Reckless police

On Mother’s Day a Charleston County Sheriff’s Deputy ran a stop sign going 73 mph enroute to assist another officer with a disabled motorist. The deputy caused the deaths of three innocent people. Killed in the collision were a mother and her two daughters. On Tuesday a North Charleston police officer ran through a red light enroute to a report of a shooting. The officer was traveling 82 mph and slammed into another vehicle lawfully driving through the intersection killing the driver, a twenty-four year old woman. Regarding this deadly collision the Post and Courier states “Officers may ignore traffic signals and exceed speed limits when responding to an emergency call, but only if the lights and sirens are activated, according to NCPD policy.” Section 56-5-760 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, “Operation of authorized emergency vehicles”, states “the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may . . . proceed past a red light or stop signal but only after slowing down as necessary for safe operation” and “exceed the maximum speed limit if he does not endanger life or property.” How many times have you been passed on the highway by a police vehicle going at least 20 mph faster than you and not running sirens? If the situation were reversed you’d be looking at a big speeding ticket. Our law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard than us yet many feel they can disregard the law simply because they wear a badge. If these two officers abided by the very laws they swore to protect and uphold, four innocent women would still be alive today. Unfortunately these unnecessary tragedies occur all too often. When it comes to law enforcement the standard should not be “do as I say but not as I do”.