The late Sean Bickings of Tempe. The media are saddling up on this story for obvious reasons.
Posted on 06/06/2022 3:50:27 PM PDT by NohSpinZone
Just after 5 a.m. on May 28, Tempe police officers responded to an apparent disturbance between Bickings and a woman at the Tempe Center for the Arts, which sits on a promenade along the Tempe Town Lake, a reservoir in the city. In its statement, the city referred to Bickings as "unsheltered."
Body-camera footage released by the city shows officers approach and speak to a woman who identified herself as Bickings's wife. As she picked up her belongings off the ground, she explained that she and Bickings sometimes have disagreements but said that he did not physically harm her.
Two of the officers then walked over to Bickings, who was seated on a bench facing the water, according to the body-camera footage. By this point, the officers were running the couple's names for outstanding warrants, a standard procedure, according to the city. The police later said Bickings had three outstanding warrants, the Arizona Republic reported.
But those did not come up during Bickings's encounter with police, according to the body-camera footage, which shows the officers trying to make small talk with Bickings as they ran the check.
That's when Bickings slowly climbed over a short fence dividing the boardwalk and the water. When one of the officers asked what Bickings was doing, Bickings replied that he was going "for a swim."
"I'm free to go, right?" Bickings asked.
The officers said he was not allowed to swim in the lake, but Bickings waded in and started swimming a freestyle stroke toward a bridge, according to the body-camera footage.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
So much for serve and protect.
L
Just saw the story and the video.. guys fault period. He jumped in, couldn’t swim good and drowns. Shxt happens don’t care.
Bad move by the officer regardless of circumstances. More proof if people need any that the police are not there to help you.
To make matters worse, the cops handcuffed and tased witnesses who were ready, willing and able to jump in to save the drowning man.
/kidding
Serving and protecting is one thing. But ain’t no way no cop is going to get his uniform all wet.
If had been partially buried in sand I bet they would have dug him out. AZ folks just not used to that wet stuff.
It’s just proves that we can’t depend on others to save us.
Without knowing how good swimmers these cops were, I cannot fault them for not going into the water after him.
The late Sean Bickings of Tempe. The media are saddling up on this story for obvious reasons.
At a local pool there’s a cop who swims most mornings or evenings, says he wants to be in practice to be able to help people in the water if necessary, but it’s his own initiative, don’t believe his agency requires it.
I agree with you.
But frankly, looking at some of these homeless people, a ten foot pole is as close as I would want to get to them.
Wasn’t there a Supreme Court case decision that “first responders” — our heroes! — cannot be sued for failing to save someone. In other words, they’re under no obligation to assist you. “Serve and Protect” is just decoration on their squad cars.
“Bickings slowly climbed over a short fence dividing the boardwalk and the water. When one of the officers asked what Bickings was doing, Bickings replied that he was going “for a swim.”
“I’m free to go, right?” Bickings asked.
The officers said he was not allowed to swim in the lake, but Bickings waded in and started swimming a freestyle stroke toward a bridge, according to the body-camera footage”
He goes in after the cops told him he couldn’t and then begs for them to help him after he did what they told him not to do.
What is it about blacks refusing to comply with police directions?
I’m not totally unsympathetic but dadgum.
There’s a fair chance if one of these cops woulda jumped in to help this guy he woulda pulled them down with him.
LEOs got a crappy job. Sometimes it’s damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
The cop probably figured there was no need to save somebody who didn’t want to be saved.
The cop also probably figured he did not want to be the next Derek Chauvin.
“Do your job and go to prison.”
In the interest of fairness, there was surely a lifering nearby: find it, throw it, and when he rejects it while the LEO boat pulls into view -- well, bye.
And the reasons the police are the enemy keeps on increasing.
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That’s the first thought, uncooperative people can easily drown you.
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This is not the officer’s fault PERIOD! NO ONE is obligated to save a drowning person. That’s exactly how two people get drowned. Even lifeguards use a flotation device if they go in solo. The story blames the officers for the drowning which is very wrong. Long story short, the guy is the latest Darwin Award winner and owes it all to himself.
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