FHP Trooper/MPD Incident

Over the past few days, there has been a lot of talk about the incident involving Officer Fausto Lopez and Trooper Watts and while it is unfortunate that the incident occurred at all, we must all try hard to see the bigger picture and remember that at the end of the day, we are all law enforcement professionals who must act as such no matter our opinion. On this site there has been threats and talk of war against FHP and even flashing lights campaigns and this is even more unfortunate. At the end of the day, two wrongs don't make a right and engaging in bad behavior against fellow law enforcers will not change what already happened. It will only make matters worse. Maybe it is time that we as role models take a deep long and thoughtful look in the mirror and see what it is that has caused the public to view us as bullies and criminals with badges who walk around enforcing laws that we have no personal regard for obeying ourselves. Now, I know that people will call me all sort of names upon reading this and that is fine. Rant away if you must, but that will not change the larger view of us. Just look at the signs. The general public has recently vote to slash pensions for cops in Hollywood, we have endured several years of budget balancing on the backs of the men and women in blue in the City of Miami, the media takes cheap shots at us at every turn forgetting the fact that in addition to a ticket and court appearance Fausto, unlike John Q. Citizen, could become unemployed for his actions before this is all done, and all over south Florida, our image is assailed time and time again. What have we done and what are we doing to have people view us that way? This is a call for self reflection no matter how you look at it. Like it or not, the public no longer views us as heroes and every time we trash each other on this site, and act like we are above the law, and paint a picture of us verses them when it comes to our citizens, we do our reputation even more damage. Like it or not, if we do not hold ourselves to a higher standard, the public will. It is time to grow up and restore our pride if we ever want to be viewed in a manner deserving of this great and noble profession. Fausto should have thought about that somewhere between zero and 120 miles per hour. Watts, on the other hand, needs to bone up on matters of officer safety because had it been a stolen police car, her tactical approach was so poor that she would easily have been killed by a criminal hoping to escape ... Common sense, judgement and remedial training is what she needs. As for the rest of us, officers and troopers alike, we need a little self reflection and to work to restore the public's trust. Now, talk away but my points are valid and you know it.

Very true.

Finally an officer with common sense. Every officer and trooper down here needs to read your post. Citizens are tired of the double standards. No more putting your lights on to go through a light to get home ( yes I have seen a delray cop do this) or elsewhere for personal business. And my pet peeve - No more speeding to your Broward or Dade LEO job from PB and Martin Counties. I see this every day on southbound turnpike. Have a good day and stay safe.

Hey Cracker!! It makes sense what you wrote!!16kuys9

Succinctly put by 'The Management'.

Just remember "character" is how one conducts themselves when no one is watching.

When I was 5 years old, I was taught -ALL- police officers where 'gold'; unfortunately, 50 years later that is no longer the general consensus. Fortunately, that can be rectified by the personal will to attain excellence, buttressed by others of the same mindset. That is what the brotherhood of the righteous is all about; that is the actual unbreakable strength of those who wear the shield.

[cruisingbull]

First, I consider myself a great supporter of ALL LEO's. Y'all have committed to performing a job which is often aggravating and unrewarded, and you continually find yourself in life-threatening situations.

That said, I cannot understand how some LEOs are criticizing the FHP officer who stopped a speeding (120 mph?) Miami cop, threatening to deprive her of Back-Up on subsequent calls and/or chastising her for drawing her weapon when initially confronting the Miami cop in his car.

As the situation has been reported in thw news, the perp (yes, I am using that term in this case) was traveling, in a Miami PD marked car, at speeds in excess of 100 mph, without using flashing lights or siren. I don't know how long before he pulled over... The FHP officer approached the car with her weapon drawn. WELL, OF COURSE... IMO, she exercised remarkable restraint, and perhaps broke protocol, when she holstered her weapon after the Miami cop presumably identified him in some fashion as a fellow LEO. Had it been me, I would have ordered him out of the car, told him to assume the position, frisked him, and confiscated his weapon if he had one, before I obtained some confirmation of his identity. She didn't know him from Adam, IIRC, and he could have been an escaped felon who had stolen the patrol vehicle.

And what on Earth was the dispatcher doing advising her to fall back and discontinue pursuit when the FHP person initially called it in. If she knew something, Dispatch should have informed the FHP officer, and WHY would Dispatch choose to ignore a vehicle speeding at over 100 mph IN THE FIRST PLACE?!!?

I am admittedly a civilian; therefore, the reader may feel my opinion is irrelevant. Yet, if I were you, I would take to heart "Management's" comment re the need to not disregard inconvenient laws simply because you are a LEO... Take care, and be safe!

Well stated "Management". To whom much is given, much is required. Too many LEOs are speeding while off duty (going home, going to work) with impunity. 91 is rife with them. Let's put an end to this. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. FHP has a duty to effectively patrol 91. Miami Officer, if you were in the FHP's position what would you have done? Making threats is against the law.

[PoPomann]

Back in August on the Homestead extension Northbound just east of NW 27th ave, my wife who is retired from CGPD was pulled over for speeding in a construction zone 60 in a 45. My wife explained to her that there was no post of the speed limit sign until she came over the crest of a Hill and that she was reducing her speed accordingly. She asked to be extended some professional courtesy seeing as she served 25 years with CGPD and that I(her husband) was currently serving as a police officer(23 years of service).During this time my wife had her cellphone in her lap with me on the line. She gave her the citation and threw the citation in her lap.I arrived on scene shortly after she threw the citation in her lap and I told my wife not to worry that we would just take care of it in court. My wife pulled off and I stared back at Tpr Watts as she sat in her vehicle with a look of disgust. She exited her vehicle and said in a nasty tone "Is there something you wish to say to me Sir!" I told her no as she tried to justify her actions by saying she wrote my wife because she had a nasty attitude. Again I heard the entire exchange and at no time was my wife rude or disrespectful, actually she was apologetic and pleading for professional courtesy. So at this point I definitely know that she is a liar and had no integrity to the point that she would lie to a fellow officer.
My wife was going to file a complaint for throwing the citation in her lap but I told her not to. I was amazed to see her back at it on 7 news, this time totally disregarding her superiors to back off and then drawing her weapon and speaking to a fellow officer as a typical criminal! She has obviously has it out for cops!!! An apparent personal vendetta against city cops!.
I was watching the video closely as she says he is doing 120mph, however at that moment they are passing a gas tanker truck, and that dont pass it as if they were doing 120 MPH! ( I've been radar certified since 1991 thats 20 years of writing speeding tickets) unless that tanker truck was doing 105 to 110 there is no way that the city of Miami Police vehicle was doing 120. She was definately lying about that officers speed!!! She's obviously lied to a fellow officer, disregarded a direct order from a superior officer to back off and treated a fellow officer as a criminal! She has no integrity! Why aren't people seeing what I am seeing in the video that the vehicles are not coming up on traffic or passing traffic as a vehicle would traveling at 120MPH!!!!!

Back in August on the Homestead extension Northbound just east of NW 27th ave, my wife who is retired from CGPD was pulled over for speeding in a construction zone 60 in a 45. My wife explained to her that there was no post of the speed limit sign until she came over the crest of a Hill and that she was reducing her speed accordingly. She asked to be extended some professional courtesy seeing as she served 25 years with CGPD and that I(her husband) was currently serving as a police officer(23 years of service).During this time my wife had her cellphone in her lap with me on the line. She gave her the citation and threw the citation in her lap.I arrived on scene shortly after she threw the citation in her lap and I told my wife not to worry that we would just take care of it in court. My wife pulled off and I stared back at Tpr Watts as she sat in her vehicle with a look of disgust. She exited her vehicle and said in a nasty tone "Is there something you wish to say to me Sir!" I told her no as she tried to justify her actions by saying she wrote my wife because she had a nasty attitude. Again I heard the entire exchange and at no time was my wife rude or disrespectful, actually she was apologetic and pleading for professional courtesy. So at this point I definitely know that she is a liar and had no integrity to the point that she would lie to a fellow officer.
My wife was going to file a complaint for throwing the citation in her lap but I told her not to. I was amazed to see her back at it on 7 news, this time totally disregarding her superiors to back off and then drawing her weapon and speaking to a fellow officer as a typical criminal! She has obviously has it out for cops!!! An apparent personal vendetta against city cops!.
I was watching the video closely as she says he is doing 120mph, however at that moment they are passing a gas tanker truck, and that dont pass it as if they were doing 120 MPH! ( I've been radar certified since 1991 thats 20 years of writing speeding tickets) unless that tanker truck was doing 105 to 110 there is no way that the city of Miami Police vehicle was doing 120. She was definately lying about that officers speed!!! She's obviously lied to a fellow officer, disregarded a direct order from a superior officer to back off and treated a fellow officer as a criminal! She has no integrity! Why aren't people seeing what I am seeing in the video that the vehicles are not coming up on traffic or passing traffic as a vehicle would traveling at 120MPH!!!!!

I have radar certified since 1994 and I saw the same thing you did and she also lost sight of the vehicle and was panning the roadway trying to find the vehicle again. SHE IS A DISGRACE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cop:

Professional courtesy? you got to be kidding me; being or having worked as a police officer should not be a reason for you to get away breaking the law and if you break the law you should receive appropriate punishment!!! It sounds like corrupt behavior to me and you and your wife should be ashamed of yourselves for even bringing that up. Driving 15 miles over the limit in a construction zone is just plain irresponsible and yes you and your wife should ask for "professional courtesy" to the judge and see how that goes...! I Gov Scott and the legislature ought to do something so our law enforcement understands they are not above the law!!!

We are talking basically about Police Officers breaking traffic laws when either while on OR off duty. Officer Fausto could think of it another way... a way that I have YET to hear voiced. Police are there ONLY to SERVE THE PUBLIC. They have thier jobs because of THE PUBLIC. They are PAID thier wages because of THE PUBLIC... But has anyone said anything about the DANGER he was TO THE PUBLIC by traveling on a road at top end speeds!? For no apparrent job related reason?
What would have happend IF this officer would have lost control of his cruiser at that speed? Did anyone SEE the other Law Abiding Citizens that he passed at those speeds? I live in Key Largo... and we have just had a Sheriff that died from loosing controls of her cruiser in the wee hours of the morning from traveling at speeds well over 100mph. Say what you will... but we "Conchs" know it was *NOT* connected to her duties as a Police officer. Not to mention her family is SUEING EVERYONE because of HER NEGLIGENCE! Right down to the construction crane that she ended up crashing into that was parked on PRIVATE PROPERTY... and has been parked there for YEARS! The only good thing that came out of this was she ( the officer) did not kill anyone else. Being that it was in the wee hours of the morning and on an island I think is the only reason for that. But this Miami Officer I dont think, EVER thought about the people lives the Fl Troopers might have saved by pulling him over and STOPPING his high speed pursuit of NOTHING! I mean... isnt that one of the things officers of the law is supposed to do??!! PROTECT the CITIZENS?
My hat is off to this Florida Trooper for doing her JOB!!! No matter WHO it was BREAKING THE LAW!