Posted on 10/29/2004 6:56:10 AM PDT by Dubya
EULESS - Ashley Owen White never dreamed that one day she would be pulled over and accused of speeding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But on Oct. 21, that's what happened, leaving the 26-year-old family counselor scared and perplexed. All she wanted, she said Thursday, "was to vote early."
Euless police reports state that an EPA special agent pulled White over in the parking lot of Trinity High School. White, of Bedford, said the agent never gave her a badge number or name after he stopped her in an unmarked sports utility vehicle.
A Tarrant county prosecutor said the EPA agent had authority to stop her, but state laws appear to say different.
The incident is an internal matter, said Warren Amburn of the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division in Dallas, where the agent, Carlton Patton, works.
Patton could not be reached Thursday for comment.
White said she plans to file a complaint against the agent with Euless police.
"I was crying after Euless police arrived because I still didn't know what his intentions were at that time," White said. "I was shaking."
Patton saw White driving a BMW traveling 30 to 35 mph in a 25 mph school zone in front of Euless Junior High about 3 p.m. Oct. 21, according to Euless police reports.
In an interview Thursday, White said she wasn't speeding. She said she was on the access road heading toward the Euless Library for early voting.
At the next traffic signal, Patton pulled up beside White, waved at her and rolled down his window, reports state. He told her that she needed to slow down in the school zone. She looked away, but he got her attention again by waving, and then flashed a badge. White saw the badge but didn't get the number, she said.
White drove through the intersection, and reports say Patton followed and turned on his emergency lights. He stopped her in the parking lot of Trinity High School, the reports state.
The reports say Patton and White accused each other of refusing to provide identification.
"He finally said he was a special agent with the EPA," White said Thursday. "That's when I answered, 'And you pulled me over for what?' Patton said he was heading up a program to keep kids safe in school zones, White said.
"I had heard of people impersonating officers and then raping female victims," White said. "I kept asking him for his badge and name, and he wouldn't give it to me. I was on the phone with my husband and Dad, and they kept telling me to drive off, but I wanted to get his badge number and name."
Although she never got the badge number and name, Patton's business card was attached to police reports.
Sometime during the incident, Patton called Euless police for backup, according to reports. Two patrol officers arrived. White was allowed to leave without being issued a speeding ticket. Patton also left after talking to officers.
Euless police Lt. Steve Eskew said Thursday that the department was not investigating.
A Tarrant County prosecutor said Thursday that the EPA agent did have authority.
"His version was that there was a breach of peace because she was speeding and almost hit a vehicle," said Kurt Stallings, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney who spoke to EPA officials in Washington about the matter Thursday.
The Euless police report does not mention White nearly hitting a vehicle.
The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure defines 34 types of peace officers in the state, including police officers and deputies, who may arrest someone without a warrant if the offense is a felony or an offense against the public peace, including traffic offenses.
The code of criminal procedure also notes that criminal investigators of the United States are not peace officers of the state, but they have the power to arrest, search or seizure during a felony.
Under the Texas Penal Code, speeding in a school zone is not a felony.
Looks to me like multiple grounds for a lawsuit here.
Respect my authoritah!
Sounds like a rent a cop, or a wannabe that finally got in.
EPAboy is lucky he didn't end up with lead poisoning.
This EPA guy should be arrested for impersonating a police officer.
If the speeder was a Hells Angel I bet the EPA guy would've looked the other way.
Your taxes don't pay for the USPS, postage does.
If you don't like the USPS don't buy stamps, and take down your mail box.
If you want to hate a government agency, why not select the IRS?
They can take your money at gunpoint. USPS can't.
You is? Did you axe your mother? ;-)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Employee Directory
Carlton S. Patton
6CI
USEPA REGION 6
1445 Ross Avenue
Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
214-665-3119
patton.carlton@epa.gov
I think the better question is how did she know this fellow was *really* from the EPA?
I don't know about you guys, but I'm not about to pull over because some clown in an SUV has lights and a badge. Sorry. No way, no how. I have better things to do than get killed by some nut.
I would not have stopped, I would have either kept going to the polling place, or driven to a police or fire station.
I would have stopped until I found it it was an EPA agent and then I would have told him where he could stick his badge and left.
She was talking to her husband so assume she had a cellphone.
She should have called 911 and not stopped her vehicle until a
real marked police car showed up.
USDA chicken inspectors are armed these days. This is rampant Federalism with no end in sight. From the Bureaucrats point of view regular ole' taxpayers are serfs.
Sumpin' stinks to high heaven about this. I hope they get to the bottom of it.
A good idea for anyone, especially for females, is if a person tries to instigate a traffic stop on you, and that person is not in a clearly marked police car or an undercover car that you know is a police vehicle because it’s lit up like a Christmas tree, call 911 immediately, advise them of the situation, and ask for them to send an officer to a public location, and stay on the phone until you see that officer. No one will fault you for this because criminals have been known to impersonate law enforcement, and many agencies have a policy that all traffic stops must be instigated by a clearly marked police vehicle exactly for this reason. The officers in the local police agencies have mothers, wives, sisters and so on—they understand.
As a parent with small children I don't like anyone speeding in a school zone. I also don't like that he used his EPA badge. He should have made a citizens arrest by showing his drivers license. He should have called the cops and let them do the heavy lifting.
Hope he enjoys the private sector.
The weirdness of this situation makes me think the EPA agent might have a child who attends the school and/or he's one of those jerks who likes to flash a badge and throw his weight around. As a kid, he was probably chosen last when teams were selected and got teased or beaten up alot. Now, this is how he gets even. I suppose it's better than his being a sniper.
Maybe he was just pissed this bimbo was blowing through a school zone. He could have handled it better by just calling the local P.D. As for how fast she was going, well can't you tell the difference between 25 or under and 35? Or do you go 55 in a 70mph zone on the highway? or 45-50 down a residential street?
I have no love for the EPA since they started buying flood zones like Times Beach, but I would cut the guy some slack here. The story isn't that clear.
You know the flashers we all have. No way does anyone in their right mind stop for this. Call a cop. And report some weirdo following you.
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