Oh, those wild and crazy Miami Cops! If you thought the juvenile antics of the North Miami Beach cops during the recent budget season was bad, that was child’s play compared to the battle going on between the Florida Highway Patrol and the cops from the City of Miami. The latest “prank” in the escalating war between the two departments has resulted in a bucket of poop being dumped on an FHP vehicle, as reported in a Miami Herald article entitled, Threats turn to action in fight between Miami police and FHP (http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/09/v-fullstory/2494810/threats-turn-to-action-in-fight.html).
EWWWWWWWWW!!!! That is just so gross!
The problems started on October 11, 2011 when FHP trooper Donna Jane Watts pulled over Miami Officer Fausto Lopez for speeding at 120 miles per hour in his police car on the Turnpike, far from his own jurisdiction, on his way to an off duty job. As the Miami Herald article states, “Since then, Watts has faced threats and ridicule on police blogs and in emails.”
Is anyone shocked by this behavior? I know I’m not. Is anyone surprised that the “police blogs” refer to the now infamous LeoAffairs.com website, on which our own NMB police officers are no strangers, which feature Cops Gone Wild. While I understand the web page for the NMBPD is now being monitored to make sure the kids behave themselves, I’m betting no one is babysitting the Miami PD’s page. I won’t even take a guess at how crude they’re probably being with their comments.
Trooper Watts has claimed that she chased Officer Lopez for quite a while before he finally pulled over, and she then asked him to step out of the car with her gun drawn, and finally handcuffed and ticketed him. She also stated, with good reason, that she had no idea if the police car had been stolen or if she was chasing down a real cop or a thief. DUH!
Lopez didn’t take too kindly to being treated like a Common Citizen. DIDN’T SHE KNOW WHO HE WAS?
Apparently, Lopez and his fellow Brothers in Blue feel they are above the law. In retaliation, they (and cops from other departments, including Hialeah) have posted digitally altered photos of Trooper Watts insinuating that she’s a drunk, and of course, posting their usual nastiness on LeoAffairs. The article states, “Writers claiming to be Miami or retired Miami cops flooded a law enforcement blog called LEOAffairs.com threatening Watts physically and hurling vile statements at her, even about her appearance. Troopers responded in kind, often referring to Miami cops as crooks who endanger the public.”
Wow! Cops making comments about her appearance? Where have I heard that one before? Oh, yeah! Members of North Miami Beach’s Finest resort to making fun of yours truly on the NMBPD Leo page by dissing my hair. Ooooh, them’s fightin’ words, eh?
The Hialeah Police Department has a “social media policy,” and it’s Police Chief Mark Overton stated that if any of his cops get caught they’ll be in big trouble. Police policing the police? What a novel idea! Damn shame it has to be done, though. I thought these guys were professionals. And adults. Oops! My bad.
Also not surprising is the fact that the FOP (a/k/a UNION) just had to pipe in. Its vice president “issued a letter calling Watts mentally unstable.” Talk about an AD HOMINEM ATTACK! Wow, these cop UNIONS really do all have the same playbook, huh? It’s called Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals! (See Argumentum Ad Hominem https://www.votersopinion.com/?p=1530).
Now the shit has hit the fan. Or, the police car, to be exact.
And, yeah, that’s pretty darn disgusting.
Of course, the Miami Police Department, while downplaying all these “isolated” incidents, are still refusing to take any responsibility for the ongoing war. The article states, “Miami Police believe Watts violated several unwritten rules of law enforcement, like pulling over a fellow officer for a minor infraction, drawing a weapon, and handcuffing a fellow officer.”
SINCE WHEN IS SPEEDING DOWN THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE AT 120 MILES PER HOUR A MINOR INFRACTION? SERIOUSLY??
I’d like to see what would happen if you or I tried that same stunt. I wonder if we could use the same defense in court if we got pulled over, handcuffed and arrested for SPEEDING DOWN THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE AT 120 MILES PER HOUR.
“But, Your Honor, it was a MINOR INFRACTION!“
Yeah, right!
The moral of this story is if you want to break the law and get away with it, make sure you’re wearing a badge.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
I have retired with over thirty five years in Law Enforcement. This is without a doubt the most disturbing incident I have ever witnessed in all my years. The Miami officer was using bad judgment in his excessive speed and should be held accountable. That being said there is the other side of the coin. The Trooper in my opinion showed with her attitude and comments that she clearly has a grudge against the Miami Dade officers, her statements prove that. I have to conclude that her actions were of a emotionaly disturbed individual and she should be psychologically evaluated before she goes too far. My God pulling a gun on a uniformed officer that is armed in a marked police car. This could have had disasterous results in one or both officers being shot or injured. All this for a traffic violation. I know that the cop haters are enjoying watching a cop being arrested. What they don’t know is that the Troopers over zealous actions could have been more dangerous to the public than Officer Lopezs speed.
Phil, thanks so much for writing. I can’t comment on your observations about the Trooper because I have read very little about her other than what I posted. Do you have a link to a story or newscast that will give me and my readers more insight? That would be helpful so we can find out more about her. I wrote my column based mainly on this particular article in the Miami Herald. My opinion of the conflict between the two departments are also based on these latest incidents, especially the “poopy car.” That was pretty gross. But, I can definitely see your point about pulling a gun on another cop, and how that could have had a disastrous ending. What I have a hard time imagining is what goes through the mind of a cop who is involved in a high speed chase and what could be considered a “normal” reaction to such an anxious situation. Personally, I can’t even begin to put myself in his or her place, or be able to stand that kind of stress. What I do believe here is that Officer Lopez should never have been driving that fast no matter the circumstances. I also expect that Trooper Watts’ actions will be thoroughly investigated, but I certainly hope she is fairly judged. Because of the problems we’ve experienced here in North Miami Beach in the past few months, many residents have not had a favorable view of the police these days. A few bad incidents have reflected very badly on the entire department, and there seems to be an air of distrust toward cops in general. In all fairness, most of our cops have been professional and excellent police officers. But the few misbehaving ones have unfortunately ruined it for the rest of them. Thanks again for posting your comment.
Phil, agree with you 100%. The female officer over reacted and should seek psychological counseling.
The female officer acted appropriately in arresting the individual who was speeding at 120 mph irrespective who he was or what he was. He was a reckless, selfish individual who thought the streets belonged to him.
We would not be having problems with our own PD speeding down any highway recklessly with our city issued cars since they are no longer allowed this freebie to go galavanting and doing private work out of city limits with such.
Some cops are usually arrogant and think the world is owed to them, hence many laws are not adhere to by them. I have witnessed our own PD officers with sirens blaring and driving at a terrific reckless rates on our city streets, endangering other road users while doing so. The limit for them should not exceed 15 mph above the speed limit, yet this law is broken to smithereens. Many of them have very dark tint on their windows, another law broken.
The arresting officer should be commended for her good work. I do not expect her to be rewarded with a raise or promotion. This should be a part of their daily duties,….arresting arrogance.
Warmest,
Mubarak
You are obviously a female because of your female comment and very biased against police officers your post smells of it. you are correct though about arrogant officers speeding around and being unprofessional. I being a retired police supervisor have dealt with such actions and imposed disciplinary actions when warranted. That has always be a pet peve of mine because it draws criticism againt the police such as your post. I don’t think you can understatnd unless your an officer what could have resulted in the FHP officers stop. Granted the Miami officer should be punished,no question there. Stopping a uniformed officer in a marked police car and he is armed, The FHP officers draws down on him. I guess you have to be an officer to really understand what could have been a disasterous situation with this stop. I can tell you one thing for certain. Officer Watts was most certainly talked to about the way she handled this incident. Unless you are absolutely certain that a felony has been commited you never draw and point your weapon at anybody unless your life is in immediate danger or you are protecting an innocent third party. What she did was stupid plain and simple. Most seasoned officers would have handled this differently. Again I say officer Lopez should be punished for his actions. Officer Watts should be punished for her bad judgment and disobeying her superiors. What she has accomplished is for more people to hate cops which is unfair to all the hard working officers on the street. There are no winners in this case. As to you, when you see officers speeding unjustifyingly get their unit number and make a complaint, you might be surprised how many officers are suspended without pay for their actions.
And right after she did nothing this mentally unstable cop spreads your family all over the road. Would you say that then is the time to pull a gun?
Food for thought…
The trooper apparently was not using radar, as I haven’t seen anything indicating that she was. So, if she pace-clocked him with a stopwatch and markers, that leaves it up to her visual acuity and perception. Now, “if” Miami PD Ofc. Lopez was traveling at 120mph (a very fast and nerve wracking speed to be traveling in traffic), how fast do you think Trooper Watts had to drive to catch up to him? Considering that law enforcement no longer chases vehicles for traffic related infractions (speeding) due to the inherent risk to the public at large, Trooper Watts is most likely violating her own agencies policies. Particularly since her supervisors told her not to pursue twice, which was disregarded. That being said, Ofc. Lopez put the public in danger as well and needs to face the music at his agency.
The tit-for-tat exchange between the agencies is pathetic and unprofessional. Some of the antics are asinine and doesn’t help the current climate. Pretty much like some citizen comments as things have calmed down.
Can’t build a bridge if someone keeps removing a plank.
Just sayin’…..
Have a safe and excellent weekend everyone!
Words of wisdom from the always wise Patrick Henry. Thanks for putting some more perspective into this situation.
Steph
“Patrick Henry” she used her speedometer. It comes with the car.
If Trooper Watts was sitting around watching for speeders, her speedometer will not tell her how fast cars are traveling. If she was driving in traffic, at a particular speed, and the City of Miami car passed her, her speedometer would still not indicate how fast the other car was traveling. It will only indicate the speed of her own car. Now, if Trooper Watts travelled 120 mph to catch up to Lopez, then Lopez could not have been driving at 120 mph or she would never have caught up to him. It’s simple math.
Again, I wasn’t there and I don’t have the verifiable facts. If Lopez was driving at excessive speed, then it is something for his administration to address via investigation and if appropriate, discipline. Trooper Watts should also face the music for her own violations. Police officers are not above the law, and we do have policies to address our conduct. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and Monday morning quarterbacking doesn’t add much value.
PH
See below for reply
“Some cops are usually arrogant and think the world is owed to them, hence many laws are not adhere to by them. I have witnessed our own PD officers with sirens blaring and driving at a terrific reckless rates on our city streets, endangering other road users while doing so. The limit for them should not exceed 15 mph above the speed limit, yet this law is broken to smithereens. Many of them have very dark tint on their windows, another law broken.”
-Hmmm…you commended the trooper for her actions. If lopez was going 120 mph as the trooper stated, she would have to travel around 135-140 mph to catch up to him. That means if the speed limit on the turnpike is 70 mph, she drove nearly 65-70 mph over the speed limit, holy shit thats crazy!!! But to you Mubarack, completly justified, but also contradicts your very own statement that 15 mph over the speed limit is the LIMIT. Soooo. If youve seen NMB cops driving fast with lights and sirens blairing, good chance they might have been chasing down a reckless driver, right? Justified as you’ve stated. Or maybe they were responding to a pregnant female getting the shizzat kicked out of her by her baby daddy. Do you find that justified? I think its time for you to hang up your hat Mubarack on what cops should and should not do. It’s not because we arent open for criticism and don’t welcome suggestions to make our jobs safer. Its because you contradict EVERY comment regarding NMBPD and quite frankly your a dumb dumb.
Warmest,
NMB’s Finest
See below for reply.
I think she meant 15mph over the limit for off-duty cops without lights/siren and/or personal vehicles in non-emergency situations.
Personally I think this would not have happened if there had not been prior bad feelings by one department or Trooper Watts against the other. I am not a cop but obviously they have a radio system and/or phone that would allow her to check if the vehicle was stolen first. I think that would of been the proper first step then making the complaint to the department directly rather than chasing someone down at those speeds then pulling a gun on a uniformed officer and handcuffing him, like he’s going to run away or something. If she had run a check she would know it was a real officer and the vehicle was not stolen. She was talking to her supervisor and ignoring orders, she must of known.
That being said I have run from police at speeds over 130mph(not in Florida) and they do break off the chase due to dangers to the public, I am SURE if I had stopped they would of pulled their guns just like Watts did. However I suspect that she pulled him over due to a grudge even though the behaviour of using a public vehicle to drive at excessive and dangerous speeds to a non-emergency is reprehensible so is chasing that vehicle due to a grudge.
Pulling him over has done nothing to stop such behaviour but succeeded in lighting a fire storm of professional resentment. Childish.
As a side note… 135-140mph? Is not the top speed of a Crown Vic PI package with the highway gears 130mph? Electronically limited due to the H rated tires, aerodynamics that cause the front to become light around 140mph and the lack of power meaning getting to 130 takes forever anyway or were other cars involved?
Regards,
The Styg
Watts supervisor who asked her to stop chasing a speeding squad car should be demoted. He is a part of the problem that encourages such behavior.
In the video, Watts stated they have been doing this ever so often. It has become disrespectful to her and her colleagues I would presume, for this officer and others to see them and race through their jurisdiction. She acted appropriately.
As per how she knew he was going at 120 mph without a radar, is simple: she looked at her own speedometer.
She was correct in drawing her weapon. She knew she was pulling over a uniformed cop, who is most likely armed as well. He did not use good judgment while speeding, and could have ended up harming her with his weapon.
Seeing some cops coming to the defense of Lopez just shows the arrogance of the police.
Mubarak
Wow Mubarack, you topped the cake with this one.
“Watts supervisor who asked her to stop chasing a speeding squad car should be demoted. He is a part of the problem that encourages such behavior”
-next time im chasing a speeding car down NE 163 St at 80 mph, justified as youve previousley stated, i expect you to support me if the chase goes bad and someone is tragically injured by this chase and i was asked 3 times to stop by my supervisor. At the very least i expect you to call for the demotion of my supervisor.
Keep it up dumb dumb, your reality in life is entertaining.
warmest,
Nmb’s finest
163rd street. Florida Turnpike. NMB’s Finest, I believe that. Doesn’t get any better than that.
I don’t think anyone is legitimately arguing that you should drive 120mph to an off-duty job. The fact is Lopez was doing it, would of done it, and other cops will continue to do it. Pulling them over and ticketing them does nothing.
Mubarak… if Watts had lost control of her vehicle and hit your mothers car and killed her, would you be against high speed pursuits? Most people are, despite the fact that the person being chased would be responsible, it still happens. It wasn’t a stolen car, Lopez was not a murderer and there was no legitimate reason to engage in a high speed pursuit when she had his information and could resolve the infraction without doubling the danger by chasing him at the same speed.
Lopez was reckless and Watts was reckless, two wrongs don’t make a right. She could of found out where he was going and ticketed him there. Instead due to an inter-departmental grudge, instead she made an emotional decision and put even more people in danger.
Or at the accident site. After she heard it come over the radio.
NMB’sFunniest and Patrick Henry, to inform you both, Watts could have been driving along the highway when Dumbo passed her on the way to his second job. She glanced at her speedometer and saw the rate she was driving to catch up with him. This is open highway without crossroads, intersections and traffic lights. The traffic is flowing in one direction, hence driving at 120 mph to catch Dumbo, is not as reckless as driving at 80 mph in our city streets with sirens blaring just so they can catch up with other cops at the donut shop to have a chat.
Again, Officer Watts was right on que putting at stop to the madness.
Obviously Lopez feels laws are meant to be broken for no good reason. He was traveling into a much more congested highway as he approached Miami. Some idiots would say. Two wrongs don’t make a right in this instance. What she did was above and beyond the call of duty RIGHT. Not wrong. Did anyone on their cell phone cameras call any parties and say they captured a out of control police car chasing a police car?