What do we really want our officers to do on duty?
LIKE MANY in our community, I have seen video and read newspaper coverage of the recent incident involving Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies and a group of motorcyclists. And like many, that incident caused me to be concerned, not only about the actions of the deputies, but of the motorcyclists as well.
In a civilized society, actions often result in consequences, both intended and unintended. In this case, both sides took actions that may or may not result in consequences.
Deputies responded to reports of a large group of motorcyclists “blocking traffic” and “driving aggressively,” and encountered such a group on Tramway. The deputies reported that motorcyclists’ license plates were bent up and unreadable, making it improbable that the motorcyclists could be identified for purposes of taking enforcement action at a future, safer point in time. The deputies reportedly attempted a traffic stop, but the motorcyclists refused to stop and continued to drive recklessly. At one point, a deputy pointed his firearm at a motorcyclist “riding a wheelie,” saying that he feared an immediate and impending battery. Were the deputy’s actions appropriate? I feel certain that he will be required to explain and defend his actions. A motorcyclists’ rights group is demanding an investigation. I’m sure that they want him to face consequences for his actions.
What about the motorcyclists? Will they face consequences for their actions? One involved motorcyclist said that each and every one of them “flipped off” the deputy. Unreadable license plates, refusing to stop and flipping off the deputy demonstrate both a desire to avoid and an expectation of not having to face any consequences.
In this era of increased scrutiny of law enforcement practices, we as a society need to ask ourselves: What do we want and expect officers to do and, as importantly, not do, when they encounter non-compliance and resistance during the performance of their duties? When these questions have been asked and answered, we as a society will have to deal with the consequences of our actions, both intended and unintended. BRUCE COCHRANE Albuquerque