http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/17/police-suing-woman-for-allegedly-failing-to-warn-officers-about-dangerous-situation-in-911-call/
Here is another one that can only be described as pathetic-
If a person calls 911 for a matter that is clearly not an emergency, that individual can and often is charged for misusing the system. 911 lines, the Public Safety Operators/Dispatchers, along with the officers that are required (Even if the call is a mistake) to be dispatched to the origin of the calls, need to be available to answer and respond to actual emergencies. Ergo, if an officer is dispatched in response to a 911 call, he needs to understand that not all of the people at the scene are going to be nice to him.
-From the top link:
"A Texas woman who's 911 call led to a police shooting is now facing a lawsuit from one of the responding officers. A deputy injured at the scene says the woman failed to warn police how dangerous the situation was. The call was made in December in Harris County, but Deputy Braden Pullen says when he arrived the suspect was belligerent, high on bath salts ["Bath Salts" is the name for the type of drug now in vogue, not salts for bathing] , and assaulted him. Deputy Pullen is now suing the homeowner who called 911 for alleging that she did not adequately warn others of how dangerous the man was. Pullen's attorney says he suffered injuries because of the homeowner's negligence and failure to inform emergency workers of the man's potential for violence. Officials say this should not stop other people from calling 911 during emergencies. "Every day we have servant leaders who are responding to calls from the community. Continue to call us if you need the help, and we'll be there. And we'll be there to help," says Harris county Sheriff Adrian Garcia. Sheriff Garcia also says deputies are trained to expect dangerous circumstances when they arrive to the scene."
Aside from the obviously embarrassed Sheriff, whose jaw probably hit the floor when he became aware that Deputy Pullen had filed the lawsuit, we have yet another example of an individual who likely should have never been hired in the first place.(and one that has no sense of dignity either) I don't know haw badly he was hurt, nor what words were used by the caller to request a police response, but when a cop goes to a scene, he has to know that someone may act in a violent manner. As we have learned from incidents in which police were ambushed upon arrival or by a spouse who assaults the cop once she sees her abusive husband in handcuffs, hat someone could even be the caller.
It's not fun, but it is part of the job.
The Sheriff is understandably concerned that a consequence of this suit will be that people will, fearful of being accused of withholding information, either now tie up a dispatcher while he goes into a long explanation of all details of which he is aware or just decide to refrain from using 911 altogether.
In most states, cops have Oleoresin Capsaicin (Pepper) spray and Tasers (electrical charge) tools for incapacitating a suspect that is not posing an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm to the cop. The cop needs to aware of his surroundings, keep his guard up, and basically act like a cop. If you get hurt, you remind yourself that, like a roofer who may fall off of a roof or a butcher who may get cut, certain less-than-pleasant things come with the job.
I wonder what kind of reputation this officer now has (if it even was OK until this point) among his fellow officers. When I was in that line of work (prior to my retirement), we had words for officers who wanted the badge, gun, and the image of being a cop but thought that they were too good to get hurt. This was particularly true in K9 units. Some cops wanted the truck and the dog, but did all that they could to avoid ever having to the the guy who wears the bite sleeve or bite suit because they didn't want their skin to get any annoying holes from dogs that needed to learn how to bite - and hard. Others would join the SWAT team, but didn't want to slog through marshes in an attempt to locate a suspect.
Before the Left had their successes in telling men that they don't have to act like men, cops would be more afraid of being perceived as cowards or worse by their peers than they would of being injured.
People are often reluctant to tell authorities that a friend or family member has engaged in illegal activity. They may want the individual to be removed from the house, but also hope that he is not charged criminally. A responding officer knows that the scene to which he has been dispatched may well have a lot of surprises for him. If he believes that the threat is sufficient to call for a backup, then he calls for assistance via his radio and and waits for help. If a threat develops quickly and without warning, then he must take appropriate action.
If the caller is deemed to have used an emergency system such as 911 for something that is not an emergency, then he must be charged for misuse of the system. If a cop is responding to any call, especially one received on a 911 line, then he knows that things could turn ugly.
From the way it appears now, this suit should be dismissed.
Omura: That's how it is here. A land of cheap traders.
ReplyDeleteFrom "The Last Samauri"
Unfortunately true in too many cases - like this one. Always out for the quick easy buck and attorneys, like common whores, are there to help.