Officer To Be Retrained for helping homeless woman keep her belongings (Cart update)

[The Straight Story]

Officer To Be Retrained Over Cart Incident

POSTED: 5:49 pm EST January 20, 2007
UPDATED: 5:51 pm EST January 20, 2007

BRADENTON, Fla. -- A police officer who reached out of his patrol car to drag a homeless woman's shopping cart 12 miles has been ordered to undergo retraining and counseling.

Officer Nicholas Evans, who has been praised by homeless advocates and jeered by his peers, won't be suspended for 20 days as a lieutenant had recommended, Police Chief Michael Radzilowski said Friday.

After arresting Marie Brooks on an outstanding warrant early one morning last week, Evans pulled her shopping cart alongside his cruiser to the county jail so Brooks wouldn't lose her meager belongings. The trip took him an hour.

According to a police report release Friday, Evans, a three-year veteran of the department, bragged to colleagues that he had gotten the cart up to 40 mph.

Department investigators concluded that Evans, 26, showed poor conduct for an officer because he brought negative attention to himself and to the department.

http://www.local6.com/news/10802431/detail.html

[Turbineguy]

1. I'd be looking for a new job someplace else

Fuck 'em.

[Benhurst]

2. He obviously doesn't fit the profile of a Florida cop.

Maybe he can be put to good use after getting special training for intimidating minority voters.

[Oilwellian]

3. This is quite a story

The visual of the police officer and the cart had me laughing out loud. If only more police had that kind of empathy for a fellow human being, no matter what their plight. This isn't negative attention...it's the kind of story that warms the heart.

[wtmusic]

6. The negative attention invovles the "counseling"

what are they going to tell him? "Little too much compassion there, we got tickets to write." :crazy:

[SalmonChantedEvening]

4. Discilpined for decency?

Another day in Bizarro world. :eyes:

[aquart]

5. His mama raised him right.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

7. He bragged that he got the shopping cart up to 40 mph, LOL. I always knew those things were

virtually indestructible.

MKJ

[INdemo]

9. Wouldn't those little wheels be nothing more than metal stubs after an

hours drive (pulling)?

[ananda]

8. voice of reason

Why not just put her meager belongings in the trunk and leave the cart.
Carts are easily replaceable.

[billybob537]

10. You would think if arrested

the police would be responsible for allowing the securing of any property. IE if in an auto it would be towed to a secure location. If you were riding a bike they couldn't leave it unsecured. Where do they get off assuming Her belongings were not valuable to Her. Damn their arrogance.