# Trooper tells caller seeking help, 'Too bad'



## JoninNH (Jan 29, 2004)

Trooper tells caller seeking help, 'Too bad'
Conn. officer suspended after comment caught on tape

The Associated Press
Updated: 2:32 p.m. ET March 22, 2005

LISBON, Conn. - A state trooper was suspended for 15 days without pay after he was recorded on a 911 tape saying “too bad” to a caller seeking help for a man injured in a motorcycle accident.

State police said the dismissive answer by Trooper Robert Peasley did not affect the response time to the accident involving Justin Sawyer, 21, who died of a severe head injury a week after the crash last August. Peasley was suspended on Monday.

Russell Shepard, a friend of Sawyer’s, called 911, which was routed to the state police barracks in Montville. When he reported the accident, Peasley said, “Yeah ... too bad,” and hung up, according to a tape obtained by WTNH-TV.

Shepard said he was shocked, believing he reached a wrong number.

Another friend made a second call. “Yeah,” the officer responded. “Help will get there. Shouldn’t be playing games.”

A third emergency call was answered by a different dispatcher, who asked about Sawyer’s condition and advised those nearby to not touch him.

“I am absolutely outraged every time I hear that ‘too bad’ and then click,” said Sawyer’s father, Jim Sawyer. “I only know that I would have felt a whole lot more comfortable if I had heard people responding on the end of that 911 call with some heart and caring.”

State police said the comments by Peasley, an 18-year-veteran, were unprofessional, and the agency apologized if “our actions added to the family’s pain.”

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

YIKES!!! Theres got to be more to this story... I hope. :shock:


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

I would venture to guess that wherever the crash was is some sort of unofficial raceway and there have been numerous crashes/pursuits/violations involving motorcycles at the location...It's the only explanation I can think of and would make sense.


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## stm4710 (Jul 6, 2004)

WTF.........

Talk about getting on the express train to unemployment. :shock:


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## badogg88 (Dec 17, 2003)

I saw that on TV tonight. I understand the fact that it could be a possible raceway, but why would you ever say that when you KNOW you are on a recorded line? Should be interesting to see what happens...


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

badogg88";p="60521 said:


> I saw that on TV tonight. I understand the fact that it could be a possible raceway, but why would you ever say that when you KNOW you are on a recorded line? Should be interesting to see what happens...


That's what I mean, it sounded like a few years of built up frustration.

P.S. The guy has 18 years on the job. I believe CT Troopers can retire at 20. I bet the 15 lost days aren't bothering him that much.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

He has really given a bad name to troopers in my state. It's a shame this happened and a shame the kid died. But your right, Belichick, I doubt he's too upset about this. 

Unfortunately, I don't know much about anything East of the river so I don't know the road at all. It just looks bad for the state and the department.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

On the news this morning they said there was more than one incident.


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## Mitpo62 (Jan 13, 2004)

"911, this line is RECORDED".


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

He was wayyy out of line. I hope he get's canned and the state get's sued. That is un believable. Just my :2c:

Scott :rock:


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

Foxracingmtnridr";p="60557 said:


> He was wayyy out of line. I hope he get's canned and the state get's sued. That is un believable. Just my :2c:
> 
> Scott :rock:


Honestly? Fired? For an inappropriate comment? A bit harsh, don't you think?

And what exactly would be the damages incurred to warrant a lawsuuit? There's no indication that a response was delayed or that the victim would have survived. I doubt his comments affected the victim's status.


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

How would you feel if your son/daughter was injured in a crash and you had to hear the 911 tapes from their friends calling to get help and the dispatcher said tough and hung up on you.

He fucking hung the phone up on the kid trying to get help for his friend that was dying. They had to call 911 3 times for christ sake. That is where the delay was. You shouldn't have to call 911 more then one time. 

I know if i was in his shoes I woulda been thinking the same thing but I would never have said too bad and hung up. that's not what he swore to do when he became a police officer. His job is to get the help to the people no matter what.

Scott :rock:


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## Barbrady (Aug 5, 2004)

I heard the audio this morning. This trooper sounds like a miserable SOB. He should keep his job but be restricted to desk duty. Can you imagine that guy on the road? Guy's like him are the reason why some law abiding citizens hate cops.


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

Barbrady";p="60568 said:


> I heard the audio this morning. This trooper sounds like a miserable SOB. He should keep his job but be restricted to desk duty. Can you imagine that guy on the road? Guy's like him are the reason why some law abiding citizens hate cops.


this is just the first time he was caught. this isn't something you just pick up one day. I highly doubt he woke up that day and was like F this I don't wanna deal with any calls at work today. this guy has problems that need to be figured out. It's guys like this that make the whole LE field look bad.

Scott :rock:


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## stm4710 (Jul 6, 2004)

> Honestly? Fired? For an inappropriate comment? A bit harsh, don't you think?


 It wasnt just an " inappropriate comment". It was dereliction of duty. There is no excuse for what he did, if he had a comment keep it to your self after you do your *JOB*.

I try and defend cops & ff till the end, this guy doesnt have leg to stand on---can him. :x 
JMO


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## Mikey682 (May 2, 2002)

I take thier word for it when another cop tells me a story, but hearing the audio this morning...that asshole needs a new job.


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

Trooper Suspended 15 Days
Response To 911 Call Called Inappropriate
March 22, 2005
By TRACY GORDON FOX, Courant Staff Writer

A state trooper was suspended for 15 days without pay Monday for telling the friend of a seriously injured motorcyclist "too bad," and hanging up on him when he called 911 for help last August.

State police said Trooper Robert Peasley's behavior * did not affect the response time to the accident or contribute to the death of Justin Sawyer*, 21, of Bozrah. Sawyer died of head injuries several days after the crash in Bozrah.

"The investigation revealed inappropriate and unprofessional language," said Sgt. J. Paul Vance, a state police spokesman. *"The investigation revealed that despite the comments, state police and emergency service arrived promptly."*

But state police Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle said residents expect more from the state police when they call for help.

"When someone reports a serious incident on a 911 call, the person receiving that call has an obligation to receive information, convey information back to that person and do so in a respectful manner," Boyle said Monday.

Sawyer's family hired a lawyer, complained to state police, and requested the tape of the incident after learning what the trooper had said to Sawyer's friend. No lawsuit has been filed. Sawyer's family could not be reached for comment Monday.

Peasley, who was working the dispatch desk in the Troop E barracks in Montville, was punished after an internal affairs investigation for several offenses, including conduct unbecoming a police officer, inefficient action and lack of decorum, police said.

The trooper hung up on the caller because *he apparently thought he had received several other calls about the same incident.* But Boyle said the investigation showed that the call from the friend was the first Troop E received for that accident. It also showed that Peasley was rude to a second caller who reported the accident, telling him Sawyer "shouldn't have been riding that way."

Union officials said they will fight to reduce the punishment, especially considering that *Peasley, an 18-year veteran, has a good record and had not previously been in trouble.*

"It's a tragedy. But the discipline imposed is extremely harsh and not warranted," union President David LeBlanc said Monday.

LeBlanc said Peasley and the one civilian dispatcher on duty on the evening of Aug. 17 were swamped with calls from another accident and several other incidents.

LeBlanc said the incident illustrates the stress on dispatchers and troopers who man the desks at the busiest barracks.

"It's out of control, and the agency has refused to staff it appropriately," LeBlanc said.

Boyle said the department is looking into ways to better handle 911 calls.

"In this instance, the investigation established the trooper had the opportunity and should have taken and provided more information," Boyle said.


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

Foxracingmtnridr";p="60571 said:


> this is just the first time he was caught. this isn't something you just pick up one day.


So, in your world, everyone that is arrested for a first offense OUI should be tried for a 4th Offense, because it is "just the first time he was caught."

The guy's never been in trouble before. This is the kind of attitude that makes some Police Supervisors complete a**holes. The "I know you've done it before" holier than thou BS. I'm sure we all (those of us that are actually Full Time Police Officers) have made mistakes at work before and no one needs some one else monday morning quarterbacking their mistakes, either.

The guy made a mistake and bought two weeks off which probably works out to be about a $2000+ fine. You can be in possession of Cocaine in this State and get a $100 fine. His comment had NO effect on the response of Emergency Services or the eventualy fatal nature of the accident.


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## MCOA41 (Sep 5, 2002)

Poster child for the need of professional well trained career Dispatchers.

I doubt the Trooper will be fired. Besides union protection he did not delay the response time or care of the injured. I am wondering if PO's in CT who work in Dispatch have to be EMD certified like the civilian Dispatchers now have to be in CT. I also wonder if the Dispatcher who answered the call used EMD.


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

The guy is a shitbird. Why do you keep defending him? Who cares if he's a fellow officer. If I worked with him I'd sure as hell be saying the same thing to my superiors as I am saying here about him.

I understand it didn't affect the response time but there is no need for someone to call 911 3 times. Also it was an internal investigation that says there was no delay in the response time. The fact that they had to call 3 times is delay enough.

Scott :rock:


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

Foxracingmtnridr";p="60589 said:


> The guy is a shitbird. Why do you keep defending him? Who cares if he's a fellow officer. If I worked with him I'd sure as hell be saying the same thing to my superiors as I am saying here about him.


A "shitbird"? The guy put in 18 years as a Cop, makes a wrong comment to someone on a phone, and he's a "shitbird", like coke dealers, rapists etc..??

Tell me for real, are you a full time Police Officer?


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

No I am not. So i look at it from both sides of the fence. I'm not putting him in with coke dealers that was all you buddy. All I'm saying is this guy's conduct is disgraceful.

Scott :rock:


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

Foxracingmtnridr";p="60597 said:


> No I am not. So i look at it from both sides of the fence. I'm not putting him in with coke dealers that was all you buddy. All I'm saying is this guy's conduct is disgraceful.
> 
> Scott :rock:


No, YOU called him a "shitbird." Or are you one of those guys that gets a lady for driving an Unregistered M/V and calls her a "shitbird?" That a pretty derogatory term.

Must be nice to have ZERO time on the job and know it all. You should just apply for your pension now.

You see it from both sides? As in the "I'm not a cop" side and the "I'm perfect and I'd never make a mistake but I've never been a Police Officer side"?

What "two sides"?



> The guy is a shitbird. Why do you keep defending him? Who cares if he's a fellow officer. If I worked with him I'd sure as hell be saying the same thing to my superiors as I am saying here about him.


Not likely, and if you did then everyone at your Department would think you are an a**hole. This kind of attitude does not win friends at Police Departments.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

Guys, c'mon. He made a mistake, granted a big mistake. But it was dispatched appropriately and he's now facing the consequences. Granted the Union is saying it's too harsh a punishment and trying to get it reduced.

MCOA - Not sure about the dispatch thing but I can find out. I want to say yes, because my husband isn't allowed to dispatch. I'll find out though.


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## patroldan81 (Feb 28, 2004)

Foxracingmtnridr";p="60597 said:


> No I am not. So i look at it from both sides of the fence. I'm not putting him in with coke dealers that was all you buddy. All I'm saying is this guy's conduct is disgraceful.
> 
> Scott :rock:


Is this guy for real? #-o He remind me of those clowns that tell all sorts of "war" stories from Vietnam but in reality, the closest he's been is the local Chinese carry out joint.

I'm surely not defending the trooper in his comments, they were out of line and uncalled for, but this 18 yr veteran definitely doesn't deserve to loose his job.

I didn't have to ask if "Foxracingmtnridr" is on the job... his actions speak for themselves. And if for some reason he does get on the job... I have my doubts on how long he will last. Tough to stay on this job when you come through the door thinking like a chief.


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## PBiddy35 (Aug 27, 2004)

I think the reputation hit and any other departmental repercussions are sufficient compensation for the lack of professionalism demonstrated. First, it did not delay any response time. As I read it, the first call got the gears moving, but a professional call taker would have provided information to the caller or at least asked for patient information like the other dispatcher did. Losing composure and dropping the stone mask is one thing but it seems like this officer disregarded the right way of taking and dispatching a call and that's certainly the bigger problem.


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## ROBOCOP1982 (Sep 4, 2002)

Here is the deal as I see it: The reason many people look at this situation and say; "Fire him!" is because they are probably examining it from the vantage point of the private sector where this type of thing is just not tolerated. If people don't like the way they are treated by a certain company, they find a competitor that treats them better. A similar situation in the private sector would result in the employee losing his/her job. That being said, the CTSP is not the private sector, in fact it is the furthest thing from it. People witness certain federal/state governments operating so inefficiently :evil: and with such utter disregard for customer service :evil: that they can't help but transfer it, on occasion, onto others.
From my experience, police work is customer service 24/7. Every day dealing with someone's problems, maybe every day dealing with someone's problems at the same house you've been to fifteen times in the last two weeks. Or maybe it is responding to an accident on dead man's curve; where people are known to race on the weekends and consistently get hurt on account of their own idiocy. Whatever it is, frustration can build up when people do idiotic things especially at the same house or on the same road&#8230;.now imagine the frustration after eighteen years of responding to accidents in the same place and domestics in the same house. I'm willing to bet you might get just a bit frustrated-maybe frustrated enough to say the wrong thing on the phone. Should this trooper have said what he said? _Absolutely not._ Should he be fired? _No_ Should he be punished? _Yes._ Should we be able to understand _at least a bit_ why he said it? _Absolutely!_


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

Coming from the perspective of an area where you are responding to the same houses, the same areas for accidents and locking up the same jerks (and sometimes the Jerk's kids who have become jerks-in-training) day in and day out, I can understand the frustration.

Anyone who's been a cop for more than a few months can understand that when you get the 3 am call for a one car accident, you really don't feel as up for the "we'll be there in a flash, sir!" treatment because you know that 99% of the time, it's some drunken idiot who wasn't smart enough to stay on the road. The same goes for the 911 hang up/Domestic at the same house for the 4th time in a week etc...

You respond, of course, but there's a certain frustrated feeling that comes with it.


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## frapmpd24 (Sep 3, 2004)

Foxracingmtnridr";p="60589 said:


> The guy is a shitbird. Why do you keep defending him? Who cares if he's a fellow officer. If I worked with him I'd sure as hell be saying the same thing to my superiors as I am saying here about him.


The characterization of the Trooper is a bit harsh. The comments certainly should not have been said, there should indeed be consequences, and definitely an apology. But there was no breach of duty here, services were rendered, despite the overall outcome.



MCOA41";p="60588 said:


> Poster child for the need of professional well trained career Dispatchers.


I have past experience as a dispatcher. I currently work with some excellent career dispatchers (and have also in the past with other Dept's). I can surely understand your argument having experiencing the good and bad of both sides of the desk. I have seen some certified career dispatchers with abysmal attitudes, making comments worse than that and having a poor attitude on a regular basis. I don't think that is the end all solve all here either. I think problems like this arise due to someones overall personality or situational experiences (many calls to one location equaling frustration). Not necessarily their position as a dispatcher or police officer.



ROBOCOP1982";p="60628 said:


> Here is the deal as I see it: The reason many people look at this situation and say; "Fire him!" is because they are probably examining it from the vantage point of the private sector where this type of thing is just not tolerated. If people don't like the way they are treated by a certain company, they find a competitor that treats them better. A similar situation in the private sector would result in the employee losing his/her job. That being said, the CTSP is not the private sector, in fact it is the furthest thing from it. People witness certain federal/state governments operating so inefficiently :evil: and with such utter disregard for customer service :evil: that they can't help but transfer it, on occasion, onto others.
> From my experience, police work is customer service 24/7. Every day dealing with someone's problems, maybe every day dealing with someone's problems at the same house you've been to fifteen times in the last two weeks. Or maybe it is responding to an accident on dead man's curve; where people are known to race on the weekends and consistently get hurt on account of their own idiocy. Whatever it is, frustration can build up when people do idiotic things especially at the same house or on the same road&#8230;.now imagine the frustration after eighteen years of responding to accidents in the same place and domestics in the same house. I'm willing to bet you might get just a bit frustrated-maybe frustrated enough to say the wrong thing on the phone. Should this trooper have said what he said? _Absolutely not._ Should he be fired? _No_ Should he be punished? _Yes._ Should we be able to understand _at least a bit_ why he said it? Absolutely!





bbelichick";p="60633 said:


> Coming from the perspective of an area where you are responding to the same houses, the same areas for accidents and locking up the same jerks (and sometimes the Jerk's kids who have become jerks-in-training) day in and day out, I can understand the frustration.
> 
> Anyone who's been a cop for more than a few months can understand that when you get the 3 am call for a one car accident, you really don't feel as up for the "we'll be there in a flash, sir!" treatment because you know that 99% of the time, it's some drunken idiot who wasn't smart enough to stay on the road. The same goes for the 911 hang up/Domestic at the same house for the 4th time in a week etc...
> 
> You respond, of course, but there's a certain frustrated feeling that comes with it.


I believe ROBOCOP1982 and bbelichick have got to the crux of this issue pretty well. There are not many people who would argue that the Trooper was not unprofessional. Yes, it sets a bad example and brings bad press to the department and profession. Definitely what the Chief, Lt, Sgt, or any officer/trooper with some pride in their job does not want to wake up to on the morning news.

The media just tells the story and glorifies the police wrongdoing for their own self-serving interests (ratings). The public views the actions from their experiences in public and at work. There is really no basis for comparison that an accountant, chef, or janitor can make to the job of a police officer. There are too many elements of the job one cannot understand until they have at least a few calls under their belt. Having said that, as great of a job being a police officer is, frustration is a big part which everyone experiences (dispatchers included).

In my opinion, the occasional overt frustration is due to the non-sense calls day in and out, general lack of respect people have for the police and themselves, the attitude that no one is ever at fault, and the gross misinterpretation that police are there to be psycho-analysts, solving all problems the public decides to call on from cats meowing too loud to a weekly argument over dinner from a couple that has not yet realized that divorce is an option. After a few decades on the job there may be some stress there. Like bbelichick eluded to, nobody likes to be Monday morning quarterbacked, I am sure everyone can think back to a time where they said something that was not right. This was the Troopers time, unfortunately it was recorded for everyone to scrutinize .

:sb:


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

I bet if this guy was a dispatcher and not a trooper y'all would be burning him at the stake.

Scott :rock:


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## BartA1 (May 5, 2002)

The trooper made a mistake and used bad judgement while speaking on a recorded line. I think a 15 day rip for discipline is a little harsh considering the troopers previous record of service. I am sure the union will get it knocked down in accordance with the departments rules of progressive discipline. I think people calling for the troopers removal are asking for a bit much. The real problem here is the media doing their usual and tugging at the heart strings of the matter. The trooper here said something insensitive that according to the investigation didn't hinder response time. If the trooper in question here did a great job and stayed on the phone and comforted the caller no one would have heard anything about the incident.


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## frapmpd24 (Sep 3, 2004)

BartA1";p="60789 said:


> The real problem here is the media doing their usual and tugging at the heart strings of the matter.


The media is a huge cause of the negative perception the public has toward the police. They are sooo accurate in their reporting and unbiased toward issues about law enforcement. :uc:


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## capefiveo (Oct 19, 2003)

Deleted post


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## capefiveo (Oct 19, 2003)

Foxracingmtnridr";p="60589 said:


> The guy is a shitbird. Why do you keep defending him? Who cares if he's a fellow officer. If I worked with him I'd sure as hell be saying the same thing to my superiors as I am saying here about him.
> 
> ...and see how _quickly_ you'll earn your "rat" label and how _slowly _your backup will arrive from that point forward.


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## capefiveo (Oct 19, 2003)

Remember, the media is not our friend.


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## TripleSeven (Aug 28, 2004)

My .02 from a civilians point of view... I actually think the penalty imposed on this Trooper was a bit harsh. I the CTSP did those only to attempt to keep the public from bitching too much. I agree with whoever said that since this Troop was an 18 yr Vet, he must have known the area well for racing and so forth.. if i do recall, he did ask the caller where it took place before the "Too bad.." commnet. I do think the comment was out of line and should have been kept to himself. Especially on a recorded line... I bet if this accident took place in another part of town where bike racing and screwing around wasn't known to be common, his demeanor would have been different.


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## MCOA41 (Sep 5, 2002)

Well "Stars and Stripes" picked up on the story page 17 in the "American Roundup" section.

Also a picture of one Dennis Johnson scraping snow and ice off his car in Bristol CT.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

MCOA41";p="60939 said:


> Well "Stars and Stripes" picked up on the story page 17 in the "American Roundup" section.
> 
> Also a picture of one Dennis Johnson scraping snow and ice off his car in Bristol CT.


Wow, it got all the way to Kuwait? I didn't realize it was _that_ big a deal.


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Y'all know I'm a bottom line guy...................

Should the trooper "lose his job" over this? No way. he is being disciplined and it may or may not be enough. thats debatable.
:-k 
Was the guy absolutely unprofessional to the point of being a complete derelict-of-duty A-hole? You bet your sweet bippy! _*In the context of this incident*_ I would like to see bbelicheck or anyone else rationalize otherwise. Pahleeze! This one "aw shit" destroys a lot of "atta-boys" for all of us!
:roll:


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## MCOA41 (Sep 5, 2002)

Believe it or not, like it or not, if it was a civilian Dispatcher that did this he/she would be out on their butts. But that is mostly due to union protection. MSP, CSP and most PD's have strong unions where the DIspatchers have weak or no unions.


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

Hey Foxracingmtnridr, is that someone pissing in your mouth on your avatar?

I think it was kind of funny, he did f*ck around, lost control of his motorcycle and he died. Too freaking bad. Why should we care so much for these ass*oles that screw around with their motor vehicles and kill themselves. One less dirtbag to prosecute at a later time, a money saver.


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## stm4710 (Jul 6, 2004)

j809";p="61087 said:


> Hey Foxracingmtnridr, is that someone pissing in your mouth on your avatar?
> 
> I think it was kind of funny, he did f*ck around, lost control of his motorcycle and he died. Too freaking bad. Why should we care so much for these ass*oles that screw around with their motor vehicles and kill themselves. One less dirtbag to prosecute at a later time, a money saver.


" What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." :roll:


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## patroldan81 (Feb 28, 2004)

j809";p="61087 said:


> Hey Foxracingmtnridr, is that someone pissing in your mouth on your avatar?
> 
> I think it was kind of funny, he did f*ck around, lost control of his motorcycle and he died. Too freaking bad. Why should we care so much for these ass*oles that screw around with their motor vehicles and kill themselves. One less dirtbag to prosecute at a later time, a money saver.


 :blink: Rough crowd!


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

patroldan81";p="61212 said:


> :blink: Rough crowd!


Always has been...always will be...


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

Hey I'm all for the kid cleaning out the gene pool and offing himself while riding his bike. I over reacted a little bit with saying the trooper should lose his job. In hindsight the punishment is probably enough if not a little too much. I didn't relly look at the whole picture and factor in the fact that he had 18 yrs on the job and that he lost the pay for the time suspended. I still think he's a jerk for saying that though even if it happens all the time you gotta think and not say it just do your job.

Sorry to give ya a little tussle of the feathers bbelichick you were right in shitting all over me.

Scott :rock:


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

No.............................
He wasn't justified in "shitting" on you. bbelichick will, as a Trooper, go to any length to defend any trooper from any state. If an Alaska State Trooper used his vehicle to push a Kodiak Bear off the Alaska Highway, and was under fire by animal rights groups, bbelichick would be collecting funds to defend the guy. I LIKE bbelichick, but probably not to the degree that he likes being the patron-saint-defender of Troopers everywhere.
:wink:


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## dcs2244 (Jan 29, 2004)

Sorry, I've been out of the loop for the past several days as I have been entertaining guests. 

Would I have said what the trooper said on the RECORDED line: No. Would I have said that (or something worse) on a line that was not recorded...you bet your sweet bippy I would have.

Resolved: PEOPLE ARE STUPID. That is why we have employment as police officers. If we were to take two weeks off, the constitution would be nothing more than a piss-yellow scrap of paper. We are the constitution, like it or not. What the police do makes civilian life possible.

That anyone could even entertain the notion that the trooper should be fired is beyond the pale. Was he callous and uncaring?: Yes. Is that wrong?: No. If you want caring and empathy, call the social workers. If you want the problem solved, call the cops. Too bad that the cop was not politically correct: neither would I be. So for you adherents of the PC movement I say: "Get stuffed"!

So another motorcycle enthusiast is dead: big deal. If he was some rice rocket kid, he begged for death. If he was some Harley guy, he probably came to the hobby as a result of a "midlife crisis": now he is dead because HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO RIDE! And the same is true for the rice rocket kid.

I don't think the trooper should have lost any time. A "letter of counseling" would have been sufficient. Meanwhile, all you civilians are welcome to go out and make a little "shrine" at the scene. If I see you doing it, I will "Lock-you-up"!.

As others have said, "just my $.02".

Oh, and yes, I do ride a motorcycle, since 1969...


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

mpd61";p="61261 said:


> No.............................
> He wasn't justified in "shitting" on you. bbelichick will, as a Trooper, go to any length to defend any trooper from any state. If an Alaska State Trooper used his vehicle to push a Kodiak Bear off the Alaska Highway, and was under fire by animal rights groups, bbelichick would be collecting funds to defend the guy. I LIKE bbelichick, but probably not to the degree that he likes being the patron-saint-defender of Troopers everywhere.
> :wink:


If that had been a local Cop instead of a Trooper, I would have had the same opinion.


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## MVS (Jul 2, 2003)

I would've said "I hate when that happens". :lol:


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## MSPField (Jan 3, 2005)

dcs2244";p="61270 said:


> Sorry, I've been out of the loop for the past several days as I have been entertaining guests.
> 
> Would I have said what the trooper said on the RECORDED line: No. Would I have said that (or something worse) on a line that was not recorded...you bet your sweet bippy I would have.
> 
> ...


You need to put a little perspective in that opinion.
Like it or not, police officers should not be callous and uncaring to people caling for help. That's not really the service they expect, nor should they.
If you want the public to support us, including our budgets and pay raises, it doesn't hurt to show a trace of compassion now and then.
Don't forget, you were a civilian once, and will be again.
Your reply goes a long way towards reinforcing the negative stereotypes many people have towards cops. I know you deal with fatalities as a matter of course but are you really that cynical now?
I suppose you'd like me to give an answer like that to one of your family members on a phone line, recorded or not?


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