craigntx
Registered
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedc....31.html
BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV
Video
Brett Shipp reports
July 3, 2008
More News 8 video
View larger E-mail Clip More Video IRVING - Those driving down the road without an insurance card of driver's license with a correct address may find themselves in jail if they get pulled over by Irving police.
In fact, it happened to two women who were pulled over by the same two Irving cops last weekend. Both women said their traffic stops turned into a nightmare.
Mikki Stokes, of Irving, said she was headed to the store for some sour cream when she was stopped by two Irving police officers.
She was initially stopped for not making a complete stop when exiting the parking lot. Stokes second offense was that her current address was not on her Texas driver's license. However, she said she never dreamed that those two minor offenses would result in her being cuffed and stuffed into the backend of a squad car.
"And I was like, 'Is this something that someone with no criminal record would get arrested for, that's never been in trouble for anything [and] that's not a persistent offender?" she said. "I've never been in trouble before. Why are you arresting me for this? And they were like, 'We can arrest you for anything.'"
Two hours later it was Leanna Onstott, of Fort Worth, who became the next target of the same two officers.
"And he said, 'You are under arrest,'" she said of when she was pulled over without have proper proof of insurance in her car. "And he turned me around and put handcuffs on me and I was just like, 'Is this really happening? I mean, can they do this?'"
Onstott was originally pulled over for creeping her car past the pedestrian crossing line.
Neither woman had outstanding warrants or had ever been to jail. Yet, Stokes said she spent two hours behind bars. Onstott said she spent five hours in jail before posting a $600 bond. However, none of that was what Onstott said was the worst part of her arrest.
"They asked me to take off my clothes," she said.
Onstott was then forced to put on jail clothes.
Both women have filed internal affairs complaints against the two Irving officers Daniels and McPherson. While Irving police officials said their concerns are being taken seriously and will be thoroughly investigated, they also said the officers were within their rights to make the arrests.
"The discretion that was used, the decision to make the arrests, it's well within their authority to do that," said David Tull, with the Irving Police Department. ".... I don't know that you could say it's common, but it's not unheard of."
Regardless of how the investigation turns out, both women said their faith in Irving police has been shattered.
"I think if someone can't get them to stop abusing power and pulling people over and doing stuff like this because they think they have the right to, then they don't need to be in that job," Stokes said.
Onstott warned motorists that as long as officers can arrest whoever they want for what they want, Irving is not a desirable place to drive.
"I just want to know why they didn't give me a ticket," she said. "The public needs to know that it's happening and it could happen to them if it happened to me."
E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com
BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV
Video
Brett Shipp reports
July 3, 2008
More News 8 video
View larger E-mail Clip More Video IRVING - Those driving down the road without an insurance card of driver's license with a correct address may find themselves in jail if they get pulled over by Irving police.
In fact, it happened to two women who were pulled over by the same two Irving cops last weekend. Both women said their traffic stops turned into a nightmare.
Mikki Stokes, of Irving, said she was headed to the store for some sour cream when she was stopped by two Irving police officers.
She was initially stopped for not making a complete stop when exiting the parking lot. Stokes second offense was that her current address was not on her Texas driver's license. However, she said she never dreamed that those two minor offenses would result in her being cuffed and stuffed into the backend of a squad car.
"And I was like, 'Is this something that someone with no criminal record would get arrested for, that's never been in trouble for anything [and] that's not a persistent offender?" she said. "I've never been in trouble before. Why are you arresting me for this? And they were like, 'We can arrest you for anything.'"
Two hours later it was Leanna Onstott, of Fort Worth, who became the next target of the same two officers.
"And he said, 'You are under arrest,'" she said of when she was pulled over without have proper proof of insurance in her car. "And he turned me around and put handcuffs on me and I was just like, 'Is this really happening? I mean, can they do this?'"
Onstott was originally pulled over for creeping her car past the pedestrian crossing line.
Neither woman had outstanding warrants or had ever been to jail. Yet, Stokes said she spent two hours behind bars. Onstott said she spent five hours in jail before posting a $600 bond. However, none of that was what Onstott said was the worst part of her arrest.
"They asked me to take off my clothes," she said.
Onstott was then forced to put on jail clothes.
Both women have filed internal affairs complaints against the two Irving officers Daniels and McPherson. While Irving police officials said their concerns are being taken seriously and will be thoroughly investigated, they also said the officers were within their rights to make the arrests.
"The discretion that was used, the decision to make the arrests, it's well within their authority to do that," said David Tull, with the Irving Police Department. ".... I don't know that you could say it's common, but it's not unheard of."
Regardless of how the investigation turns out, both women said their faith in Irving police has been shattered.
"I think if someone can't get them to stop abusing power and pulling people over and doing stuff like this because they think they have the right to, then they don't need to be in that job," Stokes said.
Onstott warned motorists that as long as officers can arrest whoever they want for what they want, Irving is not a desirable place to drive.
"I just want to know why they didn't give me a ticket," she said. "The public needs to know that it's happening and it could happen to them if it happened to me."
E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com
