Police shoot at mom and kids in van

[UpInArms]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by pinto (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: 22 News - WWLP.com

TAOS, NM (CNN) - A routine traffic stop in New Mexico turned into a wild scene, and led to police firing shots at a mini-van filled with kids.

Officers initially pulled a woman over for alleged speeding, but the situation quickly turned violent. The whole incident was caught on dash-cam video.

<snip>

That's when Ferrell’s 14-year-old son Hezekiah jumps out of the van. He struggles with and distracts the police as his mother jumps back into the van, then he does too.

<snip>

Ferrell takes off again… then this: three shots fired into a minivan packed with kids. Ferrell in full-on flee mode… breaking seemingly every rule in the traffic book.

Read more: http://www.wwlp.com/news/national/police-shoot-at-mom-kids-in-van

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WTF???

[NYC_SKP]

1. Once you pull over, don't dare take off. That makes this traffic stop "not routine"

In that minivan, Orianna Ferrell and her five kids, one as young as 6 years old, from Memphis Tennessee, on vacation in Northern New Mexico, pulled over for doing 71 in a 55 zone. Ferrell and the state police officer argue over a ticket, Ferrell pleading with the officer.

What happens next... shocking. Ferrell takes off, police chasing her down. She gets out of the van, they argue again. When the officer tries to arrest her, she heads for the door.

That's when Ferrell’s 14-year-old son Hezekiah jumps out of the van. He struggles with and distracts the police as his mother jumps back into the van, then he does too.

Back-up arrives… tension escalating quickly and violently. Police take a baton to the window, trying to extract the family members.

[Orrex]

2. This was discussed at considerable length here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4046454

With video!

[Warpy]

3. Nobody's wearing a white hat in this one

I hope they throw the book at her. I hope the cop who whipped out his gun is off the force. I hope the one who broke the windows loses some pay. I hope they get the kid into therapy.

[lonestarnot]

7. Ugh if you are talking about the 14 year old, are you saying that his actions require therapy? What

did he do? I think all of the kids now need therapy after what the cops did to them.

[Warpy]

8. He assaulted a cop. That's what he did.

I'm thinking he's got an anger problem.

[lonestarnot]

10. That cop has his hands on his mother. I would have probably defended my drunk'n mother at age 14.

[Warpy]

12. Against a cop with backup? I think not.

[lonestarnot]

13. You make my point for me. Yes, I think so.

[dawn frenzy adams]

19. Throw the book at her?

Obviously, you don't know anything about police brutality and African Americans. She was afraid! And considering how they continue to justifying the killing of black people over a cellphone or a wallet, I don't blame her. Do you think they would have shot at a car full of white kids? Hell to the 1000th power, NO!

[defacto7]

4. I remember similar situations

like 30 years ago, where the person diving the car got spooked, didn't know what to do and made a stupid decision like driving off. The police would just walk slowly back to their car, get in, get on the radio and call ahead telling officers ahead to watch where they go, keep an eye out and when they stop just casually talk them down and they get arrested.

She shouldn't have put her kids in that situation but with the way things are these days it's no wonder people get spooked and panic. That is the system's fault and the lack of training by officers. Kids jumping out to protect their mom from a threat they imagine from stories and the news, it's tragic heroism based on learned fear... All of it is tragic.

Officers better start learning new (old) tactics. It's not war against citizens. To quote an appropriate cliché, you reap what you sew.

[Warpy]

9. Yeah, the threat of roadside cavity searches might have gotten to her

It's either that or she was half in the bag and not thinking straight, probably a combination of the two.

End the drug war, then maybe we'll go back to the good old days when the cops would find out where she's staying and bust her there, which is basically what they did anyway.

Those broken windows are going to cost her more than a speeding ticket would have and now she's got to fight to get her kids back.

[tofuandbeer]

5. Wow. That could have been handled better.

C'mon, a lady and some kids!

[lonestarnot]

6. Makes one want to move the fuck away from this country.

[MannyGoldstein]

11. This all could have been prevented if

mother and child were armed, and trained in the proper use of firearms.

Regards,

Ignore-the-part-about-a-well-regulated-militia Manny

[Quixote1818]

14. The cop that fired at the van had just arrived and didn't know it had kids

He also was firing at the tires as it drove off.

[SoapBox]

15. Exactly...

Look at his stance and posture...it"s rock solid. There was no TeaBagger wild root'n and shoot'n. I'm not a big cop supporter but I think this was justified.

The mother and 14 year old, should have had the crap tazed out of them.

[1monster]

17. I sure hope you are not a cop.

[Scairp]

16. Oh let's all move along then

Nothing further to see here, it was totally justified, firing at a vehicle without knowing exactly what the situation was.

[Quixote1818]

22. Didn't say it was justified but the title makes it sound like the cop just decided to knowingly

unload on a bunch of kids when he clearly just arrived to see chaos and a car driving off. That's the way journalism works these days. Make it sound like the worst case scenario when in fact it was somewhere in the middle. An idiot mother and son causing cops adrenalin to kick in and make bad decisions.

[Scairp]

23. Uh huh

Well he did "unload", as you put it, and it was in a situation where he didn't know what was going on. I always thought coppers are taught that shooting at people was a last resort. It seems that shooting at civilians is a first resort these days. And yeah, it pretty much was "worse case scenario", FYI, a van filled with children, caught in a situation not of their making. What happened to the "protect" in protect and serve? Plus the vehicle was driving away, and I'm not aware of any coppers being taught it's ok to shoot at fleeing, unarmed citizens. In fact it's just the opposite. They cannot fire at someone merely because the subject ran away. It's like, the law.

[warrant46]

27. Happens in Iraq all the time

Or insert the name of some other pest hole the USA is policing from time to time (Ask Ricardo Sanchez)

[JI7]

26. so he just shot at something not knowing who was inside and wihtout any threat to himself ?

the van was moving away from them. not towards them.

[TheDebbieDee]

18. Seems to me that that they will issue a badge, a gun and a taser

to just about any doofus that asks for the privilege nowadays.

You get what you pay for. If we paid cops more maybe we'd get better cops, dammit!

[onehandle]

20. Fewer civilian guns would result in fewer LEOs thinking with guns. nt

[DallasNE]

21. This Gets Worse The More You Read

The State has taken the woman's 4 younger children away from her, charging her with child abuse over a traffic ticket? They have really thrown the book at this woman. Does the father not have rights? What gives.

New Mexico has some screwy laws regarding traffic stops and that is what lead to the initial argument. The woman couldn't decide whether to agree to pay the ticket or fight it and while the law in most States require that you sign the ticket saying you understand the choices but in New Mexico you have to decide on the spot, never mind that you are on vacation 1,000 miles from home. The officer got impatient and an argument pursued. No Miranda Rights informing her that she had a right to speak to an attorney, just a demand that she commit to a course of action and now. And for this she ends up losing her children. What is wrong with New Mexico.

Then the police action at the end is not Constitutional. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=471&invol=1

But the woman made a number of mistakes to compound the problem, make no mistake. The son's actions were more understandable since he was witnessing his mom getting mauled by a police officer that was completely undisciplined and out of control. At least the 3rd officer that pulled his gun and aimed it at the fleeing car did not end up firing his weapon.

[bobGandolf]

24. The mother was wrong but......

the cops were crazy in their response. Overreaction is an understatement!

[ColesCountyDem]

25. Welcome to the all-you-can-eat stupid buffet!

Mother:

1.) Going 16 m.p.h. over the posted speed limit with 5 children in the car.

2.) Escalating a routine traffic stop by fleeing the scene of the stop, endangering herself, her children, the public and the cop.

3.) Fleeing the scene of the SECOND stop. Lather, rinse, repeat 2.), supra.

Fourteen year-old son:

1.) Exiting the vehicle.

2.) Battering a police officer.

Police officer who fired weapon at fleeing vehicle filled with children:

1.) Although clearly shooting at the van's tires, nonetheless uses deadly force in an unreasonable manner, endangering innocent passengers in the van.

NO ONE, except for the four children who remained in the van, has 'clean hands' here.

[Sunlei]

28. breats my heart to hear those children scream in terror.

With the police behavior she was in fear for her children. Once that window broke, I think the Mom was in full panic mode!

[crim son]

29. The news has been full of stories of shitty actions on the part of the police.

and I am the first to condemn them. I'm not sure this case is so simple. Watching the video I am convinced the officer was shooting at the vehicle's tires. Aside from that, the woman was clearly unstable and shouldn't have been driving, let alone driving with her kids in the vehicle. The young man who attacked the officer... probably protecting his mother but still, not a smart move.

[In_The_Wind]

30. Why would a police officer endanger children by shooting like that?

[pinto]

31. Dated story, not late breaking news.

LBN hosts agree on a lock here. Thanks for your understanding.