Officer peppersprays passing motorcyclists

https://reason.com/blog/2016/03/14/fort-worth-police-pepper-spray-bikers

From what I can tell a cop pulled over a truck which was filming a group of motorcyclists. He then goes on to pull out pepper spray and starts blasting it at the passing motorcyclists, as though that is somehow reasonable. Yet people back him and believe that this kind of mass assault which could easily cause a fatality is somehow acceptable. What is wrong with people? Luckily the officer has been reassigned, we can only hope he'll also be fired and arrested for assault but we all know it's more likely he'll become the elected county sheriff than punished.

 

What a jerk. One wonders what his thought process was there. Good thing most of them were wearing helmets or it could have been fatal.

 

By law those people are supposed to switch lanes or reduce their speed. Is getting clipped by a vehicle worth a little pepper spray?

 

I agree reed with the law in place, but I'm not sure this is the right way to go about enforcing the law....

Never did like the Ft.Worth Police. Always gave me way too hard of time when I was performing work in city buildings. Though I did get to go into areas normally off limits to non government personnel and the city employees I worked with directly were always wonderful.

 

Whatever happened to the days of handing out motor vehicle violation tickets?

 

Shall they pull out the rifle and shoot any cars that pass by as well? After all can't get pepper spray through a window.

 

while I spend many days defending cops when others are rationalizing and justifying harm coming to them... this is one instance in which an officer should not just be put on desk duty, but this should be grounds for dismissal... I'm sure I could review department policies and find the exact ones that would apply, but an officer is only allowed to use force when appropriate, not just a mass application of it and find the means later... this officer no doubt violated department policy, but this could quite easily be argued as battery on every single person passing by who the officer had not witnessed a crime being committed or been called to address...

I know the stories and troubles of mass bike rides down there, and well pretty much everywhere across this nation, they just get more because of weather... but that does not excuse law enforcement from following laws on application of force... now if they were enforcing a local law, they could shut down and block off entry and exit and write out tickets or arrest every single person they need to, but you can't just start pepper spraying countless people passing simply because you're annoyed at the difficulty of enforcing many of those laws meant to address a quality of life issue for those not involved in such mass rides... he should be terminated, not simply allowed to quit...

 

From the looks of it, if the bikers were in the lane they were supposed to be in the spray never would have reached them.

It looks like poor Officer Figueroa is another victim of anti immigration sentiment, racism even. Blame Trump.

IMO the officer didn't do anything wrong other than to teach people how not to put his life in danger.

 

134 police officers have been killed by being struck by a car during a traffic stop over the last decade. These are husbands and fathers trying to keep you safe and you laugh off these needless deaths?

Disgusting.

http://www.nleomf.org/facts/officer-fatalities-data/causes.html

 

the cop should of been fired and charge with a crime imo

 

Been fired.

 

so if a citizen pulls over and sprays mace in the same way for cars that do not pull a lane over, your ok with it, legal, any accidents or deaths cause by it are the victims fault?

this is so wrong I can not believe anyone is defending it


- - - Updated - - -

good deal

.

 

You see no problem with someone assaulting a group of people and putting them in a life threatening situation? That's not law enforcement, that's down right criminal. Putting riders in a position where they become blinded, unable to breathe, and in severe pain at freeway speed is insanely dangerous. How you can justify such an action or ever go so far as to call the cop a victim is beyond me.

 

Pass the law as we did for officers and they would have the right. We know liberals do not like police and want to see them struck down but it is the law.

 

Did you see anyone becoming blinded, unable to breathe, and in severe pain? I didn't either.

 

you really would be spooky if I could stop laffing!

 

So because their job is dangerous they should assault other people and put their lives at risk? Should roofers be free to shoot nail guns at people just because their job is dangerous? What about the motorcyclists. One of them could have very well died from this assault.

 

These cops spend a good portion of the day on the side of the road with idiotic people zipping by, his chances of getting clipped are far greater than the guy who pulls over once.

 

Oh you're right. Since no one died it's not dangerous at all. Let the cops assault away. Hell the guy in the truck he pulled over is a danger to the cops life too. The cop should have just executed him for endangering his life by making him pull the guy over in the first place.

 

Now I will support cops in most of the crap the left loves to bring up as victimization that is caused by the left being idiots or doing something that directly led to their predicament....

.... I have never said I would support cops for anything. A bad cop needs to be called out.... I just simply don't think getting shot while trying to grab an officer's gun during a routine traffic stop is systematic victimization.


with that said... I saw the clip, and I can't think of a reason why what the cop did would be acceptable.


However, I fully support due process in the investigation. And if it comes out with the conclusion that he was justified, and why he was justified, I would support it. HOwever, I can't see how it could be at this point in time.

 

Is it a law not to go by roofers?

So you have no problem whipping by officers who have to get out on foot for a traffic stop while trying to protect you from drunk drivers or whatever?

If they get hit, f**k em huh?

 

I agree with everything you said. I am no cop basher by any stretch... but that doesn't mean I support every cop every time. I judge each instance on it's own merits.

 

I agree... they should... and some did.... however, it's also law you do that for construction workers, too.... do they get to pepperspray anyone that comes by too closely?


Like I said... I support cops by default, I'm no cop basher... but sometimes... a bad cop is a bad cop.

 

No, you're the one who's right. No one died, no one got hurt, but keep hating the cop for...well....I guess because he's a cop.

Executed? Oscar season is over, next year you might have a shot though.

 

The law states to move into the next lane "IF it is reasonably safe to do so". There are three lanes of traffic, and the bikes in the middle lane next to them are staggered left right, as is appropriate when traveling in a group. The bikes are all on the far left by the line. They completely followed the law.