(VIDEO) Dallas officer delayed NFL player as relative died

[Elano]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jh6NKbfzgps" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/Jh6NKbfzgps</a>

DALLAS (AP)—A police officer was placed on administrative leave Thursday over a traffic stop involving an NFL player whom he kept in a hospital parking lot and threatened to arrest while his mother-in-law died inside the building.

Officer Robert Powell also drew his gun during the March 18 incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats in the Dallas suburb of Plano, police said.

“I can screw you over,” he said at one point in the videotaped incident. When another officer came with word that Moats’ mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell’s response was: “All right. I’m almost done.”

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.”

Powell, 25, a three-year member of the force, stopped Moats’ SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano after Moats rolled through a red light.

Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job, and that he drew his gun but did not point it. 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.

Moats’ wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her.

“He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car,” Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.

The Moats family did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press. Powell did not respond to requests for comment through the Dallas police union.

Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer’s vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.

He ordered Tamishia Moats, 27, to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.

“Get in there,” said Powell, yelling at Tamishia Moats as she exited the vehicle. “Let me see your hands!”

“Excuse me, my mom is dying,” Tamishia Moats said. “Do you understand?”

Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.

“My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You’re wasting my time!” Moats yelled. “I don’t understand why you can’t understand that.”

As they argued, the officer got irritated.

“Shut your mouth,” the officer said. “You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light.”

By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, about 13 minutes had passed. When he and Collinsworth’s father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead.

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.”

The Moats family, who are black, said they can’t help but think that race might have played a part in the white officer’s behavior.

“I think he should lose his job,” Ryan Moats said.

When the exchange was at its most contentious, Powell said he could tow Moats’ SUV if he didn’t have insurance and that he could arrest him for fleeing because he didn’t immediately stop when Powell turned on his sirens. The pursuit lasted a little more than a minute.

“I can screw you over,” Powell said. “I’d rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens.”

The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.

Texans spokesman Kevin Cooper said the team had no comment.

Moats, a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 out of Louisiana Tech, was cut by the Eagles in August and later signed with the Texans. In three seasons as a backup, he’s rushed for 441 yards and scored four touchdowns.

He was a standout at Bishop Lynch High School, a private school in Dallas, rushing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.



FUCK THE COPS

[DJ SUGAFREE QUIK]

I saw this.  And they still wonder why rappers still say FUCK THE POLICE!  You wana feel sorry 4 them cause of what happened to the Oakland cops & then 1 of them somewhere else pulls this kinda junk   And Moats is being too nice here.  They need their livelyhood taken away from them.  Fuck the suspension with pay.  Fuckin pussies.  I wouldn't have taken the apology.  FUCK THAT!  I'd sue the cops for everything they got!  Make it where they don't work as a cop ever again anywhere.  Suspension without pay, fire them.  Take their pay & use it for the funeral costs.  And FUCK AMERICA for still giving white people who do horrid junk bail.  I know its a bit off topic but i'm kinda referring to the stalker who traveled for Florida to California to kidnap the gymnast.  Not even at 30 million.  NO BAIL.  Mainly cause you know white people always find a way 2 get that bail $$.  Goes for other races too of course.  Cause you know when they get bailed out, they gonna hide & be a fugitive. 

[OG Hack Wilson]

anyone have a # to the police department in DAllas?  it says they recieved several hundred complaint calls, i want ot add another LOL



that video is depressing

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Typical pigs..

[Rick McCrank]

I fuckin hate these cops who treat traffic stops like a criminal act in progress

I've gotten 2 tickets in the past 16 months and each time I was accused of being drunk or treated like a dirtbag

[westsiderider323]

everytime i hear stories like this one i hate cops even more

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

I fuckin hate these cops who treat traffic stops like a criminal act in progress

I've gotten 2 tickets in the past 16 months and each time I was accused of being drunk or treated like a dirtbag

man, traffic cops can be the worst.  All they do is collect money for the city and they always have a fuckin complex.  Like you said, they act as if you making an illegal u-turn is the same as robbing a bank lol

[you gon always be my latin queen bitch]

haha and some are wonderin why cats are happy that them 4 1 tymez are dead in oakland

[J Bananas]

haha and some are wonderin why cats are happy that them 4 1 tymez are dead in oakland

you're a fuckin idiot.

[S P I C E]

haha and some are wonderin why cats are happy that them 4 1 tymez are dead in oakland

You are a disgrace, GROW UP

[thisoneguy360]

I fuckin hate these cops who treat traffic stops like a criminal act in progress

I've gotten 2 tickets in the past 16 months and each time I was accused of being drunk or treated like a dirtbag

man, traffic cops can be the worst.  All they do is collect money for the city and they always have a fuckin complex.  Like you said, they act as if you making an illegal u-turn is the same as robbing a bank lol

For real...I got a 200 $ ticket for going 10 over last week 

[DJ SUGAFREE QUIK]

I fuckin hate these cops who treat traffic stops like a criminal act in progress

I've gotten 2 tickets in the past 16 months and each time I was accused of being drunk or treated like a dirtbag

man, traffic cops can be the worst.  All they do is collect money for the city and they always have a fuckin complex.  Like you said, they act as if you making an illegal u-turn is the same as robbing a bank lol

For real...I got a 200 $ ticket for going 10 over last week 

Now that's a very good reason to hate cops.  A few years ago I read that a woman got a $350 fine for something really gay, for having the shoulder part of the seat belt under her arm & not over   Who wants 2 feel like they can't breathe?  That's what it feels like sometimes when the shoulder part is over the arm.  At least they're wearing a seat belt.  There are some people still to this day who don't wear seat belts.

[jeromechickenbone]

That's terrible.  Absolutely fire his ass.

[DJ SUGAFREE QUIK]

And this just in when I was on yahoo, another person knows where Moats is coming from.  The wife of Zach Thomas, had problems with the same cop.  Maybe cause she is hispanic....don't know.  Here's the link.  Didn't read it all yet.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/032909dnspo1athomas.3ecf949.html?nTar=OPUR

[jeromechickenbone]

I'm glad to see this stuff exposed.  At the same time, it's sad that it takes something like this to happen to a celebrity before people really take notice.  Everybody knows instances in which cops go way overboard.  This stuff shouldn't have to be tolerated.