Drunk NJ cop passes out at intersection. Cops give him ride home.

[green73]

Imagine ...

You fall asleep behind the wheel of your car at a major intersection at 2 a.m.

The light changes, and you don't move. A police officer who is several cars behind you pulls up to investigate. He bangs on the window and shakes the car before finally rousing you. Later, another officer determines that you are "highly intoxicated."

Do you think you might have been charged with drunken driving in an incident such as that?

Well, that's exactly the situation that Jeffrey A. Lancaster, of Galloway Township, found himself in on Feb. 17, 2011, at the intersection of Tilton, Mill and Shore roads in Northfield.

But he was never charged with drunken driving or any other criminal violation. The inescapable conclusion is that Lancaster was not charged because he is an Egg Harbor Township police officer.

And that is outrageous.

Not only was Lancaster not charged or held in custody, but Northfield police called Egg Harbor Township police and arranged for an EHT supervisor to drive Lancaster home.

The cops call a situation like this professional courtesy.


cont.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/opinion/editorials/drunken-police-officer-no-dwi-charge/article_5ad25514-4e42-54aa-bc78-20a8b1e99058.html

[tod evans]

Those fine officers have very stressful lives especially now that video recorders are so prevalent...

How dare you question "professional courtesy" when one slips...:rolleyes:

[Carson]

I've heard of people getting rides home before.

I suppose a lot of it could come down to how busy things are.

[Anti Federalist]

To a degree, the urge police officers have to protect their own is commendable. On the streets, in the face of violence, all they have is each other.

But the minute a police officer puts a fellow officer above the law and above the public whom all police have sworn to protect, there is nothing commendable about it.

It's a disgrace, and it undermines the respect that police officers need to do their jobs and, most of the time, deserve.

LOL - Even after all this, the writer can't help but copsuck.

[Anti Federalist]

Best comment:


Jack Gamble · Top Commenter

Where is Atlantic County Prosecutor James McClain? Oh, that's right - he's too busy trying to put Shaneen Allen in jail for 10 years because she voluntarily told Police that she had her legally purchased firearm which she had a valid PA Concealed Carry Permit for.

[phill4paul]

I've heard of people getting rides home before.

I suppose a lot of it could come down to how busy things are.

Maybe 20+ years ago. Most mundanes aren't afforded that "courtesy" anymore. Too much money for special interests in it.

[CCTelander]

Maybe 20+ years ago. Most mundanes aren't afforded that "courtesy" anymore. Too much money for special interests in it.


Exactly. Twenty plus years ago it wasn't uncommon for even we lowly mundanes to be afforded such "courtesy". Things have changed since then.

[Henry Rogue]

Maybe 20+ years ago. Most mundanes aren't afforded that "courtesy" anymore. Too much money for special interests in it.
Yep, that happened in my town thirty years ago, not anymore, those days are gone for regular folks.

[TheTexan]

Good for him.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

John Paff a NJ Libertarian requested these police records (and sued I believe) to find out. He's head of the NJLP open gov project.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Best comment:

Fyi: I grilled the Press of A.c. courts reporter on why she hasn't covered the allen case and she said she was working on a larger story that this DA has done this to more people via Graves Act. Something to keep an eye out for.

[RonPaulMall]

I knew these guy growing up. Jeff was actually sued because he went to another cop's brother's house (whose wife Jeff was having an affair with) and got in to a fight with the dude. The suit got dismissed because the Court ruled Jeff wasn't operating under color of law at the time so the township wasn't responsible, and of course the township just gave him a slap on the writs for the whole thing.

Side note: one of my best friends brothers was a cop in Atlantic City. One night we made the 15 minute drive from Egg Harbor Township with to AC with his drunk cop brother driving and got pulled over twice (once by the Egg Harbor Twp PD and once by Somers Point PD) and let go both times after him telling them he was a cop.

http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-jersey/njdce/1:2009cv00698/224991/44/0.pdf?1292066529