There is a disturbing case out of New Mexico where police fired into a van full of children after the mother tried to drive away from officers. As shown on the video below, an officer stopped Oriana Ferrell on a routine traffic stop only to see her drive away. What followed was a chase, smashing windows of the van, and the shocking decision of an officer to fire into a vehicle with kids in the backseat.
First and foremost, it should be noted that Ferrell had violated a host of laws. She fled the scene, engaged in a high-speed chase, resisted arrest, and police say that they found two marijuana pipes in the car. However, it is the discharge of the weapon that shocked many of us.
Ferrell was originally pulled over for going 71 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone. She argues with the officer who goes back to his car only to see Ferrell drive away. At this point, he is aware that there are five children in the car aged 6 to 18.
He then pulls her over again and yells at her to get out of the van. When she refuses, he tries to force her out. When her teenage son gets out to confront him, the officer pulls his taser and the teen goes back into the car.
He tells her that she will be charged and to get out as she argues with him. She inexplicably insists that she did nothing wrong and “didn’t run away.” She gets out of the car and the officer tells her to face the van to be cuffed. After she locks herself back into the van, the officer takes his baton and starts to break windows even though he knows that children are seated inside. The flying glass constitutes an obvious threat to the children and this is the first serious breach that I can see. I do not understand why they do not immobilize the van or why he decides to break the window next to the children rather than the driver.
As he is smashing the windows, she drives away. That is when another officer fires three shots directly into a van filled with children. It is a shocking use of force with no concern for the children inside the van. At this point, Ferrell is only accused of a minor traffic stop, leaving the scene, and resisting arrest. There has been no weapon or attack on the officer. Yet, this officer put three slugs through the back of a van filled with children.
Ferrell then leads the police on a 10-minute chase before turning herself in. The New Mexico State Police have not removed any of the officers from active duty.
Ferrell was charged with five counts of abuse of a child, aggravated fleeing an officer, resisting an officer, reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia. The abuse of a child is interesting given the fact that it was the officers that fired into a van full of children. Moreover, it is not clear what the basis is for the charge against her teenage son for battery of an officer.
As the video below shows, there was ample reason for an arrest, but the excessive force used by the police is very disturbing and warrants a full investigation. The officer firing the weapon could have killed three children with this unjustified use of force. The police had multiple cars and could easily stop a minivan without resulting to the use of potentially lethal force.
What do you think?
Kudos: Michael Blott
Blouise,
Speaking of which, did you ever try that basic enchilada red sauce recipe I gave you?
nick,
Since you apparently totally missed the point, you have been publicly warned and threatened with banishment for running afoul of this blog’s policies. If you doubt this, why not just email Jonathan and ask him? That Annie seems to know of your misbehavior on other blogs isn’t so much personal as it is relevant to your continued inability to behave here being part of a larger pattern of you trying to mind other people’s business and being generally nosy. I know for a fact that one of your posts to her was most troubling to our host and was the prme impetus behind the warning.
The bottom line is this:
1) This blog has an anonymity and privacy policy and what personal information poster’s might choose to share or not share is their business, not yours, in addition to anonymous political free speech being a protected legal right,
2) you aren’t the blog’s Diversity Officer and
3) you can follow the few rules this community has or you can find someplace else to post, either by choice or you can continue to act badly until that choice is made for you.
Run go tell now.
___________________________
Blouise,
I don’t know if JT can bake or not, but I’ve made several of Elaine’s recipes (none that involve baking though – I am a disaster at all but the simplest baking) and have yet to be disappointed. JT did give his recipe for Wife of Kit Carson Soup once, but I’ve never tried it. Sounded good though.
Sounds delicious, recipe please?
That might have been five or six years ago … lord, I’ve been on this blog a looong time.
Annie,
Elaine has an unbelievable almond cake recipe. About three/four years ago she gave it to me and I took it to a book club meeting. Now all my friends have it … it’s known as Elaine’s Almond Cake shortened to just Elaine’s as in I’ll bring Elaine.
Annie, Annie, Annie.
I make a killer cheescake. 🙂
“And never underestimate the power of the smell of fresh baked cookies.” (Gene)
Yeah, but, can Jonathan bake?
Spinelli, I believe it was you that was warned. You need to reel yourself in, you’re sounding a bit manic. People have been trying to make the point that you make huge assumptions, then take it personally if they aren’t accepted. Not everything is a personal insult Spinelli, calm down and act decent.
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning, it smells like….victory.”
You’ve been warned about bringing your baggage in from other blogs and getting personal, Annie. Why don’t you just focus on the substance of this good post. Who do you think edited the video? Do you think it would be helpful to have a black person or cop’s perspective on this? Nobody has mentioned the City of Memphis and their police dept. This woman came from Memphis where the police have lost respect from its citizens because of corruption and brutality. OS is from Tenn., how about some local perspective on that. There’s so much substance.
Blouise,
Don’t forget the sandlewood now and again. And never underestimate the power of the smell of fresh baked cookies.
As Cervantes ‘ Sancho Panza might have said, “You get those windmills, er, dragons, Don!”
raff, Thanks much for some substance. I did make an assumption on the editing but it was based on real world experience. Some other person made the pretzel logic assumption that since all media outlets were showing the same edited footage, then it must have been the police who edited it. As I said, I’ve NEVER gotten edited video or audio from a police dept. I know reporters who have the same real world experience. I also know how the MSM works. One outlet gets the raw footage from the police, they edit it to fit a 2-3 minute news segment, and all other outlets pick it up. The guy who was assuming the police edited the video didn’t know what he was talking about.
Spinelli does not respect an individuals privacy. He obviously feels he has the right to invade anyone’s at anytime. This is old news, he’s done this before elsewhere.
“Why don’t you email Jonathan and tell him how troubled you are because you believe his blog lacks diversity and only attracts “lily white” folks.” (Elaine to nick)
And don’t forget to mention the patchouli oil. You can tell him that Blouise would like an occasional whiff of lavender … diversity in aroma-therapy is sooo unappreciated by the uninitiated.
nick,
I did not make an assumption who edited the video, just that it was edited.
nick,
You don’t get it. You have no way of knowing how diverse the group of people who frequent and comment on this blog is.
Why don’t you email Jonathan and tell him how troubled you are because you believe his blog lacks diversity and only attracts “lily white” folks.
Diversity SHOULD be everyone’s business.
I see some folks in Madison having a tough time w/ the first step of grief, denial. But, they have dwindled to a handful. There are some Hall of Famer deniers here. But, I have faith.