The official "Ask a cop/deputy anything!" thread

[cmyx6go]

This is so screwed up. A guy walks into an office building in NYC yesterday with a rifle and kills 4 people, including a cop who was acting as a security guard for the building.

What I don't get is he walked from his car to the building at 6:30 pm - people are all over at that time. I have no idea how far he walked but no one noticed he was carrying a rifle? No one called 911? Does anyone have situational awareness or is everyone so busy with their faces in their phones to pay attention? I can't believe no one saw him.

If you scroll through the article, you can see a pic of him strolling along with rifle in hand. WTF? Rest in Peace.

https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles...000938665.html

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

This is so screwed up. A guy walks into an office building in NYC yesterday with a rifle and kills 4 people, including a cop who was acting as a security guard for the building.

What I don't get is he walked from his car to the building at 6:30 pm - people are all over at that time. I have no idea how far he walked but no one noticed he was carrying a rifle? No one called 911? Does anyone have situational awareness or is everyone so busy with their faces in their phones to pay attention? I can't believe no one saw him.

If you scroll through the article, you can see a pic of him strolling along with rifle in hand. WTF? Rest in Peace.

https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles/shane-tamura-know-midtown-manhattan-000938665.html

You bring up something interesting. I do think people often have no situational awareness. That, or they call 911 for everything.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Subjects, not citizens...

I think that you mis-spelled "suspects" above.

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

You bring up something interesting. I do think people often have no situational awareness. That, or they call 911 for everything.

Like because Burger King gave them a small fries and not a large fries in their takeout order?

Lesson #1 of my racing safety steward class was that you must keep your head on a swivel at all times looking for potential incidents before they happen. A person carrying a rifle in Manhattan is as out of place as anything, and grounds for an immediate red flag.....

[unluky]

He has a semi-official looking windbreaker on. It's amazing what does not startle people when you walk with calm and purpose. If you don't look like you are trying to hide something - they generally think you are "right" and move on.

Case in point. Random person standing on a busy street dressed normally, acting calm, not threatening and reasonable - but holding a 3 foot long machete. Most people would give him a wide berth - if not step to the other side of the street.

But same people would give no thought to crossing at the cross walk with 100 others when the only thing between them and the undercarriage of a car crushing them to death is one foot of someone they don't know holding a brake pedal down. That person could be 1,000 times more crazy and more distracted, but it's "normal".

Humans are like other heard animals - we like "normal".

[vreihen16]

What bothers me about this and other similar cases in the media is how quickly the reporters highlight both the weapon as being "military-like" and the fact that the suspect drove a black BMW across the country from Nevada to NYC to shoot up the NFL's corporate office because of a football injury he suffered. Would they report the vehicle if the suspect drove a black Camry, a black F-150 pickup, or even a Subaru? The NYC TV media has demonized BMW ownership, and seems to single out the brand for highlighting whenever there is an incident involving one.....

[jamesinaz]

And would they call it out if it was a white BMW? Anything the media can do to make these events sound scarier than they already are in real life they add in.

[Sedan_Clan]

That’s why I despise most media outlets.

[uglypedro]

Dude has an asp, mace, a tazer gun, a hand gun, a shot gun, and possibly an m16. Maybe a $30k attack dog. And training. Lots and lots of training. Don't forget the radio that call 20 more guys armed just like him in minutes and he's scared someone might have a weapon behind dark glass. Sorry brave hero, my leather interior is more important then the hairs on the back of your neck. And if you actually where good at your job, I wouldn't have to worry about thieves checking out what I have in my car. The dark glass stays!

Let the boot licking begin!!

[jamesinaz]

I predict a short stay here by uglypedro. Either banned for being a troll or in jail when he acts an ass at a traffic stop. Either way a short term visitor.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by jamesinaz

I predict a short stay here by uglypedro. Either banned for being a troll or in jail when he acts an ass at a traffic stop. Either way a short term visitor.

Agreed! I don’t even know what that rant was about. I was left scratching my head.

[M5Rick]

[QUOTE=vreihen16;32244641]I think that you mis-spelled "suspects" above.
---
Indeed.

[Vindicator3]

TV media in particular sensationalize all the time. For example, the recent story about the brake fire on an American Airlines jet should have been along the lines of "The aviation safety system worked brilliantly again as a brake fire and blown tire were immediately detected by the pilot, who aborted takeoff allowing everyone to safely evacuate the plane except the dumbass who broke the rules by bringing luggage on the slide and ended up falling and getting hurt," but instead it was "terrified passengers surrounded by smoke narrowly escape fire," or something like that.

But that said, as the driver of a black BMW, I can't go along with the theory that there is some kind of anti-black car or anti-BMW bias out there. Does the phrase "white Bronco" ring a bell? I'm sure if he'd driven his white Camry across the country, they'd have said "white Toyota" just as prominently as they said "black BMW."

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Agreed! I don’t even know what that rant was about. I was left scratching my head.

It looks like an anti-LEO rant by someone who was profile-stopped for having dark tinted windows. I reported the post as a possible politics rule violation last night, but wasn't expecting them to do anything about it.....

[spazzyfry123]

Do modern cruisers have technology to measure oncoming traffic speed while in motion? If so, is that generally always running and can it isolate to a specific vehicle?

I've always wondered if an LEO traveling on the opposite side of the highway could tell if someone was speeding going the opposite direction. I've seen cops flip around to go after someone, but I've been under the general assumption that it was plainly obvious they were well above the speed limit rather than actually having evidence to prove as such.

[jamesinaz]

Gotta post this. yesterday I was driving home from town. The drive is on a 2 lane country road with ZERO cross streets and posted 45 mph. Some folks drive more like 60. I knew that recently the man had increased traffic control in the area including an unmarked white Mustang.

So I get on the road and set my cruise for 53. I already know it means based on all the radar signs about I'm actually going 51. A large SUV comes up behind me. Most of the Maricopa SUVs are Explorers and this one was an Expedition so I thought nothing of it. At first he tail gates me a bit and I ignore him. Go around a curve and there is the white stang with a car pulled over getting ticketed I assume. I stay the course set at 53. Expedition falls back a little bit but I never concern myself with what I can't control.

Get to the end of the road at a stop sign. Now, originally we needed the stop sign as it dead ends into a road that goes both ways. One way home the other onto the Indian reservation. But during covid the Indians blocked that to the stop sign is irrelevant as traffic can't go across. And I can only turn left. I stop (maybe a rolling stop) and turn.

In my rear view I can see the Expedition is a marked Maricopa County Sheriffs vehicle. Fudge. Am I busted?

Guess he thought I was doing OK ignoring the tail gating and constant speed and all so no stop or ticket for James today.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Vindicator3

TV media in particular sensationalize all the time. For example, the recent story about the brake fire on an American Airlines jet should have been along the lines of "The aviation safety system worked brilliantly again as a brake fire and blown tire were immediately detected by the pilot, who aborted takeoff allowing everyone to safely evacuate the plane except the dumbass who broke the rules by bringing luggage on the slide and ended up falling and getting hurt," but instead it was "terrified passengers surrounded by smoke narrowly escape fire," or something like that.

But that said, as the driver of a black BMW, I can't go along with the theory that there is some kind of anti-black car or anti-BMW bias out there. Does the phrase "white Bronco" ring a bell? I'm sure if he'd driven his white Camry across the country, they'd have said "white Toyota" just as prominently as they said "black BMW."

They’ll spin anything to stir people up who react without thinking.

Originally Posted by vreihen16

It looks like an anti-LEO rant by someone who was profile-stopped for having dark tinted windows. I reported the post as a possible politics rule violation last night, but wasn't expecting them to do anything about it.....

Part of it seemed that way, and then part of it seemed directed at the active shooter…..and it all came across as an inebriated rant.

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

Do modern cruisers have technology to measure oncoming traffic speed while in motion? If so, is that generally always running and can it isolate to a specific vehicle?

I've always wondered if an LEO traveling on the opposite side of the highway could tell if someone was speeding going the opposite direction. I've seen cops flip around to go after someone, but I've been under the general assumption that it was plainly obvious they were well above the speed limit rather than actually having evidence to prove as such.

For the most part, we pace while in motion. No real need for technology when I can determine/estimate your speed based on how fast I’m driving. We generally run speed sensing devices while stopped; mostly or almost always LIDAR (..see attached photo).

Using your “opposite side of the road” example, California P.O.S.T. or the equivalent for whatever state you reside in has a requirement for all LEO’s running radar/LIDAR, which also includes being able to estimate speed - validated by a proctored test - within +/- 5 MPH to become state certified (…the presumption being the state handles such things similar to California). To the courts, that is sufficient to validate our estimation as fact.

[Maynard]

Originally Posted by uglypedro

Dude has an asp, mace, a tazer gun, a hand gun, a shot gun, and possibly an m16. Maybe a $30k attack dog. And training. Lots and lots of training. Don't forget the radio that call 20 more guys armed just like him in minutes and he's scared someone might have a weapon behind dark glass. Sorry brave hero, my leather interior is more important then the hairs on the back of your neck. And if you actually where good at your job, I wouldn't have to worry about thieves checking out what I have in my car. The dark glass stays!

Let the boot licking begin!!

Spoken like someone who's biggest fear they ever faced was that mom might kick them out of the basement. The bit about valuing your interior more than an officer's safety just certifies your d'baggery.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

For the most part, we pace while in motion. No real need for technology when I can determine/estimate your speed based on how fast I’m driving. We generally run speed sensing devices while stopped; mostly or almost always LIDAR (..see attached photo).

Using your “opposite side of the road” example, California P.O.S.T. or the equivalent for whatever state you reside in has a requirement for all LEO’s running radar/LIDAR, which also includes being able to estimate speed - validated by a proctored test - within +/- 5 MPH to become state certified (…the presumption being the state handles such things similar to California). To the courts, that is sufficient to validate our estimation as fact.

So is that to say that LIDAR (or similar) is being used while driving? As a simple example, LEO is going 65 mph southbound and another individual is going 85 mph northbound. Is the LEO presented by the equipment that the individual was traveling 85 mph?

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Vindicator3

TV media in particular sensationalize all the time.

I've been saying for years, and need to keep reminding my wife, the medias job is to scare you... killer bees, Y2K.. Chicken Little the sky is falling stuff.

Originally Posted by Vindicator3

For example, the recent story about the brake fire on an American Airlines jet should have been along the lines of "The aviation safety system worked brilliantly again as a brake fire and blown tire were immediately detected by the pilot, who aborted takeoff allowing everyone to safely evacuate the plane except the dumbass who broke the rules by bringing luggage on the slide and ended up falling and getting hurt," but instead it was "terrified passengers surrounded by smoke narrowly escape fire," or something like that...

We probably averaged a couple emergencies a month at LAX. The vast majority are cautionary anyway. We had some "reporter" on an arrival to a parallel runway (25L & 25R) that "reported a near-midair" because they were next to someone landing on the parallel. Our goal WAS to get them side-by-side; they take up less airspace that way.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Part of it seemed that way, and then part of it seemed directed at the active shooter…..and it all came across as an inebriated rant.

The weaponry rant about tasers, guns, attack dogs, and a radio to call for backup all appeared to me as digs on a LEO not having a reason to be afraid of a person with dark tinted windows...nothing to do with active shooters. Did I misinterpret it?????

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

So is that to say that LIDAR (or similar) is being used while driving? As a simple example, LEO is going 65 mph southbound and another individual is going 85 mph northbound. Is the LEO presented by the equipment that the individual was traveling 85 mph?

No, that would be visual estimation. A good LEO who patrols an area not only knows what speed looks like, but he/she also knows his/her visual markers. For example, I know it takes 3 seconds - using the 1-1000, 2-1000, etc. count method - to go from light pole to light pole at 40-45 MPH on a highly traveled street where excessive speeding occurs. IF somebody is traveling from light pole to light pole in a 1-1000 count, they are doing around 65 MPH.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

No, that would be visual estimation. A good LEO who patrols an area not only knows what speed looks like, but he/she also knows his/her visual markers. For example, I know it takes 3 seconds - using the 1-1000, 2-1000, etc. count method - to go from light pole to light pole at 40-45 MPH on a highly traveled street where excessive speeding occurs. IF somebody is traveling from light pole to light pole in a 1-1000 count, they are doing around 65 MPH.

Awesome - thanks! No underlying reason for the question other than curiosity. I spend a fair amount of time on the road and sometimes my mind wanders.