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 ...
If you are not trained in life guarding, you risk your own life by trying to save someone drowning. I don’t blame them, maybe they couldn’t even swim themselves!
50 50 ...bottom line is the voluntary jump into the water would make anyone apprehensive about saving him. At the same time it’s more proof that cops are more interested in their hair gel and dating apps now. Saving the man might be also considered toxic masculinity.
Sorry for the double post.
Same here, I was an leo and the last thing I would do is jump into water to rescue a crazy person. Their nutty and dangerous and will take you down if they can. If you use restraint or physically try to rescue them you will be accused of drowning the perp.
No thanks I have better things to do. Your body your choice I will wave by by as you go to meet Davy Jones.
The drowner was panicking, and tried to climb up this other guy.
He had to punch the guy in the face as hard as he could to get away from him.
see my post #65
What kind of drugs were in this guys system. Fool.
“So much for serve and protect.”
Ridiculous, no, downright idiotic.
An LEO equipment belt is equivalent to a divers weight belt. and in no case should any said officer need to subject him/herself to extreme lethal danger in order “serve and protect” someone who decides to drown himself.
In Navy Boot Camp we had to jump in to the deep end of Olympic size swimming pool swim two links fully clothed and then Wade for another 10 minutes in the deep end. I sure could’ve used a cop to jump in and save me it!
THAT sucked!
“ An LEO equipment belt is equivalent to a divers weight belt…”
Is it nailed to his fat useless ass?
L
I take it to mean that YOU would have gone in?
(need I pre respond: liar?)
Went over the side, had to remove our pants, tie off the legs, inflate them, and use them as a flotation device, and tread water for 30 mins as the tide was coming in.
I’m a police officer not a lifeguard, bro.
Cop needed to say “I can’t swim.”
Did the oinkster just move from Uvalde, Texas?
If you’re a cop, and you can swim, you HAVE signed on for saving the lives of drowning suicide victims AND perhaps, taking a bullet in an effort to SAVE LIVES!
Can’t speak to US cop salaries, but Calgary cops START at $68K /year, rising to $104K /year, after 5 years. Not a bad salary, starting out, especially after a 2 year community College programme.
Of course, with how so many of the authorities (at least in Canada) ignored basic laws and civil rights, most of the good cops took early retirement. Most of the ones that are left, have little integrity, it’s all about a good paycheck and avoiding ALL risk. No wonder that ‘Barney’ chose to just let the guy die.
Big deal!
Since we know that cops won’t exert the slightest effort to save 20-chidren from death, why would we expect them to exert themselves to save a homeless guy...
I’m more surprised that they didn’t shoot at him as he swam away and then turn and shoot the woman...
I’m not a cop.
He is.
L
Arizona cops? This Arizona boy hasn’t gone swimming in nearly 20 years. No way would I try to jump in and save a drowning man. My dying with him wouldn’t help squat.
“Is it nailed to his useless fat ass?.”
You have no idea as to what a particular “fat useless ass” swimming capability is. Not only that but even without a weight belt and officer’s clothing is a significant impediment to his own survival.
It is quite not unusual that someone trying to rescue a drowning person results in two deaths.
Your position and post is Extremely assisnine.
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