Im hurt and Im pissed!

[freefalle 0]

okay folks I usually just kinda lurk on here but I need to vent! Some of you know me most of you dont. I live in Florida and I work 3rd shift as a police officer. yea I know some of you dont like cops and youve got good reasons too. Sometimes I dont like cops either. But Im fair honest and hard working. Tonight, I pulled over a drunk driver on a motorcycle He almost hit some kids walking down the street. When I asked him to get off his motorcylce he tried to take off. I grabed him in an arm hold to try to stop him, he still took off dragging me before I was able to pull him off the bike. I am now the proud new owner nerve damage and probably a torn rotator cuff. Im out of work for days and probably looking at surgery and then Ill be out for weeks. I work 70 to 80 hrs a week to provide for myself and my son. even if workmans comp pays my salary Im still out all my over time money, money I need to get by and to pay bills. WTF am I going to do??? and the worst part of this, is this asshole will get a slap on the wrist and hell get to go on about his life, yea hell have some minor inconveniences but his bills will still be paid and his family will be provided for. I on the other hand am looking at ALOT of lost money, surgery, pain and loss of the enjoyment of skydiving for God only knows how long. Ya know, Im well aware of the risks of my job but this is bullshit and the fact the the judicial system in our country is so easy on offenders who hurt other people is a slap in the face. Guys I know some cops are dicks but if you ever get the chance, do a ride along with your local police department and see what we have to endure to ensure the safety of others I think youll have a new view of police officers. As for me, Im in pain it sucks, and within a month Im going to be so far behind on my bills Ill never be able to get out of the whole Ill be in. All because I didnt want some drunk asshole to kill someone..... thanks for letting me feel sorry for myself.
Blue Skies

[bbarnhouse 0]

Freefalle~
I am sorry that this happened to you (I know it may seem rather trite at this point). Please know that I for one appreciate all that you do in your job to help keep our communities safe.
Is there any other recourse with the perp?
Cheers!
It only takes a little pixie dust......

[dayle 0]

Aren't you allowed to drop a civil suit on him??? Sue the bastard!!!

[skybytch 259]

That really sucks! Isn't that considering evading arrest? I'd think that and drunk driving would be enough to put his butt away for awhile...
Probably won't make you feel any better but the work you do is appreciated by most of us. I did quite a few ride alongs when I was a teenager (through the Explorer program); you guys have a seriously tough job.
Hang in there! pull & flare,
lisa

[QuickDraw 0]

I guess you have to get some form of legal advice, you must have some form of public damages over there.
Over here you can get paid out of public funds for things like that, but i do not know enough about them to give you any real details.
Hope you have a speedy recovery anyway dude.
..Billions of people living out their lives..Oblivious..

[AndyMan 7]

Dude, I'm a pretty big anti-autoritarian. My distrust of the system is just as big as anyone else (well, anyone that doesn't live in ruby ridge or waco). That said, I know a lot of cops, and my dislike of the system does certainly not translate to a dislike of the individuals. I've got a lot of real and skydiving friends that are cops. If you're even as close to as cool as they are, you're one cool guy.
It sucks to hear about your injury. I'm surprised you don't have a more effective LART to go after this loser... The shit he pulled are things that in my book, you just aint suposed to do.
You've got lots of love here, keep your chin up.
_Am
ICQ: 5578907
MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com
AIM: andrewdmetcalfe
Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

[rhino 0]

Man.. Sorry you were injured.. Kick ass job though.. I've always wanted to be a cop.. Next time shoot the bastard and apologize later.. Maybe shoot the tire or something? Say he was trying to run you over. I would definitely sue him..
Blue Skies .....

[MrHixxx 0]

You should have at least been provided the satisfaction of beating the crap out of him with a swift kick in the ding ding...
You have a tough job. That sucks, but kudos to you for what you do. I shutter to think how many more people there would be out there to kill if law enforcement wasn't around :)
-Hixxx
"Sous ma tub, Dr. Suess ma tub"

[QuickDraw 0]

Quote

Maybe shoot the tire or something

Well let's take a vote on it

What would you have shot
Tyre ?
Something ?
Skydiver hurtin mofo scumbag ?

..Billions of people living out their lives..Oblivious..

[cloud9 0]

Well Chuck I wish I could give you some words of encourgement, but the truth is your really out there on a limb. I was a police officer for 11 years. I was once injured in a fight with an escapee from jail. My shoulder was dislocated in the process and required surgery. I was out of work for over 4 months. Like you I collected workers comp, but of course police officers can't live on the PD salary alone. So I had no OT and got way behind in my bills. Eventually I did get back to work and managed to get things caught back up, so it will work out it just takes time. In my case the bad guy had nothing, so what are you going to sue for?
Another officer friend of mine was a Motor officer and was involved in a wreck, a car pulled out in front of him. He injured his back and had surgery, he was let go by the city because he was no longer able to perform the duties of an officer. He collects just over $200 a month for his disabilities.
One of our younger officers that only had two year on the PD was shot in the leg, he was disabled and could no longer work either, but he wasn't vested so he get's nothing. Again the bad guy had nothing so what can you sue for?
Hang in there, I know how tough it can be. Of course you could always do what I did and go to work for an oil company. I'm very protected for that sort of thing now.
It's a shame we don't protect our officers better, after all they're out there on the street protecting the masses. But when they get hurt doing it, such is life!
There's nothing you can do about it, so make the most of it. Spend some quallity time with your family, sit back and look at the wonder of life and enjoy what you do have. Good luck!
little boy to little girl. Oh yea if thats what it is lets hear it meow!

[skymedic 0]

Chuck, You know how I feel about cops....but I am glad your one of the good ones. you still riding Harleys?(well not now at least)....I hope you can get this guy in some way, but I know you can't...I got injured from wrestling a patient once(and I know you know how that goes too) and the dude had nothing, so I didn't have a chance to sue.
I hope things go well for ya bro...
Cheers....vasbyt
marc
"I have no fear of falling, I just hate hitting the ground"-The Badlees...

[Emmie 0]

hey Chuck, really sorry about your injury. Don't you guys have guns, you should have just shot the asshole in the leg or something. That would have made him cooperate!
I hope you get better soon.
Emmie

[Lindsey 0]

That totally sucks......hang in there, man....things tend to work out.....
Peace~
Lindsey
Eve was framed!
http://home.earthlink.net/~linzwalley

[dove 0]

Hey Chuck. I am so sorry to hear that. I really think it is atrocious how underpaid and under-respected law enforcement is in this country. I send you prayers and positive vibes and best wishes for a speedy recovery. It it makes you feel any better you'll still probably be back WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY before I am! See?! Things are looking brighter already! Much love to you, brother!
dove

[skymama 35]

Hey Chuck~
Sorry to hear about your injury. After just having to nurse your son back to health, this couldn't have come at a worse time. Hope you heal quickly. Enjoy the drugs, and enjoy going out to the dz and watching the pretty girls in skimpy clothes!
Andi
The brave may not live forever, but the timid may not live at all.

[Iflyme 0]

Quote

Sue the bastard

You seem to recommend that in every thread! You're not a lawyer, are you ???
"There's nothing new under the sun"

[Michele 1]

Hi, Chuck.
First, sorry about your injury. You'll heal, you'll lift yourself out of the hole, and you will be o.k. in the long run. Like someone said, enjoy the drugs (legal now, you know), and rest up, spend time with your little one, and bring the vents here...
But in thinking about it, in CA there would be lots of charges that particular DUI would be facing....
~Assault on a PO
~Assault w/ a deadly weapon
~Attempt to Evade
~DUI (duh.........)
~Mayhem (assault with intent to injure, maim, deform...)
And those are just off the top of my head....
I'd talk to the DA and see what other charges could be thrown at him - you may not get any money, but you'd get a serious idjit off the streets for a time.....Just a thought or two.
Ciels and Pinks-
Michele
If you really want to, you can seize the day; if you really want to, you can fly away...
~enya~

[skyhawk 2]

how about attempted murder, hmm trying to drag someone along with the aid of a motor bike
how much do yous get paid over there over here police start at $38 000 a year
Opinions are like a-holes everyone has one, the only one that does you any good is yours and all that comes out is shit

[Michele 1]

There was an interesting case about a man dropping a child (8 y/o) off in the middle of the Mojave desert - I believe he was convicted on attempted murder.....not including child endangerment, etc....it was the reasonable expectation that the child would die - but a trucker saw him, and picked the child up.
I don't know about attempted murder in this instance - poss. attempt vehicular manslaughter, though. I think it would depend on which would carry the toughest sentence - vehic. manslaughter or Assault w/deadly...
either way, I think there are more charges which can be brought against this idjit..and should be...
Chuck - heal soon!
If you really want to, you can seize the day; if you really want to, you can fly away...
~enya~

[dayle 0]

I do believe that this is the first time I have recomended sueing someone. lol about the lawyer part though.....I wish, then I wouldn't have to figure out where I was going to get jump money from!!!!!
Dayle

[steve1 5]

Chuck,
Sorry for your misfortune. I know you have a thankless job. Most of us are grateful for the job the police do. My brother was a police officer until he broke his ear drum. Then he had to find another line of work. He now works as a parole officer with tougher felons in Oregon. He says it's kind of like a revolving door thing with the prisons. The felons get out for a while, then mess up, and go back in (with rare exception). He showed me the rap sheets on some of these guys and there are pages of felonies they have committed. I get tired of people saying that consequences don't work and that what we need to do is try to rehabilitate these people. Does that really work? I know it's probably not much fun being in prison, but some of them seem way too cushie to me. Why get out if things are better on the inside. I mean in most of them you have rec. time, TV sets, college classes, good food, and more. I know it isn't all gravy being in the lock up, but I think it ought to be tougher. In Mexico there is a lot less crime there, because if you go to prison, you'll probably be eating gruel and chicken feet, unless your family can feed you, while you're in prison. Trying to sue this scumbag would probably be a waste of time if he doesn't have anything. Some of these ideas are probably narrow minded, but that's how I see it. Redneck Steve (I'm thinking about running for Governor of Montana).

[cloudseeker2001 0]

i find it odd that the repressor is using skydiving to search for freedom or is it JUST another rush for him?
"remember when we were in africa"