cop, buy these tickets or I take your car

originally posted by: Domo1
I'll be very surprised if this is legit. If it is, I agree that it's not acceptable.

I'm not familiar with the source but if you read the article it does appear to be legit.

"Commissioner Charles Ramsey told Metro he saw the video at 8 a.m. But a member of the command staff saw it Thursday and immediately stripped Zagursky of his badge and his gun."

a reply to: CharlesT

but if you read the article it does appear to be legit.

You're asking an awful lot there buddy.

a reply to: Domo1

6abc.com...

ABC news report would make it appear that it is a legit story as far as sources are concerned.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
This is what i am thinking.

Sounds to me like the guy got off pretty easy all in all. What on earth is he complaining about? That he wanted the cop to impound his car instead?

So the police take what would be say $500 in fines, of which the police department will only see a small portion of that, say $25 and instead takes $30 directly from the driver. You don't see a problem with that?

Here in South Africa i always used to keep a few bucks in my wallet for "donations". i called it lunch money - although the i am not the one eating lunch as the Traffic police modus operandi here is to stop you, find something wrong, then draw out the whole procedure - eventually the subject comes up that they are hungry. That's the key phrase for negotiations to begin.

of course i realised a while ago it had gotten out of hand so i let them "starve" and damn the consequences - so far just being friendly, respectful and cooperative has gotten me through a few hairy situations.

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
This is what i am thinking.

Sounds to me like the guy got off pretty easy all in all. What on earth is he complaining about? That he wanted the cop to impound his car instead?

So the police take what would be say $500 in fines, of which the police department will only see a small portion of that, say $25 and instead takes $30 directly from the driver. You don't see a problem with that?

As i said subsequent to this: its not that i don't have a problem with it...its that I wonder why the dude didn't just consider himself lucky.

Had I gotten our car impounded my wife would have locked me out of the house. I mean..its simple economics from the citizens bank accounts perspective. If someone wants to hold the officer accountable...great. Whatever. Im more intersted in not having babies faces burned off, so cat really get all rankled up here. Sorry...its just seems like minutia comparatively. But like i said...if someone wants to hold him accountable, great. Go for it, i won't donate towards his defense.

originally posted by: jude11

originally posted by: Msanti
a reply to: alienjuggalo

So he cut him a break and benefited a worthy cause?

That's what you take away from this?

If this is real we have extortion plain and simple.

Plus, one thing people are not seeing and which sets a dangerous precedent. The cop is playing Cop, Judge and Punisher all in one. In fact taking the law into his own hands from all angles. He is a cop, nothing more.

1. Cop stops you and identifies a misdemeanor.
2. Cop decides how he will deal with you on the spot.
3. Cop comes to a decision and gives choice of bowing to him or going the legal route.

Got off easy? He just got silently manhandled without even knowing it. Dangerous road.

Jude

No. Sorry. Cop decided to cut him a break in exchange for supporting a worthy cause. Had the cop said pay me money, there'd be a big problem.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: alienjuggalo

Im not saying I think the cop didn't do something wrong. Im saying that if i were that guy, no one would have found out. Id have thanked my lucky stars and went on about my business $30 lighter.

Would you go the the show with tickets purchesed? I would have, projecting what happened on the wall, more entertaining than the actual show I'm sure.

For some reason I have this "gut" feeling the cop was supposed to probably sell so many of these charity tickets to friends, family in non "extortion" ways. The deadline was probably getting close, and he was probably going to get in some kind of trouble if he hadn't sold his tickets. Instead of buying them himself, he probably thought he'd try to make some people's day by letting the off the hook by selling the tickets. Kill two birds with one stone, sort of.

The guy is probably kicking himself. He probably thought he was doing the guy a favor and getting rid of the tickets he was supposed to sell.

Now if this would have been a video of a straight-up roadside bribe...I mean, the police officer didn't make subtle hints at being paid to look the other way, and it looks like the event/tickets were legit. We don't know if he kept the money for himself either.

I remember having to sell candy bars and stupid tins of popcorn as a kid. I hated it, and looked for any creative way to unload my "quota" of candy/popcorn.

This is a horrible lapse of judgement on the police officer's part -- but I don't think this was some kind of scummy deal that's a representation of our law enforcement.

Geeze with everyone filming their traffic stops now, I bet cops will be less likely to cut us breaks. A cop might get in trouble for letting someone slide, and if it's on video...

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Well, rest assured, they will investigate themselves real good.

What is this Mexico?

Mexico learned from the best... the USA.