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I replied with this:
As a former police officer, certified POST in the State of California, I have to say that I am pretty disturbed at the officers actions. I myself dealt with situations where family members were rushing to hospitals, sometimes with sick family members in the vehicle. You have to have some compassion. This country has a terrible perception of police as of late anyhow, stories like this make it worse. We are not out there to take you to jail, we are out there to keep people safe. The tool lent to every officer in enforcing the laws of the state and local municipalities in their duties is JUDGEMENT and DISCRETION. I strongly believe that this officer should have utilized some discretion. There are some variables to the case to consider. 1) It was very late at night. The roads were more than likely empty in this rural area. The officer may have been bored and looking for excitement which set him off unexpectedly. 2) They were headed in the immediate direction of the hospital. Once they relayed to the officer that's where they were heading and why, my reaction, and the reaction of a large majority of officers probably would have been to follow them to the hopsital to verify, while unimpeeding the family, or offer an escort. We are not out there just to put people in jail. Sometimes community service and upholding humanity and those core family diatribes that I keep hearing President Obama talking about are far more valuable than your desire to keep your self entertained until your shift is over. I don't know that to be the case, and am responding based on what I just read here. I personally would have let them go on their way and if I doubted the story would have verified with hospital staff upon following them there. I don't feel like he did the right thing in this case if the facts are what I've just read.
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