Posted on 06/17/2014 10:09:11 AM PDT by skeptoid
WASHINGTON - A Virginia man is furious after he was pulled over in Alexandria while driving in a funeral procession. He missed his great-grandmother's burial because of the delay, his family says.
Now Alexandria police are reviewing the stop.
With their hazard and headlights on, Heather Spinner and her husband were on Duke Street driving to the Mount Comfort Cemetery on June 12 when they noticed red and blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror.
"My brother-in-law behind us was actually pulled over for running a red light," Spinner says.
Both her husband and brother-in-law, R.G. Spinner, removed their yellow funeral procession tags from the rear-view mirrors and waved them out the window, hoping the officer would let them continue driving, she says.
But after the fact, Alexandria police Sgt. Seth Weinstein told Spinner her brother-in-law's behavior escalated the consequences of the traffic stop.
R.G. Spinner now has a summons to appear in court June 18.
"When someone is burying a family member, they're very raw and emotional. At what point do you give that as much consideration as you do the fact that the person approaching that person is a law enforcement officer?" Spinner asks.
She says her family is disappointed and upset. She has filed a formal complaint with the Alexandria Police department.
"We missed the burial. I mean my husband and brother-in-law were pallbearers ... By the time we got to the cemetery, it had already happened. So there's nothing we can do to get that back at this point," Spinner says.
The responding officer's supervisors are reviewing red light tape at the intersection Spinner is accused of running through and will determine if he was in the wrong or the violation stands, says Ashley Hildebrandt with Alexandria Police.
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How is it possible to run a red light if the funeral procession does not stop at red lights?
Maybe up in DC things are done differently. In these parts, there is a police escort from the funeral home to the burial - no stopping at lights or anything. And all other cars pull over and stop until the procession has gone by.
“What does D C code say?”
DC laws do not apply in Virginia.
I don’t know, if you’re far enough back that a cop not part of the procession escort can pull you over I don’t think you’re in the procession anymore.
That’s a Southern tradition. I’ve had yankees comment upon seeing it happen, because they had not seen such things up north..................
Every funeral procession I’ve been involved in has had a police escort to the cemetery. The reason is just to avoid situations like this. Is this a new cop or just a guy throwing his weight around?
WIth all that killing going on in Chicago, traffic must be a mess.................
Los Angeles too.
Sorry, Alexandria. It’s worse.
That’s a Southern tradition. I’ve had yankees comment upon seeing it happen, because they had not seen such things up north..................
************
I remember that tradition. My dad would get out of the car and put his hand over his heart if we were in rural areas.
All gone now. Civility is just another casualty in the culture war.
At least they didn’t shoot his dog.
Midwest tradition, too. At least in Iowa, anyway.
It is not a southern tradition. It is an American tradition. In Minnesota we observe the integrity of a funeral procession, and they always have a police escort. People turn on their headlights to indicate a procession. Now with the newer cars, however, the lights are not so significant anymore.
Funeral processions never stop at red lights, I’ve never seen them do so, AND cops usually escort said procession.
So something wacky going on here.
My father’s funeral procession was escorted by his great-nephew who was a police captain. Some idiot tried to cut in front of the procession. Bad move.
That's how it's done in Pennsylvania. Police escort not necessarily present, but the procession is allowed to proceed through red lights.
Around here, the leader of the procession communicates via cellphone with a fellow employee who brings up the rear, and they coordinate - instead of running red lights they wait on the shoulder with hazards until the rest can catch up.
Happens in Brooklyn all the time.
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