Off-duty deputy pulls gun on pregnant woman and husband at Walmart check-out

[Guest AmericanWorkMule]

...don't you get perturbed when you see people with too many items in the express lane?

http://www.wcsh6.com/comments/189025/108/Off-duty-deputy-pulls-gun-on-pregnant-woman-at-Walmart-check-out

[Sandman]

Wow. That could have ended badly for everyone involved.

[Steelharp]

Well; that's a prick.

[MattCary]

Need to hear (and see) the other side of this story, I'll bet it's very different.

[TripleDigitRide]

If you were shoved while standing in line at Wal-Mart, would you pull your firearm?

[k9wh91984]

Nope! If it were two men shoving me, yes, because legally they could beat me to death.

Edited February 18, 2012 by k9wh91984

[Timestepper]

Nope! If it were two men shoving me, yes, because legally they could beat me to death.

I'm sorry, I know what you meant, but the way you worded it made me . (I don't think it's legal to beat someone to death no matter how many of them there are.)

I'm guessing that you meant that, from a legal standpoint, you could ASSUME they about to beat you to death and so respond accordingly, right?

[Tncobra]

So how many items was she over?

[Mike.357]

I'd like to read the cops story.

And then Id like to hear the truth of the incident.

[BryanP]

I'd like to review the security camera footage. Doesn't Wal Mart have cameras pointed at all their registers?

[Steelharp]

I'd like to read the cops story.

And then Id like to hear the truth of the incident.

DING DING DING

Edited February 18, 2012 by Steelharp

[DaveTN]

I’d like to hear the checkers side of the story. They had to see and hear what went on. I have to assume the responding Officers talked to them or other wittnesses before arresting this guy.

[k9wh91984]

I'm sorry, I know what you meant, but the way you worded it made me . (I don't think it's legal to beat someone to death no matter how many of them there are.)

I'm guessing that you meant that, from a legal standpoint, you could ASSUME they about to beat you to death and so respond accordingly, right?

Yes...Yes officer they were trying to beat me to death and I was afraid for my life. That's about how it would go down...maybe...

[analog_kidd]

If I find some big guy aggressively arguing with MY pregnant wife, I'm pushing him away too. Sorry, I side with and protect my wife every time. What really sucks is the husband got arrested for battery. If I was the cop and had time to cool down, I don't think I would have pressed those charges. If I was the cop's boss, I think I would have recommended he not press those charges. There's no way it can go good for him when a jury finds out the husband was protecting his wife who was expecting any day.

[Guest NYCrulesU]

If I find some big guy aggressively arguing with MY pregnant wife, I'm pushing him away too. Sorry, I side with and protect my wife every time. What really sucks is the husband got arrested for battery. If I was the cop and had time to cool down, I don't think I would have pressed those charges. If I was the cop's boss, I think I would have recommended he not press those charges. There's no way it can go good for him when a jury finds out the husband was protecting his wife who was expecting any day.

Exactly. Sounds like..and if he was in the wrong he deserves it...a deputy might be looking for new employment soon.

[Steelharp]

If I was the cop and had time to cool down

This wasn't a stress situation. This was (as far as we know) a lady in line at a checkout with apparently what he believed to be too many items. Like that never happens? I would imagine if the husband had been armed, it would be safe to say the charge would have been more than "misdemeanor battery." At this point, it doesn't look good for a hothead, to me.

[TMF]

I get playing devil's advocate here, but I can't think of a good reason to pull a weapon after initiating confrontation short of the other guy producing a weapon or making a threat, can you?

[Guest NYCrulesU]

Not knowing the entire situation as it occured...I will say this...

I'm not a hothead, in general...when by myself. However...I am ridiculously protective over my wife and two small children. Thinking back...especially when my wife was pregnant.

Should someone smart off to me? Whatever. Nothing but hot air.

Should aomeone get nasty and disrespectful to my wife or about my children? I admit, he may be needing medical attention and I more than likely will be charged with assault.

So..whatever happened in this story...so long as the husband was in the right and honestly defending/protecting his wife....I support him and whatever he did 100% (by whatever...I mean within reason).

[DaveTN]

I get playing devil's advocate here, but I can't think of a good reason to pull a weapon after initiating confrontation short of the other guy producing a weapon or making a threat, can you?

Nope. There is no justification for pulling a gun during a verbal altercation in which you are a willing participant. Either shut your mouth and walk away or fight with your hands. This BS of “I was in fear of my life†doesn’t cut it; I don’t care if you’re a cop or an HCP holder. If you try to leave and the other person continues after you; the rules change.

Edited February 18, 2012 by DaveTN

[Guest boatme99]

I don't know how it will all come out, but the article also said her husband was getting eggs while this all started. So she's in line and she wasn't even finished shopping yet! That would really tick me off.

[TMF]

I don't know how it will all come out, but the article also said her husband was getting eggs while this all started. So she's in line and she wasn't even finished shopping yet! That would really tick me off.

Yeah, but we encounter stupid people like this every day without pulling our weapon.

[Guest cardcutter]

1. the cop is in a heated argument with a pregnat woman.

2. He initiated said conflict.

3.They have other registers,he could have simply moved to another one.

4 The husband has to push him back to get him away from his wife.

Conclusion why is this guy allowed to carry such a mantle of responibility as a LEO if he is prone to such bad judgement?

[TGO David]

1. the cop is in a heated argument with a pregnat woman.

2. He initiated said conflict.

3.They have other registers,he could have simply moved to another one.

4 The husband has to push him back to get him away from his wife.

Conclusion why is this guy allowed to carry such a mantle of responibility as a LEO if he is prone to such bad judgement?

This. You confront my wife, even not pregnant, and start yelling at her like this in a store you're going to be sucking floor tiles. You pull a gun after that, you're going to be leaving on a gurney. The deputy started it, escalated it and the husband was defending his wife. #### that guy and #### his whole department if they don't can him.

[Wyldk2]

Agree with David on this. The off-duty deputy should have just walked to another register instead of escalating the confrontation. There are more important things to worry about than whether or not you have under a number of items at a "speedy" checkout line.

You never pull your gun unless you are physically threatened with bodily harm. Now we don't know who or how big the off-duty deputy was to compare him to the Big Black man defending his pregnant wife. So we don't know if he felt threatened. Still, the off-duty officer should have kept his cool and walked away.

Maybe the adrenaline got to him with his arguing with the pregnant lady. I'd believe the checkout cameras and the checker's story over anyone else's story.

[DaveTN]

I'd believe the checkout cameras and the checker's story over anyone else's story.

This.

And the fact that the cop is not on suspension while the investigation is in progress tells me that the evidence doesn’t support the arrested man’s version, or even that a gun was pulled.

Although all of this is mere speculation based on a reporter getting one side of the story. But hey... its what we do.