Deputy Uses Excessive Force on Woman Rushing to Hospital to See Heart Attack Dad

[ufojoe]

Video of arrest...



* * * * * * * * * *

http://www.tbo.com/news/nationworld/MGBNJPSO81F.html

Excerpt:

Deputy Punished For Use Of Force

By MIKE WELLS The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2007

TAMPA - Deputy Kevin Stabins didn't believe the crying woman. He told investigators he thought she was lying to get out of a speeding ticket and that his actions in arresting her were "fine."

His dashboard camera showed otherwise.

It showed the Hillsborough County deputy yanking a sobbing Melissa J. Langston out of a car in a hospital parking lot Nov. 1 and using his elbow to shove her over the trunk to handcuff her.

Langston, 37, sobbed and pleaded with the deputy that her father had suffered a heart attack and that she was trying to find him.

"And I told you not to go anywhere, didn't I?" Stabins said. "Now you're not going to see him because you're going to jail. Not smart. Not smart. Have a seat, you're under arrest."

Officials said Stabins' lack of compassion and use of "excessive and unnecessary" force in the arrest Nov. 1 brought him a five-day suspension without pay. The recommendation came after a recent Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office disciplinary hearing.

All charges against Langston were dropped.

Full Story at Link...

[MrFreakinMiyagi]

Jeez, Joe

Cop kill your dog or something?

[Morgan]

more gloom and doom.

[ufojoe]

I know Matthew. No more. Last one for a while. But it was Tampa so...

Somebody pointed it out to me. It was on AOL's front page.

Hey, OMA still can't keep himself from reading my threads! I'll take that
as a compliment.

 

[ufojoe]

The other article on the LAPD relates to an incident that happened in my city.

And this one happened in my former home city...

Hey Caddy, how did your school mates react to this story? Just curious...

[mjs020294]

Jeez, Joe

Cop kill your dog or something?

I am guessing slept with his wife.

[cyberdude557]

Maybe when cops and city governments start caring about real crime and not traffic tickets, then maybe stories like this won't happen.

How come we never hear about cops making big arrests or big busts? When was the last time you heard of the last major drug bust? You don't. Instead the cops find it easier to simply fill up our prisons with drug addicts.

The FBI reports that gang violence is increasing all over the country. I would much rather police concentrate on that issue instead of pulling over people coming home from work going 5 mph over the limit.

[ufojoe]

Well, she WAS speeding in a big way. But she DID pull into the hospital parking lot. So
how hard would it have been to just follow her into the hospital to see if her story
was legit? How many times do people pull into a hospital parking lot and have
a story about their Dad having a heart attack? Just to get out of a speeding ticket?
I know people will use many excuses. But this one called for common sense.

And even if he had to arrest her, you don't do it like he did.

[bucs1]

Well, she WAS speeding in a big way. But she DID pull into the hospital parking lot. So
how hard would it have been to just follow her into the hospital to see if her story
was legit? How many times do people pull into a hospital parking lot and have
a story about their Dad having a heart attack? Just to get out of a speeding ticket?
I know people will use many excuses. But this one called for common sense.

And even if he had to arrest her, you don't do it like he did.

Agreed.

[leeroybuc93]

Well, she WAS speeding in a big way. But she DID pull into the hospital parking lot. So
how hard would it have been to just follow her into the hospital to see if her story
was legit? How many times do people pull into a hospital parking lot and have
a story about their Dad having a heart attack? Just to get out of a speeding ticket?
I know people will use many excuses. But this one called for common sense.

And even if he had to arrest her, you don't do it like he did.

That's not the problem.  It appeared he had already been out of the car once and talked to her.  When he got back in the car to write the ticket she drove off.  She's lucky she didn't get a gun pulled on her.  As for the not believing it part, I would be less inclined to believe someone after they fled too.  I don't think the cop did anything wrong here. 

[dr3z]

She fled................................

She could have been anybody.

What if's.....................get you killed.

[MrFreakinMiyagi]

Well, she WAS speeding in a big way. But she DID pull into the hospital parking lot. So
how hard would it have been to just follow her into the hospital to see if her story
was legit? How many times do people pull into a hospital parking lot and have
a story about their Dad having a heart attack? Just to get out of a speeding ticket?
I know people will use many excuses. But this one called for common sense.

And even if he had to arrest her, you don't do it like he did.

Nothing he did seemed very "out of the norm" to me.

I've had my ass kicked by the cops for less.

[ufojoe]

Well, judging from his suspension and the comments from his boss, the people that matter
don't agree with you...

If she could have been anybody, then why not have his gun drawn and be more cautious
when he approached and pulled her out of the car? I think he knew at that point she
wasn't a danger and just overreacted.

continued from the original article/link...

Stabins, 29, is a good deputy who "used poor judgment in that situation," Sheriff David Gee said Wednesday.

"I understand that it's difficult when you get out there," Gee said. "I give deputies the ability to use discretion [in making arrests]. He didn't use that here."

Clocked Doing 63 In A 35 MPH Zone

Stabins had tracked Langston traveling 63 mph in a 35 mph zone. He turned on his cruiser's flashing lights and sirens as she neared University Community Hospital, and the distraction caused her to miss two entrances, officials said.

The video shows Stabins walking up to Langston's car, and her saying she was looking for the emergency room entrance.

Stabins made no attempt to verify the woman's story about her father's heart attack and asked for her ID. Langston asked whether Stabins could issue her the ticket in the emergency room, but Stabins returned to his patrol car to write the citation.

According to the investigation documents, Langston remained in her car for several minutes and spoke on a cell phone to her sister about searching for their father, who had driven himself to the hospital when he began to suffer chest pains.

Panicked over not knowing whether her father made it to the hospital safely, Langston yelled to Stabins that she was going to pull her car forward to see whether her father's vehicle was in the lot.

Stabins told officials that he did not hear her and assumed Langston was trying to get away. He later told investigators he thought she was lying about her father to get out of the ticket.

The video shows a short pursuit through the lot before both cars stopped again. Stabins quickly got out and scolded Langston as he forced her out of her car. Its transmission was in drive and Langston was still wearing a seat belt when the deputy began pulling her arm.

"That was not smart," he said. "Put it in park. Put it in park. Put it in park. Out of the car. Put your hands behind your back. Now you're going to jail. That was not smart."

As part of the investigation, Capt. Robert Spooner viewed the tape and sent an assessment to Gee in a memorandum March 15:

"The events that followed the initial traffic stop could have been avoided if Deputy Stabins had showed some compassion, obtained Mrs. Langston's driver's license and followed her to the emergency room to verify, or prove false, her story," Spooner wrote. "But there is no policy or rule and regulation to exercise compassion."

During the investigation, detectives asked Stabins under oath whether he ever considered using a less forceful tactic on Langston.

"I didn't do a take down," he said. "I didn't throw up any punches or strikes. I just used" a police hold, "put her up against the vehicle and handcuffed her and it was over."

"OK, but could you think of any possible way to get her out of the car other than that?" asked Detective Bruce Crumpler.

"I could have taken her down at gunpoint for a felony," Stabins said.

Langston never disputed she had been speeding or that when she drove away from the traffic stop she committed felony fleeing to elude, which set into motion the pursuit, Spooner wrote.

When Langston's sister arrived at the scene, Stabins refused to release the vehicle to her and had it impounded. That decision was unnecessary given the circumstances, Spooner wrote.

Stabins Expresses Remorse

Officials said Stabins later expressed remorse over his actions and did not appeal his suspension.

Gee said Stabins has a good record as a deputy.

"I think he understands that he was wrong and could have handled it better," the sheriff said. "On both sides, really, it could have been done better.

"In this case, an officer used poor judgment. He's been a good guy and has a lot of positive comments in his file from supervisors. I think this is something that can be corrected and he'll never do it again."

Efforts to reach Langston and Stabins for comment were unsuccessful.

Langston's father, Bill Johnston, has since been released from the hospital. Wednesday, he called his daughter's arrest "horrible" and said it is still extremely upsetting to him.

Maybe when cops and city governments start caring about real crime and not traffic tickets, then maybe stories like this won't happen.

How come we never hear about cops making big arrests or big busts? When was the last time you heard of the last major drug bust? You don't. Instead the cops find it easier to simply fill up our prisons with drug addicts.

The FBI reports that gang violence is increasing all over the country. I would much rather police concentrate on that issue instead of pulling over people coming home from work going 5 mph over the limit.

You think we're not doing those things?? please! Its your media...thats why no one hears any "good" stories. We are a necessary evil, and quite frankly I dont blame people for not liking us, Sometimes but damn man, we got a job to do and a few **CENSORED**s can make you come unglued sometimes....I'm sure you know that.

[leeroybuc93]

Well, judging from his suspension and the comments from his boss, the people that matter
don't agree with you...

If she could have been anybody, then why not have his gun drawn and be more cautious
when he approached and pulled her out of the car? I think he knew at that point she
wasn't a danger and just overreacted.

continued from the original article/link...

Stabins, 29, is a good deputy who "used poor judgment in that situation," Sheriff David Gee said Wednesday.

"I understand that it's difficult when you get out there," Gee said. "I give deputies the ability to use discretion [in making arrests]. He didn't use that here."

Clocked Doing 63 In A 35 MPH Zone

Stabins had tracked Langston traveling 63 mph in a 35 mph zone. He turned on his cruiser's flashing lights and sirens as she neared University Community Hospital, and the distraction caused her to miss two entrances, officials said.

The video shows Stabins walking up to Langston's car, and her saying she was looking for the emergency room entrance.

Stabins made no attempt to verify the woman's story about her father's heart attack and asked for her ID. Langston asked whether Stabins could issue her the ticket in the emergency room, but Stabins returned to his patrol car to write the citation.

According to the investigation documents, Langston remained in her car for several minutes and spoke on a cell phone to her sister about searching for their father, who had driven himself to the hospital when he began to suffer chest pains.

Panicked over not knowing whether her father made it to the hospital safely, Langston yelled to Stabins that she was going to pull her car forward to see whether her father's vehicle was in the lot.

Stabins told officials that he did not hear her and assumed Langston was trying to get away. He later told investigators he thought she was lying about her father to get out of the ticket.

The video shows a short pursuit through the lot before both cars stopped again. Stabins quickly got out and scolded Langston as he forced her out of her car. Its transmission was in drive and Langston was still wearing a seat belt when the deputy began pulling her arm.

"That was not smart," he said. "Put it in park. Put it in park. Put it in park. Out of the car. Put your hands behind your back. Now you're going to jail. That was not smart."

As part of the investigation, Capt. Robert Spooner viewed the tape and sent an assessment to Gee in a memorandum March 15:

"The events that followed the initial traffic stop could have been avoided if Deputy Stabins had showed some compassion, obtained Mrs. Langston's driver's license and followed her to the emergency room to verify, or prove false, her story," Spooner wrote. "But there is no policy or rule and regulation to exercise compassion."

During the investigation, detectives asked Stabins under oath whether he ever considered using a less forceful tactic on Langston.

"I didn't do a take down," he said. "I didn't throw up any punches or strikes. I just used" a police hold, "put her up against the vehicle and handcuffed her and it was over."

"OK, but could you think of any possible way to get her out of the car other than that?" asked Detective Bruce Crumpler.

"I could have taken her down at gunpoint for a felony," Stabins said.

Langston never disputed she had been speeding or that when she drove away from the traffic stop she committed felony fleeing to elude, which set into motion the pursuit, Spooner wrote.

When Langston's sister arrived at the scene, Stabins refused to release the vehicle to her and had it impounded. That decision was unnecessary given the circumstances, Spooner wrote.

Stabins Expresses Remorse

Officials said Stabins later expressed remorse over his actions and did not appeal his suspension.

Gee said Stabins has a good record as a deputy.

"I think he understands that he was wrong and could have handled it better," the sheriff said. "On both sides, really, it could have been done better.

"In this case, an officer used poor judgment. He's been a good guy and has a lot of positive comments in his file from supervisors. I think this is something that can be corrected and he'll never do it again."

Efforts to reach Langston and Stabins for comment were unsuccessful.

Langston's father, Bill Johnston, has since been released from the hospital. Wednesday, he called his daughter's arrest "horrible" and said it is still extremely upsetting to him.

Obviously in hindsight it all sounds real nice for the lady.  The cop could have tried to verify the story and he should have.  That's why he's being suspended.  Let's not twist it and try and make it look like he's getting suspended for dragging her of the car.  He could have pulled a gun on her and no one would have cared.  He's being suspended for not using sound judgement in checking her story.  The title of your thread is totally off base.  No excessive force was used at all.

And let's get serious here guys.  A cop has to make life and death decisions every day for himself and for others.  Why is it everytime a cop does a something that is not clearly wrong at the time it occured it's all over TV like it's a big deal.  At the end of the day nothing happened here.  The cop should have checked her story.  He didn't.  Everything that happened after that was her fault.