The Ryan Moats Incident: Where Do We Go from Here?

Ryan Moats, the Houston Texan running back and his family received some cruel and unusual punishment at the hands of a Plano, Texas, police officer this week. The officer attempted to pull the Moats family vehicle over after Moats apparently failed to come to a complete stop before turning right at a red light.

The family was on their way to the hospital where they had been told that Moats' mother-in-law was near death and that they should get their ASAP. Since the incident happened so close to the hospital Ryan made the decision to let the officer follow him at a slow speed into the hospital parking lot so his wife and other family members could get to her mother's bedside.

The tragic incident that followed was all caught on the police car's surveillance camera. The officer had some harsh words for Moats and when his wife attempted to exit the car the officer pulled a gun on her and ordered her back into the car. This all happened after Moats had explained that his mother-in-law was on her death bed and that they really needed to get to her side. The officer proceeded to verbally bash Moats and to write him a ticket, which was immediately rescinded once the police chief had looked at the tape from the camera. The chief also offered an apology to the family and placed the officer, Robert Powell, on administrative leave.

What happens next is the subject of this article. There will be many who rush to judgment on what should happen to the officer. Both racism and profiling have been mentioned in several newscasts and articles, since the officer is white. If he is found liable for damages to the family, or for profiling he should pay. That is where this story really begins.

A person takes a test, passes a physical, goes through a background check that shows nothing in their past that would prevent them from entering into the police academy. Then they go through a rigorous training program and then they pass that, maybe with flying colors, maybe with just good enough grades to pass, never the less they pass their training. Now that they are a police officer, although usually in most places they are required to train with a more experienced officer before getting their own car. Could a bad apple get through that system? Absolutely. Bad apples get through every system all the time. Take a look at what our CEOs have done and are doing to this nation's economy. They are not all bad but the bad ones will always get the media attention.

That is the case with Officer Robert Powell of the Plano Police Department. His actions as deplorable as they were, are all we will read about for the next several days, weeks and months. Sadly enough, the hundreds of thousands of good officers that put their lives on the line every day will take the biggest hit for one officer's actions. Are their any other bad ones that slipped through the cracks out there? More than likely and they will not all be white officers. Profiling is and always will be a problem, just as it is a problem in our elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges. Just as it is a problem in our churches and synagogues. Racism is not just a police problem; it is a problem that should be policed in our homes, our schools and our churches.

The intention of this article is not to pass judgment on Officer Powell because, as incriminating as the evidence is against him, this could be an isolated incident in a career that can be chalked up to... having a real bad day. A day nonetheless that he should be punished for but that should not necessarily have to identify his entire career. People do make mistakes and he obviously made a huge one in judgment. If this is an isolated case for him, then punish him and hopefully he will learn from it and be a better person as a result. His superiors on the force and his fellow officers know if this is in his nature or not. They should have the ultimate say as to his future with the police department. However, if it is found that he violated Ryan Moats and his family's civil rights and that crime prevents him from serving on the force, then so be it and maybe then, someone else will learn from Officer Powell's mistake.

This situation is a lemon and lemonade needs to be made from it. One way to do that is not to cast dispersion on all police officers and not make this any larger than what it actually is. One cop who made a real bad decision at a real unfortunate time. If it was any more than that (racism), let it go through proper channels and be dealt with accordingly. Racism is a crime that should be punished and the punishment should be strong enough to serve as a deterrent. The police chief has already come out in strong opposition to what the Moats family was put through and has apologized to the family first, and then to the entire community for the officer's actions. Whether they can accept the apology or not at this point in time is strictly up to the Moats' family, as they had to endure the mistreatment and experience the loss of a family member.

In no way should this article be taken as defending one misguided police officer. However, in a time where our country is experiencing more crime than ever before, largely as the result of decisions made by our misguided CEO's and our misguided politicians, we need to all pull together. Our communities and our cities, pulling together with our police officers. Our schools with our families and our families with our churches and synagogues. We are a country that proudly proclaims, "In God We Trust." God wants that we all love each other and respect each other. Maybe this would be a good time to do just that.