Remember Giants QB Kyle Lauletta?

[DaveBrown74]

That is ONE side of the story, I have not heard the police officer's side. Why do certain people always believe the one side that sort of suits their agenda?

Anyway, still doesn't answer why whoever didn't obey the command of the officer, no matter how silly, stupid, or irrelevant.
Great, you may be in the right, but you also could be injured or even shot dead because you have no idea what is going thru the officer's mind at that particular moment.

Do you look both ways crossing a street even if you have the right of way? Do you really believe every car will stop because you are in a crosswalk and the law says cars must stop? You could be 100% in the right, but you will also be injured or dead.

No matter how silly, stupid, or whatever a police officer's command may be, you, as a citizen, are required to obey it and THEN sort if out.

Lenn,

In a sense, we sort of have heard the police's side of the story. They released an official police report detailing their account of the incident, and they brought charges against Scheffler. To me that qualifies as their "side" of the story.

As far as people auto-assuming things that suit an agenda, I know where you're coming from there, and I try not to always auto-assume the worst about cops until I have enough information where I feel that view is firmly backed up by facts. What I would say though is Scheffler has a pretty pristine reputation and is universally considered a great guy, a family guy, a person of faith, etc. He is the last person anyone would consider a trouble maker. While none of that guarantees he did not step over the line in this incident, his reputation probably earns him the benefit of the doubt, which, quite frankly, everyone accused of a crime in this country is entitled to.

[uconnjack8]

I don't know either guy involved, but have a hunch there is a little culpability on both sides.   Seems like a situation that could have been easily avoided. 

[MightyGiants]

Lenn,

In a sense, we sort of have heard the police's side of the story. They released an official police report detailing their account of the incident, and they brought charges against Scheffler. To me that qualifies as their "side" of the story.

As far as people auto-assuming things that suit an agenda, I know where you're coming from there, and I try not to always auto-assume the worst about cops until I have enough information where I feel that view is firmly backed up by facts. What I would say though is Scheffler has a pretty pristine reputation and is universally considered a great guy, a family guy, a person of faith, etc. He is the last person anyone would consider a trouble maker. While none of that guarantees he did not step over the line in this incident, his reputation probably earns him the benefit of the doubt, which, quite frankly, everyone accused of a crime in this country is entitled to.

Jeff,

That was very well said     A man spends a lifetime building/earning a reputation and that reputation should mean something in times like this. To assume this man is guilty is just plain wrong. 

[Philosophers]

That is ONE side of the story, I have not heard the police officer's side. Why do certain people always believe the one side that sort of suits their agenda?

Anyway, still doesn't answer why whoever didn't obey the command of the officer, no matter how silly, stupid, or irrelevant.
Great, you may be in the right, but you also could be injured or even shot dead because you have no idea what is going thru the officer's mind at that particular moment.

Do you look both ways crossing a street even if you have the right of way? Do you really believe every car will stop because you are in a crosswalk and the law says cars must stop? You could be 100% in the right, but you will also be injured or dead.

No matter how silly, stupid, or whatever a police officer's command may be, you, as a citizen, are required to obey it and THEN sort if out.

Lenn - Why do you assume someone has an agenda?

Dont for a second think no matter how a police officer behaves or what or how he says it does not matter as to the outcome of the incident.

In everything in life how a person enters a situation matters.

[Jclayton92]

It also matters where it happened even though it shouldnt. I grew up in Mississippi but spent the past 12 years of my life in Los Angeles. I go back to the Southeast for work and Mississippi when going to most of the Ole Miss games in the fall and the law is completely different.

Los Angeles cops have to deal with so much that they aren't so petty. They aren't going to pull over someone for a failed signal, tag light being out, or anything small/petty.

Mississippi/Southeast cops I have found will find any minor infraction or reason to pull someone over.

These cops were clearly not prepared for what they were dealing with and over reacted to the situation. You would likely have not seen the same reaction to something so insignificant or the rush to detain and arrest if this had been in or around a major metropolitan area.

Just my opinion though.

[Philosophers]

It also matters where it happened even though it shouldnt. I grew up in Mississippi but spent the past 12 years of my life in Los Angeles. I go back to the Southeast for work and Mississippi when going to most of the Ole Miss games in the fall and the law is completely different.

Los Angeles cops have to deal with so much that they aren't so petty. They aren't going to pull over someone for a failed signal, tag light being out, or anything small/petty.

Mississippi/Southeast cops I have found will find any minor infraction or reason to pull someone over.

These cops were clearly not prepared for what they were dealing with and over reacted to the situation. You would likely have not seen the same reaction to something so insignificant or the rush to detain and arrest if this had been in or around a major metropolitan area.

Just my opinion though.

Well said.

[AZGiantFan]

These cops were clearly not prepared for what they were dealing with and over reacted to the situation. You would likely have not seen the same reaction to something so insignificant or the rush to detain and arrest if this had been in or around a major metropolitan area.

Just my opinion though.

As I read the accounts it wasn't these cops, it was this cop.  And he was a detective and not experienced in a situation like this (pure conjecture - was he already a little pissed and out of sorts to be called out in the rain to do crowd control instead of investigating the fatality ?).  And he (and the others, to be fair) were wearing yellow optical vests so it might not have been apparent that he was even a cop.  A cop told Sheffler to bypass the traffic and he was doing what he was told.  Then this guy got involved.  And I repeat a point I made earlier, what kind of idiot tries to stop a car by grabbing it and holding on when it doesn't stop.  I also found it amusing that the last line of the police report was about his ruined beyond repair uniform trousers, valued at $80.

I'm a very conservative guy and I pretty much knee-jerk support the cop in controversial cases, but from what I've read, given the circumstances and Sheffler's reputation as the straightest of straight arrows, not this time.