[justlurking]

Setting aside the inflammatory headline, the facts of the case make the officer look like a jerk:

• Boyd's attorney, Troy Pradia, said she thought the deputy had pulled up behind her car to help her. She had moved to the shoulder along Beltway 8 near Texas 288 after her engine started smoking.

• "Deputy Goad was aware that Boyd had not committed a crime and her arrest was without probable cause," according to the lawsuit filed in Houston. The magistrate who saw her while jailed apparently agreed and dismissed all charges.

You may be amused by the "indignity of being forced to listen to Rush", but this sheriff's deputy was way over the line. Officers have been fired for less than this.

[MrB]

after her engine started smoking

There was the problem right there - smoking's bad for you.

[AnAmericanAbroad]

Aside from the more humorous aspect of the story, that occurred to me as well.

What kind of cop arrests someone for their car breaking down on the highway? If that’s really the case, this officer was way out of line, and should face disciplinary action.

The magistrate who visited her while she was incarcerated indeed agree, and subsequently dismissed all charges.

Yes, “being forced to listen to Rush” is an amusing, if dubious complaint, but for me the real issue is the arresting officers behavior. As you point out, others have been fired for less than this. His behavior strikes me as utterly inappropriate (though I would need to his telling of the events to render a proper judgment). What kind of officer, in the USA no less, feels the need to arrest someone who had committed, at best, a petty infraction (driving on the shoulder)?

Yeah, I know, you or anyone else doesn’t need to respond to my rhetorical question. I read earlier today on FR that the cops in D.C. are jailing (that’s right: JAILING) people who have expired license tabs.

Things are getting out of hand.

[SF_Redux]

does she have any priors that might have tipped the cop?

[Gettin Betta]

“but this sheriff’s deputy was way over the line. Officers have been fired for less than this.”

Personaly I would need more details before coming to that conclusion. Wouldnt this situation normally result in a ticket? What did she do to warrant an arrest? Not enough details for me.

[SunTzuWu]

She didn't "move to the shoulder". Actually reading the article you find that she was driving on the shoulder (which isn't legal, especially in a car laying down a smoke screen for all the other cars on the highway). You make it sound like he pulled up behind a disabled car and arrested the "poor woman".