The drink/driving cop

[Lou Girardin]

HOW MANY 100S OF PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR FROM DRUNK DRIVERS, HE RISKED THE LIVES OF OTHER DRIVERS BY DRIVING AND HES A PIG AND HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER , ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE DRUNK AND THATS THE REASON IT IS ILLEGAL, HE DOESNT DESERVE A LICENCE OR A JOB AS A COP

Don't have a bin near a sole charge town then winja. You wouldn't want a cop to break the law to help. Would you?

What a lot of weasle words are being spouted here. On one hand this, on the other hand that.................
What about the simple moral imperative that he has to help someone in trouble. I'd do what he did in a heartbeat.
The arsehole who tested him should be sent to Coventry.

[Ixion]

HOW MANY 100S OF PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR FROM SPEEDING DRIVERS, HE RISKED THE LIVES OF OTHER DRIVERS BY DRIVING AND HES A PIG AND HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER , ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE FAST AND THATS THE REASON IT IS ILLEGAL, HE DOESNT DESERVE A LICENCE OR A JOB AS A COP

I edit Mr WINJA's post to illustrate a bit of selective morality here. Which doesn't mean that I condone drunken driving (careful coming down off the horse, it's awfully high) : or dangerous speed either . Merely that there's a time to follow the letter of the law, and a time to exercise common sense.

Folk here often call for the cops to use discretion. Here's one who did and IMHO he made the right call (though, the wrong one for him, in the event)

[Winston001]

There's a time to follow the letter of the law, and a time to exercise common sense.

Folk here often call for the cops to use discretion. Here's one who did and IMHO he made the right call

Well said.

It's a question of the greater good. Do a small wrong (drink/drive) to achieve a bigger right - helping the accident victims. I'm sure if we asked accident victims whether they wanted to lie there at the scene and wait, or be attended to by a mildly intoxicated professional, they'd take their chances with the professional.

[mdooher]

perhaps he didn't think to get someone to drive him cos he wasn't thinking straight...bit much beer?

Another thought... If he had asked someone to assist him in the execution of his duty and that person had been breath tested .... yeah well you can see where I'm going

[Winston001]

And presumably had 20 minutes for his BAC to have lowered, add to that the time actually at the accident, then the other 40 minutes to get back to the station for the evidential, so he would have had at least an hour, if not 2.

So, every likelyhood he would have been much higher when he actually was driving.

A common misconception. In fact the longer the time between the last drink, and the test, the higher the level. Subject to amount consumed and enough time - say 6 hours.

The human body can only process a certain mg/hour of alcohol. The excess just sits around turning you brain to mush. So after you stop drinking, your blood-alcohol (and breath) concentration continues to climb. The result is you'll have a higher level 2 hours later than at the moment of your last drink.

Ask any cop - they catch plenty of people at 8 - 9 am still pickled from last night.

[Winston001]

Sorry?

The guy in the crash was drinking at the officer's home?

if that is correct, was the injured driver over the limit? If yes and yes, then the cop should be slammed. Responsible host, drink driver, good job he saved the guy, but the guy wouldn't be in the position if the cop had have done what all good hosts should.

I don't know but there is an earlier post which says so, and that the driver left, avoiding a sober driver arranged for him. Can't blame the cop for that. It wasn't a party situation.

And honestly, how many of us can tell when a friend isn't fit to drive? Obviously if he's trollied, but most people just appear happy and fully in control. Very difficult to tell.

[Ozzie]

Ok, fair enough on both counts (ie. as in your words make sense), however, these are the people we look to for guidence of our youth, and to make the place safer.

Anyway, I am a little torn over which way to go in all honesty, I think what he did was wrong, but any person who saves a life is on a pedistal. Very hard call, glad I'm not on the jury.

Obviously a few people know more about this than I do,,,,,What caused the accident? Speed (sorry, intended for the safeas people), drink or ?.
Was it the guy who left the cops place?

And to whoever it was that made the post referencing a close family friend....A friend of yours or the copper's?

[candor]

Cop made a choice. In light of circumstances (assuming no-one else was right on hand to transport him) it was the right one. As time was of the essence. He was a bit over, but he obviously didn't feel a 2 k journey was beyond him. Its when you are way over your crash risk increases exponentially. Even so his crash risk on a 2 k rural trip had to be way lower than the risk of a death if he did not get the medical help to site ASAP.

All in all and speaking from a health professionals perspective I think he weighted things correctly. He risked getting in trouble more than he did causing another accident - and in order to do one of his more or most important duties. To protect life. Right and wrng is rarely black and white or clearcut and it changes with the times. While it is very non PC to drive over the limit especially for Police this does not mean there may never be a time it is justified.

I don't know what Police are taught. But in my training as part of profesionalism I was taught there may be times your professional duties cause you to have to weigh up whether to break the law. And I tell you health pros do it all the time. Butyou are putting yourself on the line. Times like visiting an addict with HIV who has illicit drugs and is about to share them with another who does not know their diagnosis - with the same needle.

You might give them a syringe as its in the public health interest. One of them might overdose with that syringe and die. You made a judgement call. It went wrong / or right depending. Another common one - euthanasia. It happens more often than people imagine. Leslie Martin did good IMO.

There are higher principles than the law. If we are human we must sometimes break it, especially if we are put in positions of trust and responsibility. The teen who sees drink driving cop as a bad example is not "getting" the whole picture here. There are always exceptions to the rule.

[Ozzie]

What if the cop and the driver had just been in a big bong session, would you have the same opinion?

My point is, drink driving kills people (as does drugs and driving), don't you think (and this is without basis as I don't know the details), if a drunk driver caused the accident, that it is ironic that the drunk driving officer that saves one of the victims is seen as "using descretion for the greater good"?

Hypocritical don't you think?

Good job the person didn't die. Yes, I think his decision worked out for the better. I also think, most drink drivers think it will work out for the better when they get behind the wheel also.

"My wife will be pissed if I don't come home....."
"I can't afford a cab......"
"God will my name be mud if I call ??? at 2am to come get me....."

Where is the line? There HAS to be one.

[spudchucka]

No spud, there is no Santa Claus.

Thats not what I've been told!

[spudchucka]

Ask any cop - they catch plenty of people at 8 - 9 am still pickled from last night.

Shit no. I thought those booze bus check points at that time were just to get the quota up.

[Ozzie]

Shit no. I thought those booze bus check points at that time were just to get the quota up.

Ohhh,,,,,that tongue is still in your cheek i see!

[candor]

If he had a bong plus alcohol I would not be so sympathetic. Likewise if he was double the legal limit.

I agree there has to be a line. I agree this looks hypocritical. But I'd not compare him the cop to the drink driver (if there was one) who caused this accident. They were on the road with no highly pressing reason. Unlike the cop. Who is only human too.

Yep draw the line. But draw it with some compassion. If he was my colleague I'd make no judgement against that cop n that situation and that is coming from someone who is totally against DUI and knows it is criminal.

[hurricane_r]

.......................hehe

[Shadows]

Well....still damned either way. The 'right' outcome is "He is a drunk driver and must be made to pay just like everyone else" BUT the correct outcome should be "No-one died (in fact someone lived) because he drove. Tut tut, and we'll hear no more about it"
Glad it's not my call to decide....

Mmmmmm..... I see the cop standing in the dock being charged with "driving with excess breath alcohol causing life"