There are some stories that are as sad as they are stupid. Ryan Moats, an NFL player living in Dallas, was rushing his wife, step father and aunt to his mother-in-law’s beside because the hospital had asked him to come because she was only going to be alive for a short time. Ryan Moats put his warning/hazard lights on and started rushing to the hospital. He stopped at a red light and after checking to see what traffic was coming, proceeded to go through it. A cop, Officer Robert Powell, saw this and attempted to pull him over. Ryan Moats slowed down and kept going to the hospital which was a short distance from where the officer pulled behind him. He got to the parking lot of the hospital and pulled over. 

Here is where the story gets intersting. Officer Robert Powell jumped out of his car and came up to the side of the car. Ryan Moats explained that his mother-in-law was in the hospital dying and the hospital called to say get here as soon as possible to see her before she dies. He explained that he checked to make sure that no traffic was coming before running the light. The officer didn’t care. He asked for the license, registration and proof of insurance and then started to berate the man. The wife jumped out of the car to go into the hospital. The officer pulled his weapon on the woman and ordered her back into the car. She put her hands up, explained that her mother was in the hospital dying and walked into the hospital ignoring the officers request. Her aunt, which was the sister of the dying woman, did the same. Officer Powell then turned his weapon on the driver and ordered him out of the car. The driver got out and put his hands on the car even though the officer didn’t tell him to do so. The officer berated the driver for running the light continually telling him how he could lock him up. The guy asked the officer not to do that and explained that he was trying to see his dying relative. The nursing staff came out of the hospital and told the officer that the driver’s relative was dying and wouldn’t last much longer. The officer didn’t care. Another officer came on the scene and explained to the original officer that the man’s relative was in fact inside of the hospital dying. The officer said he would finish when he finished. He proceeded to write the driver a ticket IN the parking lot of th hospital AND then he lectured the guy on how poorly he had parked in the parking lot of the hospital.  In the end, the driver got into the hospital after the officer wrote the ticket, but his mother-in-law had died moments earlier. She died with her daughter, the driver’s wife, by her side.

The entire story I just told you was caught on Officer Powell’s security tape. He has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an investigation. He was White and the driver was Black. The officer thinks he did nothing wrong. Now I’m not one to pull the race card, but this was in Texas. I think that this officer wouldn’t have done this had he pulled over Troy Aikmen or Tony Stewart or some other well known athlete. There are other pieces to the story that I didn’t print here, but you can read this very sad story for yourself.

This officer was very, very stupid and I hope he gets fired. The police chief has apologized to Ryan Moats and his family, but again, the officer thinks he did nothing wrong. Now in Officer Powell’s defense, I will say this. He had a right to pull his weapon until he learned the reason. Once he learned that the guy’s relative was dying, he should have had some compassion. Instead, he didn’t care at all. Very, very stupid.

Read the story here and watch the video of the entire incident.

 

Here is a transcript of what was said:

 

Excerpts from Officer Robert Powell and Ryan Moats:

 

Moats: You really want to go through this right now? My mother-in-law is dying. Right now! … I got seconds before she’s dying, man!

Powell: If my mom was dying I’d probably be a little upset too, but when I saw flashing red and blues, I would stop.

Moats: Did I not stop at the red light?

Powell: You stopped, then you drove through the red light.

Moats: I stopped, I checked the traffic, I waved the traffic off, then I turned.

Powell: This is not an emergency vehicle. You do not have the right to control the traffic.

Moats: OK. All right … just go ahead and check my insurance so I can go ahead and go. If you’re gonna give me a ticket, give me a ticket. I really don’t care, just …

Powell: Your attitude says that you need one.

Moats: I don’t have an attitude. All I’m asking you is just to hurry up. Cause you’re standing here talking to me…

Powell: Shut your mouth and listen.

Moats: Shut my mouth? Is that how you talk to me, too?

Powell: Shut your mouth and listen. If you want to keep this going, I’ll just put you in handcuffs, and I’ll take you to jail for running a red light.

Moats: OK. All right.

Powell: I can do that.

Moats: OK.

Powell: State law says I can.

Moats: Yes, sir. Go ahead.

Powell: If you don’t settle down that’s what I’m gonna do.

Moats: Yes, sir.

Powell: All right, If you don’t settle down, your truck’s illegally parked – I’ll tow that as well.

Moats: Yes, sir.

Powell: OK, I can screw you over. I’d rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens, and right now, your attitude sucks.

Moats: Yes, sir.

Powell: OK, I turned my red and blues on as you were going over the bridge …

Moats: You think I’m gonna stop when my wife’s mother is dying?

Powell: You are required to stop. What you’re doing does not matter. Red and blues, you have to stop. I can charge you with fleeing right now.

Moats: Yes, sir. …

Powell: I can take you to jail. I can tow your truck. I can charge you with fleeing.

Moats: Yes, sir, you can. I understand.

Powell: I can make your night very difficult.

Moats: I hope you’ll be a great person and not do that.