UT - Trooper accused of punching woman after traffic stop

From what we know from this article, did the officer respond appropriately?


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Steely Dan

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Utah trooper accused of punching woman after traffic stop
From Rick Martin, CNN
January 23, 2011 7:35 a.m. EST



...Wright was speeding in Ogden when officers tried to pull her over, authorities said late Saturday. According to an incident report, the driver evaded police, and a chase ensued. Authorities stopped the woman by trapping her car between two vehicles.

"The suspect was still trying to escape, she had the accelerator floored and engine revving in an attempt to push our vehicles out of the way," Davenport wrote in an incident report.

Davenport said Wright would not roll down her window and gripped on the steering wheel.

On the video, Davenport is seen breaking the driver's side window, reaching into the car and repeatedly punching the woman.

"She refused to comply with commands to give us her hands," Davenport wrote. "Due to my close proximity to the suspect and my experience with Taser failure at such close distances, I delivered three close hand strikes to her head in an attempt to gain compliance with our commands. I did this to distract and stun her and to stop her from trying to drive off and strike our vehicles or possibly run us over. The strikes worked and we were able to grab her hands."...


I have no problem with what this guy did. The fact she's 53 doesn't enter into it for me. His explanation makes sense and as I just about always feel in these incidences, she never would have been hit had she pulled over at the beginning.

If this woman sues the police and gets one dime I'll :sick: Also, if the officer is anything but lightly reprimanded I'll :sick:

JMO
 
This officer did the right thing. Who is this woman to believe she is above the law and does not need to obey a traffic stop ?
She has been charged with DUI among other things, she could have easily killed someone if not stopped.
In her mugshot I did not see any indication of bruises even, she needs to have a very harsh punishment for her actions, I am disgusted just looking at her...........
 
As usual, conflicting reports on her age [some say 53, others say 59]. I am curious to know if she has a medical condition, or at least one that was enabled with her drinking that night.


Where I am from, if they trap your car like that they would just shoot out a tire so you couldn't move the vehicle. I don't understand why that wasn't used as a maneuverer before punching her in the head.

Or at least pulling the keys out of the ignition?

Also, this may just be the video quality from the CNN site but I don't hear anything or see anything closely remote to revving the engine, imo.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/23/utah.trooper.punches/index.html?iref=NS1

I am on the fence till I see how the precinct deals with the officer and this case.

(I am relieved he didn't use the tazer given the amounts of deaths that are caused at that range. So, mixed emotions here, obviously.)
 
Here's another article; http://www.standard.net/topics/utah/2011/01/22/utah-trooper-leave-after-assault-allegations-ogden



...Wright was booked into the Weber County Jail for investigation of charges that included eluding police, reckless driving, assault on a police officer and driving under the influence. But court records showed Wright was charged with just one count of third-degree felony failure to stop or respond at the command of police.

That the case was dismissed on Jan. 13.

Wright said she remembers the pain of being hit, an officer smashing her car windows and a "black glove coming through and hitting me ... just smack."

She said she wants the video of the incident seen so that individuals can decide whether Andrew Davenport's account of the incident is accurate....


She can't remember the whole incident and yet she says later in the article that it shouldn't happen to anyone again.

Here's how you could have stopped it from happening in the first place you dumb biotch.

1. Don't drink and drive
2. When the cops come up behind you and turn their lights on, pull over
3. Be respectful of the officer even though you know you're in a :censored: load of trouble. YOU CAUSED YOUR OWN PROBLEMS!!!


The sickest thing to me about this is that all of the charges against her have been dropped. :maddening:

158026.jpg
 
I'm on the fence but leaning towards the belief that the police force used was excessive. Her car seemed well-stopped and I didn't hear the engine revving. I don't know if they thought she was armed.

That said, I understand that high speed chases are tense situations for officers.
 
Here's another article; http://www.standard.net/topics/utah/2011/01/22/utah-trooper-leave-after-assault-allegations-ogden



...Wright was booked into the Weber County Jail for investigation of charges that included eluding police, reckless driving, assault on a police officer and driving under the influence. But court records showed Wright was charged with just one count of third-degree felony failure to stop or respond at the command of police.

That the case was dismissed on Jan. 13.

Wright said she remembers the pain of being hit, an officer smashing her car windows and a "black glove coming through and hitting me ... just smack."

She said she wants the video of the incident seen so that individuals can decide whether Andrew Davenport's account of the incident is accurate....


She can't remember the whole incident and yet she says later in the article that it shouldn't happen to anyone again.

Here's how you could have stopped it from happening in the first place you dumb biotch.

1. Don't drink and drive
2. When the cops come up behind you and turn their lights on, pull over
3. Be respectful of the officer even though you know you're in a :censored: load of trouble. YOU CAUSED YOUR OWN PROBLEMS!!!


The sickest thing to me about this is that all of the charges against her have been dropped. :maddening:

158026.jpg

Steely,

Why have the charges against her been dropped?
 
I think we are not getting the full effect of just how tense a situation this was. What we see on CNN video is the end of the chase. I am totally 100% on the officers side and agree with you SD.

We do not see this 53 or 59 or however old she is woman speeding down the street, LEO in hot pursuit, we do not see what leads up to them having to trap her car between two LE cars in order to get the drunken fool to stop, we do not see the possible near misses that happened during the chase and all of those things contributed to the LEO's state of mind and assesment of potential threat of this driver.

Bottom line, she never should have been on the road, she was a threat to others saftey and lives and LEO's did what was necessary to end the pursuit without harm to innocent bystanders/citizens.

This was all created by the woman who failed to follow the law and then thought she could just run off with LE in pursuit and get away with her behavior. Well guess what lady, you are no better than the 30 year old drunk dude who behaves in the way you behaved.

If the perp wer a 30 year old male automobile plant worker no one would think twice about whether the officer(s) handled the situation appropriately.

She gets zero leaway for being female and over 50 in my book.
 
I don't understand. If tasers don't work at close range, where do they work?

I've never heard of them being used long-distance.
 
I'm on the fence but leaning towards the belief that the police force used was excessive. Her car seemed well-stopped and I didn't hear the engine revving. I don't know if they thought she was armed.

That said, I understand that high speed chases are tense situations for officers.

I think we are not getting the full effect of just how tense a situation this was. What we see on CNN video is the end of the chase. I am totally 100% on the officers side and agree with you SD.

We do not see this 53 or 59 or however old she is woman speeding down the street, LEO in hot pursuit, we do not see what leads up to them having to trap her car between two LE cars in order to get the drunken fool to stop, we do not see the possible near misses that happened during the chase and all of those things contributed to the LEO's state of mind and assesment of potential threat of this driver.

Bottom line, she never should have been on the road, she was a threat to others saftey and lives and LEO's did what was necessary to end the pursuit without harm to innocent bystanders/citizens.

This was all created by the woman who failed to follow the law and then thought she could just run off with LE in pursuit and get away with her behavior. Well guess what lady, you are no better than the 30 year old drunk dude who behaves in the way you behaved.

If the perp wer a 30 year old male automobile plant worker no one would think twice about whether the officer(s) handled the situation appropriately.

She gets zero leaway for being female and over 50 in my book.

I was gonna answer SCM's question but you did it better than I could have.

I'm simply amazed at the restraint many LEO can display in situations I'd be going ape :censored: in. It's their job and it's inexcusable when something egregious is done by LE but I don't think this guy went over the edge.


Steely,

Why have the charges against her been dropped?

I don't know but I'm guessing it has to do with publicity and the possibility of a lawsuit. They may have dropped charges if she agreed not to sue. JMO

All she has to do is weep on the stand and at least one member of the jury turns to mush. JMO
 
I don't understand. If tasers don't work at close range, where do they work?

I've never heard of them being used long-distance.

I'm very unsure of some of this so somebody correct me or back me up if you have more knowledge, thanks.

I believe there are two types of tasers. The public can get hand held tasers that are used at close range. The cops have a gun that fires 3 (I think) prongs at a person. I think only two need to hit the perp to deliver the shock. PD's use them because they don't have to shoot people as much. They're a much more non-lethal weapon.
 
I'm very unsure of some of this so somebody correct me or back me up if you have more knowledge, thanks.

I believe there are two types of tasers. The public can get hand held tasers that are used at close range. The cops have a gun that fires 3 (I think) prongs at a person. I think only two need to hit the perp to deliver the shock. PD's use them because they don't have to shoot people as much. They're a much more non-lethal weapon.

My brother, a security guard, is trained to use and carries a handheld taser. My understand is that they are for exactly this type of situation (ie - someone close-ish who won't calm down).
 
I'm very unsure of some of this so somebody correct me or back me up if you have more knowledge, thanks.

I believe there are two types of tasers. The public can get hand held tasers that are used at close range. The cops have a gun that fires 3 (I think) prongs at a person. I think only two need to hit the perp to deliver the shock. PD's use them because they don't have to shoot people as much. They're a much more non-lethal weapon.

Thanks for assuming I'm too cultured and intellectual to watch TV, Dan. :)

But I'm embarrassed to confess I've seen both types used on Jackass. Obviously, the one that shoots prongs can be used from a few feet away, but neither strikes me as a "long-distance" weapon. That's why I don't understand the officer's claim that he was "too close" to use a taser. I assume he's talking about the prong-shooting type, but couldn't he have taken a step back?
 
Thanks for assuming I'm too cultured and intellectual to watch TV, Dan. :)

But I'm embarrassed to confess I've seen both types used on Jackass. Obviously, the one that shoots prongs can be used from a few feet away, but neither strikes me as a "long-distance" weapon. That's why I don't understand the officer's claim that he was "too close" to use a taser. I assume he's talking about the prong-shooting type, but couldn't he have taken a step back?

You're the one who said you'd never heard of a long distance taser. :snooty: :crazy:

I don't think cops carry hand held tasers. I think the chance of tasering themselves may be too high.
 
You're the one who said you'd never heard of a long distance taser. :snooty: :crazy:

I don't think cops carry hand held tasers. I think the chance of tasering themselves may be too high.

I suspect you are right. My point is that there is no such thing as a true "long distance" taser. The "prong shooters" only work up to six feet or so.

So why was he "too close" to use one on this woman? (Not that I'm assuming being tasered is much better than being punched.) I'm just trying to understand his logic.
 
She is lucky he just punched her a couple of times and didn't chose to tazer her. She tried to elude the police. She refused to stop or obey their commands. If she was intoxicated she needed to be stopped. If it was a medical problem she needed to be stopped. I don't believe they should have dropped the charges and I don't care if she was revving her engine or not. I am a 53 yr old woman and I don't think her age has any bearing on the situation other than she is old enough to know better!
 
ty jaxson, ITA. As a female who will be heading to 50 soon I do not think that gives me any special priviledge or right to disobey an officer of law.
 
I stand behind the officer 100%. Tasers can be fatal, and properly administered closed hand blows are typically not. he was trying to stun her, not render her dead or unconscious, while also trying to protect the lives and property of others present. It appears that he accomplished all of those goals.

I support his actions.
 
She is lucky he just punched her a couple of times and didn't chose to tazer her. She tried to elude the police. She refused to stop or obey their commands. If she was intoxicated she needed to be stopped. If it was a medical problem she needed to be stopped. I don't believe they should have dropped the charges and I don't care if she was revving her engine or not. I am a 53 yr old woman and I don't think her age has any bearing on the situation other than she is old enough to know better!

Which "medical problem" is it that we cure by punching the sufferer in the face several times? ('Cause I want to get the vaccine while there's still time.)

I don't think anyone is defending the woman's behavior, but you raise an interesting question: what if she was not just drunk but ill? (Not saying this was true. I don't know.)
 
I stand behind the officer 100%. Tasers can be fatal, and properly administered closed hand blows are typically not. he was trying to stun her, not render her dead or unconscious, while also trying to protect the lives and property of others present. It appears that he accomplished all of those goals.

I support his actions.

Sorry to stereotype genders, but I'll bet you a female officer could have solved the situation without punches or tasers, by merely speaking calmly to the driver (once her car was boxed in).
 
If this female was a cop, I can guarantee you the time for calm would have been past. She's probably lucky I wasn't the aprehending officer, I might have thrown in a couple more punches.

Course, I have a bit of a temper when pushed.

ETA besides, were the officer female I doubt very much the charges would have been dropped. The part that seems to have everyone up in arms is that the drunk was a female over 50 and the aprehending officer (punch thrower) was male. If both were female IMO this situation would not be being debated at all.
 

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