Supreme Court decision
We are aware that not everyone follows politics and world events as intently as we do, but some people do. And this seemed interesting enough that it might pique the interest of street coppers who might not otherwise see it.
Click here (via apnews.myway.com)
The Supreme Court decision in the case of Castle Rock, Colorado v Gonzalez says that police CANNOT be sued for how they enforce restraining orders. Mrs. Gonzalez alleged that police did not do enough to prevent her estranged husband from taking her children from in front of her home in 1999 in violation of a restraining order. Mr. Gonzalez was killed in a shootout with police hours later outside of a police station with the bodies of all three girls in his nearby truck. Police contended that they did everything possible going to Gonzalez's home, attempting to contact him by cell and home phone and issuing a local alert for the truck.
I think (note the word THINK) that this is the right decision. The police appeared to make a legal and sound effort to locate Gonzalez following the abduction. A piece of paper isn't going to stop a determined individual from wreaking havoc and municipalities can't be expected to assign a car to every order of protection that gets issued (especially in a major urban area.) I am open to argument on this one, but remember, it's a fact that you can't possibly put a cop on every single street corner in this city, county, state or country to protect everyone all the time.
posted by SCC at 1:16 PM
1 Comments:
I was wondering if anybody has seen the video for this incident?
MSNBC.com
N.Y. cop may have fled after partner shot
Security video shows officer waited before calling for help
The Associated Press
Updated: 9:08 a.m. ET June 8, 2005
NEW YORK - A security videotape captured images of an officer turning and running after his partner was shot and wounded by a drug suspect, a law enforcement official said.
The video — recorded last week by a camera on a nearby building — indicates the partner waited several minutes before returning to help wounded officer Patrick Caprice, said the official, who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity.
The officer, Gilberto Marrero, could face disciplinary action, the official said.
Caprice, 42, was hit three times in the chest during a fierce shootout June 1 but was saved by his bulletproof vest, police said. He remained hospitalized with a wound caused by a bullet fragment.
New York Police Department officials confirmed they had taken Marrero off active duty but declined to discuss his case. Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association spokesman Al O’Leary would say only that Marrero was represented by a union lawyer during questioning by investigators.
Taking cover
The incident began after Caprice, a 14-year police veteran, and his partner allegedly saw 18-year-old David Redden buying marijuana in Brooklyn and pulled him over.
The source said the video shows Caprice approaching the car on the driver’s side and Marrero on the passenger side. When the suspect opens fire on Caprice, his partner “turns and runs four to five car lengths away and takes cover,” the official said.
Redden is seen exiting his car and starting to flee, then doubling back and firing at the fallen officer before getting into his car and driving away. Caprice emptied his weapon as the car sped off, blowing out windows and injuring the driver.
Marrero radioed for backup during the gun battle. But based on the video, investigators believe he went to help his partner only after other officers arrived, the official said.
Redden crashed his car and killed himself before he could be captured, authorities said.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2005 MSNBC.com
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8142857/
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