"To protect and serve"

[livendive 8]

Have you all seen the latest Officer Friendly story? Two Kansas City officers ignored a pregnant woman's 21 seperate pleas to take her to the hospital, at one point blowing it off as menstruation, at another asking "how's that my problem". They booked her on outstanding warrants instead, and held her for several hours until she passed a large blood clot. At the hospital, 10-12 hours after the traffic stop, she gave birth to a baby that survived one minute outside the womb. There's video of the stop on CNN.com (I don't know how to link those), and a write-up here.

My daughter tried to come out at 5 months. A Lifeflight helicopter and an ICU were able to keep her in the womb until a more appropriate time. Perhaps that could have happened with this child as well? Who knows whether hospital staff could have saved the child or not, but I think the woman's request should have at least earned them a shot at it.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[willard 0]

Pretty sad. You would think that since the women was cooperating with them and had no weapons they would have at least checked to see if she was telling the truth about her bleeding and determine how bad it was. I know it's not easy being a cop, but it seems all common decency was lost in this arrest. She didn't even swear or lose her temper...all she did was beg to go to the hospital.

[Richards 0]

Regrettable. In fairness to the cops (devils advocate position) they probably hear the same crap all the time from jackasses they arrest. Every time I see an arrest and both times I did the citizens arrest thing the bad guys started crying about medical emergencies. Not sure what the end game of doing that is (probably to distract whoever is detaining them). She had quite the record of tickets, they just saw her putting a false liscence sticker in her car. Then rather than being panicked like someone with a medical emergency she kept blandly repeatng it like a mantra. Given her size and the fact that she was only 4 months pregnant she was not showing from what I saw. I can see why they might have thought she was under the influence and/or playing games with them.

They did not handle it well but I do not think they were being deliberately cruel. This is one to learn from but I do not think the cops should be fired for it. Maybe some sort of supplemental training and chalk it up to experience

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[cloudseeker2001 0]

As far as I am concerned those two police officers and the agency they work for are directly responsible for that womans suffering and indirectly, if not directly, responsible for the death of the fetus. But, everyone knows they will never be held accountable.

It is hard for me to think of what it would be like sitting in that jail and bleeding for 12 hours before a person could go to a hospital.........I loved what the cop said on the video.......Yea, you can go to the hospital, when we are done with you! I wonder if he would have said that to his mom or sister! Probably not.

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[kallend 2,151]

In Chicago we're still waiting after more than 10 years for charges to be brought against a senior police officer responsible for torturing "confessions" out of suspects (some of whom ended up on death row before being exonerated).

So don't expect any action soon.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Richards 0]

I agree that they did not handle it well and there will need to be some accountability, but I think we should wait for a full inquiry before we crucify them.

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[Zee 0]

Quote

As far as I am concerned those two police officers and the agency they work for are directly responsible for that womans suffering and indirectly, if not directly, responsible for the death of the fetus. But, everyone knows they will never be held accountable.

It is hard for me to think of what it would be like sitting in that jail and bleeding for 12 hours before a person could go to a hospital.........I loved what the cop said on the video.......Yea, you can go to the hospital, when we are done with you! I wonder if he would have said that to his mom or sister! Probably not.

That's a bit harsh. I don't know of any police officer that treats the criminals they arrest like their mom or sister. Cops run in to scumbags of all races, shapes, sizes, and genders, who make up the most outlandish excuses in order to avoid arrest. She wasn't in any obvious pain and it's not like she was bleeding profusely - I certainly couldn't see any blood in the video. This chick had a suspended license and multiple warrants out for her arrest in addition to trying to deceive the cops with her fake temp tag. Why would they believe anything she had to say?

I just don't see how it's the responsibility of the police officers to give this chick a medical check on the side of the road. Would any of you want to go diggin' in this chicks underwear to see if she was bleeding?

If anything, the people in the county jail should have examined her prior to putting her in a cell.

Action©Sports

[warpedskydiver 0]

Quote

In Chicago we're still waiting after more than 10 years for charges to be brought against a senior police officer responsible for torturing "confessions" out of suspects (some of whom ended up on death row before being exonerated).

So don't expect any action soon.

Especially when it was Herr Daley at the helm of the SA's office at that time.

Ed Burke was only doing what he knew to be that standard OP during that period of time.

His father was no champion of human rights either.