Cop leaves infant, juvenile along dark highway - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

veggihatetank · #1 05-20-2008, 04:24 AM

YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK
Cop leaves infant, juvenile along dark highway
'If that was me, I could have been charged with child abuse'

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A Colorado Highway Patrol officer who arrested a woman on a dog-law violation, leaving her 7-month-old daughter in the custody of a 15-year-old girl alongside a dark Colorado road shortly before midnight, has been dealt with, although officials won't describe their actions.

"If that was me, I could have been charged with child abuse," Keio Suapaia told the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, which carried the report about the incident.

It happened when the woman was stopped for speeding, and because of a 10-year-old warrant for a dog law violation and the fact she failed to carry her driver's license with her, she was taken into custody.

With her in the car in the traffic stop shortly before midnight April 28 on U.S. Highway 50 near Whitewater, Colo., were her 7-month-old baby girl and her 15-year-old niece. The officer had called her sister to come to the area to fetch the two children.
"I thought we'd be there until another cop car or my sister got there," Suapaia told the newspaper. She recalled that the first thing she asked Trooper Jeffrey Verbas was, "Do you think it's OK to leave them there?"

But before her sister arrived, the trooper took off to haul Suapaia to jail, leaving a 25-minute gap during which the children were left alone in the vehicle, the report said.

Capt. Ed Clark of the Colorado State Patrol said the agency became aware of the situation when the family called, and "action" has been taken regarding the trooper, but he declined to elaborate since personnel sanctions are not part of the public record.

"I can guarantee you that this is not a trend or a policy of the Colorado State Patrol," Clark told the newspaper. "Our mission is to provide a safe and secure environment, which would mean an officer should stay at the scene. I would ask the public to trust that the Colorado State Patrol handled this (issue of the officer's conduct) appropriately."

Officials said the routine for such situations is for the officer to stay with the vehicle until other family members or guardians arrive, or for the officers to transport the minors to a safe location.

"There has been some learning from this situation," Clark told the newspaper.

Suapaia said she felt helpless when the officer drove her off, and while her 15-year-old niece has a driver's permit, she was scared. But the niece's mother, when she discovered the circumstances, called authorities.

"I wanted them to know that's a bad decision that he made. My daughter was scared. Once they leave, and the lights are out, it's dark out there," she said.

The officer did not respond to the newspaper's request for an interview.

On the newspaper's forum page, "jerry" suggested more than just a personnel department case for the officer.

"There is an officer that should be charged with child abuse!" he wrote.

"What is happening to the very ones that are supposed to be PROTECTING our children and preventing child abuse not causing it?" added another forum participant. "I agree, the officer is human and makes mistakes, BUT, as an officer he is supposed to be trained in every situation to NOT make mistakes on the job, right?"

aklim · #2 05-20-2008, 09:06 AM

Read the offense people :It happened when the woman was stopped for speeding, and because of a 10-year-old warrant for a dog law violation and the fact she failed to carry her driver's license with her, she was taken into custody. If that doesn't prove she is a flight risk, what does? For all you know, it might be another 10 years before she is brought to justice.

Wait for her sister? Are you nuts? It could be somebody with a bunch of gang members that will come and beat the officer's head in and spring the woman. You can't have that.

Calling another officer? Whoa!! Now you are crossing the line. The cop needs to feel like a manly man. Can't have another officer helping him haul in some skirt.

So he left the a 7 month old kid with a 15 yo. Old enough to babysit, right? What? You want him to wait another 25 minutes and miss the Midnight Donut and Coffee special at Dunkin Donuts? Priorities.

300SD81 · #3 05-20-2008, 09:34 AM

I'd have driven home on my own if I was 15... most 15 year olds can drive, hell, most of the 14 year old freshmen I know can and do drive occasionally...

mgburg · #4 05-20-2008, 11:31 AM

The other thing the LEO could have done (DUH!) was put all three in the cruiser and haul them all in...

Or, escorted the 15yo to town, unless the "permit" that the kid had had a restriction about nighttime driving...

Anyway you look at it...this trooper had a brain-fart and it's stinking up the department.

Now, more training for those that already know better...and I'm sure some lawyer-type will require that stickers to warn any "newbies" on the force to "Think twice before acting once" are appropriately applied all over their crusiers' dashboards and in their lockers. Training films/DVDs will be made available for the additional instruction that will need to be done.

Mistress · #5 05-20-2008, 11:37 AM

Colorado.

aklim · #6 05-20-2008, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgburg

Now, more training for those that already know better...and I'm sure some lawyer-type will require that stickers to warn any "newbies" on the force to "Think twice before acting once" are appropriately applied all over their crusiers' dashboards and in their lockers. Training films/DVDs will be made available for the additional instruction that will need to be done.

Training is fine and dandy. You just can't train stupid is all.

John Doe · #7 05-20-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgburg

The other thing the LEO could have done (DUH!) was put all three in the cruiser and haul them all in...

He didn't do that because taking a child in is usually a nightmare for a cop--they have to call DHS or its equivalent and potentially line up a foster family if it will be more than 24 hours (which is usually a kick-back scam, but I won't elaborate on that at present), or he has to stay at the station until the child is placed even if it is after his shift is over, etc, ect.....

I am aware of incidents where cops have let intoxicated drivers go that had children with them for this reason.

But not all cops or lawyers are bad and the same holds true for any profession.

E150GT · #8 05-20-2008, 01:43 PM

As I like to say " T for Terrible" I bet he woulda felt bad if something had happened to those kids.

Mistress · #9 05-20-2008, 02:32 PM

The sad thing- she probably doesn't have the dog anymore...

aklim · #10 05-20-2008, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Doe

He didn't do that because taking a child in is usually a nightmare for a cop--they have to call DHS or its equivalent and potentially line up a foster family if it will be more than 24 hours (which is usually a kick-back scam, but I won't elaborate on that at present), or he has to stay at the station until the child is placed even if it is after his shift is over, etc, ect.....

I am aware of incidents where cops have let intoxicated drivers go that had children with them for this reason.

So could it be that he hoped he'd get away with doing a slipshod job because he didn't want to be bothered with the nightmare?

aklim · #11 05-20-2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E150GT

As I like to say " T for Terrible" I bet he woulda felt bad if something had happened to those kids.

I doubt it. If he would have felt bad, don't you think he wouldn't have done what he did?

John Doe · #12 05-20-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

So could it be that he hoped he'd get away with doing a slipshod job because he didn't want to be bothered with the nightmare?

That is a possibility I was trying to insinuate.

John Doe · #13 05-20-2008, 03:10 PM

Damn. I just re-read this--I can't believe it was a Trooper. In my experience with cops, Troopers are very well trained and consistently reliable, not to mention very careful about the rules ('course we won't talk about the one that used to fix my tickets

).

I can't imagine he didn't lose his job--he would have here.

E150GT · #14 05-20-2008, 03:19 PM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nDfNV9bJoSg Was it this cop?

cmac2012 · #15 05-20-2008, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Doe

Damn. I just re-read this--I can't believe it was a Trooper. In my experience with cops, Troopers are very well trained and consistently reliable, not to mention very careful about the rules ('course we won't talk about the one that used to fix my tickets

).

I can't imagine he didn't lose his job--he would have here.

My experience also. John Prine said it pretty well, not sure if I'm quoting the song exactly:

"and it aint't too funny that common sense ain't too common any more . . . "