The mother of Takara Davis, 13, was in shock as she rushed with Takara to surgery after she was hit by a car on her way back from school. Takara was in a coma and doctors were rushing to save her life when a Las Vegas police officer pulled Kellie Obong aside . . . to hand her a ticket for her daughter’s jaywalking.
Takara was trying to cross the street to catch up with friends when she was struck. While she was being prepared for surgery to stop internal bleeding, the officer felt it was an appropriate time to inform the mother that Takara was jaywalking and would have to appear in court on March 6th. Takara had been placed in a medically induced coma to save her life when the officer gave her mother the summons.
Apparently being put in a coma and nearly dying is not enough punishment for jaywalking for this officer. Even if he or she felt compelled to issue a citation, I cannot imagine how such compulsion would carry over to a hospital bed and a distraught mother. There may be good reason to establish responsibility for liability purposes for the driver, but that can be done without a ticket, or (if a ticket is deemed necessary) a personal service at the hospital bed.
While most police have far greater humanity and judgment, it is astonishing to see these scenes in hospitals (here and here and here) particularly for such minor offenses.
BBB,
… do you think Police Departments understand that in these criticisms we are trying to help them, not hurt them?
Blouise,
I think service by mail would be a much better idea in this circumstance, but I wonder if service of a traffic citation via mail is permitted in that jurisdiction. Being a tourist town, and recognizing the problems associated with service in another jurisdiction (even a different state), it may be that personal service is the rule. If it is, I think an exception needs to be created.
A friend was involved in an auto accident, injured and unconscious, she was taken to the hospital. The accident was her fault and a week later the ticket and summons arrived by registered mail at her home.
I’m wondering … perhaps Las Vegas no longer has mail delivery.
Often the addition of the police badge gives some the license to bully, or engage in other forms of sadism. This freedom of operation is supported by the mentality of fear promoted by our media, especially with its’ over proliferation of police dramas constantly reinforcing the supposed heroism of LEO’s.
Yet another example of the lack of proper training and actions by law enforcement. This topic screams out for a need of higher education.
I agree. The lack of sensitivity seems to be incredible.
Could the officer’s actions have anything to do with Arizona or Las Vegas law? Does the citation need to be issued in order to relieve the driver who hit her of culpability?
mahtso,
I thought about the lawsuit angle, as well, when I read the story. Lawyers (other than mahtso, is s/he is one)? (You make some good points. Mine was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction — my point about “jaywalking WB”…)
A good reminder to collect the facts, before leaping to conclusions. Thanks.
To those who allege that the ticket was b/c the child appears to be African American: what was the race of the police officer? Do you know, or are you projecting?
I suspect the driver of the car will be grateful to the officer when she is sued by the family. To me, that is one good reason to ticket people even when it appears insensitive.
Would you say that a severely injured driver who was the cause of an accident that caused her injury should not be ticketed? What if that driver was drunk?
I met a woman who was imprisoned for a week for failure to renew her car registration while her daughter was being treated for cancer.
I honestly could not think of anything to explain the officer’s actions.
The only thing that would explain his/her actions would be this word: desensitization.
Keep in mind that I am not defending his/her actions, because had that happened while I was there (which I’m not, thanks goodness), I would have given him/her a good, long talk about humanity. I guess maybe he’s used to giving tickets to next of kin or family member if someone end up in hospital because it was their fault for getting into car accidents, etc.
In my opinion, they should reveal all names involved, that would be fair enough punishment as they go under scorns of public.
Dear Officer Dipstick,
She got HIT BY A CAR.
If jaywalking is your concern, I’m pretty sure that will be a greater deterrent to her jaywalking in the future than you meeting you ticket quota.
Are you just that lazy or didn’t you have something better to do?
from the above article:
“…to hand her a ticket for her daughter’s jaywalking.”
============
Carlyle Moulton,
The young girl “jaywalked” (“while black”, as you correctly state (IMO)), and the mother was merely handed the ticket.
A serious offense, jaywalking…
This is what happens when you have police who do not have roots in the community of which they patrol,its a us against them mentality that seems to prevail
“While most police have far greater humanity and judgment”.. I do think that’s an overstatement,.. try ‘some police’.
The most important thing in life is to have your priorities straight… police seldom do.
Say whaaaaaaa??? a ticket for jay walking, that nuts, hell I walk my jay all the time, have for years and never go a ticket……
If the picture at he top is of Tamara and her mother, then it may explain the officers excessive zeal. Tamara was not just jay walking but jay walking while black, a much more serious offense.
Professor Turley.
Question. Who was jay walking and got the ticket, the 13 year old or the mother?
The ambiguity here is not extreme but you could make it clearer.
You don’t have to go far to figure out why the officer did not have more humanity and judgment. Quote from NY Daily, “The Las Vegas Police Department defended its officers in a statement.”
Names! We need names, I say. At least make this officer look bad at his next Rotary club meeting.
Here’s the police statement about the incident tempered because the case is “still under investigation”:
“Our officers conduct themselves in a professional and compassionate way. We wouldn’t do anything deliberately insensitive.”
Of course not it’s a humanitarian organization, after all, but still investigating a jaywalking case?
Eddie “Popeye Doyle” Egan — where are you when we need you!