Watch A Foul-Mouthed Trooper Lose It

He should have retired 20 years ago. This is way beyond having a bad day. Ugly human.

Hard to respect someone like that.

That guy needs some counseling.

Guy is ready to explode he needs some serious Mental help. Might have been a good cop once. Job burned him out. Give him a package and send him out to pasture.

Also he spreading his germs all over the guy he pulled over.

Maybe he needs a vacation. Law enforcement is stressful nowadays. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt but I do wonder if the driver was a " minority " would he have been let go?

That is all very unfortunate. We might pause to wonder why we give any leeway to police officers and troopers to talk that way—that sort of abuse of a constituent would get you fired from Starbucks, Target, a principalship in the public schools, a job in nursing, and about a thousand other occupations. I understand that policing is stressful, but there are a lot of stressful jobs—taking care of patients in an Alzheimer's ward is tremendously stressful, but you can imagine how long a nurse or aide would last in that job if she or he lost it like that. Police officers are public servants; if anything, they should be modeling courtesy and respect above and beyond the call. And of course the spillover effects of an encounter like that with law enforcement are substantial; if the barista abuses you, you find another coffee shop, but if a state trooper abuses you, you may never want to cooperate with the police again.

Friggin hilarious.

If the Trooper did more than toss the dude's weed and cuss him out, I'd be singing a different tune. But the driver effed with the Trooper while he was on the road, just doing his job. Therefore I side with Trooper Spina in this one.

ps — we all should behave better.

Might be time for a memorable quote from a movie I saw a gazillion times:

Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to. — Colonel Jessup, "A Few Good Men"

@Average Taxpayer. Sorry, not buying it. How dare you take "A Few Good Men" in vain? The point of the movie—besides sheer awesomeness—is that the military (in that case) is there to protect people who can't protect themselves (to quote the movie), not to bully people. So, back to our fine state trooper: Do you agree that this behavior would get you fired from a private-sector job? I assume so. So if what you are saying is that when cops get pissed they should have more leeway to be abusive, please come out and say it, and defend it. I'd be interested to hear the logic.

The guy butts into an investigation that doesn't involve himself (which could even constitute a crime, btw), gets a righteous verbal lashing that was actually very well explained and released with a warning...and I'm supposed to be outraged by this?

We ask our police to be human and have a heart when we want a break and then we want them to be robots with no emotion or fear when we want to berate, insult, or threaten them.

The kid got yelled at by the scary man. Don't go around provoking cops and spare me the pearl clutching.

It is comical this video made the Independent. Can you really blame the Trooper with the way many motorists have been treating our roads with no regard for the safety of others during this pandemic? Not only did this man have no business speeding up to the Trooper and getting involved in his work, but he was also given a break. Everyone is human within their professions and we do not know the stressors this Trooper is dealing with during this time of uncertainty.

The trooper has a responsibility to remain professional and clearly he lost his cool. On the other hand the guy who he was yelling at is a total a$$hole and deserved every bit of it.

Best video I've seen in a long time, thanks trooper Spina and the asswipe who should learn the law and to mind his own business.

The motorist was acting like a punk, butting in a situation that he has no business being a part of. These officers put their lives on the line everyday. He should have cuffed this guy and taught him a lesson. Those of you who are appalled by this officer's actions need to get a clue.

The state police have initiated an internal investigation into the incident and placed the trooper on administrative leave in the meantime, "which does not allow him to interact with the public," weCol. Stavros Mellekas, the state police's deputy commissioner, reported in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.The statement sought to put the incident in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We do recognize that all of us everywhere are under extreme stress during this pandemic," Mellekas stated. "For our troopers, they are dealing with the impact on their personal lives along with workplace stressors of being on the frontline. While not an excuse.

Correct No excuse.He should be fired.Have you pro police people forgot that your tax dollarswill pay out this guy lawsuit.

Take a look at these good old police officers who are going to cost the taxpayers Big money.

A New York City police officer who was caught on video Saturday pointing a stun gun at a man and violently taking him to the ground over an alleged social distancing violation has been stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty pending an internal investigation.In fact you pro police people this cop has a lot of lawsuits on him.

https://youtu.be/6XA03g0J24E

Can not forget this one pro police people.

We Only Kill Black People,' Police Officer Says During Traffic Stop

https://youtu.be/4eKQJm4Oe_0

Threefifths- Fire him?? Over this?? You're ridiculous.

3/5's your comments are always good for a laugh. Fired???? Yea ok! Lawsuit???? For what???? Trooper lost his shit, but did nothing crooked nor did he assault the driver so spare your nonsense. This rant had a touch of an angry dad with a bit of a crazy uncle. Your hate for the police hasn't change one bit! #peoplearesosensitive #crymeariver

So, the kid deserved everything he got from the Trooper, however it was unprofessional. Does he deserve to be fired for this, absolutely not. The Trooper has given a good portion of his life to the protection of CT citizens and that does count for something.

It's simple, if police are working doing their job mind your damn business and keep it moving. The nerve of this kid to question how this Trooper was conducting his enforcement and then have the audacity to flip him off.

After rewatching the video I realized I misjudged the state trooper. Yes, his language is coarse but the world of policing and dealing with "the public" is more obscene.

How many working people in service jobs have not said or thought:

The general public are a bunch of assholes (me)
Everyone has something stupid to fucking say (me)
You just couldn't leave it alone (me)
Mind your fucking business (me)
I'm doing my fucking job (me)

I say or think these same things (and far worse) every day. Luckily, I don't have cameras on me to catch my worst moments.

Overall, the trooper (though certainly triggered) acted with extreme restraint. He didn't hit the guy who just got in the way of his carrying out his official duties and then had the nerve to ask him why he was speeding (doing his job as it should be done). The trooper let him go; not even a ticket for speeding. The trooper destroyed a small amount of contraband.

And the trooper gave us a glimpse into the sad realities of being the fine line between law and chaos. No one wants to do it and the people who do it can't wait to retire.

This Trooper showed us the little voice in most of our heads that rarely comes out because of social norms and politeness. But the voice is totally harmless.

I can't think of a day when some dumb fuck didn't make my job a bit more frustrating and annoying by offering an opinion of what I should be doing or criticizing some aspect of my work. I am perpetually floored by the general stupidity of the public and the expectation that you can't tell people how goddam fucking stupid they are.

I said it too. Probably bad judgment. Who cares.

If we could only run a Democrat candidate for office (local, state, or maybe even president) who expressed their frustration with stupidity like this trooper did, maybe we could hope to beat the Trumps of this country. With our closeted politeness, were fucking ourselves over and over again.

Add this to the long, long list of reasons why pensions don't make sense and unions are too powerful. This guy's just running down the clock on retiring with an absurd annual income (probably based on a few years of well placed overtime), and at best he's going to have spent years being bad at his job. At worst, he'll do one or several things that will destroy the futures of the civilians he interacts with. And the state & local governments will keep going deeper and deeper into deficit.

Also... Quoting "A Few Good Men" in support of narcissistic overreach by gun-toting state agents who think they're above reproach is like belting "Born in the USA" because you think it's a song about how awesome America is.

Literally... the point is... the opposite. facepalm

Officer was out of line but so was the driver. What the heck was he thinking? I mean if I saw an officer tailing another car I would back off and let the officer do his job. If you think the officer is doing something dangerous/out of line then (maybe) video it from a safe distance. Or if the cop is really reckless call 911 to report the cop. But don't go after him.

MO - I don't think an officer should be compared to someone working in an Alzheimer's ward (but I agree with your point on A Few Good Men). The officer's job is to deal with knuckleheads all day, people doing stupid shlt, breaking laws and putting others at risk. Way different than dealing with Alzheimer's patients. My parents taught me if I ever get pulled over be calm, respectful, and do what they say. To this day, I still do that.

Officer definitely went too far. But he lost it because the driver was breaking his balls. The driver deserved a bit of a tongue lashing and I would much rather receive a tongue lashing and be let go without a ticket than deal with a friendly officer who gives me a $250 fine.

Between the over-the-top profanity, the officer actually did a good job explaining some things that he didn't have to: why he was tailing the other driver, why he was upset, why he was speeding, etc. "How am I going to catch a speeder if I'm not speeding?" (valid point)

The officer's comment about a heat-seeker turned out to be pretty accurate. This guy busts the cops balls, gets the cop to react, then posts it on youtube with the title, "State trooper threatens to throw me off of a bridge while in handcuffs"; as if he doesn't have anything to do with the cop being upset. Fits the officer's description of heat seeker.

Both guys could benefit by acting with a little more empathy.

posted by: comeonreally on May 19, 2020 11:04pm

Threefifths- Fire him?? Over this?? You're ridiculous.

posted by: comeonreally on May 19, 2020 10:45pm

The motorist was acting like a punk, butting in a situation that he has no business being a part of. These officers put their lives on the line everyday. He should have cuffed this guy and taught him a lesson. Those of you who are appalled by this officer's actions need to get a clue

I bet all you pro police people if this Troop made the same stop in New Canaan or Greenwich and the and the driver live there he would have not told that driver shut the Fuck Up.He needs to be fired.I would like to see this officers record.So what he open up his mouth.People who are drunk open up there mouth.So if you pro police folks back this troop.Then you pay the Lawsuit that will be coming.

Police Professionalism

Police Professionalism Police officers have a very reputable job, meaning they must be professional at all times. The job of a police officer is to protect and to serve the public. Since most of their time is spent in the public eye, they are expected to maintain professional behavior.

All these people defending him would be singing a different story if ANY other professional acted this way. You aren't defending the behavior, you're covering for the badge, and that's why we get police abuse, because they feel they can and should be able to get away with it. If McDonald's employees can do their job and suffer the abuse they get without acting this way, then we need to expect it out of people who carry guns. There's no room for temper tantrums.

At 27 seconds in he clearly put his hand on his gun. That is extremely threatening and changes the whole time of the stop. That is inappropriate, and inexcusable. This is one of the reasons that all Active law enforcement should always wear a body cam. There is no reason to threaten a driver who was speeding with a gun.

So they actually stop people for going 60 up there? If you're only doing 40 in the 40 mph zone it's like standing still. I will usually do 50 or 55 but most cars are passing me so I figured it was just accepted that everyone on the bridge is going to exceed the speed limit.

If only the state trooper and the driver had taken the time to smoke a joint together by the side of the road, this interaction would have been much more pleasant. ("Hey, man, sorry to interfere with you doing your job." "Don't worry about it, bro.")

Oh 3/5's and spare me a Serpico quote or link #peoplearesosensitive

This public servant acted in a totally disrespectful, potentially dangerous way. Exasperated or not, these guys get training to hold back personal feelings and stay calm. I dare say, if the driver of this car were a person of color I'm certain the end game would have been different.

Those of you supporting this guy just don't get it. He's carrying a gun with a legal right to use deadly force and he can barely contain himself in a verbal confrontation. No doubt he will keep his job and get a slap on the wrist and be put back on the road. He should be carrying a plastic gun.

Ethanjrt, if your job requires you to put on a bullet proof vest and to deal with society's problems, maybe you might have a leg to stand on when you talk about police pensions. Either your jealous or your not cut out to be a cop, if I'm wrong complete a police application and show us all how it's done!!!

Ethan, Mark — you missed it on my "A Few Good Men" quote. It was neither supportive or condoning of the Trooper's actions. (In the end, Jessup lost his sh*t completely, and was hauled off to jail.)

I do feel for those on the front lines, and I respect them for being out their for society's benefit. Spina's behavior was bad and unacceptable, and he should be held to account. But one should try to walk a mile or two in his shoes, before judging him too harshly.

@3/5's

Your anti-police sentiment is surprisingly not unexpected and if this were a video of this happening in Greenwich or New Cannan I would have loved to see the "blue bloods" get a tongue lashing like this, not saying it was professional, but at the end nothing happened, except a young entitled smart-ass got his ego destroyed. Your always posting hyperlinks for bad police behavior, anyone can produce anecdotal evidence, dare I say for any profession, but you seem to be a "heat-seeker" for police so it's pointless to debate you, you wear your bias on your sleeve.

I'm sure your response will be a cut and paste quote followed by some hyperlink of serpico or something like that.

@New Haven Artist

What planet are you on?!?! Your telling me you have never seen a video or read a story of a fast food employee lose their s&@t on a customer, please stop with that nonsense.

@manofthepeople

Threatening, please stop with the pearl clutching. The majority of police, not all, will place their hand on or near their service weapon during the early moments of an motor vehicle stop, it is the most dangerous type of enforcement, until they asses the person they are dealing with, assessing risk. It also gives them a slight tactical advantage in the event they do need to draw out. Just like the driver, who are you to judge how this Trooper conducts his stop or what tactics he has developed over his years of doing the job.

"S(he) without sin, cast the first stone." Putting on a uniform does not mean you stop being human. Was the trooper wrong? He absolutely was. Was he unprofessional for losing his cool and swearing? Yes. Did he violate his oath? NO. He is guilty of being grossly unprofessional and being human. Your feelings about this video will depend greatly on your biases and your own issues. As witnessed by the comment "ethanjrt" made: "Add this to the long, long list of reasons why pensions don't make sense and unions are too powerful. This guy's just running down the clock on retiring with an absurd annual income (probably based on a few years of well placed overtime), and at best he's going to have spent years being bad at his job."

@ ethanjrt: No one is the sum of their worst moment, not even you. You don't even know this trooper and you (anonymously) sit back and pass judgment on his career and his character. For every one video of bad police behavior, there are thousands of outstanding and heroic acts that go unnoticed or highlighted. Doctors and lawyers also take oaths and also have the power over peoples lives. However, when one of them makes a "mistake" or commits a crime, we never attack the entire profession. But we chomp at the bit to stomp the policing profession whenever a single officer misbehaves.
Police earn their pensions every day when they put on a vest and walk out of their homes to risk their lives by facing the unknown dangers and risks that await them. I assure you no pension in the world is worth that risk, no pension is worth the feeling of leaving your family everyday with the uncertainty of seeing them again. Yes, they sign up for that… but the compensation will never be commensurate.

If 3/5's was ever in a life threatening situation, he'd call the police immediately, they would save his life, and then he would find something to complain about.

In light of everything going on in the world, in this country, & in this city, I really wonder why this is a news story worthy of the New Haven Independent's interest & concern.
It seems sensational.
A policeman curses out a motorist who appears to annoy a state trooper doing his job. It appears the motorist interfered with police work.
The policeman was angry. He's on the highway with an apparent smart alec. The trooper used a string of profanity. He raised his voice. He explained the rationale for his actions after questioned by the motorist.
The state trooper is identified. Often accused criminals, arrested individuals are not named in the Independent, but here a law enforcement officer is named, held up to public exposure, judgment and ridicule, & now placed under investigation.
The intense anger & profane verbiage are troubling, but this officer should not be judged for one day's rant. If he has a record of complaints, that would be another story.
Does the motorist intend to file a complaint? Does he think he incited this officer in any way? Does the motorist have any remorse for this incident? Why did he submit the video to the NHI? Why did the NHI chose to publish it?
The motorist was not shot, physically assaulted, thrown to the ground, or arrested or ticketed for even speeding. His property was not seized. None of his civil rights were violated.
So why is this headline news? Because the state trooper yelled and cursed at a young man speeding on the highway and not minding his own business?
This guy got off easy!
Now some of us wonder if this whole affair would have been different if a black or Hispanic man with marijuana in his car was stopped on the highway after speeding, and made some sarcastic remarks to a state trooper?
Sometimes, even in Connecticut, people are treated differently by law enforcement. Sometimes, even in Connecticut, certain classes and races have privileges that others do not, that are recognized by police, courts & the penal system.

Here's the thing, guys. We all have to deal with smart alecks in our lines of work (heck, sometimes in parenting our kids). Losing it like that, with that level of aggression and profanity, is pretty rare. I bet none of the commenters defending the officer have ever lost it to that degree in their place of business. And again, the question is: do we hold police officers to a higher standard, or a lower one? I expect them to models of courtesy. My model is that they help old ladies cross the street, are kind to children, and are patient with motorists. The motorist here was not abusive, or even egregiously rude—he was a bit of a wiseass, but I deal with worse from my children all the time. Yes, being a police officer is stressful, but we give them guns and authority, and with that the expectation that they are pros at keeping their cool. In exchange, their unions negotiate for them good salaries, benefits, and a young retirement age—all of which make sense. But meanwhile, they have to be /better/ than the barista or Target clerk, not worse.

I don't think that trooper's behavior can be condoned, exactly, but I also don't think it's a capital crime or necessarily, on its own, justification for his firing. By Mr. Jette's own admission (it doesn't seem clear in the story but if you follow the YouTube link you can read his account in the video description) he was himself exceeding the speed limit by 50% when he flipped off a state trooper following another driver who he was apparently intending to pull over.

I've been on the receiving end of this kind (not to this extent) of asshole behavior by Connecticut state troopers and I don't like it, but I also don't like speeding drivers more concerned with giving people the finger for perceived slights than they are with operating their cars safely so I have mixed feelings. I think this calls for an Obama beer summit.

posted by: comeonreally on May 20, 2020 9:53am

If 3/5's was ever in a life threatening situation, he'd call the police immediately, they would save his life, and then he would find something to complain about.

There have been some other notable instances of Black people calling police for help and having it backfire fatally.So if I did call in a life threatening situation.I am taking a chance that it could backfire fatally on me or my Family.Like I said this cop would not have did this in New Canaan or Greenwich and if the driver live there he would have not told that driver shut the Fuck Up.

posted by: Trustme on May 20, 2020 8:38am

Oh 3/5's and spare me a Serpico quote or link #peoplearesosensitive

posted by: DMH464 on May 20, 2020 9:33am

@3/5's

I'm sure your response will be a cut and paste quote followed by some hyperlink of serpico or something like that.

It is not the link or quote of serpico.It is what he said by saying the police are still out of control from when he was a police officer.And that is true.Just look around the country.

My bad.Did you pro police Folks Know that a person can speak there mind to the police.Did you pro Police folks also know that you can give a officer the middle Finger.

A Raised Middle Finger Is Protected Free Speech, Appeals Court Rules

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/us/middle-finger-protected-speech.html

Spina noted that he's looking forward to retiring as a state trooper: "I got 14 months. I can't fucking wait to be done!:

They will drag this on until the end of the 14 months.And he will get a fat pension.I want to see his record.

my bad again.I miss the one.

Spina took him out of the car, handcuffed him, rifled through his belongings, and unleashed a torrent of profanity-laced invective.

So this good old cop had him in handcuffed.So pro police people.what was he Charge with?And why was he let go?Ask you self this pro police people.Why did this cop not call for back up?Like I said Lawsuit Time!!!

The driver shouldn't have flipped off the cop, sure, but the driver isn't an armed public servant. A police officer has a higher standard of conduct than any given member of the public.

The idea that the officer here "acted with restraint" is ludicrous. Sure, everyone with a public facing job has dealt with crap from assholes. But let's see if a Stop & Shop clerk or a bartender could go off on someone like this for any reason and end up with people defending them in the comments.

@3/5's

Police officers are well within their right to handcuff anyone while conducting their investigation. The snowflake was detained and released without arrest. While being detained he/she can be handcuffed. When you are detained you are not free to leave.

Why was he let go without charge you ask, because the Trooper does not have to charge him, that is also his discretion. He was released because he was not taken into custodial arrest.

How do you know that he didn't call for backup, your assuming he didn't, not to mention that the stop took no longer than 6 minutes so it's safe to say that might not have been enough time for a backup officer to arrive. Troopers conduct stops on a daily basis and they are normally alone during the stop unless the Trooper decides that f he needs cover. It's not like the city where officers are seconds away as opposed to miles away like Troopers.

Lawsuit, LOL, that's a joke. What are you going to sue him for, harsh language or being unprofessional??

As far as his pension, you really think he should lose it for telling this entitled millennial off, please stop, your embarrassing yourself

If you really want to know the what and why you should have became a cop.

@3/5's

Almost forgot:

Yes we all are well aware that the public at large can pretty say what they want to a police officer or record them without any recourse, but don't be surprised when you get the one officer that is not going to take that type s&@t and give it back.

The difference is police are expected to take it in stride and keep it moving. Snowflakes like this get their asses told off and want to cry a river because their feelings got hurt.

Truth be told, although it was unprofessional the kid had it coming

Wow, what an egregious use of deadly force. Oh, wait – he did not use any deadly force. Well, it was certainly an egregious use of force. Oh wait – he did not use any force at all. So what are we talking about here? Use extreme profanity.

Gee, why would a trooper lose his s**t like that over stopping a generally law-abiding citizen for doing 60 mph in a 40 mph zone? Do you suppose it might have something to do with this goof interfering with a police officer?

Perhaps this fine fellow has a record a mile long, and is well known to the police and pulls this nonsense all the time.

Let's see…

9/20/2010 – Disorderly Conduct – Guilty

1/4/2012 – Breach Of Peace 2nd Deg – Guilty

2/19/2014 – Threatening 2nd Deg – Guilty

8/30/2016 – Breach Of Peace 2nd Deg – Guilty

3/7/2019 – Breach Of Peace 2nd Deg – Guilty

Yes, the State Trooper lost his temper, and he obviously needs some therapy, because he's clearly struggling. And yes, it is completely unprofessional and dangerous for an officer of the law to lose control like that.
But the idiot who interferes with the officer trying to do his job, breaks the traffic laws and flipping the officer off, and mouthing off during the entire stop is WRONG!
First of all, don't flip anybody off, even if you don't agree with them, it just makes you a huge jerk. Second of all, don't interfere with an officer of the law performing their job, just safely videotape them if you think you see them doing something wrong and let your recording serve as evidence for when you file an official complaint to the appropriate authorities. Third of all, if you are stopped by an officer of the law, do not talk in any way other than polite, and only in response to the questions asked, and only non-incriminating info and in a non-hostile manner. Keep your hands extended out in full sight of the officer at all times. Don't do anything unless the officer asks you to. Stay quiet and stay still. Remember that this is a dangerous situation that could escalate, therefore you must do everything in your power to present yourself as a non-threatening person to the officer. All law officers want to get safely home to their families at the end of the day, as I'm sure most of the citizens they encounter also want to do so.

posted by: Enough Is Enough on May 20, 2020 2:15pm

Let's see…

9/20/2010 – Disorderly Conduct – Guilty

1/4/2012 – Breach Of Peace 2nd Deg – Guilty

2/19/2014 – Threatening 2nd Deg – Guilty

8/30/2016 – Breach Of Peace 2nd Deg – Guilty

3/7/2019 – Breach Of Peace 2nd Deg – Guilty

How about can we see the this officer record to see if he any complaints or pending investigations?

The first time I watched this I did not realize that this driver was the guy who gave the officer the middle finger. So if I'm understanding it correctly, the officer is tailing another car that he is about to pull over, and this guy speeds by the officer and gives him the middle finger? Who does that?!

M. Oppenheimer did you understand that as well? Your comment said, "The motorist here was not abusive, or even egregiously rude—he was a bit of a wiseass, but I deal with worse from my children all the time. " An officer is about to pull over another vehicle and this guys speeds by him (breaking law by speeding, interfering with whatever was going on with the other car, and giving middle finger to cop).. You don't see that as abusive, or even egregiously rude?

It actually makes me wonder if the guy was friends with the driver of the other car.. I mean it may have been brilliant.. one car driving with a load of drugs or guns with a second car observing. If the police try to pull over the car with the drugs/guns have the second car do something crazy to get the cops attention and pull him over. Purely speculation but why the heck does someone speed by a cop and flip him off while cop is about to pull over another motorist?

Enough is Enough- good work, that says it all.

3/5 - put that in your pipe and smoke it, instead of finding things to complain about behind your keyboard, go out and make a difference.

Most law-abiding citizens do not flip off state troopers or otherwise actively engage them while they are pursuing other motorists. The camera operator in this story is very bad guy with a lengthy police record. Watch that video a few times; that cop knew the guy had dope with him because he had dealt with him before.

We have all encountered that type of criminal before; they are the ones who are recklessly weaving in and out of traffic at high rates of speed. Ever see that nonsense and say "I wish there was a cop around right now?". Well guess what, that is that guy and this time there WAS a cop around.

Unlike so many who jump to conclusions, I am happy to wait for the results of the investigation. The smart money says that all we have here is an over-worked, stressed cop standing on the highway in the middle of a global pandemic dressing-down a miserable punk who deserved it.

posted by: DMH464 on May 20, 2020 12:54pm

@3/5's

Police officers are well within their right to handcuff anyone while conducting their investigation.

What investigation was this Troop doing? I look at the you tube again.The young did not not raise his voice.He followed the Trooper Orders.I will say it again.I never said I hate the police. I have a problem with police who abuse their power like this one did.I have family who are police officers.I send them a copy of this.They looked at the you tube and told me will this trooper be put in for a drug test?I think this troop should be put in for a drug test.They also told me why was no back up or a supervisor call to the scene? I will tell all you pro police people why.This troop is trying to cover his Ass.He was so Hype up.He did not see the Camera in the car.Speaking of Cameras. Look like this trooper is not wearing his body cam.If he is not wearing that Body Cam,Makes me wonder.

If you really want to know the what and why you should have became a cop.

I know already.I have have family retired from the force and some who are still active on the force.I had a uncle who was a police detective in harlem.He would take numbers money from the bookies.He was a POS.

My bad.Why you did not become a cop.You are a health care worker.You and the other Pro Police Folks sound like back in the day a police buff.

Did all you pro police folks grow up watching these police shows.

Adam-12

https://youtu.be/AkTSAGEqJt0

Dragnet 1967

https://youtu.be/nx5GwULPU90

Kojak:

https://youtu.be/P_e6_j5YSeE

Hawaii Five-O

https://youtu.be/CpxJsy8nfjA


Barney Miller

https://youtu.be/_-VXWf3-qec

posted by: comeonreally on May 20, 2020 2:56pm

Enough is Enough- good work, that says it all.

3/5 - put that in your pipe and smoke it, instead of finding things to complain about behind your keyboard, go out and make a difference.

What I write on my key board is Constructive criticism.And how do you Know that I am not already out there?

Before I comment I should be clear about a couple things. First, the operator of the vehicle provoked this entire incident purposefully. The position of the camera and the flagrant baiting of the trooper make that fact very obvious. Second, the trooper took the bait and totally lost his temper. There are no excuses for such terrible deportment on behalf of a public servant. And even though the actions of the operator were trifling and petty, they were legal and within his right as a citizen (with the possible exception of interfering with an investigation, but that's a stretch). My comment is not about the incident, but rather about the trooper. I know Matt Spina for many years.

Lieutenant Kaffee to Lance Corporal Dawson as he leaves he courtroom: "Harold, you don't need to wear a patch on your arm to have honor."

Spina is an honorable guy who got pissed and lost his temper. Let's be honest with each other and leave it there.

@3/5's

What investigation was the Trooper doing?!?! Well he was attempting to stop a vehicle when the snowflake started speeding to catch up to the Trooper, so he was conducting a M/V stop/investigation for speeding. After he stopped the vehicle the snowflake was found to have prescription, not confirmed by the Trooper, marijuana not in its original container, which is also illegal, that's an additional investigation. I think that's enough.

I sure your uncle feels the same about you, now I see why you hate cops, because you come from a family of them, such a shame.

As far as my work history, you are correct I am a health care worker, presently. Not that I have to justify my opinions to you with regard to this post but since you brought it up, prior to my current employment I served as a police officer for a major CT city for 21 years, so yeah I'm a police buff.

Unlike yourself I can speak from experience, you on the other hand can only use outdated hyperlinks and stories from crooked family cops.

It all make sense now, your the actual wanna be cop buff that never made it so now you hate all police.

Hard for me to understand how anyone is defending this cop. So much for "protect and serve". His behavior is wildly out of line. He can't wait to be done being a cop? Fire him now, put him out of his misery.

Reminds me a bit of Smokey and the Bandit. Bandit sees that his partner with trailer full of contraband is about to be pulled over, speeds by and flips off the officer. Officer flips out, abandons pursuit of his original target, and goes off on the guy who flipped him off while the guy with contraband drives on.

I am NOT saying that Jette had anything to do with the driver who was being followed, or that the driver being followed was doing anything wrong. But it does show how easy it would be to distract Spina in such a situation.

My Word of the Day is deportment:

de·port·ment /dəˈpôrtmənt/ (noun) - a person's behavior or manners.

Brought to you by JohnDVelleca and the NHI Comment Section, expanding vocabularies since 2005.

If the state authorized automated traffic enforcement, we could penalize reckless driving without creating tense interactions or encouraging cops to speed.

posted by: JohnDVelleca on May 20, 2020 4:35pm

Before I comment I should be clear about a couple things. First, the operator of the vehicle provoked this entire incident purposefully. The position of the camera and the flagrant baiting of the trooper make that fact very obvious.

People who protest some time will provoke a incident.But are not the police train to handle that?


Matt is a very decent guy who comes from a family that is dedicated to public service. Matt's father was a very well-liked New Haven cop for many years. Matt is also a veteran who at one point left his family (a wife who was a nurse and a young child) to go fight for our country and the very freedom that allowed this person to drive around and provoke and antagonize public servants.

See this is that Blue wall of Bias.Looking at the You tube.The trooper was the one getting Loud.


I heard when you was on the force.You used roll Like Popeye Dole

https://youtu.be/nP_7ZopT6oM

@ DMH464 After he stopped the vehicle the snowflake was found to have prescription, not confirmed by the Trooper, marijuana not in its original container, which is also illegal, that's an additional investigation. I think that's enough.

Why was a arrest not Made if it was illegal?

I sure your uncle feels the same about you, now I see why you hate cops, because you come from a family of them, such a shame.

Again I do not hate Cops.I have a problem with cops who who abuse their power like this one did.You said you was a cop for a major CT city for 21 years. I if you was working with cops like my uncle who was on the take.Would you have turn them In?Let me tell to in the 70's you had drug king pins like Nickey Barnes Frank Lucas who was paying off the cops big time.In fact you should have seen my uncle house in long Island.

Unlike yourself I can speak from experience, you on the other hand can only use outdated hyperlinks and stories from crooked family cops.

And Unlike yourself I can speak from experience and I witnessing the police pay off as I grow up in the hood.As far as outdated hyperlinks you need to look at the dates.As I said the poilce are still out of control.

It all make sense now, your the actual wanna be cop buff that never made it so now you hate all police.

LOL!!!!!!

two words...

'roid rage

this trooper needs to get off the juice...this is precisely the behavior it drives. working with an attitude like this is a recipe for disaster.

if you meekly chalk this behavior up to 'he was having a bad day', well, he's a state employee, he should've taken the day off. if you blame it on the punk, this is exactly why the cop takes mandatory courses on de-escalalation, generational & cultural differences, and keeping rational thought during irrational situations.

he's not paying attention.

@3/5's

@3/5's

Why was the arrest not made, that's easy, because he doesn't have to, it's called discretion.

Frank Lucas, Nicky Barnes and Serpico?!?! Dude you seem lost in time. You need to stop worrying about police and get Doc Brown to help you out.

Everyone on this comment section can see your obvious hate and bias toward police, you even hate your own uncle because he was a cop.

To answer your question, if I would turn in a dirty cop, my answer is yes I would. I have no loyalty to cops who tarnish the shield, because I held my position in high regard. The issue is I never had to because the officers that I personally worked with were good and honest.

You have no policing experience, full stop, and just because you had a dirty cop in your family gives you no perspective on the application of law while in performance of duty. Your experience is relegated to having a shi$&y family member.

I love people like 3/5 who sit from their ivory tower and judge and criticize everything and everyone. These are the people who instead of trying to make a difference, snap the neck of the people who do make a difference when they have a lapse of judgment. No one is perfect, We have bigger problems to worry about.

posted by: DMH464 on May 20, 2020 9:37pm

@3/5's

Why was the arrest not made, that's easy, because he doesn't have to, it's called discretion.

No it was cover his ASS,

Frank Lucas, Nicky Barnes and Serpico?!?! Dude you seem lost in time. You need to stop worrying about police and get Doc Brown to help you out.

Not lost in time.Time has not change.So of them are still getting the pay off.it is you who seems to Harp on Serpico.In fact you seem to hate Serpico.Are you saying that what Serpico saw was a lie?Did you read the The Knapp Commission report?You do know what the The Knapp Commission report was.

The Knapp Commission was a committee of five citizens established and impanelled by then-New York City Mayor John Lindsay in 1972 that endeavored to investigate corrupt activities of police officers, detectives, and supervisors working in the New York Police Department (NYPD).Sounds to me you may have beed down with the crew

Virtually all of the corruption we uncovered, however, involved groups of officers -- called "crews" that protect and assist each other's criminal activities. This was accomplished in a variety of ways, including: identifying drug sites; planning raids; forcibly entering and looting drug trafficking locations, and sharing proceeds according to regular and agreed-upon principles. These crews vary in closeness, purpose and size. In the 30th Precinct, a large group of cops worked in quasi-independent groups of three to five officers, each protecting and assisting the other's criminal activities. In the 73d Precinct, a tightly knit group of 8 to 10 officers who worked together on steady tours of duty, routinely conducted unlawful raids on drug locations while on duty Sometimes most of the squad, 10 to 12 officers, would attend clandestine meetings in desolate locations in the precincts -- like one known as "the morgue," an abandoned coffin factory -- to drink, avoid patrol duties and plan future raids.

Part One

Part Two.

if I would turn in a dirty cop, my answer is yes I would.

Then you would be like Serpico Right?

You have no policing experience,

I do not need policing experience to see with my own eyes and read about cops who abuse their power like this one.

posted by: comeonreally on May 20, 2020 9:53pm

I love people like 3/5 who sit from their ivory tower and judge and criticize everything and everyone. These are the people who instead of trying to make a difference, snap the neck of the people who do make a difference when they have a lapse of judgment. No one is perfect, We have bigger problems to worry about.

Do not live in a Ivory Tower.Ask the people in Communities of Color when it comes to police who abuse there power is it a lapse of judgment on these cops part. You say,No one is perfect, We have bigger problems to worry about.Well police who abuse there power is a big problem in Communities of Color.In fact when people of color walk out there door they have to worry.Do you?

@3/5's

Shocking news from 3/5's, another reference from the 70's NYPD archives, the Knapp Commission, LOL. My dude your stuck in a time loop. Glad to see see your still using old hyperlink news from 50 years ago.

If he were going to cover his ass he would have made the arrest, but he let the kid go. I guess he should have made the arrest so then you could complain about him locking him up for minor drug offenses and if it were in a "lighter" part of CT none of that would happen, sound about right there 3/5's??? Kinda sounds like your sisal BS anti-police rhetoric.

I'm sorry you didn't make the academy cut but that's not the fault of all police in the US.

"Kinda sounds like your sisal BS anti-police rhetoric."

Why are you defending someone both abusive and unprofessional? It's not "anti police" to insist on work place standards, especially when that someone carries a gun, works with the public, and clearly can't keep their calm. The kid did minimal wrong. What's this guy going to do in an actual stressful situation?

The trooper did carry on for a little too long but big deal. His target was an ahold who was acting badly as well.

A couple of GFY,s would have sufficed but let's not move to execute the trooper or have him fired.

In theses situations Employee Assistance is appropriate. Maybe a little counseling Jan a written reprimand. That's it and what is appropriate.

.for the critics imagine yourselves being hounded by an asshole at your workplace. And remember this.

"While we sleep safely in our beds, rough men and women hit the streets to bring fear on those who would do us harm" (paraphrasing a bit here). Police work is a tough job. Try it before you are too critical
.

And lastly police are human. Ain't that strange for some to comprehend.

"And lastly police are human. Ain't that strange for some to comprehend."

Yeah, we're all human. We ALL deal with bullshit, and most of us keep our shit together. We know why this officer lost his shit. We see it in police video after police video. He didn't like his methods or authority questioned. I used to work closely with the police, and I saw that attitude a lot. It's not all officers. Many are amazing. But a few should not have this job. It's either too much for them, or their personality craves that authority so much they think the public has no right to question them.

@New Haven Artist

If you bothered to read my other posts you would see that I said his behavior was unprofessional, clearly, but let's not make this bigger than what the incident was, a Troooer telling off a snowflake that clearly had it coming. That child had no right to flip off the Trooper that was trying to catch up to a speeder and then have the audacity to question what he was doing, are you out of your mind??

Does he deserve to be reprimanded, absolutely, but fired, hell no. What will this Trooper do in a stressful situation, what he has always done through his career, his job.

99-1 does not equal 0

3/5ths have you never yelled? How about at the perfect human beings you raised? Reality he lost his temper (he wouldnt be human if he never did) but in the bigger picture you look at him as CYA for not arresting or giving a ticket to the BRAT maybe he too realized he yelled A LOT he didnt knowhe was filmed but felt that was lesson enough. Not every cop is trying to hurt someone. Some just do their job and leave in one piece. Yes this man like EVERY other person near retirement counts it down. You protest very loudly about your PD relatives much like those who scream they have friends of color so they couldn't possible be racist. Reality check you have very deep routed issues with law enforcement. Their job is HARD, hard as HE!! because many have preconceived ideas and fairy tails of how they should be. They shouldn't ever get angry they shouldn't ever yell ,they should ever be afraid, they shouldn't ever make a mistake.. well here is the reality of it they are HUMAN beings and for the most part they are good people with a desire to do good. You have zero empathy or compassion for anyone other than those who are perfect so your circle of friends must be relatively small because there aren't any other perfect people other than you and the people in your mind. He was wrong. You, me, nor the next person knows what other jobs he encountered during the course of that given day but his record is very clear..he has given of himself heroically during his career including at SANDY HOOK! He has received commendations from organizations for his humanity and decency. If you have never been anything other than perfect keep spewing other wise look in the mirror and say ok and keep it moving.

He doesn't seem like a bad cop but this looks like burnout to me. I hope he doesn't get fired but gets some mental health help from the department.

For those of you siding with officer Spina. I pray you don't experience this officer first hand or your opinion would drastically change. I myself dealt with this loose cannon 7 years ago. He illegally ticketed me IN MY DRIVEWAY 700$ with no proof I was even the driver. A few years ago TFC Spina Staked out my mothers address at 1AM after claiming I was speeding 6 towns from home on I-95. He questioned my mother on my whereabouts while I didnt even live at that addess. Demanded she finds me and has me report to him immediately. He told my mother I'm going to jail for reckless driving. He managed to get me on the phone and told me to "get my fking @$s to my mothers house." I lived at my fathers and he told me you better be driving the car I saw don't get dropped off. KEEP IN MIND I WAS NEVER PULLED OVER, NO LIGHTS. NO STOP. The reason mr. Spina lost his mind ON ME AS WELL was because I had exited the highway and he was unable to get behind me before passing the exit. Remember. I had no idea I was about to be stopped. He was unmarked. Proceeded to write me a 699$ 3 ticket offense. Sent me to drivers retraining. And told me. Youre a fking punk that needs his @$s kicked. Dont even think about joining the military you wont make it. And dont bother trying to fight this in court, I'll bury you.

He stopped a co worker of mine while I was with him. Screamed at us on the top of his lungs for 20 minutes. Wrote my friend a 599$ ticket.

Ive been stopped by police over 15 times, not proud of it. Never been arrested. However TFC Spina is the only officers name I never forgot.

To The artist

Yes we are all human. However police work is unlike any other job. Period. Police officers get to see society at its worst much of the time. Relentless crime nails, violent predators on the street, victims of all types of crimes and the daily citizen who acts like an ahole. Shocking I know.

Trooper Spina lost his cool, never a good look for anyone. He might need a little help with stress but that's it.

@ 3/5's - you can't fight discrimination with discrimination

Those who think he handled this poorly: What should the Trooper have done?

-Let him go consequence free?
-Financially burdens him with excessive fines?
-Bring him to jail in the middle of a pandemic?

The kid messed up and that needed to be made clear to him. The Trooper may have taken it too far, but at the end of the day I'd rather be sworn at than than be politely arrested. The trauma caused by incarceration, the financial impact (especially now) of fines/lawyer fees, potential implications an arrest has on job status/prospects, those hurt a lot more than some words.

He said he was 14 months to retirement and the department has 850 troopers employed out of a force that is supposed to have 1,350 because the public are such assholes. (The cops says "that tells you something", and I guess it does). Let's review. He sped past a statey who had a trucker in his sights, on the right, 20 mph over, on a bridge, while vigorously flipping him off. . . out the window. He claims not to know it was a cop (guess he didn't notice the lightbar and the blacked-out windows). Okay. Now the lights come on and John Q. Stoner comes to understand he's just whizzed by and flipped-off an honest-to-god-Smokey-The-Bear-CT-State-Police Trooper who believes Mr. Stoner was blatantly disrespecting and potentially endangering him. What would be your play in this situation? Sorry dude I thought I was flipping off a tailgater? But noooo. This guy lights up his video camera and goes with self righteous wise-guy as his opening gambit. He deserves a Darwin Award. Instead he got full-on road rage from a sworn officer. This is crazy bad for a 20-year officer. But you can hear the cop's frustration with 20 years of serving and protecting this kind of "heat-seeking" asshole. Minus all the colorful threats, he educated the guy, stomped on his stash and let him go without a written warning. He will go on leave, see his doctor, get some time off, counseling and stress meds and retire a year early. He'll suffer something like a 3 or 4% reduction in benefits which is a substantial penalty over the next 20 years. He'd make a great drill sergeant. He probably was one. The motorist is probably planning a civil rights action and shopping the tape.

YES LOL, I called it..... 3/5's used a reference of Serpico for this haha #predictable

Video is the best thing to have ever happened to cops.

[quote]
For every one video of bad police behavior, there are thousands of outstanding and heroic acts that go unnoticed or highlighted.
[quote]

[b] Thousands [/b] of "heroic" acts that go unnoticed for every [b] one [/b] "bad" (not just egregiously inhumane) act? Please. I have a lot of respect for police officers -- and by that I mean good police officers, who are in it for the right reasons and handle themselves with professionalism and empathy. If you start drooling every time you see a gun and a badge, though, odds are you A) don't have any idea what's happening outside of your little enclave of immense privilege, and/or B) are off-the-deep-end authoritarian.

Let's face it: The police abuse that makes the news -- or doesn't, if you're watching Fox News or similar -- has to be 1) caught on tape, 2) leaked or released to the public, and 3) fall on a slow enough news cycle or long enough after the last similar offense for the public to have the interest/energy to care. Now I'm just speculating here, but I'm willing to bet a good chunk of change that there are thousands of "bad" acts that [i] don't [/i] make the news.

Here's your latest: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-police-george-floyd-died-officer-kneeling-neck-arrest/

Ok Trooper Spina went a little overboard.

He yelled at an asshole who baited him and interfered with his duties as a trooper.

The video didn't look good but he's paying the price. As for the CSP doing a through investigation that a pile of bull. Just look at the video, tell Trooper Spina to get some counseling and leave it at that.

To all of the critics of policing and on this site there are many try to go to work and have some imbecile shadowing your every move, being critical, asking you why you are doing this or that. See how you like it. The individual that Trooper Spina was in contact with is a serial jackass who seems to think its ok to do what he did. Its not.

As for the individual who is critical about John Develleca, stuff it. That police officer did more for New Haven than most and was always a standup guy and police officer for the officers and the community.

Have a nice day.

As for the individual who