Trooper who pulled gun on speeding cop had ticketed another

[NewsHound]

Trooper who pulled gun on speeding cop had ticketed another Miami officer earlier

From Sun-Sentinel.com

In late September, after 12 years as a Broward traffic magistrate, Tom Wich encountered something he had never seen before: a police officer standing before him as a defendant in a speeding case.

"I'll be honest with you," Wich told me Friday. "It was a first."

The defendant, a Miami police officer, was fined for speeding with his civilian car while driving off-duty in Deerfield Beach.

The Florida Highway Patrol trooper who wrote him up: Donna Jane Watts.

The same Donna Jane Watts who famously pursued and detained another speeding Miami officer, Fausto Lopez, a few weeks later on the Florida Turnpike in Hollywood. Watts said Lopez weaved through traffic in his cruiser at 120 mph, and cited him for misdemeanor reckless driving. Lopez's excuse: He was late for an off-duty detail at a private school in Coconut Creek.

That Oct. 11 incident, in which Watts approached Lopez with her gun drawn and handcuffed him, became national news with the release of images and audio from her dashboard camera last week.

"If I was a road deputy, my first reaction if I saw a cruiser going that fast would be, 'Somebody stole a police car,' " said Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti. He said Watts' approach with a gun was appropriate.

In some law-enforcement circles, Watts is being pilloried for breaking the code that cops don't cite other cops.

But I think she should be saluted for doing her job, and correctly holding police to the same standards as the rest of us. If anything, she (or her superiors) went easy on Lopez; a civilian might have been charged with felony fleeing and eluding.

"We can't be hypocritical," Lamberti said. "We can't hold motorists accountable and not abide by the same rules."

When those sworn to enforce the law act like they're above the law, we're in trouble.

It goes for the little things like speeding, and it goes for the big things, like the two Fort Lauderdale officers charged with multiple felonies including kidnapping, racketeering and theft last week. Billy Koepke and Brian Dodge, members of the street crimes unit, are accused of shaking down criminal suspects and stealing drugs and cash.

The common thread is arrogance.

They carry guns, have the power to arrest and put their lives on the line every day to protect us, but that doesn't give police the right to thumb their noses at the law — and us.

Most cops are honest and dedicated. But when police chip away at the law, expecting to get special treatment or "professional courtesy" from colleagues when they flout small stuff, it's inevitable that credibility, trust and respect take a hit. If police think they have a license to speed, might they also fudge a report, plant evidence, lie on the witness stand?

Lopez's actions showed contempt for others on the road.

"Ma'am, with all due respect," a shocked Lopez said after Watts handcuffed him.

"You don't respect me sir," Watts shot back. "You don't respect these people out here."

More power to her.

"If I was a road deputy, my first reaction if I saw a cruiser going that fast would be, 'Somebody stole a police car,' " said Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti. He said Watts' approach with a gun was appropriate.

"If police think they have a license to speed, might they also fudge a report, plant evidence, lie on the witness stand?"

WOWThese idiot politicians just dont get it. He is comparing someone speeding to planting guns??? WTF its ok to pull your gun out on another cop, for traffic?



Funny how an officer speeding is getting more coverage than Mayor Regalado being investigated by FDLE or Sarnoff and his dozen violations not to mention the recent attack on a Grove resident WTF Lamberti, you are horse manure!!!

Trooper who pulled gun on speeding cop had ticketed another Miami officer earlier

From Sun-Sentinel.com

In late September, after 12 years as a Broward traffic magistrate, Tom Wich encountered something he had never seen before: a police officer standing before him as a defendant in a speeding case.

"I'll be honest with you," Wich told me Friday. "It was a first."

The defendant, a Miami police officer, was fined for speeding with his civilian car while driving off-duty in Deerfield Beach.

The Florida Highway Patrol trooper who wrote him up: Donna Jane Watts.

The same Donna Jane Watts who famously pursued and detained another speeding Miami officer, Fausto Lopez, a few weeks later on the Florida Turnpike in Hollywood. Watts said Lopez weaved through traffic in his cruiser at 120 mph, and cited him for misdemeanor reckless driving. Lopez's excuse: He was late for an off-duty detail at a private school in Coconut Creek.

That Oct. 11 incident, in which Watts approached Lopez with her gun drawn and handcuffed him, became national news with the release of images and audio from her dashboard camera last week.

"If I was a road deputy, my first reaction if I saw a cruiser going that fast would be, 'Somebody stole a police car,' " said Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti. He said Watts' approach with a gun was appropriate.

In some law-enforcement circles, Watts is being pilloried for breaking the code that cops don't cite other cops.

But I think she should be saluted for doing her job, and correctly holding police to the same standards as the rest of us. If anything, she (or her superiors) went easy on Lopez; a civilian might have been charged with felony fleeing and eluding.

"We can't be hypocritical," Lamberti said. "We can't hold motorists accountable and not abide by the same rules."

When those sworn to enforce the law act like they're above the law, we're in trouble.

It goes for the little things like speeding, and it goes for the big things, like the two Fort Lauderdale officers charged with multiple felonies including kidnapping, racketeering and theft last week. Billy Koepke and Brian Dodge, members of the street crimes unit, are accused of shaking down criminal suspects and stealing drugs and cash.

The common thread is arrogance.

They carry guns, have the power to arrest and put their lives on the line every day to protect us, but that doesn't give police the right to thumb their noses at the law — and us.

Most cops are honest and dedicated. But when police chip away at the law, expecting to get special treatment or "professional courtesy" from colleagues when they flout small stuff, it's inevitable that credibility, trust and respect take a hit. If police think they have a license to speed, might they also fudge a report, plant evidence, lie on the witness stand?

Lopez's actions showed contempt for others on the road.

"Ma'am, with all due respect," a shocked Lopez said after Watts handcuffed him.

"You don't respect me sir," Watts shot back. "You don't respect these people out here."

More power to her.

And this from the Sheriff who had fake police I D made up so his 15 yr. old son could get in free to the SuperBowl. HYPOCRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Florida Highway Patrol Colonel David Brierton has put out an e mail to all the troopers backing 100% the actions of Trooper Donna Jane Watts.

Colonel Brierton has declared it open season on other police agencies! There is no bag limit so troopers are free to write as many as they want, in the mean time the Broward County Sheriff seeing the positive public reaction to FHP over this has OK Broward County Deputies to partake in the open season as well.

Any trooper or Broward County Deputy who bags 15 Miami Police Department officers in a month will win toaster!!! 30 confirmed Miami Police Department catches and you get a microwave oven!!!

Woo Hoo :snicker: :snicker: :snicker: :snicker:

lamberti is not a cop anymore, he is a piece of garbage politician , like the ones that run the city. He will go with what ever is popular. I bet if he were stopped in the same manner as Loez was stopped, they'll be hell to pay.