Posted on 06/05/2006 9:34:49 AM PDT by A. Pole
HOLLY SPRINGS -- A Cherokee County city plans to honor a Good Samaritan who helped a 5-foot, 4-inch female officer subdue a drug suspect who stands nearly 7 feet tall.
Officer Julie Ann Welch stopped a car on May 10 on Highway 5 because the driver wasn't wearing a seatbelt.
She says the passenger, Mike Schmidt, of Canton, was acting suspiciously so she told him to get out of the car.
"He just continually disobeyed my commands," Welch tells WSB-TV. "He kept putting his hands in his pocket. He was shaking horribly."
Welch says she found cocaine and drug paraphernalia on Schmidt.
Her dashboard camera caught the following scene: As she starts to handcuff Schmidt, he struggles and tries to run but Welch refuses to let go.
"I would pull him backwards off balance and try to pull his shirt, but I couldn't reach that far up," she said.
Welch and Schmidt crossed the road and landed in a briar patch, still struggling.
Steve Walker saw what was happening, and helped Welch subdue the man.
"He showed up after we started rolling around in the briars," Welch said. "It makes the police department feel really good that our citizens support us in that manner and will come and help us."
The mayor and police chief will present Walker with a commendation for bravery at the next City Council meeting June 19.
Schmidt is free on bond. He declined to talk to WSB-TV.
Channel Two correspondent Terry Mann contributed to this story.
Yup ... we (his group of friends and and mine) ended up buying rounds most of the evening ...
I believe Chief Wiggum on the Simpsons has a quote: "Can't you people take the law into your own hands??"
I almost never watch TV, but that's probably hard to tell right now.
I know very able-bodied males with years of experience who would standardly call for backup in a lesser situation than that.
Of course, that doesn't answer the question of whether women of average height and weight are strong enough to do as good a job as police as are men of average height and weight.
Incidentally, the hiring of women who couldn't meet the old height standards (usually 5' 8" IIRC)is usually blamed entirely on feminists. But ethnic groups who have an adult male height shorter than the US average joined in on feminist efforts to overturn the height requirments. FWIW.
Let's see if I have this straigh; in the name of diversity the city was forced to hire someone not physically capable of handling the work involved with the job. This results in an average citizen stepping in to physically assist with an arrest.
In the name of diversity, we now are willing to put more civilian lives at risk......
Might be more a change in attitude than diversity. I remember watching male police officers, following the North Ridge bank robbery, cowering behind cars watching citizens drive into the "kill zone" without making any attempt to stop or even warn them.
What if it was the middle of the night with no civilians around. What would she have done then?
Lol. Gee, thanks for thinking so.
This officer is 5'4" tall (as am I) and that is average, not short.
Although, I think any woman would be short next to a 7' guy.
Isn't there a height/weight requirement to become a lady cop--if not there should be.
Want to bet?
People died because of that PC nonsense. Someone should have gone to jail over that crap. (Besides the perp.)
There used to be height and weight requirements to become a cop, period. Lady or not.
They were deemed sexist and racist, and done away with in most, if not all places.
Mmm, I wonder which group could've been behind that thinking.
/s/
I saw this on t.v. tonight. She's a very lucky little lady, and I hope she is reconsidering her career in law enforcement.
That statement presumes that a lone male officer of average or even above average size could have subdued a 7' perp. The illogic is staggering.
She should have called for backup. What everyone in this thread has thus far missed is that no cop is guarunteed to come out on top in a one to one confrontation. There is always someone younger, stronger, faster, bigger, and more strung out. Procedure and teamwork is the solution, not size and strength of the individual officers.
WHERE WILL YOU BE... THE NEXT TIME... DIVERSITY STRIKES... Will some child rapist get away because the cop was too tiny to arrest him? If so, and he kills one of my kids, you bet your sorry behind I'll sue her police department.
I just seen your post on officer julie welch, and i agree with you, i know julie personally, she is a very close friend of mine, and i have to say she is a very strong woman to be 5’4, she is as tough as the guys, and i think she did an awesome job..
love ya julie
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.