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Posted By: Anonymous Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 11:45am
Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window


Two policemen have been taken off operational duty after they smashed the window and kicked the windscreen of a pensioner's car following a 17-minute chase.





The pursuit began when Robert Clive Whatley, 70, drove away while Gwent Police officers were issuing him with a fixed penalty notice for not wearing a seatbelt.

A court heard Whatley drove off because he thought he had been dealt with and needed to take medication for a heart condition and a stroke, the Western Mail reported.

Whatley, who stayed within the speed limit during the chase, thought the police car following him was sounding its siren because it was escorting him home.

He pulled over when confronted by a police stinger device on the road into Usk, Monmouthshire, the paper said.

Footage of the incident, filmed from the police car and published online by the Western Mail, shows an officer running towards Whatley's black 4x4 and breaking the window when it stops on a country road.


SKY NEWS
Posted By: bert1 Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 11:55am
I don't like to see anyone losing their job, those officers should be thrown out the force. Even more so as they knew who was in the car.
Posted By: StuyMac Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 11:59am
Need to see the outcome of any investigation.

He may have been annoyed about getting a ticket and used the "escort" excuse to hide his annoyance and reason for driving off - something you don see in the video.

If it had been clear the police hadnt finished with him and he drove off, then these are justified consequences.

Unfortunatly, the video doesnt make clear the lead up to the events, and what they show makes good viewing and news...

Id reserve judgement until the findings of the investigation are released.
Posted By: bert1 Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 12:22pm
Not justified at all, that's a clear case of a cop throwing his dummy out of the pram, the cop never even tried to open the door, didn't even know if it was locked or not, just started whacking the window, even if the cop thought he might have been in danger from a firearm, which i doubt, he should have more sense than do that. Its cops like him who get decent bobbies a bad name.
Posted By: Wheels Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 12:26pm
Can I have his job?

I saw this on another forum this morning and laughed at the douche bag who jumps on the bonnet raftl I think he's been watching too many movies. What if he decided to drive away lol. Idiots.
Posted By: bert1 Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 12:29pm
Originally Posted by Wheels
Can I have his job?

I saw this on another forum this morning and laughed at the douche bag who jumps on the bonnet raftl I think he's been watching too many movies. What if he decided to drive away lol. Idiots.


OK Wheels, the jobs yours, promise not to smash any windows, cross your heart and hope to.....
Posted By: _Ste_ Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 12:56pm
OH! FINALLY OPENING THE EYES TO THE PUBLIC NOW EH?
THIS CRAP AINT SHOCKING, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, JUST YOU LOT CHOOSE NOT TO BELIVE IT!!!!
THEY THINK THEY ARE A LAW ABOVE THEMSELVES, TOSSERS, TAKING CARS OFF PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE INSURED, ASSAULTING PEOPLE AND SETTING THEM UP!
mad

mad HATE HURT KILL! mad

I HOPE THEY GET JAILED ONE DAY AND RAPED BY AN AIDS INFECTED SMACKRAT WITH SCABIES AND A PUSS INFECTED NOB!

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

[Linked Image]
Posted By: StuyMac Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 12:57pm
Originally Posted by bert1
the cop never even tried to open the door, didn't even know if it was locked or not


He may have tried the door when he drove off. He may have also noticed the pin down to show the door was locked - he does try it, and it is locked.

You dont see the start of the incident, so how can anyone make any educated conclusions?

We see 1/2 the story like this, and police are in the wrong, and you see evidence of a crime being committed and they dont do enough [Linked Image]

Im not saying what they do in that clip is right or wrong, im just saying all the facts are not available.
Don;t any of you every watch police chases on the TV????

Standard protocall is to smash the window to distract the driver then drag them out and restrain...

This driver drove off from a police stop and then failed to stop, and he was dealt with like any other fail to stop would have been, regardless of his age!

If he couldn't understand that he was in a police chase then he shouldn't be on the road - he's a danger to the roads and the Police shouldn't even be in a investigation for doing what they are trained to do
Posted By: bert1 Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 1:02pm
Who said i was educated.

He whacked the window loads before he tried the door, the cops for the high jump I'm afraid, no getting out of it.....or is there, stand by for the next thrilling installment.
Originally Posted by bert1
Who said i was educated.

He whacked the window loads before he tried the door, the cops for the high jump I'm afraid, no getting out of it.....or is there, stand by for the next thrilling installment.


I can find plenty of vids on youtube where the police smash the windows before opening the door first if you want?
raftl

He may have tried it though before the Range Rover stopped - as it drove off.

As we dont see all the clip, we cant tell if their actions are justified or not.

It is also unknown at what point the driver drove off. The police may have checked it for being stolen and required him to stay stationary whilst they checked that out.

It may well turn out to be an over reaction, but its typical of the Media to feed us 1/2 the story to get everyone jumping to conclusions.
Posted By: bert1 Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 1:17pm
I'm sure there are plenty of incidents like this on you tube, doesn't make it right on this occasion, If its usual procedure,why have the two cops been taken off operational duties, they were either alright doing it or they were not,they wouldn't have been taken off duty had they clearly done no wrong or are all policemen taken off duty when they smash car windows.
Without all the facts I guess we will never know think
In my opinion it's flared up on the news because of his age and his excuse for being wrongly chased

If you were in their shoes, you'd just pulled them over like hundreds of times before... you go back to your car to do checks like hundreds of times before and the driver drives off, you signal for them to pull over and they fail to stop so what do you do? You have to go into pursuit mode and that's what they do

But as said we don't know the whole story so I think the main part is the stop that we don't see
If you replace the emotive word pensioner, it would be understood better possibly.

Police stop car and start to issue a fixed penalty notice.
Car drives off.
Driver doesn't stop for 17 minutes despite being followed with blues & twos

The guy would clearly be seen as having done a runner, this could have been reported completely different if it had been a 17 year old lad.

Three criticisms of the police for this.

1. When they were issuing the FPN they should have had the driver out the car.
2. They should have tried to overtake him.
3. They need more practice at breaking windows and opening cars.

The fact that two independent squads went for the windows would suggest this may be a policy.
Reading a little more on the Sky News site, that wasnt initially quoted to here....

Originally Posted by SkyNews
A two-day trial at Caerphilly Magistrates' Court heard claims from an officer that Whatley was aggressive during the incident last September, the paper reported.

Whatley, of Usk, was fined for various driving offences including not wearing a seatbelt and failing to stop.

The actions of the two officers are being investigated by Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Deputy Chief Constable Carmel Napier said: "When the incident happened Gwent Police had great concerns about what appeared to have occurred."

He added: "Gwent Police expects the highest professional standards of its police officers and police staff at all times and we can assure Mr Whatley and the public that this matter will be thoroughly investigated."



So they have been suspended following a complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission which I suspect is common practise.

This incident occured in Sept Last year, and had there been a problem with the way it was delt with, that would have come up in court and been previously delt with internally.
Posted By: bert1 Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 1:38pm
Perhaps the police procedure should be when stopped, policeman takes car keys until he's finished with you. Whatever age you are.
Originally Posted by bert1
Perhaps the police procedure should be when stopped, policeman takes car keys until he's finished with you. Whatever age you are.
I am sure they are supposed to get you out the car, they need visibility of your actions, could be a knife or gun in the door pocket.
Posted By: _Ste_ Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 1:43pm
Look at the full clip!
He was within the speed limit, law says you do not have to stop UNTIL YOU FEEL IT IS SAFE TO DO SO!

Oh look, a member of the public pulls over too and is frogmarched away quickly!

[youtube]QaF4RGdO9rY[/youtube]
He had already been stopped though, and knew it was police following him [Linked Image]

So he has actually fled from police after being stopped, not failed to stop as he didnt think it was safe.

He also thought they where escorting him, so he knew it was the police.
Posted By: Wheels Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 3:24pm
You ain't got no pancake mix
Posted By: DavidB Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 3:34pm
[Linked Image]

"The pensioner nearly misses an innocent hedgerow by metres, and then faces justice after his wild chase down a London highway came to an abrupt end - in JAIL, etc etc"
Originally Posted by MrHouston

If he couldn't understand that he was in a police chase then he shouldn't be on the road - he's a danger to the roads and the Police shouldn't even be in a investigation for doing what they are trained to do


Couldn't agree more.

Oh and by the way they knew they were on camera so why do it unless there was some justification?
Posted By: _Ste_ Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 6th Aug 2010 9:33pm
Originally Posted by Capt_America

Oh and by the way they knew they were on camera so why do it unless there was some justification?


People forget Captain sir, your driving around with a cam all the time you will get used to it and forget it`s there, bit like me when i`m treating the yard at work like a rally track or oblitorating cars that are being scrapped! wink
Posted By: Razzi Re: Police Officers Smash Pensioner's Car Window - 7th Aug 2010 11:55am
From what i believe happended, he got arsey because he was pulled over and in a huff before the police had actually finished cautioning him he drove off, knocked over one officer with his front wing but still didn't stop, so i think they were well within their rights to chase & apprehend him. He can cry police brutality all he wants, but pensioner or not he was being a bugger. If this was a young lad in a cap in the same circumstances everyone (well most) would be saying he deserved all he got . The old bugger was being a twot and maybe dancing on his bonnet was a bit Miami vice, but come the end, he has committed a crime an assult on a police officer with a vehicle & failed to stop,
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