Has anybody held the car dealer accountable for allowing someone who is under the influence to test drive a car alone ?

Today I am filling up at 1:30pm at a convenience store on a busy road. The light on the road is red, there are 2 lanes, in one lane there are 2 cars & the other lane 1 car, waiting on the light. A police car comes up behind the 2 & on the other side a park police suv pulls up, lights go on both vehicles. The police officer gets out of his car, the next thing I know cars are going around the parked police vehicles & I see a guy lying on the street in cuffs. We pull out & go around to see what happened but the guy was already in the police car & another officer pulled up to move the perps car out of the middle of the roadway. All this happened while I was pumping gas....I never heard any commotion, no drama, nothing. I guess this guy was someone who did something bad as they apprehended him in the middle of a busy road without pulling him over, guess they didn't want to risk anything happening. I was impressed with what they were able to accomplish in a short amount of time...no fuss, no muss.

I wonder what happens to this lady.. I wonder if she has any Police force in her family?

I am laughing at it all now.. I was In victoria and a police officer not paying attention had slammed on his brakes next to me so he wouldn't go thru the red light and hit someone. Boy.. I would of been right there giving my statement.. But who am I? a concerned citizen.. who cares what I had to say. I am not anti Police either.. Just one bad cop makes it bad for the rest. I seen it all I have family in the force all over the USA.. So I know what they do and don't do. I hear the stories. They are like any human just with a badge. To bad some just think it's a paycheck.

Hey Gabe, A post mortem of the chase would be interesting. I was traveling north on 77 from Refugio and witnessed the parade of speeding LEO vehicles flashing emergency lights headed south over a 20 minute or so span. I suppose some of these vehicles didn’t reach Refugio. I stand by my earlier estimate of approximately 20 LEO vehicles headed south between the time I saw the first chase vehicles in Refugio County and the last VCSO vehicles just north of Coleto Creek.

Come on Gabe, how about some old fashion investigative reporting here?

Mack...Several years ago in Houston, there was a rash of accidents in which innocent motorists and their passengers were injured or killed as the result of high speed chases. The last one I remember was inbound on the Southwest Freeway when the chasee exited the freeway, busted through a red light on the feeder and plowed into a family's car going through the intersection, killing some and hurting others. This was caught on videotape by Channel 2 and the broadcast on the news was horrible. HPD changed their chase policies and I haven't heard of this kind of thing happening lately.

When I first heard of this BMW story, I thought that the cops had done well in catching her without anyone getting hurt. I now think they were more lucky than good. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's in jail, but I'm more glad that she's not being charged with some sort of homicide for killing someone with the car. Following, rather than chasing, at slower speeds, intercepting by coordinating with units ahead of her, setting up road blocks and/or spikes would have been better. Even if she'd gotten away, that would have been preferable to her killing people who were minding their own business on the roadway and having a 140 mph projectile slam into them. If my wife had been hurt because of something like this, I'd be devastated and I KNOW I'd rather have had the bad guy get away than hurt her.

Man, all you folks who made negative complaints about the Sheriff are idiots. You're entitled to your opinions but Sheriff 'O Connor is a great man. I am not a cop, but you take things to heart and obviously wear that heart on your sleeves. I would hate to see what you say if I were to fart in your living room...morons! I haven't posted comments in a long, long time specifically because of you prissy arses...especially Zorro who always has something smart to say about something. Put down your Cappuccino cups and quit being so critical about everything. You guys are funny to read with your squabbling and whining about a simple comment. I think the cops did a good job, so leave it at that!

The bottom line is that the Sheriff's comments were completely unprofessional, and certainly not reflective of a what one would expect from a responsible law enforcement administrator.

One has to wonder why in the world was the Sheriff involved in a high speed chase? That's the last place you would want to see the head of the agency. Directly involved in a high speed chase? That's why there are road Deputies and field supervisors. I can only suspect that the Sheriff is much too busy playing cops and robbers rather than leading an agency from a completely objective administrative capacity.

I had an opportunity to visit with several people involved in local law enforcement, and this topic dominated the water cooler talk. Each of them commented that the Sheriff's statements were embarassing to law enforcement, and in no way did they agree with what he said. They too questioned why the Sheriff, oddly enough, always seems to "get involved" rather than sitting back and allowing his deputies to perform their duties as assigned. From what I am told, the last place a law enforcement supervisor should be is knee deep involved in the actual incident, and they should stay far enough removed to have an objective view of the situation in its entirety. One, in order to field complaints and or criticism of the incident if something were to be questioned, and also so they have the ability to see the situation in its entirety and manage it rather than be directly involved. Never should they get directly involved, if at possible they should avoid direct involvement and let field supervisors do their jobs.

This is what frequently happens to Sheriffs and Chiefs who are new to actual day to day law enforcement and haven't ever really been street cops themselves. They have a tendency to get caught up in the excitement, and understandably as this is all new and exciting to them.

Not a bad job by the VCSO, thankfully nobody was injured and it all worked out for the good of the community and all who were involved. But really unfortunate that the Sheriff made such iresponsible comments.

This story is also on the web on another discussion forum group at:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthr...

I didn't win anything, I was just making a point, we'll call it even.

I am not even going start this. YOU WIN!

If she did I'm sure someone would have continued pursuing her thru an intersection or two until she hit somebody. "What if" the Datieman family would have been going thru one of those intersections?

Did everyone forget about the exit in Telferner? She could have visited Victoria. At a 140.

What if's?, the scenerio is vast in that area, I even admit I had some what if's. I can tell you this, the chances of something major happening is doubled or even tripled with speeds like that, and especially drunks. Now use your common sense, if your intoxicated you don't have the normal use of your mental or physical faculties. That means reaction times are slower and you don't think rationally, sort like some of these posts. Chases are always judgement calls, you have to weigh out the severity of the offense and then act accordingly. Now I think everyone who does something wrong needs to go to jail, but why take a chance on someone getting killed or crippled just because the car was reported stolen. My point is you can't out run a radio and there are other officers in the next jurisdictions who are just as qualified to handle the situations. So, once again, terminate the pursuit, follow at a safe distance and safer speed and let the officers miles ahead of the chase stop it with a road block or spike strips. I keep hearing everyone praising them for what they did, oh, here's another "What if", what if someone had gotten killed, would you still be praising them for a job well done?

Okay so what if the law enforcement makes a joke... The point is they have every right to make a joke, some people need to understand that they put there lives on the line everyday to protect each and everyone of us. I say THANK YOU!!!! . Why not be mad at the Victoria Advocate something shouldnt be printed. If something is said while posting a comment it is removed so fast, maybe they should watch what the print. The law enforcement all ready dont get the respect they deserve so by printing a comment like that just puts fuel to the fire. Thanks for removeing the highspeed driveing drunk off the street...

Good sense of humor that is what I call it! Good job VCSO! I live off 77 South. The poster that commented that our law enforcement are not familiar with chases I would have to say they are not aware of all the things that go on out on this highway!!! Thank you VCSO! One less nutjob on the road! If she was planning to steal the vehicle the license she left was probably not hers anyway.

DPS and VCSO work these highways hard and I am glad to see it.

If the woman hadn't been caught and she had gone on to kill someone, I'm pretty sure all of the posts on here would have been about why didn't the cops pursue her? As far as the joke thing goes, get a life people (and maybe a sense of humor, too).

Nice comment, Zorro. I will agree that there are a few bad apples.

Hey VSO, good job DONT listen to the clowns. No one got hurt no one died the bad guy got caught. What if this person had taken your child then you would not have a problem with the speed.COME ON GROW UP!!!

bubbles,

Some people exhault law enforcement to the point of being a police groupie. Others, like myself, through our personal experience have seen how a badge and a gun can be a powerful ego narcotic and abused. Fear of being exposed keeps law enforcement by and large from trampling on the rights of solid citizens and they only occasionally do so. I have personally witnessed "many" times police behavior that was rude, smart aleck, verbally offensive, threatening, and on a couple of occasions clearly illegal. That statement is not an indictment of all law enforcement, just the few LEO I have seen with my own eyes do that. Some LEO are not well suited for the job and should not be wearing a badge and carrying a gun with police power. I have occasionally wondered how they passed the psychological test.

If the president of the United States can be held accountable to the law, so can law enforcement.

Things of a public nature are just that, public! That includes police conduct under the color of law.

If you want to air it out in here bubbles, get it on!

Part two of two:
Hey TMO, this ain't California and just because you think your better that the other folks, and I don't know if that has something do with the fact that you've always had everything handed to you on a silver platter all your life and you have to have the best of everything for your department, to wit: "powerful Dodge Chargers", doesn't mean you have to "Feel the need, for speed" and get involved in pursuits like this. You should always consider the situation at hand. Yes it was a felony, yes she was drunk, yes she refused to stop, but they knew who she was and putting the lives of innocent civilians as well as the pursuing officers out on the table is just plain stupid and thoughtless. Use your brains sometimes, terminate the pursuit, follow at a safe distance and safer speed and let the officers miles ahead of the chase stop it with a road block or spike strips. I'm surprised Victoria's mighty Sheriff TMO didn't authorize the "powerful Dodge Charges", since they caught up the BMW, to overtake it and shoot out the tires!!!!
Come on man, use your head next time and keep the civilians safe, and not in harms way. And if something serious like this happens again, be professional and don't make a joke about it, all it makes you look like is someone who doesn't know what he's doing. Oh, my bad!

Part one of two:
Oh, how quickly we forget!!! Remember when TMO came into office, he was bragging that the Victoria SO would chase illegal alien vehicles who ran from them to the State line or something to that. And all the illegal alien chases the SO has been involved in ended up in the driver ditching the vehicle and everyone running into the brush in the middle of summer. Oh, excuse me we chase them until they ditch the vehicle and run away, then TMO calls it a search and rescue mission for the runner’s safety. Ya'll remember when they chased the one illegal alien vehicle and several of them ended up drowning in the Guadalupe River! I guess that was rescue and then search for the drowning victim’s mission. They were scared, they ran, and they died. All because TMO seems to feel he is right up there with INS and maybe a Higher Authority, which he ain't. And let’s think way back a number of years ago, a chase that started in Calhoun County and ended up at the intersection of Juan Linn and Laurent. The driver of that pursuit didn't stop while he was being chased and he plowed into an innocent elderly couple, minding their own business at the intersection. He killed both of them; they died a horrible and senseless death at the hands of a fleeing idiot and the officers who were in the pursuit. The officers said the driver of the BMW was driving 140mph, what they didn't tell was she probably wasn't driving that fast until they started the pursuit. And I don't care what time of the day or night it is, there are always a number of vehicles on Hwy. 59/77. Law enforcement should consider themselves lucky that this bone-headed woman didn't have a blowout or lose control of that German made BMW and veer out of control, at 140mph, across the median and plow into a school bus, tour bus, a vehicle loaded down with a family or any other vehicle that contained innocent, human lives.

bubbles,

Okay, you busted me, I am anti-bad cop.

BubbleHead and N796V:
TO FOLLOW UP FROM THE INITAIL STORY, YOU BOTH ARE FULL OF IT!!!

I SAW THIS PURSUIT FROM THE FIRST DPS AND S.O. CHARGER TO THE LAST VEHICLE WITH FLASHING LIGHTS (INCLUDING YOUR RABBIT RANGER COLLEAGUE) OVER A 20 MINUTE SPAN. WHETHER ALL WE INVOLVED IN THE “ACTUAL CHASE” CAN BE DEBATED. AND IT IS POSSIBLE NOT ALL WERE DPS AND VCSO. ALSO, I BET VCSO HAD VEHICLES IN VICTORIA COUNTY HEADED SOUTH WHEN REFUGIO AUTHORITIES ENED THIS CHASE. ALSO, I BET YOU CAN COUNT THE PURSUING LAWMEN WHO SAW THIS BMW ON ONE HAND AND HAVE FINGERS TO SPARE. THIS DRUNK WOMAN LEFT THEM IN THE DUST. I KNOW WHAT I SAW, I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON 77.

“Only 4 VCSO vehicles were involved in the actual chase, along with 2 DPS units and Texas Parks and Wildlife unit”.
THIS IS A BUNCH OF B.S. MAYBE IN “ACTUAL CHASE” BUT CERTAINLY NOT A TOTAL OF LEO VEHICLES FLASHING EMERGENCY LIGHTS HEADING SOUTH.

MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HAVE CHASE POLICIES IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THERE ALWAYS WILL BE LAWMEN DOWN THE ROAD TO FINSH WHAT THOSE LEFT IN THE DUST BEGAN.

Willie,

I'm glad you ask your questions. To answer you; to the contrary I am not anti-police or anti-law enforcement. My criticism from time to time of police and police tactics, in my mind, constitute valid concerns I have in regards to the direction law enforcement has taken the past few years. The Bucanek case to me is the canary in the coal mine. That case, and others I have commented on in here, demonstrates clearly the change in law enforcement. All the innocent people who have gone to jail is the motive for why I share my concerns in here. You have only to look at history to see how police power has been abused, and ultimatley used to political ends to silence the opposition. Don't take it personal unless you are guilty of something.

VPD along with other law enforcement agencies apparently believe themselves to be above the law at times and at others times beyond reproach. Why? What gives police immunity from criticism and review of their official actions under the color of law?

How many deputies should have made the pursuit? I'm not sure, but it does seem logical that the number would be how many that was "necessary" as opposed to everybody join in and get you some of this adrenaline. If the car was being monitored and pursued across several counties why would the pursuit vehicles at the rear not drop off as new units took up the pursuit farther down the road. I'm not a cop nor trained law enforcement officer, just a person with a logical mind. If the pictures and video from the scene and other accounts are accurate it sounded like Smokey and the Bandit. Is that the image you desire for law enforcement?

The heroic action of the female law enforcement officer at the Fort Hood tragedy was the modern day equivalent to Marshal Will Cane in High Noon. What makes you think myself and others don't appreciate all that law enforcement do for us all? When police take that chip off their shoulder and stop protecting the bad apples you might see a change in mine and others attitude towards law enforcement.

And for the record, when I am stopped by police I am courteous, despite having been trolled, but not ticketed, for various and sundry profiling stops late at night by law enforcement looking for drunk drivers. It seems as though police assume anyone driving after midnight is a suspicious person.

I can understand your post Gabe, and yes you are right. It is your flaw for including the jokes. This is a serious story and some "friendly competition" with a BMW dealer in Houston is just a tad ridiculous. The dealer had an emergency and I bet they are shaking their head and ridiculing Victoria themselves for asking them to comment on "friendly competition" between a police car and a stolen car. Report the facts.

Zorro,

How many Deputies should have chased this woman? You think 2 was too many.
Why are you so anti-police?
Early reports are a civilian female police officer shot the nut job in Ft. Hood. What is your negative spin on law enforcment and the officer in that incident?
She should have tried to talk the shooter into surrender and violated his right?

Joe Arpaio is the colorful sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona He loves the attention he gets from the media and always cracking wise while promoting himself as America's Toughest Sheriff."

His practices have been criticized by organizations such as Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Arizona Ecumenical Council, the American Jewish Committee, and the Arizona chapter of the Anti-Defamation League. The editorial board of The New York Times called Arpaio "America's Worst Sheriff".

It has come to my attention after listening to the advocast by Bill Clough that he must have at least a first grade education, come on Advocate, at least hire someone that knows how to pronounce words...it's Co-pano bridge not cop-ano as he tries to say it...send him out on the street to educate himself on the pronunciation of our various landmarks

This drunk driving a stolen BMW down a major highway across several counties tied up a huge amount of law enforcement assets. What kind of law enforcement assets would be deployed to pursue Bonnie and Clyde after a armed bank assault heist and them shooting from their car being chased? Something in me thinks the response would be the same. Seems as though police response should be proportional to the crime.

Gabe, thank you for your to-the-point answer. You are on the money. Each of the areas you refer to - PD, EMS, FD - have to have a way to cope with the high pressure. It's an escape valve. They don't say things like that during the actual event. I'm happy law enforcement caught the woman and she is in jail.

nothingsurprisesme..."why is this such funny yodling by hick deputies?"

Relax. It's just a way to unwind; to releave the stress. Sorta like firefighters talking about "crispy critters." There is nothing disrespectful intended.

In the last few days, I've posted some negative comments about VPD. I still stand by those posts. This instance, however, was a case of a REAL criminal caught by cops doing REAL police work and doing it well. I met Sergent Campean when I worked for the airline at Victoria Regional Airport and he worked security during flight time. He's a very fine man and dedicated sheriff's deputy. The county is fortunate to have people like him. I'm glad they were able to stop the woman before she blasted into Refugio. That could have been a real mess.

You people need to lighten up.....

Why would a BMW dealership allow a drunk woman test drive a car unattended?

Great post, Gabe

Before you jump on law enforcement for making a joke after the fact, please consider a few points. First, they all made it clear that this was a serious chase. I quoted Sgt. Compean as saying such. The deputies in pursuit kept safe distances during the chase, they told me, and continued on because traffic was sparse. If the BMW made it to Refugio, law enforcement would have backed off further, they said. Only after the chase did they joke. While it might be difficult for some to understand, I've noticed that this seems to be a way for officers, first responders and EMS to cope with high stress, high pressure jobs. It seems to be one way to decompress. If after reading this story you feel they don't take these dangers seriously, then that's my fault as a reporter. In that case, direct your negativity at me and not at the folks involved in this particular case. Thanks -- Gabe Semenza

I agree, why is this such funny yodling by hick deputies?

I just read the article about the police cracking jokes about how fast and what BMW would say .. Who gives a Hoot. They are PEACE officers... they should keep their joking comments off the air/ keep them in the office amongst themselves.If it so common why does it sound like they are having a fun time.. Because it is unusually exciting to them, not common.
It is a dangerous job.. no jokes about it.

High speeds chases are actually pretty common for the City of Victoria as well as the County. However, most of them are not reported by the Advocate.

140 is a bit excessive though.

I don't think this is funny. The police are not familiar with this kind of chase and at those speeds could of Killed some innocent person. Usually in a Bigger experienced city the police know better what to do. By means of slowing down way before , Not chasing someone going 140MPH! And than we have them making jokes over this! This is the sick mentality of the police here.. Give me a break, glad no one was hurt. They had her license , could of tracked her down, really ..