Police killing us again!

[Headbanger]

so why is only a 250 fine orderd here?

and to think I just handed over $1000 for doing something that resulted in no incidents, no deaths, no damage, no injury, nothing.

[Robbo]

The ute is irrelevant.

It would have made no difference if the cop had seen a horse in a field or a UFO in the sky before he decided on his course of action.

No the ute is not irrelevant. It was his speed that started this whole unfortunate incident. What is it that you do not understand about this.
No speeding ute
No need for a Police chase
No U-Turn
No subsequent crash
Simple as that!!

[scumdog]

So this is what the issue is Scumdog. Are you a cop? If you are and you cant accept that he got off light then you have exactly the same ignorant mentality that highlights my point.

My friend instructs the police at Manfield and he said overall they are terrible drivers. The amount of crazy shit I have seen from Police that puts other motorists lives in danger just to chase a motorist that is slightly speeding.

Yeah, the penalty for that was pretty light - but I've been trying to point out that NOTHING would have made things right - regardless of penalty. (Some just don't seem to get that point).

And the gist of some comments on here are that this penalty is somehow the cops fault, nothing to do with the Court.

BTW: Best way to kill somebody in NZ is on the road - penalties seem to be way lighter than in any other non-road circumstances.

And everybody expects cops to be the best shot, the best driver, the most PC, the most polite, shee-it folks, they're average people (They even tell us that at the college) with a plethora of duties and tasks, add that to the fact there are 5,000 or so of them of various ages, experience and temprament you are (sadly) likely to have catastrophes like this.

[scumdog]

Sorry Scummy, but if you're gonna stand there and tell me this was justice then ya not the dude i thought you were.

Sorry, I must have been too obtuse for you....read my comment on that in my last post.

[Pixie]

And everybody expects cops to be the best shot, the best driver, the most PC, the most polite, shee-it folks, they're average people (They even tell us that at the college) with a plethora of duties and tasks, add that to the fact there are 5,000 or so of them of various ages, experience and temprament you are (sadly) likely to have catastrophes like this.

It doesn't help that the Govt. and Police management don't even try to train cops to use guns an cars to a professional level.
Typical "she'll be right NZ atitude".

[Pixie]

No.

Listen carefully. I'll talk slowly.

In a court of law ALL evidence must be presented.

It is a FACT that the tyre was not warrantable.

Anything else is simply opinion.

There is no conspiracy theory.

All evidence?

They forgot to present the fact that the ride had taken a big dump just prior to leaving for home and that this improved his stopping distance by reducing the inertia of the bike/rider system.

[scumdog]

It doesn't help that the Govt. and Police management don't even try to train cops to use guns an cars to a professional level.
Typical "she'll be right NZ atitude".

True to a certain extent but it's more "It wiil cost us more and we'll need more staff" ($$$$) than 'she'll be right".

And it the odds of an event happening too - i.e. how likely is it that a cop is going to have to shoot somebody during their career = how much training is believed to be necessary.

[scumdog]

All evidence?

They forgot to present the fact that the ride had taken a big dump just prior to leaving for home and that this improved his stopping distance by reducing the inertia of the bike/rider system.

But the delay in leaving the 'dumping' site put him in exactly the location that he crashed at the precise time to do so...

[Biggles08]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...police-coverup

So he was driving "dangerously" and made a "brief mistake" that was "inexcusable" yet he got off with a $250 fine?!?!? WTF!

So what if Paul was speeding or not....talk about missing the point much!? THE COP STILL DIRECTLY "CAUSED" THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF HIS SHIT DRIVING! Sure choices were made by all parties involved and I don't believe it was 'entirely' the cops fault, but where is the justice in a $250 fine?! Consider for a moment what the penalty would have been to a civilian who pulled the same maneuver in front of a pursuing cop on a bike, at the same location, causing the same carnage. The book would have been launched at them that's for sure. This is simple political BS whatever way you try and justify it.

No wonder in general, no respect is given to traffic cops!

[Pixie]

Just wondering....
If the cop had seen a car doing a 3 point turn at the same place time etc but without a fatality.....What would the charge/fine have been?.

Wouldn't even bother to stop the turner.
After all it isn't speeding/drinking/driving without a seatbelt and therefore it's not a cause of accidents

[nadroj]

No the ute is not irrelevant. It was his speed that started this whole unfortunate incident. What is it that you do not understand about this.
No speeding ute
No need for a Police chase
No U-Turn
No subsequent crash
Simple as that!!

I understand your point, however, whatever triggered the cop to do a U turn, he still had a responsibility to the general public to undertake his duties in a safe manner.

[Indiana_Jones]

So the life of a biker is worth $250?.....not even a years worth of rego....

Riot time?

-Indy

[yod]

So the life of a biker is worth $250?.....not even a years worth of rego....

Riot time?

-Indy

I could do with a new TV.

[willytheekid]

So sad....Such a great loss.

I can agree that the justice system has (once again) dropped the ball on dispensing a fair punishment....but I cannot agree with the hatred & negative attitudes displayed in this thread towards the cop & police in general

Everyone makes mistakes...bad decisions....or simply fucks up from time to time....being a cop doesn't exclude you from making these same mistakes.
This particular police offer has served his community & the people of NZ for over 27yrs!......and this long time serving officer will live with the sickening knowledge that his "mistake"...has taken a dearly loved one from his kids and family.

Personally...I blame the Judge & the bullshit legal system that has handed down another "slap on the wrist" sentence...but unlike the usual scum that they let back into the community, this case just happened to involved a cop...who after so many years service, made a dumb decision that has taken the life of a talented motorcyclist, father and friend to many.

I simply cannot join the "hang em High" club in this thread, Ive been left lying on the side of the road a few times over the past 30yrs of riding, and its usually a cop holding my guts in, telling me everything will be ok, And during the quake I watched them put themselves at great personal risk to ensure the rest of us reached our family's safe.
...Yet some people on here seem to forget these sacrifices and services when ever the cops make a mistake or a bad apple comes to light...and instead just want to bay for blood!

There was more than one! mistake made that day, the cop for making a u-turn in a stupid place, by Paul's mate speeding in the Ute, and even by Paul himself for using an illegal tire and not compensating for a blind rise....but the biggest mistake so far was trusting in the NZ judicial system to hand out a fair & just sentence!

R.I.P Paul, our love and thoughts to your family & friends in this difficult time of injustice

-ride in paradise mate, you certainly haven't been forgotten down here.

[rastuscat]

So the life of a biker is worth $250?.....not even a years worth of rego....

Riot time?

-Indy

Court imposed penalties rarely reflect the circumstances of what happened. Even if they had fined him a million dollars, it wouldn't have brought the rider back.

Penalty needs to reflect the level of carelessness, the outcome, the pointlessness of penalties in cases like this, lots of things.

All of that said, $250 appears manifestly inadequate. I just don't know what would have made any difference in the circumstances.

Nobody wins in cases like this.