Texas Police Taser Pastor Helping Driver in Traffic Stop

[Jerry80871852]

Texas Police Taser Pastor Helping Driver in Traffic Stop

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529800,00.html

[John81]

It's hard to tell for certain what really happened from this short story but there sure are a lot of these sort of stories. I can't help but wonder what happened to "officer friendly" who typically knew the folks in the neighborhood he patrolled and who kept the peace by being peaceful himself.

Whereas at one time many police practiced self-control and communication to defuse situations, today too many resort very quickly to aggressive and angry words often followed quickly by violent actions.

I realize that some situations will escalate and aggression on the part of a cop may become necessary. At the same time, I also realize there are many situations where a calm and cool police officer can deal with a potentially explosive situation and see it resolved without incident.

No, I'm not condemning all police here, but the pattern seems to be to quickly become angry and aggresive rather than making the attempt to remain calm, talk reasonably, and deal unthreateningly with those around.

I've never been a cop but I've worked security and I've seen and been involved in many a situation where a little patience and self-control saw situations have a peaceful resolution while those security officers who were quick to anger and use aggression had many a situation turn violent without necessity.

There needs to be balance. Slow to anger, slow to wrath has many applications. Police should be better trained to better access situations. There should also be a better screening process for who is allowed to become a police officer and remain a police officer.

[Jerry80871852]

I've seen in 2 situations in my life where an officer of the law was in a trying situation.

1st one was when I was a teenager, I was at town and a fired of mine was with me going down main street, our chief of police stopped us, seems my friend had done something the night before and he was after him and saw him with me going down main street.

The police chief completely lost his cool, I thought he might have a heart attack and die, & or he was so mad he was shaking life a leaf, for a moment I feared what would happened, I did not know if he might just draw his gun and start shooting both of us. This man was a very good man, but he should not have been a policeman, he could not keep his cool and composure.

Another time was in the late 70's, a California trooper had stopped me and about 5 more for speeding, one of the people really pushed hard on the trapper, but he kept his cool and all went well, if he had been like the police chief that stopped me when I was a teenager I firmly believe things would have got messy.

All people don't have the self-control to be an officer of the law, they cannot handle stressful situation and things will get out of control. Sad to say, those who do not have this self-control are the ones who get into situations where they get out of control and bad things happen in very minor situations.

Like you said, this article does not really tell us enough to know what went wrong and who was at fault. I'm probably a bit prejudice on this one and want to think the pastor was just trying to help and the office of the law could not handle the situation.

I know several people who have been officer that should never have been, for they did not have the composure and ability to handle situations, plus their position went to their head and abused the office living above the law and in going after those they did not like.

To be an officer of the law it take a certain ability that most do not have, therefore we see these out of control situations.

I don't know about where all of you live, but around here being a Deputy Sheriff and or city officer much of the time has to do with who you know, not a persons ability to really perform the job properly.

To be honest I'm surprised that many situations are not worse than they are.

[HappyChristian]

My question is why did the pastor interfere? If the member was arrested, the pastor could go down and visit him and find out what was going on - but I think the pastor was wrong in coming out and getting involved, and then bringing the rest of the church with him.

And, of course his family will say he did nothing to provoke it.

I agree, John, there isn't enough information, and I'm not happy about all the bad things happening to churches lately...but still I wonder what that pastor was even thinking!!

[Kitagrl]

There's something fishy about it...it sounds like the pastor may have been provoking the police a bit.

[bzmomo7]

I thought it sounded fishy, too. The only thing I could think of why maybe the pastor went out was if he knew the person didn't speak English well or something. It was at Iglesia Profetica Peniel church. There really isn't enough information...........that is for sure.

[holster]

Not commenting on this particular incident but I'm wondering if the Taser is just not a bit overused.

[Jerry80871852]

<<"Congregants say they were in the Iglesia Profetica Peniel church for an early morning prayer when pastor Jose Elias Moran went to assist the stopped driver, a church member, by asking the police what had happened.">>

Perhaps he may have simply did as this states, asked the office what the problem was, being as he probably knew this person they being a member of this church.

When this is done, different officers of the law respond differently, some get smarty, some don't. We can't be sure of why this seemed to go south in such a hurry.

That said, as has been stated, and I've stated many times on topics that has to do with young children,, most such articles do not give us enough information to know who was in the right or wrong, besides that, its not good to trust and article in a paper, the writes with their prejudices. That being why stated "Perhaps he may have simply."

The reason I posted it was because of how often such things seem to be happening.

[Wilchbla]

It use to be said that the police were to SERVE and protect. Now it seems all they do is write tickets and taser people.

My brother was broken down and a snow storm and the cop wouldn't even get out to help him.

[holster]

View this and consider that this could happen to any cop at any time.

Video: Cop Shot during routine traffic stop (let default video play)

Police Officers are heros in my book. (Yes.. there are a few bad ones and fewer really bad ones.

[John81]

Maybe it depends upon where one lives, but around here and everywhere I've ever lived, the good cops were few, really good cops were fewer and bad cops were in abundance.

I have great respect for the few good cops.

[Jerry80871852]

What is the old saying, one rotten apple in the barrel will spoil all of them?