Tags
blockade, human roadblock, human shield, hume highway, journalism, scandal, transportation, victoria police
Last Saturday morning in Melbourne the Police decided to use innocent drivers as a human roadblock to stop a speeding driver in a stolen car. Click here for The Age article. The errant car was driving erratically on the Hume highway and was a danger to all those within braking distance. Victoria Police in their infinite wisdom decided to form a blockade of cars to force the driver to stop. In doing so they commandeered the vehicles of whoever happened to be in the area at the time and ordered them to park their cars in the lanes and thus create a blockade. It didn’t matter if you had children or elderly on board or whether you were driving a work vehicle or your own. I wonder what would have happened if you refused to be used as a human shield? What if your 5 year old daughter was killed when the crazy driver rammed into the back of your car? The driver did eventually crash into the back of a few cars and was subsequently arrested.
I reckon this is just bloody outrageous. Victoria is a nanny state with some very draconian laws as it is and now we have the Police using innocent civilians as roadblocks with out so much as a by your leave. Where does this end? Will be the police be using civilians as target practice?(some might say they do this already) or as decoys?
If you look at the logo on their badge which states ‘UPHOLD THE RIGHT’ consider what right they are upholding. Also, did you know that the laurel wreath on the badge represents bravery and courage and that the five pointed star indicates that the Police will go in any direction to uphold the law. It makes you wonder really.
I’m sure that there will be a whole slew of law suits against them and somebody should be falling on their sword as a result.
Victoria police have responded to this situation here.
‘….was a danger to all those within breaking distance.’ Really, did you consult the dictionary before writing this? How about ‘…was a danger to all those within BRAKING distance?’
Have you ever had a really bad day? Have you ever had a day when your judgement was flawed and you made a huge mistake? The police members who made this mistake will pay for it with their careers. They will regret that day for the rest of their lives. They may not get employment after the police force, because of the shame of having made a wrong, split second decision. Lawyers and commentators such as you have plenty of time to analyse their actions.
And when they do lose their jobs, will you ask yourself why they had to make the decision in the first place? What about the guy in the stolen car? What would your comment be if the police didn’t stop him and he caused an accident?
They’re damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.
End of lecture.
Hi ALmostsaneat50,
Point taken on dictionary consultation. I shall correct the offending word.
Yes I have had many bad days but I have never decided to use innocent bystanders as a human shield/barricade. Would you still try to lecture me if a 5 year old was brutally crushed to death? Anyway, it was a stupid decision and somebody made it none the less.
Hi Dorjex, yes, it was a ridiculously stupid decision to use innocents as human shields. I provide these comments not as excuses, but as explanations. IF there are any suitable explanations, that is.
I am unsure whether I’d lecture you if a 5 year-old was killed. It would be horrific. But let me ask you this: would you be as outraged if the police didn’t stop the driver and HE killed the 5 year-old? Same result, different cause. Nobody wins.
I pay the police wages so I would be pissed off if they caused a fatality by not following correct procedure. The driver is a fuckwit not in my employ and if he killed somebody he would pay. Death is regrettable but should not be sanctioned by those we trust to protect us and not use us a instruments in law enforcement.
“Have you ever had a day when your judgement was flawed and you made a huge mistake?”
No. Then again, I was a well trained soldier. I guess that means they are not well trained.
” The police members who made this mistake will pay for it with their careers. ”
But they won’t, that’s the problem. Victoria police is corrupt an institution as you could envisage. They protect their own above anyone else.
“They will regret that day for the rest of their lives. They may not get employment after the police force, because of the shame of having made a wrong, split second decision.”
Again, this is laughable. Purely bad or no training lead them to make this STUPID decision. No one in their right mind puts CIVILIANS in the line of fire, that is one of their reasons for existance.
But, it seems, Victoria police have become so bad they now will sacrifice others because they don’t want to be the one that let some idiot in a car get away.
Now, perhaps they ought address the issue of training. Perhaps train them to be better judges under pressure, teach the Precision Immobilisation, teach them to use stop-sticks. Plenty of alternatives, none of which involve civilians.
” Lawyers and commentators such as you have plenty of time to analyse their actions.
And when they do lose their jobs, will you ask yourself why they had to make the decision in the first place?”
Apart from the fact they won’t lose their jobs, I hope the people’s lawyers have a field day and sue the pants off the police. Reckless public endangerment for one. Criminal prosecutions against the police should follow, but we all know it will not.
” What about the guy in the stolen car? What would your comment be if the police didn’t stop him and he caused an accident?”
They did stop him and he did cause an accident!
Police can only do so much, if they cannot apprehend him SAFELY without endangering people in a wilfull way, then he gets away. I don’t care whether he’s stolen a car or murdered someone. Follow him in the helicopter (as they were doing) for all I care. Just DO NOT use people to do your work for you.
Likewise, do you think the police themselves would line their cars up and form a stationary road block? No way!
“They’re damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.”
No, they are damned!
Nicely put Mark. They are the attack dogs of the 1%ers.
Bring it on!
I hope that heads roll for this and that you are right in your comment that they will never get a job after the police force.The Police Minister and his lackey Ken Lay are in charge of a bunch of “cowboys out of control.Both the Police Minister and his underling should be sacked or resign and take the imbeciles who created this farce with them.
God help my community if the police concerned were ever transferred here.They would need close scrutiny at all times both by their superiors and the innocent public.