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After Traffic Stop for Phone in Right Hand, She Called Out the Problem (www.nytimes.com)

submitted 1 day ago by silence7@slrpnk.net to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world

58 comments fedilink hide all child comments

But before [the deputy] could get very far with his explanation, Ms. Thomas held up her right arm. There was no phone in it. There had never been a phone in it because she has no right hand.

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[–] kobra@piefed.social 117 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Video of the stop is here: https://youtu.be/47Em_6kCLqI

The reveal is quite hilarious but the cop doubling down is just cringe.

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 90 points 1 day ago (2 children)

He just didn't want to admit he was wrong. Fucking ACAB. Goddamn pigs all of them.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 37 points 1 day ago

He could've had a little fun that day and laughed with her and it would've been so freaking wholesome. Probably gone viral for that reason instead of due to embarrassment.

[+] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world -6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I mean, he was following his script. This situation definitely called for some independent thought, but in an unusual situation, he instead just barreled through and stuck to his script...

I'd say there's definitely more incompetence than malice going on here.

(And to be clear, I'm not saying this is ok.) Incompetence is a huge problem when it's in a place of ultimate authority, and it carries deadly weapons with the authority to use them. That is absolutely not a position where incompetence should be tolerated in any society.

But I do want to push back a bit in the tone you were setting, "acab, goddamn pigs, all of them"; that's strong, and again, I don't think this case was malicious, just dumb. Somewhat fittingly, I would call it pig-headed.

[–] 4grams@awful.systems 35 points 1 day ago

Weaponized incompetence is malice. They are about power, and it’s a huge display of power to put morons who cannot think for themselves in positions of authority. They know that these people are useful idiots, and they know how much it demoralizes the rest of us.

ACAB isn’t just a slogan, it’s a strategy.

[–] kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Incompetence isn't an excuse to be shit person and a worse cop. You convinced me that acab, goddamn pigs, all of them

[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 50 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Couldn't think of what else to say, guy was obviously stumped.

[–] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 20 points 1 day ago

He just didn't want to hand it to her

[–] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 26 points 1 day ago

Why does he keep holding his finger in front of the camera? Is it standard procedure for cops to block their body cams in case they want to do crimes?

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

the cop doubling down

Bro he didn't just double down, he literally asked her to say "hand to God" to promise him that she didn't have a phone in her hand.

Like first of all, you're a cop, imagine you pull a suspect over and you say "I'm suspecting you of this crime. Did you do it?" "No." "Hand to God?" "Hand to God." "Alright go on you rascal, have a good day now."

Second of all, you do not say "Hand to God?" to a person with one fucking hand. Oh my god. 🫪🫣

Wondering if it's staged or AI or something.

[–] AzuraTheSpellkissed@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I'm retrospect, we can calmly reflect on the situation and imagine how we'd respond. But in an impromptu "this is happening right now, and I didn't even fully process that she's lacking a hand or that I made a mistake" situation, his silly behavior doesn't seem implausible at all.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Of course it doesn't seem implausible that a cop would act this way. But any normal person who would accuse someone of something and be met with this kind of conclusive evidence prima facie would probably not do this.

[–] AzuraTheSpellkissed@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

In the heat of the moment.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Really giving that "boys will be boys" energy, are we? There's no "heat" here, what are you even talking about? As a cop, surely they've seen more "heat" than this. Armless lady being the heat, rofl