Former police officer charged over deadly San Antonio crash

[CAL]

Link (http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Former-police-officer-charged-over-deadly-San/_H7lsilbSk6tQz1n1mJAXw.cspx)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A former San Antonio police officer has been indicted for manslaughter and aggravated assault in the traffic death of a colleague last year.

David Seaton faces up to life in prison if convicted on either felony. The 44-year-old had planned to plead "no contest" but rescinded the agreement last month.

Seaton was allegedly driving his patrol car more than 100 mph without his flashing emergency lights on while responding to a low-level shoplifting call in November 2008. He struck Officer Robert Davis, who was working an unrelated traffic accident at the time. Davis later died of his injuries.

Another motorist was seriously injured in the crash.

[DD78]

Let this be a lesson to all of you who are brandy new on the job and want to get on. A reminder to you veterans.

Nothing gets a cop...especially a new cop...in trouble like driving does. Most calls don't require you to drive 100 mph with your hair on fire.

Shoplifting sure doesn't qualify. Your personal safety aside, you can't help anyone on the scene if you don't get there safely. Excessive speed really doesn't improve your response time by more than a minute or two anyhow.

Is someone's life worth a minute in a situation where lives aren't in danger to begin with? And for the love of GOD if you get into an accident while responding at high speed your ass BETTER have your lights and sirens going!

[Feet]

We lose more folks at my dept each year from traffic related deaths than from shootings. Drive smart.
I used to haul ass to many of my calls when authorized. Now I have seen the error of my ways and I worry more about my safety and that of motorists than me getting there 17 seconds faster by speeding.

[DD78]

We lose more folks at my dept each year from traffic related deaths than from shootings. Drive smart.
I used to haul ass to many of my calls when authorized. Now I have seen the error of my ways and I worry more about my safety and that of motorists than me getting there 17 seconds faster by speeding.

When I was brand new I used to drive like a maniac to just about everything.

Now I have a new personal policy. I'll only drive like that to a call where it is clear that someone will die or get seriously injured or if another officer is calling for assistance. I'll got code 3 to many other things, but a smarter, more reserved code 3 than when I first got hired.

[Feet]

When I was brand new I used to drive like a maniac to just about everything.

Now I have a new personal policy. I'll only drive like that to a call where it is clear that someone will die or get seriously injured or if another officer is calling for assistance. I'll got code 3 to many other things, but a smarter, more reserved code 3 than when I first got hired.

Affirmative. Code 3 (lights and sirens) looks cool and is fun but causing a crash for something stupid is a shame. I usually do the same thing, no code unless it is life or death.
The 15 year old female runaway on a Friday night is not a reason to run code 3.:thdn:

[DD78]

The 15 year old female runaway on a Friday night is not a reason to run code 3.:thdn:

Hell no.

That's a "I'll handle that as soon as I finish my dinner" :word:

[Broke Hoss]

I used to take my rooks out on a dirt road & let em sit there with the bubbles & siren blaring for about 5 minutes. Then we'd drive back toward town with em still going. I'd explain that about all they're good for is giving you a headache & scaring the animals; but you better have em on if you're busting the speed limit or lights & hit something/someone.

An argument I've always had with our SOP is our version of "code 2". It talks about just using the lights when busting intersections after a complete stop and then turning them back off. I've always said that if it's hot enough call to bust a traffic signal isn't it urgent enough to just leave them on? Besides, you don't need to be distracted by reaching down & turning things on/off all the time. You need to be watching traffic.

[DD78]

I used to take my rooks out on a dirt road & let em sit there with the bubbles & siren blaring for about 5 minutes. Then we'd drive back toward town with em still going. I'd explain that about all they're good for is giving you a headache & scaring the animals; but you better have em on if you're busting the speed limit or lights & hit something/someone.

An argument I've always had with our SOP is our version of "code 2". It talks about just using the lights when busting intersections after a complete stop and then turning them back off. I've always said that if it's hot enough call to bust a traffic signal isn't it urgent enough to just leave them on? Besides, you don't need to be distracted by reaching down & turning things on/off all the time. You need to be watching traffic.

I rarely use "code 2". Usually it's only when I'm trying to sneaky and fast. Like within a couple miles of an alarm. Still, it's very rare.

I, and I assume you, rarely drive two handed in a response. Sometimes, but not often. You're often reaching for the radio, changing the siren tone, etc. I can do it without looking and quickly.

[Broke Hoss]

It's getting better, different cars are set up different. :cookoo: Different locations & equipment. So, you reach for the lightbar switch & you might grab the radio volume. Even the mic's are in diffent locations & pull from the clip in different directions. They're finally getting pretty uniform in the locations and type of light/siren box.

My last chase they chastised me for taking so long to get my siren turned on but laughed caused they could hear me cussing on the tape. I explained that I was mad cause I couldn't find the damned knob, and I didn't wanna look cause we were in a residential neighborhood. While handling radio traffic

[DD78]

It's getting better, different cars are set up different. :cookoo: Different locations & equipment. So, you reach for the lightbar switch & you might grab the radio volume. Even the mic's are in diffent locations & pull from the clip in different directions. They're finally getting pretty uniform in the locations and type of light/siren box.

My last chase they chastised me for taking so long to get my siren turned on but laughed caused they could hear me cussing on the tape. I explained that I was mad cause I couldn't find the damned knob, and I didn't wanna look cause we were in a residential neighborhood. While handling radio traffic

Not something I had thought of.

Our cars are all uniform.

[Feet]

It's getting better, different cars are set up different. :cookoo: Different locations & equipment. So, you reach for the lightbar switch & you might grab the radio volume. Even the mic's are in diffent locations & pull from the clip in different directions. They're finally getting pretty uniform in the locations and type of light/siren box.

My last chase they chastised me for taking so long to get my siren turned on but laughed caused they could hear me cussing on the tape. I explained that I was mad cause I couldn't find the damned knob, and I didn't wanna look cause we were in a residential neighborhood. While handling radio traffic

Same here. We have 2 different style controls and cars so if you try to reach over and snap teh lights on, you will not find it. The sirens on the new cars are a button. They are a button on a panel with 20 other buttons!
Its regoddamndiculous trying to find your siren as you are chasing someone.:handface:

[DD78]

Same here. We have 2 different style controls and cars so if you try to reach over and snap teh lights on, you will not find it. The sirens on the new cars are a button. They are a button on a panel with 20 other buttons!
Its regoddamndiculous trying to find your siren as you are chasing someone.:handface:

It's probably the same style panel as mine. You flip a switch and then starting third switch from the left in the second row you have...

wail, yelp, priority, manual (so you can make that "whoop whoop" noise), and the air horn.

Once you're used to it you could do it blindfolded. The key is to keep your thumb on the lightswitch to give yourself a point of reference.