I bet Ponyfool and Pigster know this guy...

[FJRSTAR]

"He was riding a Yamaha FJR-1300, a powerful sport-touring motorcycle."

Yep. Uh-huh... I can testify to that.

 

[IndianaTom]

if, you're going to try and out run the fuzz, don't do it with one of those behind you.

Oh how I miss the old days.

What was that, 80 HP?

 

[Murph]

It looks like he had FZ mirrors on. I could use those. Also, if that's a Russell seat, think he'll trade me for my stocker? He's not going to need the bike for awhile anyway.

Seriously, though, the more I've thought about this the more I've been irritated by the fact that he had his daughter on the bike. Regardless of whether he thought he was messing around with his buddy, he risked his daughter's life.

 

[FJR_pig]

It looks like he had FZ mirrors on. I could use those. If that's a Russell seat, think he'll trade me for my stocker? He's not going to need the bike for awhile anyway.

:rofl:

 

[Orient_Express]

What does being a police officer have to do with it - except he's not modeling the behavior that's rightfully expected, given the authority and trust that the public has granted him.

Anybody can make a mistake and everybody's going to sooner or later. 80 in a 65 is not a mistake.

One of his buddies messing with him" - so he pulls a stunt like this with his daughter on the back? Don't see any excuse there. Any one of those vehicles he passed could have pulled a dumb move and they both would have been toast. Obviously, common sense went out the door.

If it were a private citizen, would the prosecutor be more lenient?

I have four relatives who work in law enforcement. If they pulled something like this, the whole family would kick their asses.

 

[keithaba]

What does being a police officer have to do with it

Simple, most of the time, cops will not give other cops speeding tickets. Plus he knows how severe the consequences are for fleeing, and knows that your chances of outrunning the radio are slim to none. So why would he run???

There is no excuse about speeding with his 16 year old daughter, but I'm willing to bet there are several people on this forum who have hit 100 (even if just for a split second) while 2-up.

I'm also curious about what it means to "illegally pass several vehicles." Did he pass on the shoulder? Did he (this one is for TWN) SHARE lanes with them??? Or was he simply speeding and passed them. This is another situation where I wish they had the camera running so that the video could be reviewed in court.

 

[ponyfool]

Like it or not, agree with it or not, police officers are held to a higher standard of conduct. Had he been simply speeding, being a police officer likely would not have been a factor. But he is accused of crimes. Once a police officer's credibility, integrity, or professionalism is legitimately questioned, the effectiveness of that officer is dissolved in a court of law.

That's one thing I've always enjoyed about Oregon police work. It is different. I've learned over the years, thanks to some heated threads on some motorcycle forums, that police work isn't the same all across the country. But, having been a cop on the east coast and here, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Yes, everyone screws up now and again and does something stupid (see the speeding comment above). But, running from the police, endangering others, etc, is NOT something tolerated by Oregon Law Enforcement. It shouldn't be tolerated anywhere.

I know, let those who live in glass houses toss the first rock..... but I've never run from the police, and I never will.

If he is guilty of the charges against him, as good a cop as he may have been, I would never vote to keep him certified if I were in charge.

 

[Niehart]

If he is guilty as charged. Let's not throw him off the force till we, as Paul Harvey would say, here the rest of the story.

 

[FJR_pig]

1. Simple, most of the time, cops will not give other cops speeding tickets.
2. ...but I'm willing to bet there are several people on this forum who have hit 100 (even if just for a split second) while 2-up.

3. I'm also curious about what it means to "illegally pass several vehicles." Did he pass on the shoulder? Did he (this one is for TWN) SHARE lanes with them??? Or was he simply speeding and passed them. This is another situation where I wish they had the camera running so that the video could be reviewed in court.

1. I have. I've even arrested two. They were both for DUII. One from Portland and one from an agency in Montana. Wasn't fun, but they're not above the law. Nor am I if I get stopped.

2. I haven't, but I'm kind of a weenie with my wife on the back and w/o question, I would not ride like that with my daughter on the back.

3. All of our new cars, and this was one was new if you noticed in the news photos that it was our "big boy" Chargers, have cameras mounted in them.

Also note the highways this occurred on. If you're familiar with the area, Hwy 126 and Hwy 20 are not interstate roadways. The speed limits out there are a max of 55 mph. The roads also travel through the Cascade Mtn range. Very twisty roads, very few passing lanes and mostly double yellow. I'm betting they were bad passes in every sense of the word "bad" this time. I speak from experience, both personal and from patrolling them... in a car and on a bike.

Don't mis-interpret me here. I'm not rushing to the defense of the OSP Sergeant and also not flaming others' points of view, but merely want to paint an accurate picture. The whole story will come out and if the Bend officer needs to be held accountable, hopefully he will. If it was a bad call by the OSP Sergeant, hopefully that will come out, too.

 

[Orient_Express]

My brother-in-law (State Trooper) thought he was going to loose his job for giving a judge a speeding ticket. Your Honor was doing 45 in a 20 mph school zone! His command staff had the credibility and guts to stand by him and the judge ended up being prosecuted for it.

I do not know this man so will take your word for his credibility. Officers should be held to a higher level of accountability; again because of the trust placed in them by society, IMO.

Am I perfect - always abide by the law?? Easy answer - NO! And no one else does either.

That said - I've never run from the police - and now, have no reason to. I could forgive everything he's done except the fact that his daughter was a pasenger. That's what infuriates me.

 

[FJR_pig]

I could forgive everything he's done except the fact that his daughter was a pasenger. That's what infuriates me.

Gunny on that. Not good at all.

 

[Orient_Express]

I could forgive everything he's done except the fact that his daughter was a pasenger. That's what infuriates me.

Gunny on that. Not good at all.

Look - Cops are just like the rest of us - trying to make a buck and put some food on the table. They get cussed at, puked on, lied to, etc, etc. They aren't perfect and neither are we...

I've done my share of dumb things - my family thought I was crazy for taking a six month extension in VietNam (loved the adrenalin rush)

I'm just hung up on the daughter that was his passenger - he sure wasn't thinking straight.

 

[keithaba]

1. I have. I've even arrested two. They were both for DUII. One from Portland and one from an agency in Montana. Wasn't fun, but they're not above the law. Nor am I if I get stopped.

The whole story will come out and if the Bend officer needs to be held accountable, hopefully he will. If it was a bad call by the OSP Sergeant, hopefully that will come out, too.

I know from talking to my brother and his friends who are on the force, that even with a badge, you won't get away with stuff like DUI, evading, or battery....

But a speeding ticket is another thing.

I'm not accusing cops of letting other cops off the hook for breaking any law, but speeding tends to be an area where fellow officers do get a little more leniency. So the point is just, what was the motive to run? Particularly with his daughter on the bike???

If he did run, then he deserves whatever comes out of it. Who knows, he may plea guilty!

If he didn't run, and he gets screwed out of this, it just sucks for him as an officer to end up in this situation.

 

[Fencer]

I don't think cops should be held to a "higher level" Just the SAME level as the rest of us. He should get the same I would, no more or less.

I understand he may loose credibility as a traffic enforcement officer and may need a NEW position in the dept. but, personally I don't think he should loose his job, UNLESS he was RUNNING, but it doesn't sound like it IMO.

He should, however be smacked upside the head for doing it with his 16yo on the back, ESP since this was not a highway. I have done 90 w/ my wife on the highway and we were still being passed. Traffic conditions and all that...

 

[FJRMGM]

well, he certainly had his dumb-a$$ ride of the year..

Man, leave the kid at home if you are going to go fast - for any reason at any time.

 

[RonBB]

After reading the thread to this point I'm thinking that he was enjoying the FJR, the curves, & ride and had no idea he was being pursued. Shouldn't of had a passenger though.

 

[abarron576]

I don't see where he gets off breaking that many laws at that speed with a 16-year old on the back. Even less power to him if he was hoping, or depending on "professional courtesy". I realize he is probably driving safer at that speed, due to his training, then the average driver is at the speed limit, but how much training did he get with someone on the back?

 

[blufjr]

I'm also curious about what it means to "illegally pass several vehicles."

In Oregon, "you cannot exceed the speed limit to pass." The speed limit is 55 mph. You cannot go over 55 anywhere except on Freeways. You might as well pitch a tent in the daytime and ride at night. The BPO(off duty) was doing a normal pass, in my book, at 81. That means he was exceeding the speed limit by 26 mph. Hardly dangerous. A ten second event. (all my crashes occur below 35mph :lol: ) Now here is my big complaint: Oregon is trashing all the good old 20's and 30's built roads by straightening them out, taking away the 15-30 mph corners, which when doing the speed limit of 55 is just plain fun. 3 reasons to ride a motorcycle: Speed, Accelleration, and passing. If you can't do those three things, you fall asleep, just like in a car. :boredom: Stuck behind some SUV you can't see through or around. Riding is just too dangerous back there behind those SUV's, sucks big time. Adios SUV, I'm going around ASAP.

ON all these newly constructed curves that replace the good old tight stuff, you have to do 80-90 to get the same feeling you used to get at 50-60.

They need to make motorcycle roads, with great big bollards to keep the cars and trucks from entering. Construct them from border to border, and when they could be straight, they should put curves in them anyway, so we could get better tire wear. Anyway, we all know that you can't outrun a car that can do 145 mph. :headbonk: And so did the BPO(off duty). I bet he pulled over as soon as he saw the OSP after him, and I think the OSP officer is being a meany. As soon as I read the post yesterday on FJR 1300 Mailing List , I knew something was funny about this event.

 

[Thumperbike]

81 MPH? Whoopty shit. May have hit 100? Concentrating on the road instead of the mirrors? For some reason this doesn't seem that heinous to me.

 

[Silver Penguin]

They need to make motorcycle roads, with great big bollards to keep the cars and trucks from entering. Construct them from border to border, and when they could be straight, they should put curves in them anyway, so we could get better tire wear.

Cool idea but I can't see Joe Taxpayer going for it. One could of course, take the bike to a track where they have really cool curves, no cars and no speeding tickets. OTOH, we can dream of such roads can't we?

Jill