August 22, 2008

Why was he punished?

By: Sonny Bunch

Rod links to this video, from a traffic stop in which a car pulled a guy over for doing “over 100” on the highway because he was trying to get to a vet because his dog was choking. He also says that the officer was disciplined, though I don’t have a link to what that punishment was, and Rod doesn’t say.

To which I ask: Why? I think the officer showed a fair amount of restraint in not cuffing the lunatic who hops out of the car and hauling him off to the hoosegow. If the driver had been calm and collected and said “look, I’m sorry I led you on a freeway chase, my dog was dying and I’m trying to get him to a vet” and the cop said “I don’t care that your dog is dying,” then maybe we’d have an issue here. (Maybe.) But he sounds like a hysteric and he’s hopping around like he’s on meth. I don’t blame the cop for being wary.

Repeat after me: A dog is not a child. A dog is not worth putting everyone on the highway at risk by doing 100 mph and winding in and out of traffic.