessive" and unconstitutional.
The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the ruling, rejecting the county's arguments that Police Chief John Miller, former Capt. Richard Douglas Rhoads and Mark Trank, a county attorney, enjoyed qualified immunity that allowed them to implement the Plan of Assistance, which restricted Mansoor's speech pertaining to his job.
"But, in fact, matters 'relating to your employment' clearly can encompass matters of public concern. For example, the Plan apparently would restrict Mansoor's right to speak about perceived racial problems within the department, a right we have explicitly held to be of public concern," the three-judge appeals panel ruled.
U.S. District Judge James H. Michael Jr. has not determined the amount of damages to be awarded to Mansoor for violation of his First Amendment rights, the appeals court noted.
Mansoor's dispute with the police department began in 1997 when he started complaining about various police policies and publicly criticized the county executive and a proposed police pay plan at a Board of Supervisors meeting.
Mansoor said police began targeting him by denying him overtime work and training and ultimately helping to bring about a panic disorder. The officer took a 40-day medical leave and returned to work but was put on administrative duty because of his "impaired judgment and related behavior," the appeals court stated.
Following a department-requested psychological evaluation, Mansoor was allowed to return to work if he agreed to a plan that barred him from communicating with any "third parties" about anything "critical or negative towards the county executive, the chief of police ... or any other county official or employee."
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ¢Ã¢â??¬” Albemarle County police violated an officer's First Amendment rights when they barred him from criticizing the county, a federal judge ruled.
Police Chief John Miller and other officials had barred Officer Karl Mansoor from speaking out while on administrative leave.
But U.S. District Judge James H. Michael Jr. said in an opinion filed Feb. 5 that the gag order was excessive and "could potentially prohibit the plaintiff from telling his spouse about his day."
Mansoor's dispute with the department began in April 1997 when he criticized a proposed pay plan for the police department at a county Board of Supervisors meeting. He also accused County Executive Robert W. Tucker Jr. of making derogatory remarks about the police, which Tucker denied.
Mansoor said police targeted him after the meeting, denying him overtime work and training.
Mansoor began having panic attacks, which he said stemmed from work-related stress. Later that spring, Mansoor gave Miller a letter listing complaints and criticisms dating back to Mansoor's hiring in 1994.
Mark D. Obenshain, the attorney for Albemarle, said the county is considering appealing. He declined to say if Mansoor is still bound by the gag order.
"This case is not over," Obenshain said.
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http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=4th&navby=docket&...
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Former Officer Alleges Corruption in Albemarle County Police Department
February 27, 2006
Albemarle County, Virginia -- In a special in-depth report we reveal the story of one former Albemarle County police officer who says he was so distraught by the corruption in the department that he sued them, and won. He settled his most recent lawsuit this past December.
It sounds like something from a movie: taped conversations, plenty of courtroom drama and one officer blowing the whistle to fight for what he thought was right.
Karl Mansoor joined the Albemarle County Police Department in 1994. He was a patrol officer from Norfolk looking to settle down with his wife and seven children. He thought it was his dream job--but that soon became short-lived.
"I started noticing double standards within the department, and I started finding out and learning about cover-ups of inappropriate or criminal activity in the department," said Mansoor.
What first caught Mansoor's attention were rumors of a high-ranking female officer fondling teen-aged girls in the student explorers program. Concerned, Mansoor says he alerted Police Chief John Miller to other related incidents of sexual harassment. He promised an investigation, but Mansoor alleges that never happened.
"It seemed like he just didn't want to hear that information," said Mansoor.
That was only the beginning. Over the next few years, Mansoor claims he observed shooting cover-ups, witnessed suspect beatings and watched as the same officers involved were promoted. When he spoke up he says a superior officer threatened him.
"He said if I continued to associate with certain people, that was other people that were also speaking up about problems in the department, that I wasn't going to get anywhere in the department," explained Mansoor.
Mansoor wasn't ready to back down. In 1997, three years after he began, Mansoor took another route. He secretly began recording hours of conversations with Chief Miller and other high-ranking officers. In one conversation Mansoor confronts his then sergeant about being written up for not changing the oil in his police car, although he says no one else was.
(Audio Tape)
Karl: "I just wish that policies would be adhered to the same for everybody in the department.
Sergeant: "It's difficult for me to comment on that."
Karl: "I know."
"There was nothing that I couldn't do that I wouldn't get reprimanded for, even petty, petty things," said Mansoor.
Eventually though, the burden of knowing too much took its toll on Mansoor.
"I did tell the Chief that it was adversely affecting my health what I had been through and I felt that it was a work related concern. They took that opportunity to have me see a shrink," said Mansoor.
When Mansoor returned to work, he was forbidden to talk about anything negative concerning the police department. Mansoor says it was a violation of his first amendment rights, so he sued.
In 2002, he made headlines when a Federal Appeals court agreed with Mansoor. He won $180,000 dollars on behalf of the Albemarle County Police Department. During that suit, the chief never denied Mansoor's strong performance.
"I have never questioned Karl's service on the street,"said Chief Miller in one video deposition.
"He's a good officer?," asked Karl's attorney.
"I would say yes, he is," he replied.
Even after the suit, Mansoor continued working, but his problems only got worse.
"I guess lines were drawn and those that felt the same way that I did continued to be associated with me and supportive, where as those who decided they didn't want to speak up would limit their interaction with me," said Mansoor.
It got so bad, Mansoor says at times he was left without backup on calls. At this point he had enough. Feeling ousted by the same officers he once trusted, in 2004 Mansoor resigned and sued them once again--this time for forcing him out. This past December, they settled out of court for $200,000 dollars.
"Is it possible that some of the things that you've spoken about, maybe you exaggerated them a little bit?" asked reporter Sarah Batista.
"No I don't think I exaggerated them, if anything I...understated them. I was constantly trying to give people or incidents the benefit of the doubt," replied Mansoor.
Today, Mansoor is trying hard to move on with his family. He's working with a private security company. He's even considering writing a book about all of this and while the money he won in his lawsuit helped him financially, he says in the end it's not about the money. By telling his story he hopes the Albemarle County Police Department will, as he says, "clean up their act."
Mansoor stated, "I'd like to see officers treated fairly, and in terms citizens treated fairly, that's what I'd like to see."
The police department declined all requests for interviews, but in a statement released Monday Albemarle County Spokesperson Lee Catlin stated: "Mr. Karl Mansoor is a former county employee who has been involved in a number of matters of litigation against the county which have all been resolved. We don't have any additional comments on Mr. Mansoor's employment tenure or litigation issues at this time."
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Now, SOTLR, after you win the Mitchell case, you'll be able to afford to be a cop. I'm sure Gary O'Connell would let you paint your police car any colors you like, as long as you pay for it. He might even promote you to the new assistant city manager's position so you can sit around all day trying to do exactly the same thing that Jim Tolbert is doing and has been doing for years, work with neigbhorhoods. And, unlike a police officer, you won't have to retire at 60. Beginning salary is advertised somewhere between $75K and $125K. Sounds good?
Come on CvilleEye, you're old enough to know many attorneys still take win-win cases on a contingency basis. The attorney's take of the damages awarded is usually 33% to 40%. If a jury awards Mitchell $2 million dollars, the attorney would get anywhere from $660,000 to $800,000. Mitchell would get the rest. And considering his injuries I don't think $2 million dollars is out of the question. Even when Mitchell gets out of the nursing home he will probably need home health care the rest of his natural life. Look how well the Gray murder by cop case paid the attorney. While the Gray family probably paid assorted costs and fees along the way, I suspect the case was pretty much on a contingency basis. The Mansoor cases were pretty much win-win cases and probably on a contingency basis from the very beginning too. Albemarle County probably thought they could put Mansoor and his family in the poor house before he could obtain any justice. The the police impersonation case was a win-win from the very beginning too. Had some rookie Albemarle cop arrest a Greene County deputy one evening. Sheriff Morris identified the deputy before warrants were even sought and sworn to in front of the magistate. This is why the 911 tapes were destroyed after a subpoena was issued for them. The county settled the lawsuits as soon as the judge set a jury trial date for the deputy's claims against Albemarle County. These lawsuits were on a contingency basis too. The list just goes on and on. It appears as if Albemarle County simply fights no-win lawsuits in hopes of the plaintiffs running out of money. That's my opinion. Of course the city does the same thing as well.
And SOTLR is starting a new, more-lucrative career.
Karl, sorry, forgot to put your secret code name, Sick Of The Local Rambos, that is better. I think you have outted yourself. Nice work on Camblos by the way
I guess I didn't mean SUE exactly. I mean, I hope you keep up pressure on this case and see it to the end even if this poor man is unable to due to his medical issues. He may need to drop it merely because he is otherwise overwhelmed by the consequences of this, not to mention his previous medical condition. I can see how the stress of it could be way too much to add. I hope someone else who is knowlegable in this area will carry the flag for him. I don't mean that you will sue and want $$ for yourself!
WTF? If the chief will give me one of the new black and white patrol cars when they get here (were suppose to be here in November of 2007), why would I need to pay to have one painted the color of my choice?
But hey, if I were to become the assistant city manger, could I fire the city manager? I will work for $10,00 a year if so.
No, you couldn't fire him, but you could document his sitting around doing nothing and give it to Council so that they could fire him and give Aubrey Watts his job. The City doesn't pay $10.00, you'll have to take the $100k.
By the way, I still can't believe a sworn law enforcement officer runs up and grabs the victim and manhandles him like this cop did. What the hell are they teaching in the police academies nowadays. I know they use to teach better than this. Has the quality of training gone down that far? WTF? :confused
They should be sorry. I am afraid this is the beginning of the end for Mr. Mitchell. I heard earlier today that he's going to end up in a nursing home now because he can't properly take car of himself after this crash? I don't think his prognosis looks good at all right now.
Yeah, the video helped me make up my mind. Any person who can't see a large wheelchair bound man in front of their bumper has no business driving a 4,500+ pound vehicle on the public highways. DMV needs to suspend this cop's driver's license until he can get in and have his peripheral vision checked. At worst, Albemarle County needs to take him out from behind the steering wheel until his peripheral vision is checked.
On another thread on this blog someone wrote that the mic in police cars comes on when the lights goes on so that may explain why the music suddenly becomes audible. Still, I want to know where it was coming from.
I want to know where the music was coming from. The music isn't audible on the video until just before the officer gets out of the car. Is this because the music was coming out of headphones and the mic in the car couldn't pick it up until he removed the headphones just before he got out of the car? Was he fooling around with his music instead of paying attention to his driving? Was he looking down at the gadget in his lap instead of watching where he was going? The police have said that he wasn't using a cell phone or laptop. Did they say anything about an iPod?
I wonder where was the bus?
The music gets louds when the officer turns his lights on. The mic inside the car comes on when the lights are activated. Don't trust what Sick Of The Local Rambos says about anything. If he is who I think he is then he just holds a grudge because he falsely thinks he was treated improperly by the local police. He thinks it is pathetic that local police only arrested one person on new years for DUI but I bet he didn't think that the local understaffed departments were to busy answering calls for service to even think about enforcing traffic laws. He is the one that is pathetic. Sick Of The Local Rambos GET A LIFE!!!!!
CVille, setting the significance of the origin of the music aside, the music itself sure proves the cop has bad taste. :)
Who the hell rides around in a cop car listening to "My Humps" on the radio? Damn good thing the radio station wasn't playing the explicit version of "My Humps".
JohnJ, there are no more Frank Serpicos out there. Officers are scared to death to expose anything to the public. They know it will cost them their jobs. Karl Monsoor was the closest thing we have ever had to a Frank Serpico in this area. And you saw what they did to him in return for trying to expose internal problems at the Albemarle County Police Department to the public. He was tossed out of the profession like last night's trash. At least the courts ruled in the lawsuits in Monsoor's favor and awarded him some compensation though. I hope he was awarded enough money to take care of his family and 6 or 7 children.
SOTLR,
"I would never be eligible for jury duty then. Because I have already formed an opinion of any testimony offered by police officers."
If Frank Serpico were to testify in court in which you were on the jury, would you not believe him simply because he is a police officer?
He is the number one reason you cannot lump all in the same category
quote > "Keep making weak excuses and defending the indefensible and you'll get more of the same."
Trust me, it's hard for most people to care until something like this affects a family member or close friend. If this had been one of Golfer's parents in the wheelchair he would be screaming very loudly for somebody's head to roll too. Especially since this seems to appear as if it's the beginning of the end for Mr. Mitchell.
I've said it once before, I will say it again. What goes around comes around. The best recent example in law enforcement was when that county cop Gluba shot his neighbor's dog for trespassing. He beat the animal cruelty charge because nobody read him his rights. You would think a sown cop would already know his rights. Just another case where the cops were protected. Wasn't long after that Gluba's dog was shot and killed. What goes around comes around.
Those of you who want to be on the jury, you won't be. You've already formed an opinion.
I will say it again, the court will decided how much the County, the City and Mr. Mitchell is at fault. The rest is just hot air. That is, if there isn't some prior settlement.
Officer Gregory C. Davis is clearly negligent in striking Gerry Mitchell.
It won't help Gerry in the short term, but please vote for Ron Paul in the Virginia primary on February 12th. Lets begin the long journey to make our public servants answerable to the people.
www.RonPaul2008.com
quote "Those of you who want to be on the jury, you won't be. You've already formed an opinion."
I would never be eligible for jury duty then. Because I have already formed an opinion of any testimony offered by police officers. :)
"An unforseen event that occurs without anyone's fault or negligence" according to Kevin that is the definition of an accident............
Now, I normally don't post in these things and I feel that what happened to Mr. Mitchell is terrible but the crosswalk light was red. He should not of been crossing in the cross walk. If it we're me and I had the Green Light to turn, I would have gone. Let's be honest, can you really say that you look behind you to confirm that someone is not using the crosswalk, especially when they shouldn't be.
What I hope comes of this is the County's and Resident's awareness of pedestrians and the need for safer walking places. I would love to be able to walk/run or ride my bike to work everyday but the sad fact is I do not feel safe on the roads. Fixing that problem is what everyone should be working on.
colfer, while most of what I know is hearsay from his fellow officers that were extremely upset at the way Mansoor was treated, I don't think it needs to be rehashed here. Let's just leave it that the courts ruled in Mansoor's favor in several lawsuits. And awarded him damages in all. In other words, his beefs were legitimate. Unless you feel he's another O J Simpson and got by with murder. :)
(ps - For the record, and since I brought the subject up in a comical sort of way, the jury said O J was not guilty. I stand behind their decision because we supposedly have the best criminal justice system in the world.)
I agree with Debbie Wyatt, as quoted earlier, there is ZERO chance that that accident would not have been ticketed to the driver if he was not a police officer. ZERO chance. I am quite sure that he didn't MEAN to do it, and his actions to help, while medically unsound and surprisingly cavalier, were surely well-intentioned as well. That is NOT the point. He was at fault and should be ticketed, so that claims can be filed against Albemarle county for medical expenses and etc. Without that ticket, AC has said I believe it will not accept responsibility and will not assume medical costs. I hope they are taken to court. It looks to me like he was 3/4 of the way across the intersection when he was hit. You are completely and utterly RECKLESS if you turn through an intersection without checking first that it is clear. He didn't come out of nowhere! When you are turning, you look where you are GOING, not straight ahead like the webcam does. He was moving slowly across the intersection, a big man in a big wheelchair. This was reckless driving, very clearly. Albemarle and Charlottesville need to both take their lumps and fix this.
Kevin, I hope you sue somehow if this poor man is unable to.
What a PR nightmare. Between this and that Charlottesville cop assaulting and arresting that couple on the mall. For shame!
I'm not suing anyone!
I can't speak for others, butI wouldn't be surprised if City and County governments look back some day and wish they had settled early.
I really would like to know the real reason that the city ticketed Gerry Mitchell and Debbie Hamlin. What both of them are "alleged" to have done, ignore a pedestrian signal, happens countless times daily and people aren't ticketed. The police witness these incidents and don't do anything. Yet when two people, both disabled and in wheelchairs, get hurt, our police write them tickets. I see a complete lack of compassion or reason. It's as if they were both punished by the police for getting hurt. Both people have suffered in these accidents and then had their suffering and anxiety pointlessly increased by the police. No good will come of the ticketing of these two people. It shouldn't have ever happened.
If Kevin can sue, I want to be in on it, too. I don't see why he should be the only one to get the money. I believe, if the court awards medical expenses, the award would go to Medicaid for reimbursement.
Actually, I think I am going to apply to be a city cop. I would like to sport about in one of the new paint scheme patrol cars the city police has on order.... black & white.
It's not bad enough our taxes are already so high. Now we have to pay the extra bucks per car to have the two color scheme on our local city police cars so the rookies can look cool while running over pedestrians with 'em!
And who's going to pay her, Kevin Cox or Mr. Mitchell?
Kathy,
I do not know who you are but please be aware that if I have something to say, and if I believe it should be stated in any type of public forum or if my statement is a matter of public concern, I will not speak or write anonymously. If I have something to say, people will know that it comes from me. That has been my practice and it will continue to be as well. You will not find me making random, or relevant, anonymous statements of any kind.
Thank you,
Karl Mansoor
WTF? Kathy thinks I am Karl Mansoor? It's times like this I feel like identifying myself, but the cops caution us to never submit personal information on the web.
And as far as the Camblos thing... Chief Miller, Rhodes and all the rest of the little band of (whatever) couldn't tell Karl to shut up or penalize him in any manner during the election. I love it!
quote "I agree with Debbie Wyatt, as quoted earlier, there is ZERO chance that that accident would not have been ticketed to the driver if he was not a police officer. ZERO chance."
Debbie has practiced law in this area for a very long time. Ans she was extremely good at what she did. I agree you can take anything she says to the bank! For example, had it been Mr. Gathright that hit Mr. Mitchell, there's no doubt in my mind he would find himself hiring an attorney and going to court on reckless driving charges.
Accidents happen, I could have made the same mistake. I also would give a pass for helping him back into the wheelchair. If he was ok with the help then it was best to trust his judgement about his own well being.
Where I have a problem is how it was handled. Hopefully the Police will realize that their "policy" of not commenting needs to be suspendable when nessasary to keep the confidence of the people.
....and I hope chapman,an gets voted out of office for his bad attitude.
What is the significance of the origin of the music?
The origin of the music may be of no significance but then again it may be relevant. He could have been distracted while selecting the tune on the device that was providing the music. He must have been doing something because he sure wasn't paying attention to his driving. If he had been paying attention this inexcusable "accident" wouldn't have happened.
Oh by the way, a number of Freedom of Information requests for the video were sent to the police. I don't think the video would have been released if those requests had not been sent. They didn't release the video because they wanted to, they released it because they had to. Once the charges were dropped on January 3rd they could no longer keep it and they had to release it. Even then though, they waited and had to be prodded again.
Hey Sick- Obviously you are familiar with the song and its name so don't rush to judgment. You are freaking pitiful. I look at the times that you post on here and cvillenews and obviously you don't have a life because you are so eaten up with this story and others that involve law enforcement. You have a hard-on for law enforcement and that is clear. Someone mentioned on here awhile back that you used to work for the city police and got canned and have an axe to grind. I am starting to believe this statement. Maybe that explains all the free time?? Oh, and I will post with my real name.
Eric Mitchell
Cville, VA
If my memory is correct the previous reports were that the officer jerked him back into this chair, but in the video it appears the officer and witness placed him back into the pretty gently considering his size. Mr. Mitchell also did not show movements objecting being put back into the chair and they immediately moved him out of traffic into a safer location. I agree that medical precautions would call for immobilization in lieu of moving a victim, but I did not see anything outrageous and the officer's actions appeared to be in an effort to protect Mr. Mitchell from further potential injury.
I am glad the Police Department released the video and believe that the release will paint a more positive picture regarding the accident and officer's actions and dispel a lot of misinformation and conjecture that has been published in the local media.
Sick of The Local Rambos, get a life...and maybe a job to occupy your time?
Kevin Cox, as usual you reach long and hard to find fault with the local police departments. Have you ever considered this unfortunate circumstance as being simply a traffic accident? I haven't seen you charge with such veracity regarding the many other accidents in our community.
As a county resident, I find that the police departments do a pretty good job regarding accidents, considering the number of hours that they are on the highways and streets of our community, keeping us safe. They are human and traffic accidents will happen as a result. Have you not ever been involved in an accident where you were deemed at fault..cited or not? I find your postings to be very presumptuous and prejudiced.
Sorry, just my opinion and that's what great about being an American. We can exchange ideas and agree to disagree.
"Accident" is a weak excuse that I wouldn't make for myself if I had been the driver. It was a stupid thing to let happen and he and the county should do what's right and take responsibility for what happened. Instead they play games with some one elses life. As another police officer said to me, "He should have been charged with reckless driving." Anybody else would have been charged.
We have a right and a need to hold our police to a high standard. This whole thing stinks and is of the lowest order. Keep making weak excuses and defending the indefensible and you'll get more of the same.
The legal definiton of accident: "An unforsreen event that occurs without anyone's fault or negligence." This incident could have been pervented but the driver was not paying attention and so he was negligent. It was not an accident. It was the result of inattention and negligence. He should have been charged.
quote "Someone mentioned on here awhile back that you used to work for the city police and got canned and have an axe to grind. I am starting to believe this statement."
Once again, I have never worked for the police department. Some people here sit back and laugh at people like you, because they know who I am while you guys guess at motives. Have fun. :)
quote "Let's be honest, can you really say that you look behind you to confirm that someone is not using the crosswalk, especially when they shouldn't be."
What are you talking about? Mr. Mitchell was in front of the cop car in clear peripheral view, not behind the car. The cop wasn't backing up.
What is all this "Get A Life, Get A Job" foolishness? I am on the clock right now. Riding down the street and surfing the Internet. There's wireless Internet all over this city.
The only difference between myself and cops seems to be I can chew bubble gum and drive at the same time without running over pedestrians and wheelchair bound individuals in crosswalks.
I do want everybody to know though, I can get off from work long enough to do jury duty when Mr. Mitchell sues the cops. I won't even really need any notice, just call me up. :)