Officer who berated driver loses job in St. George

STLtoday.com ^ | 09/21/2007 | Kim Bell and Greg Jonsson

[beltfed308]

ST. GEORGE — A police officer who was recorded berating a motorist earlier this month has lost his job.

The board of aldermen voted 5-0, with one member absent, to fire Sgt. James Kuehnlein on Monday. The vote was cast in a session closed to the public and wasn't announced until Wednesday, when a notice was posted at the City Hall of this tiny south St. Louis County community.

In a video that got wide viewership on the Internet, Kuehnlein taunts and threatens motorist Brett Darrow, 20, sometimes shouting and using profanity, after questioning him in a commuter lot near Interstate 55. Darrow posted the footage of the Sept. 7 incident on the web.

[robertpaulsen]

"and the kid says he was supposed to meet a friend there to give him back an iPod"

"Hello?"
"Hey John, Brett."
"Yo bro, wassup?"
"I found your iPod. You left it in my car."
"Hey, great. I was lookin' all over for it."
"Yeah. Why don't we meet and I'll give it back to you?"
Sure. When and where?"
"How about a deserted commuter parking lot in a high crime area at 2am?"
"Hey, sounds good. See you then."

And he never shows. Nice try. The naiveté on this thread is incredible.

[Starwolf]

And he never shows. Nice try. The naiveté on this thread is incredible.

What you fail to realize is that it is irrelevant. Even if he was trolling with special equipment (claims you have never provided support for) the cop was still seriously out of line and was rightly fired.

[robertpaulsen]

Did your friend ever come to pick up his iPod?

[traviskicks]

update from yesterday




Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[robertpaulsen]

"Yes, he was using his turn signal."

I never denied it. My point was that, in my opinion and experience, it's unusual for a 20-year-old to be using a turn signal at all, much less at 2am turning from a deserted street into a deserted parking lot.

[JosephW]

I would surmise that any crime above the national average is due to the number of older people in the area, and that they make easier targets. Break-ins by those from St. Louis proper is probably the main reason for the stats.

[ladyjane]

Oh, I get it now. duh

That is an interesting point.

[NittanyLion]

I would surmise that any crime above the national average is due to the number of older people in the area, and that they make easier targets. Break-ins by those from St. Louis proper is probably the main reason for the stats.

And 2.4 / 1000 isn't "high", although after further review I think I overstated the violent crime rate in my earlier post. It appears to be closer to 1 per 1000.

[Starwolf]

I never denied it. My point was that, in my opinion and experience, it's unusual for a 20-year-old to be using a turn signal at all, much less at 2am turning from a deserted street into a deserted parking lot.

Considering your lack of response to questions and unwillingness to acknowledge serious issues with the perp in this case (the former Sgt) I for one am finding little reason to give your opinion and experience much weight

I would also note that as a motorcycle rider, damn few cagers use their turn signals, regardless of age. Also the senior citizen drivers IME pose the highest risks to those of us on motorcycles, followed closely by soccer moms with kids in the car.

[robertpaulsen]

"I find it pretty humorous that you attempt to defend cops by insulting them."

Actually, I find it nauseating that someone like you would think that people can mouth off to a cop trying to do his job and the cop has to stand there and take it.

Are you going to raise your kids that way?

[Tigercap]

I am glad he’s fired! I understand police have a tough job, but guys like this a-hole make all the other cops lose credibility.
No defending his compensation for sps.

[tenthirteen]

The city may give him a parade, one never knows. But what I do know, is for the most part, America hates a snitch. While this cop was truly not eminently qualified, and should not have had the job, AND it IS good that he is gone, my feeling is despite all of that, America still hates a snitch.

And this was a particularly smarmy sort of snitch.

[Tigercap]

You couldn’t be more wrong.

[grjr21]

damn few cagers use their turn signals,

Hey , my 84 yo father always uses his turn signals ...  even when he's not makinga turn

[robertpaulsen]

"But something tells me you wouldn't be at this site defending the drunk driver"

We can go way back to my post #17 (which you read and responded to) where I said the cop should be fired. Now, why are you alluding I was defending the cop?

I said I would expect the cop to react. I never said I condoned it.

[NittanyLion]

Actually, I find it nauseating that someone like you would think that people can mouth off to a cop trying to do his job and the cop has to stand there and take it. Are you going to raise your kids that way?

More personal insults? Well, that usually indicates a person is soundly beaten on the facts and has nothing to add by way of rational discourse. And of course that's the case here, as you've received a sound thrashing on this thread. That tends to happen when you adopt indefensible positions. LOL.

Anyway, let's get on to the substance of your post. First, I fail to see where Mr. Darrow "mouthed off" to the cop. My review of the tape indicates he remained calm and levelheaded throughout. Second, I'm not the one who said the cop has to "stand there and take it" - you are. Remember your first post to this thread? "I agree that the cop needs to be fired." Evidently you do believe the cop has to stand there and take it, or you wouldn't claim he should be fired.

Spanked yet again. Ouch - that's gotta hurt.

[NittanyLion]

I said I would expect the cop to react. I never said I condoned it.

Yet you're nauseated by the idea someone believes the cop should have to stand there and take it. You're just a mass of contradictions today, aren't you?

[beltfed308]

Actually, I find it nauseating that someone like you would think that people can mouth off to a cop trying to do his job

Why don't you enlighten us with the tape time where this kid is mouthing off? It's hard to hear it with the officer carrying on in his job capacity.

[robertpaulsen]

"lOl. I’ve routinely used turn signals since I started driving at 15 years of age."

You have? I didn't realize that.

Well then, it was certainly incorrect of me to generalize and say most 20-year-olds don't normally use turn signals -- despite my years of experience and thousands of miles on the road. I mean, c'mon, what am I supposed to believe, you or my lyin' eyes.

[tpaine]

--- from the posts in this thread, one can ferret out who, given the chance, would pull on the Jack Boots.

And after some sunday morning quarterbacking, its more evident than ever.