On March 18, 2009, while on his way to visit his dying mother-in-law in the hospital, NFL player Ryan Moats was pulled over by a police officer in Dallas.
Officer Robert Powell drew his gun on the Houston Texan’s running back in Plano, a Dallas suburb. “I can screw you over,” Powell said at one point in the videotaped incident. When a security officer came with word that Moats’ mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell’s response was, “All right. I’m almost done,” according to espn.com.
What Powell did and said was so disrespectful.
During the 13 minutes that Moats was held up by Powell, his mother-in-law died and he never got a chance to say goodbye.
Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family and announced that Powell would be on a paid leave pending an internal investigation, according to espn.com
It seems as though police officers are always getting away with so much. In this case Powell wasn’t compassionate at all. He had no right to hold this man and his family when they explained the pressing issue to him.
This man and his family never got a chance to say their last goodbyes to their mom. This story is unfortunate, but we see it all the time and police never get the punishment they deserve.
Powell should not just be suspended with pay. His punishment should be worse because he will never be able to suffer the way Moats did.
At least they should suspend him without pay, to teach deter other officers. It seems that most incidents like this occur when blacks are involved. It makes you think, if Moats was a white guy would Powell have let his family go then?
Earlena Boswell for the Editorial Board.