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 ...
He needed a lifeguard and a psychiatrist not a cop 🤪
“you HAVE signed on for saving the lives of drowning suicide victims”
NOPE! Heck, there is no guarantee a cop can swim. At least, not in Phoenix! And for a marginal swimmer to jump in and try to save a bigger guy? Pretty close to suicide. No cop signs up to die for nothing.
Totally different from an active shooter.
The media are saddling up on this story for obvious reasons.
I didn't understand, but I do now.
Still, this is just one more story that confirms that the cops are not your friends. They aren't on your side. They have no obligation to help you.
I can’t fault the officers.
Fair. I'm not gonna cheer for them either.
Correct. In every state of the union they have no legal liability to protect you; except for some specific instances where you’re being detained/arrested, IIRC.
“More on FR need to learn this, but they will probably only learn the hard way.”
And it will happen soon. There is a younger generation of woke cops out there now who have absolutely no respect for the public, let alone older folks.
I dont get anti-=cop conservatives on FR.
Is your boyfriend a cop?
“...there was surely a life ring nearby...”
I’ve lived near lakes with parks all of my life and never saw a life ring. At the areas with the sandy beach swimming area sure - but not along all the trails and paths that go around the lakes.
“Is your boyfriend a cop?”
No, I got it from your wife and daughter who got down and dirty with me.
Anonymous sources tell us the police said they would have saved him if he were white. /s
“I’m not a cop.
He is. “
Your point?
Is a LEO responsible to give his life in a questionable circumstance for just any idiot?
Apparently you think so. Have I got that wrong ?
Durn near lost a five dollar hand cart.😏
“ Is a LEO responsible to give his life in a questionable circumstance for just any idiot?”
They won’t even do it for a room full of 10 year olds being slaughtered so apparently expecting anything at all from them is unreasonable these days.
L
this guy is very meaty
possibly on drugs
he could have easily drowned cops trying to help him against his will
Mr. Unsheltered owns this. Not the cops.
In this case I am kind of torn.
He jumped in, refused to come out, could swim, did not make any attempt to go to where he could hang on until rescued.
I guess my question is were there no ropes or floats they could have tossed to him?
If you are not a trained lifeguard, you may very well drown in an attempt to save someone else. And if that person is suicidal, even a trained lifeguard is liable to be drowned.
Nice (NOT) deflection.
Cops get paid to risk their lives.
This cop was measured and found wanting.
Period.
L
“Cops get paid to risk their lives.
This cop was measured and found wanting.
Period.”
Have you lost your fieaikkin’ mind such as it is?
No LEO i “gets paid” to risk his life to save a suicidal person.
Yup it happens
During life saving training you practice all sorts of scenarios so you can get some experience with them
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