You be the judge: Assault with a deadly weapon?

[Danny Tse]

Assault with a deadly weapon? Really? Only in California?

Officer down....in Redondo Beach

[steveinaz]

Nothing new for the peoples republik of kalifornia. Authority figures are never wrong, because.....well.......they just aren't dammit. They better get used to it, because it isn't going to change anytime soon.

[mrbiron]

"The assault has caused me some intimacy problems with my spouse,"

If i was your wife, i wouldn't do you either you dunce!
This is pathetic..........only in america.

[ryanjoachim]

What an idiot cop.

I hope he gets fired.

[exalted512]

I dont care if he did it on purpose or not...you're on a motorcycle you idiot, don't tailgate people.

Officer should be ticketed for being an idiot, the DA should be jailed for allowing this to continue.
-Cody

[fossy]

lucky it was a conv...when having accident on motorcycle , anytime you walk away is a big plus....it's probably just a jerk cop ... most are ok

[bobman1235]

it's probably just a jerk cop ... most are ok

Most is a stretch. Depends where you are, definitely. Cops in my town are all great nice guys that I've come in contact with, but get close to Boston and you'll be hard-pressed to find ONE that isn't on a power trip, let alone "most."

[Fongolio]

That cop should trade his helmut for an ASSHAT!!

[cokewithvanilla]

Wow. I've always thought of nailing the brakes when a cop gets real close behind me. It bothers me, do they really have to be 6 inches from my bumper to pull me over?

In my opinion, the cop rear ended the driver... this means it is the cops fault for traveling too close...

[nguyendot]

Hey if you rear end someone in traffic, it's your fault.... so i've been told :)

[Polkitup2]

Exactly, if you can't stop in time it's your fault.

[F1nut]

The law states that you must be in control of your vehicle at all times. That means being able to stop when the vehicle in front of you does. The cop effed up and is trying to ruin someones life because of it. I hope Mr. Hitchcock gets a ton of money out of that deal.

[blueboxer]

A lot of highway patrol refer that as biting the bumper, they usually creep up to get a clear look at the plate, occupants, and to make sure that the car they are behind knows it is them they want to pull over when they hit their lights and sirens. Sadly, professional courtesy rarely exists for even fellow law enforcement let alone the general public. The protect part is still in effect, but the serve part is sometimes questionable.

[Rivrrat]

I dunno, I was always taught that if you rearend someone, you're automatically at fault.

I guess that's only true if your a civillian.

[Jetmaker737]

I hope that dude's lawyer turns the tables on that idiot cop and gets charges filed. That would be some sweet justice.

[DMara]

I hope that dude's lawyer turns the tables on that idiot cop and gets charges filed. That would be some sweet justice.

Guess what, the lawyers of both sides are the winners

[inspiredsports]

I've always understood, at least here in Ohio, that the concept of "Assured Clear Distance" applies, meaning no matter what happens and no matter where, the driver BEHIND is responsible to leave enough distance to avoid a car in front.

This applies if you are 10 car lengths behind the car in front of you, but are rear-ended and pushed ahead the 10 car-length buffer into the car ahead. You are cited for hitting the car in front of you, and the guy behind you is only cited for running into you.

This one seems cut and dried that the officer embarrassingly screwed up, and is now trying to use his position of authority to cover his ass. I hope Hitchcock (the convertible driver) has a good attorney because he deserves a settlement, espically in light of the officer trying to set him up by meeting him for lunch with a hidden recording device.

[m1aman]

Got to side with the old man on this one. Cop made a mistake.

[bobman1235]

The cop did not "Make a mistake." He is aggressively abusing his power.

[Theheadsn]

Ok I live about 20 minutes from where this happened. In SoCal the rule of thumb is Motor officers are usually laid back and cool, wont bust you for stuff unless YOU did something stupid. Bike cops of the other hand are total a**holes. Every ticket Ive ever gotten has been by a bike cop with nothing better to do then post up and look for someone to bust. Ask anyone around here, and they will tell you bike cops just look for reasons to give you problems.

[apphd]

Ok I live about 20 minutes from where this happened. In SoCal the rule of thumb is Motor officers are usually laid back and cool, wont bust you for stuff unless YOU did something stupid. Bike cops of the other hand are total a**holes. Every ticket Ive ever gotten has been by a bike cop with nothing better to do then post up and look for someone to bust. Ask anyone around here, and they will tell you bike cops just look for reasons to give you problems.

You mean doing the job they are paid to do with your tax dollars? I'm sorry, I know what you are saying and nobody likes an a$$hat cop. But just because they pull you over and ticket you for breaking a law, no matter how small of an offense YOU might think it is, as long as they enforce them equally for all, I don't think this qualifies them as a$$hats. Tailgating puts them in the ranks of law breaker rather than law enforcer, and then to do it on a bike one has to question his IQ.

[bobman1235]

You're talking about SoCal. EVERYTHING is illegal. You literally can't cross the street without getting a ticket in some parts of SoCal. I've had friends get tickets for jaywalking because they were in a crosswalk when the stop hand started to flash. You're telling me that cop isn't an asshat? Yeah, he is.

[TNRabbit]

I'm cheering for the convertible driver. For gosh sake, he just lost his wife! Hope they take the city & the cop to the cleaners....

[apphd]

You're talking about SoCal. EVERYTHING is illegal. You literally can't cross the street without getting a ticket in some parts of SoCal. I've had friends get tickets for jaywalking because they were in a crosswalk when the stop hand started to flash. You're telling me that cop isn't an asshat? Yeah, he is.

Not sure if you were talking to me? I didn't say the cop in the news article wasn't an a$$hat. I just said you can call every one, or even the ones that write you up a$$hats just for doing their job.

[gsxr141]

after reading the article, all i can say is WOW. Is this cop serious? I hope they turn this thing around and prosecute his side for harassment, and abuse of power. This is completely ridiculous, and should have just been written up as a motorcycle rear ending a car. Let me go on record right now and say, " that cop is a complete *******".

[m1aman]

The cop did not "Make a mistake." He is aggressively abusing his power.

Wrong. Following too closely is a mistake we have all made. You included.

[Keiko]

The cop effed up. He rear-ended the driver ahead of him. Just because he's a cop doesn't excuse him. Uphold the law that you're sworn to protect and admit you messed up, instead of putting the blame on someone who is clearly innocent of any wrong doing, IMO.
I agree, the officer and anyone supporting this absurd nonsense are asshats.

[treitz3]

That's just stupid. Really, really stupid.

Here, I'll sum it up in just a few key words.....cop, drugs are bad, get a life. Idiot.

[xj4094dg]

As a California native I've lived here in Southern California for almost my entire life. Everyone knows that this area (Redondo, Manhattan Beach in particular) is a place to avoid because of aggressive policing. I prefer never to go there, and when I have to, I am extra careful not to attract any attention.

The same goes for Huntington Beach, CA. They actually have a law against having a car accident of any kind in their town, IF you are not a resident of Huntington Beach. They are trying to keep people away so I try never to spend any time or money in cities like this unless absolutely necessary. F 'em. The cops around there are known to wait outside bars and restaurants for patrons who may have had a couple drinks.

Huntington Beach also enforces a noise control law that has virtually made the city off-limits to Harley Davidson owners with loud (read normal) exhaust.

The going rate for a jay walking ticket in downtown Los Angeles is currently $190.00 and they are writing them like crazy because of the budget deficit.

I too hope this Redondo Beach cop has to pay for this BS, but not if it is with taxpayer money. This is unbelievable.

[txcoastal1]

I have seen fender benders twice at intersections in Houston when emergency vehicles light them up...he is lucky he was not seriously injured