An off-duty detective who was caught on camera pointing a gun at a local motorcyclist before identifying himself as law enforcement during a traffic stop in August could face 10 days of suspension as a penalty, according to the findings and recommendation of the King County Sheriff's Office internal investigations unit.
The motorcyclist, Alex Randall, had been wearing a GoPro on his helmet and uploaded video of the encounter to YouTube two weeks later. Rowe said he had stopped Randall for driving recklessly—a claim Randall disputes—but Randall was never issued a citation. Detective Richard Rowe's behavior drew swift criticism from King County Sheriff John Urquhart, who said he was "deeply disturbed with the conduct and tactics" he observed and placed Rowe on administrative leave.
Detective Rowe is still employed by the Sheriff's Office, but he now faces something called a "Loudermill" hearing with the new Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht, which will determine whether he stays or goes.
Prior to Rowe's confrontation with Randall, the detective had racked up three previous complaints of road rage-related behavior. Two of them were classified as minor performance or policy violations and received the attention of supervisors, while the other was classified as a non-investigatory matter. In August, King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight director Deborah Jacobs told The Stranger that she had concerns about the department's complaint classification system, and had hired an outside consultant to review department practices.
Investigators sustained the courtesy, conduct, and identification complaints against Rowe. Their report also concluded that the detective had not used unnecessary or excessive force.
Randall, the motorcyclist, called this finding "absolutely ludicrous" in another video he uploaded to YouTube.
"It's force," he said. "I can't run. I can't make a small movement, even, because we've all seen what happens what people do that."
In the report, Major Noel Fryberger said he didn't sustain the excessive force complaint "because no actual physical force was used."
"Understandably," Fryberger added, "Randall felt that having a weapon pointed at him constituted force." Fryberger also added in another part of the report that, contrary to Rowe's claim that he had his firearm at the "low-ready" position and not pointed at Randall, it appeared in the video that Rowe was "purposely pointing his weapon in Randall's and passing motorists' direction."
Pulling a gun without provocation is not unnecessary or excessive force?
A 10-day suspension is ludicrous, especially with three pprevious compliants associated with road rage.
I've ordered dash cams for the cars, and a GoPro and mount for my motorcycle helmet.
Had it not been for Mr. Randall's video of the event, I am certain nothing would have happened.
Nice is overrated
"It's every freedom-loving individual's duty to lie to the government." Airsoftguy, June 29, 2018
January 18, 2018, 03:46 PM
Balzé Halzé
Only a ten days suspension? Ludicrous is right.
And yes, we did have a discussion on this incident quite a few months back. However, this is the first I've heard of the actual outcome. Didn't use excessive force? Pretty ridiculous in my opinion.
~Alan Acta Non Verba NRA Life Member (Patron) God, Family, Guns, Country
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January 18, 2018, 03:53 PM
12131
Only a matter of time before this jerk shoots and possibly kills somebody, and more than likely will not pay for his crime.
Q
January 18, 2018, 03:59 PM
rusbro
No excuse for the deputy's actions, but if the rider was doing 100 MPH as he claimed, fuck them BOTH.
January 18, 2018, 03:59 PM
Oat_Action_Man
I thought drawing a firearm was actually one of the steps on a use of force continuum in most departments...so shouldn't it be "force" in and of itself?
I ask that purely from a procedural standpoint, because, philosophically, yes, pointing a firearm at someone is most certainly "force".
----------------------------
Chuck Norris put the laughter in "manslaughter"
Educating the youth of America, one declension at a time.
January 18, 2018, 04:08 PM
limblessbiff
I hope he sues that cops and the departments pants off. What he did was not ok at all and their covering for him makes them just as guilty
January 18, 2018, 04:10 PM
radioman
Oh, so the motorcycle rider isn't showing the video of himself going 100+ MPH?
Why not? What's he hiding.
The cop is welcome in my neighborhood anytime, but the kid, not so much.
.
January 18, 2018, 04:24 PM
darthfuster
I don't have enough info to make a sound judgment beyond stating that if punishment is warranted, a 10 day suspension is a pretty nice vacation. I could use one of those right about now.
You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
January 18, 2018, 04:24 PM
Ryanp225
What would I be charged with if I were to have done the same damned thing? Fucking prison and my right to own a firearm would be gone, that's what. Why does this POS get to remain a free man?
January 18, 2018, 04:25 PM
Ryanp225
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Oh, so the motorcycle rider isn't showing the video of himself going 100+ MPH?
Why not? What's he hiding.
The cop is welcome in my neighborhood anytime, but the kid, not so much.
So if you were doing something I disagreed with you'd be OK if i pointed a loaded pistol at you? Get the F outta here.
January 18, 2018, 04:30 PM
flashguy
IMO, pointing a pistol at someone is "force" by any definition.
flashguy
Texan by choice, not accident of birth
January 18, 2018, 04:35 PM
12131
quote:
Originally posted by Ryanp225:
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Oh, so the motorcycle rider isn't showing the video of himself going 100+ MPH?
Why not? What's he hiding.
The cop is welcome in my neighborhood anytime, but the kid, not so much.
So if you were doing something I disagreed with you'd be OK if i pointed a loaded pistol at you? Get the F outta here.
radioman will welcome that jerk into his neighborhood. And then, one day, he gets the gun pointed at him for spitting on the sidewalk.
Q
January 18, 2018, 04:36 PM
Elk Hunter
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Oh, so the motorcycle rider isn't showing the video of himself going 100+ MPH?
Why not? What's he hiding.
The cop is welcome in my neighborhood anytime, but the kid, not so much.
Well, from what I saw, it is unlikely that the rider was doing anywhere close to 100 MPH in all that traffic. And, if so, how did that cop actually catch him?
That cop is/was as wrong as 3 left feet. Power hungry asshole as evidenced by other complaints about him. And, yes, the 10 day suspension is a farce.
But then, it is King County WA.
My brother is a retired cop from western Idaho, and had frequent dealings with a number of WA state and local cops. He had great things to say about the state cops, nothing good to say about the county mounties.
He worked with them for some time when that volcano (Mt. St. Helens) erupted.
Elk
There has never been an occasion where a people gave up their weapons in the interest of peace that didn't end in their massacre. (Louis L'Amour)
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FBHO!!!
The Idaho Elk Hunter
January 18, 2018, 04:53 PM
Sig2340
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Oh, so the motorcycle rider isn't showing the video of himself going 100+ MPH?
Why not? What's he hiding.
The cop is welcome in my neighborhood anytime, but the kid, not so much.
Why isn't the cop providing evidence the guy was doing 100 mph?
If the motorcyclist was doing 100 mph, he could have secured the camera at the scene, waited for a uniformed unit to show, had that officer take possession, then obtained a warrant to search it for evidence the motorcyclist doing 100 mph.
He didn't.
The internal investigation could have done that too.
They didn't.
Since there are verifiable mistruths by the detective, I think his credibility is zero.
Nice is overrated
"It's every freedom-loving individual's duty to lie to the government." Airsoftguy, June 29, 2018
January 18, 2018, 04:55 PM
radioman
Again, I ask.... Where the heck is the video of what occurred 3 minutes before the encounter.
Why is that video not at least available for our viewing?
I just don't feel like I'm getting to see the whole story here.
Something triggered the cop -- what was it? Why is there not video of it?
.
January 18, 2018, 05:03 PM
kimber1911
quote:
Originally posted by Sig2340:
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Oh, so the motorcycle rider isn't showing the video of himself going 100+ MPH?
Why not? What's he hiding.
The cop is welcome in my neighborhood anytime, but the kid, not so much.
Why isn't the cop providing evidence the guy was doing 100 mph?
If the motorcyclist was doing 100 mph, he could have secured the camera at the scene, waited for a uniformed unit to show, had that officer take possession, then obtained a warrant to search it for evidence the motorcyclist doing 100 mph.
He didn't.
The internal investigation could have done that too.
They didn't.
Since there are verifiable mistruths by the detective, I think his credibility is zero.
Well said. That officer is a danger to the public and should clearly not be allowed to carry a gun under color of the law.
“We’re in a situation where we have put together, and you guys did it for our administration…President Obama’s administration before this. We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics,” Pres. Select, Joe Biden
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January 18, 2018, 05:07 PM
HRK
quote:
Again, I ask.... Where the heck is the video of what occurred 3 minutes before the encounter.
Why is that video not at least available for our viewing?
I just don't feel like I'm getting to see the whole story here.
Something triggered the cop -- what was it? Why is there not video of it?
Most likely the rider has deleted it, and because it incriminates him for speeding he's not going to publish it.
My thoughts are so what about the speeding, show that all he was doing was ignoring the speed limit, that can't be an offense of such a high nature that warrants the officer from acting like an asshole with a badge and gun to do what this guy did for what, wreckless driving or speeding.
IMHO the cop was trying to scare the rider, pissed off, be a bad ass, intimidate, all the things no officer should ever do, pulling up, lights on and telling the guy to shut it off, push it to the side and writing the guy up was the proper thing, not to go all Billy bad ass.
Unless that guy riding the bike hit someone, wrecked and left the scene, or was fleeing a felony stop, committed a robbery, the actions of the officer were out of line.
January 18, 2018, 05:07 PM
Ryanp225
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Again, I ask.... Where the heck is the video of what occurred 3 minutes before the encounter.
Why is that video not at least available for our viewing?
I just don't feel like I'm getting to see the whole story here.
Something triggered the cop -- what was it? Why is there not video of it?
If the kid was doing 300 mph it wouldn't make that a lick of difference. The "cop" was in the wrong.
January 18, 2018, 05:08 PM
Sig2340
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Again, I ask.... Where the heck is the video of what occurred 3 minutes before the encounter.
Why is that video not at least available for our viewing?
I just don't feel like I'm getting to see the whole story here.
Something triggered the cop -- what was it? Why is there not video of it?
Here is a clue.
There isn't any evidence of what happened "3 minutes before."
The cop didn't take it at the scene. The internal investigators didn't secure it.
If the motorcyclist uploaded it, would you believe it?
Nice is overrated
"It's every freedom-loving individual's duty to lie to the government." Airsoftguy, June 29, 2018
January 18, 2018, 05:14 PM
nukeandpave
quote:
Originally posted by radioman: Again, I ask.... Where the heck is the video of what occurred 3 minutes before the encounter.
Why is that video not at least available for our viewing?
I just don't feel like I'm getting to see the whole story here.
Something triggered the cop -- what was it? Why is there not video of it?
What triggered the asshole the first three times (that we know of)?
