Category: Sport Author : Duncan Riley Posted: March 29, 2009
Tags : dallas police department, dallas police officer robert powell, Maritza Thomas, officer robert powell, robert powell dallas police, ryan moats, ryan moats nfl, Zach Thomas
Douche bag Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell has apologized over the Ryan Moats affair, despite previously telling police investigators that he had done nothing wrong.
NFL player Ryan Moats and his family were prevented from seeing Moats mother-in-law as she died in hospital by Powell after Moats ran a red light. Powell among other things drew a gun on the family, and purposely prevented Moats from entering the hospital despite the situation being explained. The mother-in-law died during this time, and the whole thing was caught on tape.
Powell said in a statement:
“I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department, and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions on March 18, 2009. After stopping Mr. Moats’ vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions. With great remorse I accept my responsibility for adding to their grief in an already difficult time.”
It turns out though that Powell wasn’t just having a bad day. NFL player Zach Thomas has come forward saying that Powell once jailed his wife Maritza Thomas for three hours after issuing her five tickets for an illegal U-turn. Four of the citations, which included an incorrect address on her drivers license and a missing a registration sticker were later waived in court.
Thomas said in a statement that “This in no way compares to what happened to Ryan Moats and his family…But we wanted to tell our story, not knowing how many others have been affected by Officer Powell. We know the vast majority of the Dallas police force are good and professional people, but this guy just seems excessive.”
“This situation never should have happened,” said Maritza Thomas’ attorney, Brody Shanklin. “Unless extraordinary circumstances exist, no person should be arrested for a Class C citation. In this case, it was an example of Officer Powell being overzealous and exerting his authority in a manner that he never should have.”
Thomas’ wife is Hispanic.
(in part via Dallas News)
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Mar 29, 2009
FIRE THE SKINHEAD………….
Mar 29, 2009
Im so sick of these cops who think they can do whatever they want. throw the book at the son of a bitch. and let it be a lesson to the rest of them to get a grip on there humanity. i think they should have a public venue where they bring this guy on stage and publicly slap him in the face. then take his badge and uniform and condemn him to civilian life forever.
Mar 30, 2009
I think this horrible, too many cops get away with this behavior. They should seriously monitor every single encounter police have with civilians. Especially on traffic stops. They should be required to have the suspect and themselves in the frame of the vehicle bound cameras and every arrest/ticket should be reviewed by some type of board.
Mar 30, 2009
Officer ?? This idiot of a person is no officer…
Police is here to serve and protect…he is just a racist punk in a uniform….
Hope fully Dallas finest will fire this moron…what a looser of a man…
Mar 31, 2009
What a piece of shit. This guy is not sorry He just got caught. Obviously a low life who cannot handle the position of a Police Officer. Definitely on a Power trip. Authority driven. RACIST!!!! Fire this piece of shit.
Mar 31, 2009
What is the world coming to? Seriously, we have rules for the road, dying loved one or not you MUST follow the rules. Just because you are part of the NFL does not change anything. This officer is brave and did absolutely nothing wrong. For those that think he did, think again. No matter where you are going, where you are at, you diobey the rules of the road there is a chance of getting caught. This is the police’s job to catch people that are disobeying the law. If this man gets fired from doing his job, very well might I add, those of you that are thinking that he deserved it. May you lay restful because it’s men like him that keep our roads safe. Too bad if NFL running back didn’t stay at the hospital with his family, that’s too bad, now what if he ran that stop sign and side swiped a mini van with three young kids, would the news story be different then? In general, people need to think about all aspects of the story, not just police officers are bad. I say GOOD JOB Officer ROBERT POWELL!
Mar 31, 2009
wow seriously you other comments are calling this guy any name in the “racist book” and you call him racist.. it's no wonder NFL retards are getting away with murder because if idoits like you that think ever officer is bad for protecting our citizens. Get off your drugs and start thinking straight, this man was doing his job. and for the comment about public humiliation, which didn't have the balls to put your name, nice.. that's a nice touch when you can't even stand behind your comment and put your name. As for “Ed” isn't it funny how you can call him a “skinhead” yet we can't call that NFL fella the “N word”. This story is just a publicity stunt for the stupid moron and his dumbass family that are rich and don't want to obey the rules!
Mar 31, 2009
Natasha,
You are a freaking moron! Yes Ryan Moat ran a red light and deserves a traffic citation. But then again, I think Ryan Moat is even more deserving to be at his dying mother's last minutes. Even after a nurse informed of Officer Powell of what is happening, he still refuses to let Moat into the hospital. This is where the issue is. No he did nothing wrong according to the book but if he must write a citation, Powell could've waited till after the ordeal…. If he was so justed, then why would his police chief condamn his actions?
Put yourself in Ryan Moats shoes and tell us how you would feel. Powell is a douche bag, and you are a freaking retard.
Mar 31, 2009
Natasha – your last name Powell by chance? Get a grip – you can't be serious that you think Powell was in the right. Sure the traffic stop was legit but once the nurse came out AND another police officer tried to get Powell to relent and let Moats into the hospital, Powell should've realized this was a serious situation and let Moats proceed into the hospital. You talk like Moats was driving like a crazy person to the hospital – looks to me like he did everything right – and you damn right I'd do the same if a member of my family lay dying in the hospital. He looks like one of those cops who thinks their shit doesn't stink and they can do whatever they want because of that badge. Fire his ass and send him to Tom Thumb to bag groceries.
Mar 31, 2009
I think Powell is a Sadist – seriously, I think he does this kind of shit then beats off in his squad while thinking about how he controlled someone's life by depriving them of their freedom (Maritza Thomas) or dictating how their life unfolds (Moats family).
Mar 31, 2009
Natasha, how sanctimonious you are and what a simple mind you have. (Do you watch Les Miserables and not understand why Javert isn't the hero?) The red light is not some moral bright line recognized by all. Under the appropriate circumstances, it is acceptable to ignore it. Would it be acceptable to run a red light to save a child? Of course. If someone was dying in the car should the driver wait patiently at a red light with no other cars around while the injured person bleeds to death? Of course not. The question, then, is was this an appropriate circumstance to disregard the red light. While the officer could be expected to flip on the lights and pull the driver over, even the police chief agrees the officer's decisions after the stop were stupid.
Just to thwart any ad hominem attacks, I don't take drugs and believe I am a pretty logical thinker. While I hope the officers action wasn't influenced by Ryan Moat's race (google the video of the state trooper in Utah using the taser after a speeding stop to see a similar attitude displayed where race wasn't an issue), if it wasn't that just means the power associated with the badge and the gun has thoroughly corrupted this officer. I personally do not want officers with this attitude on the police force in my city.
And to your comments about the family being rich and not wanting to obey the rules, read the story and watch the video. At no point do they attempt to interject status or privilege into the discussion. In fact, I must say I was impressed by the number of times Ryan used 'sir' in the conversation. I don't believe I would have acted that calmly. Your attack and hostility to the the family only seems to expose your feelings of inferiority and insecurity.
Mar 31, 2009
natasha you are retarded, its pretty obvious you dont understand the entire story. you ramble on how he is an nfl running back, if you actually watched the film or listened to ryan moats' interview he never told officer scumbag that he was an nfl player. AND your interpreting it like he ran through the light at 80 mph. again if you had paid attention or got your information correct, you would have known that he rolled through the stop sign. when ppl roll through a stop sign, they slow down and go through. also how is this just a publicity stunt?!?!? this really happen as you would have seen on the film, o o wait a second, you didnt watch the tape cause you dont know what the hell is going on, i guess that means you need to shut the hell up, that wat i would do if i were you. and just so you know skinhead and the “n” word dont even compare to each other, with all that said you are truely ignorant
Apr 1, 2009
Im sick of hearing stories like this, Police abusing there powers. Why can't the government and police just leave us the hell alone! I was born into this world not to be enslaved by others and tolled what to do and how to think and how to do it. In the end it is the peoples fault for alowing this kind of crap to go on year after year. We should take back the police the government the military after all they work for US, the tax payers. I'd fire them all, by the way why the hell do we have to pay for medical that should be free for everyone not just the rich. Fire the lot of em!
Apr 1, 2009
Yet another a**hole pig cop.
Apr 1, 2009
If you read the story closely, Ryan Moats, the NFL quarterback, waited until there was no traffic before going through the light. Also, at no point did he announce that he was a celebrity, nor did he ask for preferential treatment. Just FYI
Apr 1, 2009
“Douche bag police officer?!?”
That's not called for.
Powell screwed up… more than once, it appears… and he's bitten the bullet and resigned. DPD will be the better for his absence,and some others may benefit from this as an object lesson.
But “douche bag police officer?!?” How old are you, anyhow?
Apr 1, 2009
“Douche bag police officer?!?”
That's not called for.
Powell screwed up… more than once, it appears… and he's bitten the bullet and resigned. DPD will be the better for his absence,and some others may benefit from this as an object lesson.
But “douche bag police officer?!?” How old are you, anyhow?
Apr 1, 2009
Glad he quit. I'm sure he was under alot of pressure to do so. And let's hope this guy is never allowed to work in public service again. But unfortunately I'm sure there are thousands more out there just like him. Let's hope this sets an example and sends a message to other officers who don't quite “get” what it means to work FOR the people NOT against them. They need to remember their slogan: To Serve AND Protect”.
Apr 1, 2009
Glad he quit. I'm sure he was under alot of pressure to do so. And let's hope this guy is never allowed to work in public service again. But unfortunately I'm sure there are thousands more out there just like him. Let's hope this sets an example and sends a message to other officers who don't quite “get” what it means to work FOR the people NOT against them. They need to remember their slogan: To Serve AND Protect”.
Apr 1, 2009
Glad he quit. I'm sure he was under alot of pressure to do so. And let's hope this guy is never allowed to work in public service again. But unfortunately I'm sure there are thousands more out there just like him. Let's hope this sets an example and sends a message to other officers who don't quite “get” what it means to work FOR the people NOT against them. They need to remember their slogan: To Serve AND Protect”.
Apr 1, 2009
Excuse me natasha but are you saying that if someone was having a baby or was injured and somene was driving them to the hospital past the speed limit that a cop should stop and detail them causing the person in the car to die or the person having the baby to have it in the car or lose the baby. There is always an exception to a rule and human compassion should come above this. He could have taken the guys license number and dealth with it later and let him go into the hospital to see his dying mother in law before she died. Human compassion should come above something such as running a light.
your stupid scenerio of sideswiping a mini van with kids is Stupid in that the NFL guy made sure before he went thru the light there was no traffic.
Also you are wrong on the account of him expecting special treatment becuase he was an NFL player. He didnt even tell the cop who he was which shows what a decent human being he was and undeserving of such a thing. There are bad cops as well as bad civilians and its is absurd for you defend one of the bad cops. Of course I think your defense of someone who had not compassion for someone shows what kind of person you are in that you have no human caring for others either. To you rules are rules that cant be bent but rules aer not always the best thing in emergencies.
Apr 1, 2009
God forbid YOU have a loved one DYING in the hospital! What are you going to do, drive 10 miles an hour when it's a life and death emergency? It had NOTHING to do Ryan Moats being an NFL football player, thinking he could run the red light, his family member WAS DYING, DO YOU GET IT?. Where is your humanity? You are a PRIME example of what's wrong with society today, bitter,ignorant with lack of humanity and humility! I really hope you find yourself in this kind of situation as Ryan Moats did, because for some reason, callous people like you can't be empathetic, until tragedy strikes home for them. I'm glad this cop resigned, because eventually he would have gotten fired. Let this be a lesson to ALL the punks with badges that spoil it for GOOD cops with humility and humanity, it catches up with you sooner or later.
Apr 1, 2009
you sre a law an order at any cost person ,,, beware ma'am…because that is all coldness an no humanity
Apr 1, 2009
Whatadick
Apr 1, 2009
haha people like natasha make me laugh
i hope one day ur lying in the hospital dying and your son tries to visit you but some “Powell” comes along and stops ur son and you died of cancer.
shut the f*** up you heartless dumb bitch and go burn in hell with powell.
maybe he'll arrest you too in hell.
Apr 2, 2009
Natasha,
You are the biggest idiot I've ever encountered on one of these sites. It's impossible to think that Powell was in the right If you read the story or watched the video. I hope you never feel the pain and frustration this family did because of this man. Again, you're an idiot.
Apr 4, 2009
First of all your grammatical errors and sentence structure are pathetic. Secondly, I hope that your mom,dad,sister, or child even is lying at the point of death in a hospital and you have literally minutes before they expire and you are stopped and given the 3rd degree by a black cop who, DOES HIS JOB, as you put it and see how you feel. It is painfully clear that either your a white racist or you have an IQ of about 16. Am I in the ballpark?
Apr 4, 2009
Natasha,First of all let's be real your name is not “natasha”. You are a white guy. Probably terrified to death of black guys, so in turn you hate them. You hate guys like Mr. Moates even more because he has things that you will never get. You mention the”N” word, but anytime you”W” words are pitted against us “N” words in any type of physical event where the playing field is level the results are humiliating,for you guys that is. This officer acted unprofessionally and inhumanly. I would not be surprised if you were robert powell or a close next of kin.
Oct 16, 2009
Natasha,
Really…So beacause this man blessed with the ability to play Pro Football and get paid for it he’s a moron and his family are dumbasses. For the record this went to a real college and got a real education while there. Face it, there is a large percentage of police who are either corrupt or have a serious ego trip because they carry a badge and gun. Like you said, Ryan Moats shouldn’t get away with anything just because he’s rich; but Office Powell shouldn’t be able to treat people like dirt because he’s a cop. Oh and if you watch the video, Moats never said anything about being a pro ball player…