Officer faces gun charges in I-81 incident

[warpedskydiver 0]

Officer faces gun charges in I-81 incident

BY REX BOWMAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Feb 14, 2007

SALEM -- A South Carolina police officer used a gun to threaten a
female motorist on Interstate 81, Virginia State Police allege.

Officer Eric Cmeyla, 41, of the Greenville, S.C., Police Department
must appear in a Roanoke County court tomorrow on two counts of
brandishing a firearm, said state police Sgt. Bob Carpentieri.

Destinee Puckett, 18, of Vinton said yesterday that the incident took
place Sunday as she was driving south on I-81 at 60 mph -- the speed
limit along that stretch -- in the left lane.

The male driver behind her pulled up close to her bumper and grew
frustrated that he couldn't get around her, Puckett said, but traffic
was too thick for her to move into the right lane.

She said she looked behind her and saw the man holding a gun above his
steering wheel as he tailgated her. She said she was so rattled by the
sight that she hit her brakes, which led the driver's Volkswagen Jetta
to slam into her Nissan Maxima.

When they pulled over at Exit 140, Puckett said, the man tapped on her
window with the barrel of the gun, striking the window so hard the
glass chipped.

"I called 911," she said. "He said, 'I'm a cop; can I see your license
and registration?' He seemed to be mad that I was paying more
attention to 911 than to him, and he was getting frustrated.

"He was like, 'I can shoot you right now if I wanted to.' I told 911,
'He's threatening to shoot me.' And he said, 'No, no, no.' So 911 told
me to roll up my windows. But he put his hand over my window so I
couldn't roll it up.

"My boyfriend was sitting beside me. He was in shock."

Police arrived and arrested Cmeyla. He was released from custody on a
recognizance bond.

The Greenville Police Department released a statement saying Cmeyla
has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of his
arrest. The statement noted that Cmeyla has been with the department
for five months and is still in the department's training program.

[BillyVance 35]

The Greenville Police Department released a statement saying Cmeyla has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of his
arrest. The statement noted that Cmeyla has been with the department for five months and is still in the department's training program.

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They should kick the sorry SOB out!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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[HeadCone 0]

Here's a link to another report on the story:

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=6122097

Video Transcript:

Newscaster: "Here in the Roanoke valley a police officer allegedly rear-ended a teenager on I-81. She says the officer had pointed a gun at her then threatened to kill her once they both pulled over."

Voiceover: "Destinee Puckett was on her way to Salem headed south on the interstate when she moved into the left lane trying to pass a truck."

Puckett: "And he came flying up behind me ..."

Voiceover: "Eric Cmeyla stayed right on her tail as the 17 year old in front of him held her speed at the posted limit of 60 mph. The silver VW Jetta remained about one car length behind her."

Puckett: "Then reaching? that point I tapped my brakes to let him know to back up a little bit because he was too close."

Voiceover: "She tapped on the brake pedal several times she says, then noticed something in her rear view mirror"

Puckett: "and he had a gun pointed over his steering wheel and he started, like, lunging it forward while he was yelling someting. And then I panicked and slammed on my brakes and he hit me."

Voiceover: "Both cars pulled over on the shoulder of the interstate just north of exit 140"

Puckett: "He came up to my window and he tapped on the window with the gun .. he showed me his badge .. said 'I'm a police officer' ... 'I could shoot you right now if I wanted to' I heard that"

Newscaster: "Eric David Cmeyla has been with the Greenville, SC police department six months, he's still in training. The 41 year old officer is charged with branishing a firearm and following too close in Roanoke county. He was released on his own recognisance the same day. We were unable to reach Cmeyla. The number he gave police has been disconnected and his attorney declined comment until his case comes up in April"

On Cmeyla: Sounds to me like he got pissed off at some idiot driver and couldn't contain himself. Those charges seem appropriate if not actually too light. He should not be allowed to become a police officer.

On Puckett: She's young and doesn't know how to drive. She was probably driving too slow and she may have actually pulled out in front of Cmeyla. She didn't deserve to have a gun waved at her and all the other shit, but when you drive with your head up your ass, you're gonna piss people off. I do think I smell some bullshit though.

She was only going the speed limit -- yeah right. Before or after she got tailgated?

Was traffic too thick to move over or was she passing a truck? If you're passing a truck, then pass the damn truck and move over.

"I tapped my brakes to let him know to back up a little bit because he was too close." -- or were you fucking with the guy tailgating you?

She didn't deserve this, but I don't think she's little miss innocent either.

--Head

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