Cops Stop NFL Player From Final Goodbye

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/03/police-stop-nfl.html

In Dallas, Texas NFL football player Ryan Moats received a call from the hospital that his wife’s mother was in the hospital and it didn’t look like she had very much time left. After receiving the news Moats and his wife tried raced to get there as quickly as possible so they could see her one last time. But just outside the hospital Moats failed to stop at a red light and was pulled over. Once he was pulled over Moats tried explaining to the officer that his mother in law was dying and he was just trying to get to the hospital, but the cop wasn’t buying it. Moats wife was eventually let go and she made it in time to see her mother but Moats and his father in law didn’t make it in time. I think that this article brings up and interesting topic though. Is there ever a time when speeding and breaking traffic rules should be allowed? I think that in this case the officer should have used some common sense and followed them into the hospital made sure there story checked out and then let him off. From what I get from the story it sounds like he stopped at the light made sure no traffic was coming and then went through the red light. So he wasn’t putting anybody else’s life in danger he was just trying to get there as soon as possible.

I seen this on sportscenter a few days ago and it just shocked me. For a cop to sit there and continue to write a ticket to a man who is sittnig right outside of a hospital with his family pleading to let him go to see his dying mother is beyond me. Moats continued to talk to the officer and ask to let him see his mother and the cop actually pulled a gun on him and asked him if he wanetd to go to jail. Yah maybe he was lying but when he is right outside the hospital why would he lie about someithng like that. I wonder how this cop feels after all this knowing that he was the one that prevented this young adult from seeing his mother for the last minute of her life.

This story is news to me, and like you said it brings to mind many questions. However not only should you question if it is appropriate to sometimes break the law, but also how much is racism still present in our society. I hate to say it but I would almost bet money that if the person saying they were trying to see their dying grandmother was white things would have ended differently. It is a shame that there are still people out there who discriminate against certain races. Some people might be happy to see something like this happening, showing that even celebrities are punished for breaking the law, but like you said, was this a time where it was appropriate? If they had a dying person in the car with them and they were outside the hospital would they have been let go then? I would hope so. Im not saying that breaking the law is the right thing to do but even at the worst the officer could have written up a ticket really quick and sent him on his way. From the way you said the story it seems like he held him up quite a bit. I think the government should make a public list of situations in which it is acceptable to break the law. Understandably these circumstances would have to be pretty serious, but I think this would be one of them. I am also not saying people should be allowed to be reckless, but it did not seem like this played put anyones life in danger.

When I heard about this story I was in complete shock. I cant believe that the cop would not let him go see his dying mother for the last time. In fact the cop sat there and continued writing the ticket and taking his time, while he sat in his car unable to see his mother one last time. This story was very sad because he couldn’t even see his mother before she died. The part that really upset me was the fact that when he finally got to see his mother, it was just a couple of minutes to late. Something that would never happened if the cop would have just let him go.

I feel that they should have been let go as soon as they explained the story. The police should have leaded them with his lights on so they could make it to the hospital safer and faster, not breaking anymore laws. I have heard of the most ridiculous stories, and people get let go. My friend from high school’s mother go pulled over for speeding all she told the officer was that she had to use the restroom really badly. The police let her go. I mean if a cop will let a person off for needing to pee, I feel they should have let the group go so they could see the dying woman.

Ya, I agree with you guys that he should have been let off, but if he would have just stopped at the light for one to two minutes they all would have made it to the hospital on time with no problems, as it sounds to me. If wife made it after talking to the officer and being let go. So that just goes to show you that if they would have stopped they all would have made it for sure. The law is the law and it can't be broken in any circumstance, really. If the officer let him go then you how know many more people would break the law in an emergency after that. Plus, I am sure officers hear over enough excuses why they did it in the first place that they get sick of it. Plus, anyone could make up that excuse when they are right in front of the hospital. The only thing that didn't make sense to me was he let one person go and not the rest. That doesn't make sense at all!