Posted on 08/12/2009 7:58:17 PM PDT by marktwain
SPOKANE, Wash. -- When Donald Ross's sister passed, more than 100 people attended her funeral mass in Spokane.
The burial was scheduled for a nearby cemetery, but Ross and his family only made it a quarter of a mile when flashing lights forced them to the side of the road.
"Harold, his (my husband's) brother, said, 'You pulled us out of a funeral procession,'" said wife Shirley Ross.
But the deputy kept them there, writing up five citations because the driver and the passengers were not wearing a seat belts. And the sheriff's department says he had every right.
"We're out here trying to prevent funerals, not disrupt them," said Dave Reagan of Spokane County Sheriff's Office.
Those five tickets took 12 minutes to write. By the time Ross and his family members got back on the road, the burial was over.
The family members admit they weren't wearing their seat belts, but say it shouldn't have cost them the chance to say goodbye.
"It's a stage in our life where you want to give your last respects and hear the final prayers and the closing of the ceremony," Shirley Ross said. "We missed that and it's something I'll remember for as long as I live. And I think it was just uncalled for."
The deputy, who was a part of a special emphasis group, was only giving out tickets, not warnings. Donald and Shirley Ross plan to appeal theirs.
"I think it was unjust. It was totally unbelievable," said Shirley Ross.
My regards to the poor grieving folks. This is really pretty pathetic. Talk about a bad day.
Just another two legged d*ck with a badge and no balls.
He lost his job?
#2 - the above being said, officers are granted a great deal of discretion in such cases. The officer could have just as easily given them a warning and sent them on the way, considering the circumstances.
Regardless of ones opinion of seatbelt laws, and despite what “the law says”, come on - it was a funeral procession. If you REALLY needed to pull them over (debatable), give them a quick warning/admonition and let them get back to the funeral activities. Gee wiz...
“The family members admit they weren't wearing their seat belts, but say it shouldn't have cost them the chance to say goodbye.” Mandating that adults wear their seat belts may be silly, but you have no more right to ignore the law when you're on your way to a funeral than when you're on the way to McDonald's.
Serve and protect, people, not harrass and offend.
Dave Reagan - you are a disgrace to your family name and a general shiite-haid...
Good one! When's the beer party?
This guy deserves nothing less than a severe beating with a rubber hose. And nomination for “Douchebag of The Year”!
it turned out w/ me pulling over. him asking me again what i was doing down here. Where do i work. Is anyone in my family in Law enforcment.
Title matches my plates, matches my license, Matches my Tahoe. Said he’s seen me before. He’s pulled me over before. I said no to both. Then he said if he see’s me again. i get a ticket for being in cali w/o a cali tag..
Me being the smart person i am. I looked it up.
CVC. 6700 (b) I’m allowed in state for up to 6 months w/o so much as telling anyone. I don’t know WHAT california’s problem is. But it starts with your government
Biden calls it patriotic...
They should do like I’ve done: stop giving to cop charities.
They probably have doughnuts and topless waitresses
It’s called civil servants cutting off their noses to spite their faces. The law abiding anti-police forces just grew by hundreds.
Police forces across the nation are going to pay for those who crassly abuse and brutalize Americans. I am surprised they are this stupid.
This guy has to be a real dumbass. I can see pulling someone over if they are engaged in a high speed funeral possession but this sounds like it was one of those 15 mile an hour jobs.
At least he didn't say, "Statics show that most accidents occur within 1.5 miles of a cemetery."
They can't stop you in WA for not wearing a seatbelt unless you commit another moving violation and there's no mention of this in the article.
Second, this article is out of Seattle not Spokane ?
Oh yeah, there's risk of these bereaved people racing around and causing an accident.
Surely you jest....
to protect and serve /s
I’m trying to figure out first, why the procession wouldn’t have stopped if it noticed it lost 5 cars of people. Second, why they would bury the guy with family members not there yet, knowing they were part of the procession. Third, how they got the guy to the cemetary and buried in 12 minutes.
you were 4 posts too late
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