Another sad story.  Death by cop.

[NCBusa2001]

posted May 03, 2003 11:40 PM
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This incident happened last Wednesday in Southern Pines, Moore County, North Carolina. The article didn't state that in fact the patrol car struck the motorcycle AFTER it went down. This is verified by an EMS friend of mine.

Copied from "The Pilot" our local newspaper.

"Cyclist Dies In Wreck After Chase
BY MATTHEW MORIARTY: Staff Writer

A Southern Pines man died Wednesday in traffic wreck after being chased by Southern Pines police on Crestview Road.

Clinton Cornelius Isaac, 32, was riding a 1994 Yamaha motorcycle, according to the State Highway Patrol. Sgt. Nicholas Steven Polidori of the Southern Pines Police was attempting to pull him over in his patrol car.

No details on exactly what occurred have been released. The Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. Though the accident happened inside the Southern Pines city limits, the Police Department called in the Highway Patrol to investigate.

“We don’t have our people investigate an accident if one of our people is involved,” said police Capt. Carol McCarn.

Police are not releasing any information on the accident while the Highway Patrol investigation is still going on.

The accident happened about 6 p.m. on a downhill stretch of Crestview Road between North Saylor Street and Midland Road.

At the scene Thursday, a long set of skid marks, apparently made by a car, was visible leading off the right side of the road. Another mark, probably made by the motorcycle, veered off the right side of the road as well. The marks appeared to converge at a splintered and leaning telephone pole.

It appeared from the marks in the road, spray paint put down by investigators and sand put down to soak up leakage from the vehicle’s engine that the car had spun off the telephone pole and had come to rest in the middle of the road.

The pursuit began on Broad Street, said Chief Gerald Galloway, when Polidori saw the suspect speeding and driving recklessly. The chase continued down Bennett Street and onto Crestview Road. It was unclear how fast the vehicles were traveling.

The Southern Pines Police Department allows officers to chase suspects and makes no distinction between cars and motorcycles. Galloway said he plans to consider whether policy changes are necessary after the Highway Patrol finishes its investigation.

Polidori has been with the Police Department for several years. He was not injured."

Guess you have more to worry about when encountering police that just speeding tickets. Comments welcome.

My prayers go out to the family.


Chris

 

[rubbersidedown]

this kinda thing is harsh . we dont know all the facts . guessing...I'd say PULL OVER . If you've got the skills an' can out run 'em without killin' yerself,the cop,or some pregnant mom on the side of the road with two kids....go for it...more power to ya . the cops have a tuff job too do . some of them are a little over zealous(proven fact on a documentary I watched,the addrenilin flows,the heartrate increases,they actually get angry in some cases,they can get just a little too "GUNG HO")
But still....they have a tuff job to do . PICTURE YERSELF in there position.....well...for me...personally , I CAN'T . I could never drive Busa by day , an' chase "speeder" by night . Just wouldn't...."SIT WELL" if ya know what I mean . It would be just a pinch too hypacritical for me....but hey....that's just me. BUT , they are paid by the state,province,territory,or whatever to apprehend said BANDITO . It's gotta be a tuff call . Chances are the guy/girl is not an' AXE MURDERER,A RAPIST, A PEDOPHILE....chances are the guy/girl is just like any other person....could even be a HAYABUSA.ORG member . YUP....he/she is SPEEDING . True enough . Is it worth dying over....NO .
But we do chance it .
Is it worth killing over.....of course not . But like a lot of INCIDENTS....things CAN & SOMETIMES DO, get out of hand . They can go bad , an' turn real ugly in a hurry .
The dude...he most likely gets a rush outa the power.
The cop...he most likely gets a rush outa chasin the dude.
Joe Citizen . Jill Public . He/she should probably fear them both .
With stories like this it's hard to figure anything out for sure . If the guy was runnin' 'cause he just beat up his wife,or hurt some child...I say , MAY HE ROT IN HELL .
If the guy was runnin' 'cause he had 3 unpaid parking tickets....I say , may HIS god go with him .
As for the cop...it's a tuff job . Someone has to do it . A lawless enviroment would not be the way to go in this kind of society . He volunteered . For reasons known only to him. I can only hope its for all the right reasons . A real love for people . A genuine heart . Not some tuff guy thing , or power trip . A chance to help the real inocents of the world....and a chance to lock-up the real scum bags . If the cop was a good man....chances are....there's one man dead , an' one man dying .
Just my 2 cent's...an' yes , I can make change.

 

[STUNNAH]

. If the cop was a good man....chances are....there's one man dead , an' one man dying .
[/QUOTE]

I was not going to post in this thread until more information had been provided...However, this particular statement caught my attention...This statement is so true because now you have the surviving officer second guestioning his every action as to what he could/should have done that you have changed the outcome of this incident...I'll say no more...Great point...

 

[Revlis]

I am pretty much with RubberSide on this,
 You hear the boasts and the bragging any time a bunch of bikers get together.  "I outran this..." "I lost this COP in the Canyon..."  etc...
 My usual reaction to this type of comment is to scoff quietly in my head, smile, and keep an eye in obits for the poor bastard.   Now I know this is sort of doom and gloom but anytime you are "running" from the police you have taken your life and the life of those around you into your own hands.  Rookie and Experianced riders know that FLASH of panic you feel when you realize there is a cop with cherries flashing on your six.  Then you have to make the decision...stay or go?  It's a critical decision, clouded by fear and adrenaline.  
 My only real point is know yourself, your location, and weigh the possible outcomes.  Downtown in rush hour traffic on an unfamiliar stretch of interstate is not a place to flee.  In a canyon, your home stomping ground, well warmed tires and a clear head...might be the ticket for avoiding a ...ticket.
 I think the single most important thing here is to make sure your head is CLEAR, no beer, pot, meth, crank, coke, etc.  Make sure you have a clear mind and can judge the situation properly.
 One other thought, I once sat parked on the side of the road long enough for me to get completely unsuited, dig out a cigarette and have a few drags before the cop I blew buy got there.  Why did I stop?  Rush hour traffic, unfamiliar with the surrounding areas, an ability to admit my mistakes.  She (the LEO)  was so surprised to see me sitting there waiting she actually had a grin on her face.  I got a warning after a brief "Yes officer, Yes Ma'am" conversation.  No ticket, no attitude.  My .02.

 

[busapilot911]

I'll lend my opinion (for what it is worth). The police officers that are hired in our communities are being asked to do alot of dangerous and awful things. Drugs, thefts, murders, rapes, and stuff like that. The last thing they want to do is cause accidents by chasing people for speeding or driving recklessly.
9 times out of 10, if someone is running from being pulled over, it's not just cause they were speeding and don't want a ticket.
I guess my point is, if your gonna do the crime, be prepared to do the time.
The quickest way to piss off a cop is to run. Pull over and be respectful and apologetic, and you might just get away with a slap on the wrist. Even if you do get the ticket, it's better then dying.

 

[bacharles]

I guess my point is, if your gonna do the crime, be prepared to do the time.
The quickest way to piss off a cop is to run. Pull over and be respectful and apologetic, and you might just get away with a slap on the wrist. Even if you do get the ticket, it's better then dying.

Out of all that has been said, this was probably the MOST sensible in my view...

 

[nihilist]

I'd love to believe that every officer out there was a fair, rational human being, but after being pulled over on numerous occasions for no other reason than riding a motorcycle, they can earn their pay. If I'm on an open road and see flashing lights you can bet I'm out. When cops learn to treat respectful, law abiding, tax paying people with a little dignity then I'll be happy to pull over and discuss the problem but until then...

 

[Revlis]

I'm with Busapilot911 and Bacharles, almost without exception, everytime I have pulled over into a safe well lit are, promptly turned off the bike, removed helmet, and had a seat with legs crossed Indian style then strike up a smoke waiting for the LEO to do their thing I have had nothing but politeness, professionalism and more than once a bit of humor.

I dunno if anyone else has noticed but at 6'1" and 215lbs I am one of the smaller Busa Pilots out there. Some you "BIG" guys (and there are alot of you on the Busa) are probably more than a bit intimidating all leathered up with a helmet on. The reason I get off the bike, remove the helmet and sit is to put the Officer at ease, make it obvious I am not a threat and that I am not going anywhere. Really try hard to find a BRIGHT public area just off the road when your pulled over as well, if it takes a few moments signal that you are pulling over just looking for a safe spot. LEO's appreciate how dangerous roads can be, anything you can do to make things safer for the both of you starts a positive chain of events into motion. Have a seat, relax, MOVE SLOWLY. My best advice is to get off the bike and get seated and helmet off quickly, LEO's don't like alot of movement so the quicker you get into a position thats not threatening the better. Everytime I have done this and I am uh..talking about probably 10 times over the years, I have gotten one ticket...Yeah, I was going 29 in a 25 MPH zone, the LEO was an A-hole but what are you going to do? Everyone has bad days.
I think I have spent all my change...so it's my $1.00 worth.

 

[Max Speed]

.............

 

[busapilot911]

Nihilist, you have to understand that not everyone that the cops deal with is an upstanding citizen. More often then not they are dealing with complete a-holes and are concentrating more on getting home alive then trying to decipher who is cool and who is an a$$.
Personnaly if a cop tells me to stop and I keep going....I expect to get shot. My best friend is a cop and I hear all of the horror stories, the best advise I can give is always trust that the cop is going to be fair, as long as you aren't an A$$!