We've launched the new forums! Read more here

RB Moats' Mother In Law Dies and Police Officer Pulls him Over

Floppy

Floppy

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
3,335
Reaction score
75
Location
FL
This flat out disgusts me. A police officer pulls Texans RB Ryan Moats along with his wife over when they enter a hospital parking lot for running a red light. They both say how her mother is dying, and the hospital even sent a nurse to say it. Ridiculous.

Police officer, who delayed Texans' Moats as relative died, placed on leave

Associated Press

DALLAS -- A police officer was placed on administrative leave Thursday after pulling over an NFL player who was rushing to see his dying mother-in-law, drawing his gun, threatening the player with jail and holding him in the hospital parking lot as the woman died.

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family of Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats over the March 18 incident and announced Officer Robert Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation.
Ryan Moats, RB
Houston Texans

Age: 26
Height: 5-8
Weight: 210
College: Louisiana Tech
Experience: 5 seasons

"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."

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, a three-year member of the force, stopped Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center after Moats rolled through a red light. 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 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 27-year-old 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, 25, 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.

"I really felt bad for them because I know they were just in tears," Jordan Woy, Moats' agent, told The Associated Press. "Not only were they really sad about (Moats) ... not getting a chance to see the mother-in-law, but you get shaken up when you're in that sort of situation."

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 exchange soon ended and Powell returned to his cruiser to write a ticket. A few minutes later, another officer approached Powell to tell him a nurse said the mother-in-law was dying right then and Moats needed to get into the hospital.

"All right. I'm almost done," Powell said in response. The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas Police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.

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 scoured 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.
Click to expand...

By the time the couple got to the room, the mother had died.
 
Yeah man I just saw this on ESPN, I thought the officer was being a completely ignorant. This sort of thing happens alot where an officer crosses the line and takes his job too seriously, I mean I know they have to but there is still a human being in that uniform.
 
The police chief apologized, but this one is BAD.
 
This is such a terrible story. I remember a story similar to this a few years back in Florida where a woman's dad was having a heart attack and she rushed to the hospital to go see him, and a cop pulled her over for speeding or something and he yanked her out of her car, threw her to the ground and arrested her all the while she is screaming that her dad was having a hear attack and dieing. I believe the cop later lost his job.
 
That's such a sad story, but why are some people are just stupid I guess.
 
yeah, that p****d me off when i read that too. i hope the guy gets fired. moron.
 
A bit before six minutes, then a bit before 8 minutes, it gets REALLY ridiculous. I think that cop was about as wrong as it gets. At six, Moats is totally submissive and the cop won't shut up, just keeps lecturing and carrying on. At eight, the nurse/doctor comes out and asks for the men to come in to sign paperwork allowing resuscitation, and the cop makes them wait almost another ten minutes.
 
Not saying the officer didn't have poor communication skills but I (and all other PO's) will see this from a much different perspective. What seems like a normal traffic stop to you guys is sometimes life and death to us. I point to the Oakland shooting as a recent reference, if you don't think things like that are on our minds right now....I'll tell you they are. Believe it or not, we aren't robots, we have families we would like to go see as well. Of the most dangerous situations I have been in, they all started as a routine traffic stop.
 
Well the thing is AJ, that both Moats and his wife, yelled "my mother is dying" a few times, when you hear that wouldn't you let them go see their mother since she is dying?
 
907golfer12 said:
Well the thing is AJ, that both Moats and his wife, yelled "my mother is dying" a few times, when you hear that wouldn't you let them go see their mother since she is dying?
Click to expand...

I'm not going to comment on the exact circumstances because I have a personal code that I don't question other Cop's decisions UNLESS I was personally there....we have plenty of other people to that for us lol. Having said I will make two points;

1.) I was lied to everyday
2.) An emergency on your part even though it may be life threatening, does not give you the right to put other lives at risk. (Good example of this is someone running red lights to get to the hospital when they should have just called 911)
 
ActionJackson8 said:
I'm not going to comment on the exact circumstances because I have a personal code that I don't question other Cop's decisions UNLESS I was personally there....we have plenty of other people to that for us lol. Having said I will make two points;

1.) I was lied to everyday
2.) An emergency on your part even though it may be life threatening, does not give you the right to put other lives at risk. (Good example of this is someone running red lights to get to the hospital when they should have just called 911)
Click to expand...

Good points I will say, and I don't know enough about the topic at hand to enter a debate against someone with knowledge like you so I will respectfully bow out :D
 
907golfer12 said:
Good points I will say, and I don't know enough about the topic at hand to enter a debate against someone with knowledge like you so I will respectfully bow out :D
Click to expand...

Honestly I don't know if there is a debate. Could the officer have been more sensitive, yeah he could have but at the same time if you follow the letter of the law and not the spirit I'm not sure he did anything wrong (legal standpoint). Be interesting to see what happens to the officer and what steps his union will take. I wish it didn't have to become a race issue either....but I won't get my hopes up :( .
 
A young Man who let his position and EGO get in the way of rationalism and his job to SERVE and PROTECT!

Fire his A$$ I say and Welcome to the real world where the golden rule should be applied!
 
That cop was wrong, plain and simple. Keeping a man from a dying family member warrants dismissal as far as I'm concerned.

Yep, Moats rolled a red light. There was no traffic, and he had his flashers on. The cop followed him to the hospital (not a club, not a houseparty, etc). That should have been his first clue that this was an emergency.

His behavior was pure ego, and he deserves all the hell he's getting for this.
 
Gummi Bear said:
That cop was wrong, plain and simple. Keeping a man from a dying family member warrants dismissal as far as I'm concerned.

Yep, Moats rolled a red light. There was no traffic, and he had his flashers on. The cop followed him to the hospital (not a club, not a houseparty, etc). That should have been his first clue that this was an emergency.

His behavior was pure ego, and he deserves all the hell he's getting for this.
Click to expand...

I agree Gummi. 100%
 
To AJ: He couldn't have been lying. After a few minutes the NURSE came out to confirm that she was dying.

FIRE HIS A$$
 
I give a lot of discretion to cops' concern for their safety, esp during traffic stops. I also agree that people lie all the time to cops. But here I think the cop was clearly wrong in his exercise of judgment. That said, I hate this part:

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.
Click to expand...

Why can't they help but think that? The story provides no evidence indicating racial bias other than the fact that the cop excercised bad judgment. If there is something indepent of mere stupidity, then maybe. But nothing suggests here that he wouldn't have been equally obtuse with a white stop-light runner, and thus it is entirely inappropriate to toss out the race claim.

EDIT: By the way, this reminds me of a scene in the first season of 24.
 
worst_shot_ever said:
I give a lot of discretion to cops' concern for their safety, esp during traffic stops. I also agree that people lie all the time to cops. But here I think the cop was clearly wrong in his exercise of judgment. That said, I hate this part:



Why can't they help but think that? The story provides no evidence indicating racial bias other than the fact that the cop excercised bad judgment. If there is something indepent of mere stupidity, then maybe. But nothing suggests here that he wouldn't have been equally obtuse with a white stop-light runner, and thus it is entirely inappropriate to toss out the race claim.

EDIT: By the way, this reminds me of a scene in the first season of 24.
Click to expand...

I think the whole racist claim is more out of anger and spite, rather then basing it on facts.
 
Floppy said:
To AJ: He couldn't have been lying. After a few minutes the NURSE came out to confirm that she was dying.

FIRE HIS A$$
Click to expand...

Floppy I'm aware of that but like I said I was speaking in generalities not on this specific case. Having said that if I were to pull someone over and they jump out the car for any reason, the gun is coming out the leather and they are getting verbal commands to lie on the ground.
 
ActionJackson8 said:
Floppy I'm aware of that but like I said I was speaking in generalities not on this specific case. Having said that if I were to pull someone over and they jump out the car for any reason, the gun is coming out the leather and they are getting verbal commands to lie on the ground.
Click to expand...

Very true, and I understand why the gun would come out - but in this specific circumstance, the cop has to have some common sense.
 
Floppy said:
Very true, and I understand why the gun would come out - but in this specific circumstance, the cop has to have some common sense.
Click to expand...

The thing is common sense is relative, for us, (and I refer to the Oakland shootings again) this is common.
 
I've got to agree with AJ on this one. The cop has to assume the worst and protect himself. Sure, after the nurse came out to verify the story, common sense should prevail. But up until that point, this guy's just a clown that ran a red light and pulled into a hospital.

And the excuse about there being no one on the road at the time he ran the red light is complete nonsense. If he hurt someone in your family while running that red light, his reasons for doing so wouldn't matter to you at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top