Topic: What happens when an off-duty officer, who had a few beers, sees a crime?
Topic Posted by: Mandi
Date Posted: Tue Oct 27 10:42:31 2009
Additional Comments:
Jack was off duty when he had the beers. And, from what I recall, he did call for backup and told Henry to stay outside. He knew Katie was in an extremely dangerous situation, and he did what he thought was right to help her. After everything happened, he should have mentioned the drinking to Margo. (I have no doubt his fat mouthed wife will spill the beans as it would be a sin for Jack to lie.)
What is an off duty officer to do when he is aware someone is in mortal danger and back up officers have yet to arrive?
Posted by: Miss Marple Date posted: Tue Oct 27 18:13:31 2009
Message: Jack didn't know Brad was there, BUT, he knew that Katie was there as an hostage. He should have realized that returning fire INTO a dark building without a line of sight could injure the hostage. Why are so few blaming him for his impulsive action? In hostage situations isn't it customary to take cover, wait for back up, including a hostage negotiator? Why the rush to return fire, was it the few beers making him feel invinciible and influencing his judgement? At least the investigation into an officer discharging his weapon and in the process injuring a civilian should take more than 10 minutes. Of course Katie was largely responsible for the cluster; also stupid, but that's in character and I'm sure no one will blame the little mother.
Posted by: daydreamer Date posted: Tue Oct 27 13:05:22 2009
Message:
He was wrong for proceeding before backup got there. Nothing was going on and he didn't know Brad was being held so why did he yell out & go in? He also was big time wrong for doing anything because he had been drinking. Do you think Margo would have told him everything was by the book if he had told her that? Especially since a civilian got shot?
Posted by: gallyn Date posted: Tue Oct 27 11:58:45 2009
Message:
More to the point, should Jack have failed to protect himself simply to avoid firing his weapon?
Don't get me wrong, Jack has often charged in to situations (stone cold sober) without back up and off-duty (or even off the force) and come out the hero. Remember BJ Greene blowing up WOAK, where Jack just happened to be? So when he started chewing out a comatose Brad for "hotdogging it" and going in to save Katie, even I rolled my eyes a bit.
But I think it would go against any trained person's instinct to not offer assistance simply because they'd had a drink or two. Should a doctor not take charge of a situation and offer CPR to someone who collapsed? Not all doctors are surgeons---but all know basic first aid.
And until I'm told different, I'm not judging a 175-ish lb man to be impaired after a few beers.
Posted by: maggimae Date posted: Tue Oct 27 11:03:28 2009
Message: IRL, the officer would be temporarily releived of duty (with pay) until there was an investigation. I believe that is the procedure whenever an officer shoots someone whether he has been drinking or not. At least that was the way it was on Barney Miller. LOL.
Posted by: Mia Date posted: Tue Oct 27 10:55:56 2009
Message: He better start praying that they have fast cars and get there quickly. I would imagine an officer has the built-in mechanism to preserve and protect. He would jump the gun and rush in. As the song goes, ''Fools rush in where wisemen never go.' ..... But as often as you read articles in the newspapers, when off-duty officers rush in .... in never works in their favor. Trouble often erupts with sad consequences.
Posted by: dolphina Date posted: Tue Oct 27 10:53:12 2009
Message: Good question. Just like.... what is a doctor to do if he's been drinking socially and someone keels over? Perhaps for the doctor it should be "no surgery" and for the cop "no firing a gun"
