Off-Duty Blanchard cop pulls gun after traffic accident

[Wormydog1724]

I have looked and can't find this posted anywhere on here. If it is, I'm sorry.
http://kfor.com/2013/03/11/victim-off-duty-officer-pulled-gun-after-fender-bender/
"NORMAN, Okla. - A Norman man is accusing an off-duty Blanchard police officer of abusing his power after the two men got into a traffic accident last week.

Kevin Richardson said the officer, Joshua Shaw, caused the wreck by swerving his Ford Mustang into Richardson’s Dodge Ram pickup truck near Lindsay and Jenkins, Wednesday afternoon.

Richardson’s girlfriend began taking a video of the aftermath, which was posted on YouTube.
In it, the exchange became heated.

“‘Let me see your insurance,” Richardson can be heard saying.

“You’re not seeing nothing,” Shaw replied.

Shaw then said “I advise you, back off.”

“What are you going to do?” Richardson responded.

At that point in the video, Shaw can be seen grabbing a handgun and saying “I’m a police officer. I advise you to back off and get out of my face.”

“He’s a cop, but he’s a hothead,” Richardson said Sunday. “He’s overreacting in a situation as simple as a traffic accident. What’s he going to do in a real high-stress situation? I don’t think he should be carrying a gun.”

Blanchard Police Chief Walt Thompson told News Channel 4 he did not want to speak on camera until he looked at the video with Officer Shaw.

On the phone, Thompson said Shaw did not break any police code or state law and said Shaw believed he was being threatened and was trying to defuse the situation.

Norman Police Captain Tom Easley said Shaw was not arrested at the time of the incident because he did not point his gun at Richardson.

“He didn’t bring it (the gun) up above the window and point it at anybody,” Easley said. “He kept it down in his lap. It was not pointed at anyone. Now we can all second guess that decision, but was it a crime? That’s the question. The answer is no.”

“But he didn’t show a badge,” Attorney Garvin Isaacs said after watching the video. “He didn’t show an I.D.”

Isaacs said an “assault” is committed when one person feels they’re in danger; contact (“battery”) does not have to happen.

But Isaacs said the video shows both men getting upset.

“These two guys need to grow up,” he said. “They need to have a little better emotional control.”

Richardson admitted he’s had trouble with police before.

In 2008, he plead guilty to assault and battery on a police officer.

As of Monday evening, the Cleveland County District Attorney’s office said they had received no information on the incident from police."

Is this not brandishing?
Watch the videos and tell me how YOU would have reacted.

 

[Burk Cornelius]

I feel he could have shown his badge and accomplished the same thing. Pulling his gun was wrong BUT Richardson sounds like a loose cannon.

 

[drmitchgibson]

Brandishing.

 

[Wormydog1724]

Maybe the cop didn't have insurance? he reeeally didn't want to show it to him.... LOL

later, kirk.




oh wait.

 

[poopgiggle]

I feel he could have shown his badge and accomplished the same thing. Pulling his gun was wrong BUT Richardson sounds like a loose cannon.

DAMNIT RICHARDSON YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON

TURN IN YOUR BADGE AND Goh the cop is the other guy

 

[ChrisC]

Brandishing.

"Thompson said Shaw did not break any police code or state law and said Shaw believed he was being threatened and was trying to defuse the situation."

 

[jtischauser]

Yikes!

 

[drmitchgibson]

"Thompson said Shaw did not break any police code or state law and said Shaw believed he was being threatened and was trying to defuse the situation."

So I can intimidate people with my gun without fear of persecution? That's what I'm talking about!

 

[Scott Hearn]

So what is Garvin Isaacs implying? An off duty cop has to flash a badge before readying his weapon now?

I see it as much ado about nothing. The other dude was pissed, bigger and cop was in a bad position still being in his car. I see it as only getting ready and not trying to intimidate.

 

[ChrisC]

Mitch, you damn sure can if you can articulate that you were in imminent danger. Not I've only had to do something off duty twice. One was at a gas station where some panhandler kept pressing me for money and ignoring my repeated orders to go away. He kept closing the gap finally I squared off put my weak hand in the stop position and placed my strong hand on my weapon and identified myself as a police officer and if he did not follow my orders there would be an issue. He hesitated before backing down and leaving. The nozzle was in my vehicle and I couldn't flee... nor did I have a duty too. While this would seem like an over action to your average Ccw citizen I can promise you that when a situation begins to escalate an officer will elevate the amount of force to dissipate the situation. If less than lethal options aren't available then what he did could be deemed proper. Now I haven't seen the video but just like the trooper that had the issue with the ambulance driver a while back the dash cam told a different story than the cell phone camera.

 

[brandt9913]

I feel he could have shown his badge and accomplished the same thing. Pulling his gun was wrong BUT Richardson sounds like a loose cannon.

The angle of the video made it look like brandishing, but I don't think the gun was ever higher than the bottom of the window. Her video was shot at a downward angle. I agree with Burk that showing a badge would have gotten the same result. It is pretty clear that the Richardson guy was a little aggressive.

The cop did act like a little bit of a jackass though.

 

[dennishoddy]

Mitch, you damn sure can if you can articulate that you were in imminent danger. Not I've only had to do something off duty twice. One was at a gas station where some panhandler kept pressing me for money and ignoring my repeated orders to go away. He kept closing the gap finally I squared off put my weak hand in the stop position and placed my strong hand on my weapon and identified myself as a police officer and if he did not follow my orders there would be an issue. He hesitated before backing down and leaving. The nozzle was in my vehicle and I couldn't flee... nor did I have a duty too. While this would seem like an over action to your average Ccw citizen I can promise you that when a situation begins to escalate an officer will elevate the amount of force to dissipate the situation. If less than lethal options aren't available then what he did could be deemed proper. Now I haven't seen the video but just like the trooper that had the issue with the ambulance driver a while back the dash cam told a different story than the cell phone camera.

Had a pan handler get agressive with me once. pointed the gas nozzle at him and had a zippo in the other.

 

[Deathtrap]

I don't think "show me your insurance" falls under imminent danger.

 

[ChrisC]

It might.... he could have used the insurance card to give him a nasty paper cut

 

[Wall]

It might.... he could have used the insurance card to give him a nasty paper cut

those hurt like Sunuvabitch!!!

 

[Robusto]

Here's you sign.

 

[Corey]

Officer Shaw is lucky they had video or there probably would of been two witnesses saying they saw officer Shaw pointing a firearm @ Richardson

Shaw definitely had a little b@tch attitude
If Shaw was unarmed he would have rolled the window up then grabbed the cell

 

[PD147]

I had to sign up to be able to post here, but I would like to set something straight. The video posted by the news stations is a small part of the video. Josh Shaw is a good friend of mine, and he is a damn good Police Officer. The guy was told multiple times to step back but he refused. In a threatening manner was demanding insurance. If you are involved in a wreck you have NO obligation to provide anything to the other driver, just the Police that work the incident. An off-duty officer typically is not going to identify himself unless he has to use force, so flashing a badge is typically not an option. It probably could have been handled better, but under the circumstances I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing.

 

[jtischauser]

I had to sign up to be able to post here, but I would like to set something straight. The video posted by the news stations is a small part of the video. Josh Shaw is a good friend of mine, and he is a damn good Police Officer. The guy was told multiple times to step back but he refused. In a threatening manner was demanding insurance. If you are involved in a wreck you have NO obligation to provide anything to the other driver, just the Police that work the incident. An off-duty officer typically is not going to identify himself unless he has to use force, so flashing a badge is typically not an option. It probably could have been handled better, but under the circumstances I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing.

First off welcome to the forum. You and Mr. Shaw should come shoot with us sometime.

We appreciate your clearing things up. Unfortunately it's the news stations job to spin, I mean report things the way they seem the most exciting or should I say shocking. Then they never follow up with the outcome. It's why we are all fighting to keep our 2nd amendment safe right now.

Can you give us any information on the fallout of the situation?

 

[dpd0710]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPRzh9pyEhI

Please!