The video.
http://news.yahoo.com/video/caught-camera-2-lapd-officers-060800925.htmlAt first glance, the first toss could theoretically be justified with the right story. Standard "I'm not there, I don't know what happened" disclaimer. Second toss? Not so much. I'd be curious to see even C&SD explain that one.
Rookie is toast. Union will protect the older guy until he can retire. So likely, both will ride a desk until they leave the LAPD.
After he left, something was intruding upon my self righteous LE attitude. So I went back to the intersection and looked it over. I was horrified to find out that he was right. A bit later I looked for a pay phone and called the guy's house and when he answered I apologized to him and drove to his house and picked up his copy of the ticket so I could void it. Eating crow is never a pleasant thing, but it surely does make one be more sure of oneself before taking actions.
My hats off to you, sir.
Here in the states, thankfully my involvement with the local police has been minimal. But two out of three have been excellent. Back in college, the university police's job was to underreport crime. This is common at most schools, to pad the crime statistics to which parents do pay a lot of attention. There was one officer in particular that did not. Rapes would be reported as such. Same with theft, or any other crime. Except for alcohol related offenses, which were severely policed. A rape or mugging would be ignored if possible, but even a small gathering of students involving alcohol would warrant strict attention. I suspect over 90% of reported crimes bore his signature on the reports. Normally students were very reluctant to talk to police, wisely so. We worked with this officer on a regular basis to keep him up to date on intel, if we warranted it wise. If a lady, even possibly underage, was walking home intoxicated, he would give her a lift home. Other officers would either leave her to her fate, or take her to the station. He was a good person. That lady is now my best friend's wife, and a nurse. An underage drinking conviction could have cost her career.
Saved my bacon later. I had some issues with a department a few years later. They were under the impression that local ordinances trumped federal law. And unfortunately, I had to go to them for fingerprints for my TS clearance. Word got around the station that I was responsible for a particular officer being (literally) screamed at by Army lawyers and the local magistrates. Apparently, when a local magistrate (a veteran of the 82nd Airborne) threatens to call the DA on an officer for violations of federal law, this is not pleasant. So, 6-8 officers were watching my fingerprinting with a semi hostile air. Which is flattering, that they thought it would take that many officers to subdue me or successfully ah, arrange an accidental "fall", if necessary. Until one officer looked at my ID, that they were passing around. It was Officer N mentioned above. Did the "This is not the droid you're looking for" wave, tipped his hat to me and the other officers dispersed.
Tis why I am courteous to folks. Never know when YEARS down the road... It pays off dearly.
And my local police where I live now seem also very nice folks.
People are people. Some good, some bad, most somewhere inbetween. Courtesy is always a wise decision. There is (usually) no profit from screaming and waving. I have rarely been pulled over, but when I am, I do exactly what I would prefer to see back when I was walking up on unknown vehicles. Hands on the wheel, calm even tones and reasonable politeness. It does not always help, but it has never thus far hurt.
As far as the OP, my RN wife can hardly get a ticket. Cops see her scrubs and where she works and give her a warning.
Friend of mine is a nurse. Same story. I can completely understand, as I try not to anger women that may have access to sharp objects while I can incapacitated.
