VA State Trooper writes MEDAL OF HONOR Recipient a speeding summons

[cjs34]

In my book Sgt Currey is a true American hero and Trooper McClellan is a true P.O.S. But that’s just my opinion.

I agree 110% that Sgt Currey is a true American hero. But just remember that not everyone who drives a blue and grey is a P.O.S. IMO, Vsp has some troopers who are true american heros as well... one that comes to mind is Trpr. Gary Horner. Please don't let the supposed actions of one trooper dictate your opinion on an entire police agency.

[xraodcop]

While I was in the military, we were always taught to be "the quiet professional." It says a LOT about a person whom you could know for many years that you come to find out is a war hero. I don't mean to take this away from those who have served, are proud of it and display signs, bumper stickers or get specialty tags. It just says a LOT about those "whom you never would have thought ......."

The demeanor of this guy in this supposed story says something, as well. I don't like hearing cops get ticked off at on duty officers when they get pulled over. I don't like the "above the law" attitude. I don't like the EXPECTATION of PC.

I much rather respect the officer (MOH recip) who gets ticketed and doesn't make a stink about it. I respect the officer less who tickets such a man in a minor traffic infraction situation knowing that he is a cop (MOH recip) when said violator doesn't make a stink. I respect BOTH a lot more when no PC is EXPECTED but IS GIVEN. It is a 2 person contact and if EITHER has the wrong attitude, then the encounter isn't a good one.

found this on glock talk,

http://www.courts.state.va.us

Virginia has a great system in place to look up information online,
link is above.
http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread....=&pagenumber=1

Facts...

- Mr. Currey was charged by Officer McClellan on 05/26/07 for driving
71 mph in a 55 zone.

- Mr. Currey paid the $80 fine and $56 court cost on 05/30/07.

As to the rest of the story, that is between them.

http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread....=&pagenumber=3

Case Number: GT07008969-00 File Date: 05/29/07 Complainant: MCCLELLAN,
J. H.; OFF. Locality: PETERSBURG
Defendant: CURREY, FRANCIS S. Defense Attorney:
City/State Address: BONNEAU, SC 29431
Sex: Male Race: White Caucasian (Non-Hispanic) DOB: 06/29/****
Charge: 71/55 SPEEDING Code Section: G.46.2-870 Case Type: Infraction
Class:
Amended Charge: Amended Code Section: Amended Case Type:
Offense Date: 05/26/07 Arrest Date: 00000

http://208.210.219.132/vadistrict/controller case number GT07008969-00

[GoldBadge]

I'm amazed at all the different opinions on a topic such as this. Guess I'll throw mine in too.

The man is 82 years-old and won the nations highest award for valor, The Congressional Medal of Honor. That means he was involved in some type of vicious fighting that most of us can only imagine, and by some miracle he survived!

I most certainly would have let the man off with a warning. I believe he's earned it, even if it's the 50th warning he's gotten over his lifetime. We give verbal warnings all the time to John Q. Public so why not give it to this person. A speeding violation is only an infraction, it's not like he committed some big felony. Even if he "talked his way into it," I still would have let him go

In this case, discretion is the better part of valor. I would also hope the comment the trooper allegedly made is not true... but if it is, shame on him!

Well said. Thank you.

[LA Copper]

I'm amazed at all the different opinions on a topic such as this. Guess I'll throw mine in too.

The man is 82 years-old and won the nations highest award for valor, The Congressional Medal of Honor. That means he was involved in some type of vicious fighting that most of us can only imagine, and by some miracle he survived!

I most certainly would have let the man off with a warning. I believe he's earned it, even if it's the 50th warning he's gotten over his lifetime. We give verbal warnings all the time to John Q. Public so why not give it to this person. A speeding violation is only an infraction, it's not like he committed some big felony. Even if he "talked his way into it," I still would have let him go

In this case, discretion is the better part of valor. I would also hope the comment the trooper allegedly made is not true... but if it is, shame on him!

[willowdared]

Thanks for putting that disgusting, nasty thought in my head..... I think I just threw-up in my mouth.....

Always like to help!

[LeanG]

Look, there are police officers in every department that would write someone that you wouldn't write, and you would probably write someone that they wouldn't write. This doesn't make it right or wrong. It just means that they use their discretion differently than you do. I'm not judging the officer because he wrote a MOH recipient. If he would've paid him the utmost respect in writing him, that'll be just fine with me. Do you guys actually think that this is the first war hero to be cited?

[Irishluck31]

To all of you who take the position "well, he broke the law" or "he has a lead foot." Give me a break! Are the cops on this board telling me that 71/55 is a "lead foot?" Shoot, you can nail motorists going 70-75/55 all day long on I-95 - like catching fish in a barrel.

The man was (is!) a hero and unless he urinated on the cop's shoes, he should have been let go with just a Memorial Day thank you.

Most cops would. Yet there are others who would issue the ticket and then hide behind the attitude ticket to justify their actions. The 82 year old MOH winner gave me grief and hurt my feeling so i stroked him argument is weak at best, but thats what some cops do.

I dont hate them for it. After all we do have a job to do.
I think it would be better to either write all or write none, but I am not willing to give up the discreation. It would take the attitude ticket out of the equation.

I was told a long time ago by a now retired sgt that the decision to write or not write whould be made prior to stepping out of the patrol car. The we should stick with that decision. Does it work, no, but it was a great idea and I thought I should share.

[GoldBadge]

Good grief

To all of you who take the position "well, he broke the law" or "he has a lead foot." Give me a break! Are the cops on this board telling me that 71/55 is a "lead foot?" Shoot, you can nail motorists going 70-75/55 all day long on I-95 - like catching fish in a barrel.

The man was (is!) a hero and unless he urinated on the cop's shoes, he should have been let go with just a Memorial Day thank you.

[scratched13]

While I was in the military, we were always taught to be "the quiet professional." It says a LOT about a person whom you could know for many years that you come to find out is a war hero. I don't mean to take this away from those who have served, are proud of it and display signs, bumper stickers or get specialty tags. It just says a LOT about those "whom you never would have thought ......."

The demeanor of this guy in this supposed story says something, as well. I don't like hearing cops get ticked off at on duty officers when they get pulled over. I don't like the "above the law" attitude. I don't like the EXPECTATION of PC.

I much rather respect the officer (MOH recip) who gets ticketed and doesn't make a stink about it. I respect the officer less who tickets such a man in a minor traffic infraction situation knowing that he is a cop (MOH recip) when said violator doesn't make a stink. I respect BOTH a lot more when no PC is EXPECTED but IS GIVEN. It is a 2 person contact and if EITHER has the wrong attitude, then the encounter isn't a good one.

[hgunner]

If this story is true and correct some of these posting bother me-even though retired my opinion has not changed-most depts give their officers certain discretion or latitude in writing v&t cites-with that said here's my take

some people rate a second glance(but should not expect it)-people that stand up instead of burying their head in the sand ie the soldier that puts himself in harms way for us(any branch of the militery)the firefighter who again risks it all for us-the medic who keeps us pumping and alive again at risk for their own personal safety and all emergeny service workers wether paid or volunteer who step up for us ie search and rescue,life guards volly ff or ambulance personel plus others i have not mentioned

I especially look at the vollys-the ffs emts,search and rescue people aux pd officers etc-I know many of you leo say some of the people you are talking about are wannabees-and like all other people some of the mentioned groups have problem people (not unlike pds)

how many leo would work for free or give up off time to get trained to respond to calls on christmas-thanksgiving- the coldest nite of the year

while i was active leo I was a volly medic in one upstate ny ambulance corp and one fire rescue dept-in one dept alone i did 1200 ambulance calls in one year-i spent many hours training(recert emt-doing hospital time-taking assorted classes ie rope rescue-auto extridition-incident command etc-my wife(again a volly emt firefighter)and i have ran out on family dinners with relatives on thanksgivings and christmas many times-both my wife and my self took the penn fire fighters certification on our own time after i retired and we moved to pa-when we left pa i became a emt -i here in nh

The point i am trying to make in all this crap is nobody is above the law but when you light up a driver and run his or her dl history-if you find he or she is or was emerency services, militery etc and come back with a clean history think twice before writing-I am not saying the soccer mon or the guy commuting to work every day does not deserve a second thought but i am saying before you write that speed or rolling thru a stop sign cite to that volly medic or k-9 handler or life guard think about the cost of the insurance cost raise he will need to pay for 3 years-I know it is not our job to think about that problem but do it anyway-give the person a good lecture-maybe a written warning-but remember he or she stands up-also most of these people will be there in a ny second should the need arise-no matter if you need a hand building that back yard deck or pulling you butt out of that burning patrol car or running lights and sirens to the er because you kid is running a high fever on christmas eve

I know I will catch alot of crap here from the pc generation but tuff du-du

[Irishluck31]

Hey, Irish, I could have sworn i'd seen you on NYPD. But oh well, about the note at the botton of the post page something about adoption. Seriously are you talking about your wife or your dog"

Better slow your roll MH might find yourself chatting on iwishthiswasO.com again.

[Bearcat357]

My bad. I missed that part. Thanks for correcting that.

No problem.....

About your writing the ticket or not. Do you feel he is entitled to drive however fast he wants because he earned that medal? Or because people served the country in a war?

Both...he severed and a war and was AWARDED this Countries Highest Honor.....I can let a 13 over go by anyday..... Hell, I've let average Joe Citizen off at 20 over due to one reason or another......

About talking his way into the ticket...sounds like he may have. "Do you know what that license plate emblem means officer?" That tells me right there he doesn't care about his violation. A more appropriate response would be "Gee...I must not have been paying attention to my speed."

No one on this board was there at the stop....so I have no idea what was going through the LEOs head when he issued the summons nor do I know what was said between the two of them......nor am I going to speculate....

I just know a speeding summons was issued for 71/55 and the guy paid the ticket without going to court over it......

[djack16]

My bad. I missed that part. Thanks for correcting that.

About your writing the ticket or not. Do you feel he is entitled to drive however fast he wants because he earned that medal? Or because people served the country in a war? There is a difference between having reverence for the accomplishments of our servicemen and women and having the integrity to hold each other accountable for violating the law and putting the public at risk. You can write the ticket and still appreciate what they have done for the country and their countrymen.

About talking his way into the ticket...sounds like he may have. "Do you know what that license plate emblem means officer?" That tells me right there he doesn't care about his violation. A more appropriate response would be "Gee...I must not have been paying attention to my speed."

[Bearcat357]

We don't really know how fast he was going but I assume the stop was for a good reason.

Court link that I provided said that he pled guilty to 71/55.....

I would never write a MOH Awardee if I knew he was one.....same with GIs and Vets....but that's just me.

Now, saying that....he could have talked his way into a the summons....which does happen.....

[InterstateLaw]

I heard many stories over the years about VSP Troopers assigned out of the Petersburg area writing everything that moves, no matter what.

I was stopped several years ago on IS 85 NB near Petersburg for travelling at 83mph after being checked on RADAR and after the Trooper had to try for over two miles to get me to stop, as I was very tired after driving over 500 miles and didn't see or hear him.

Well guess what, the Trooper was extremely polite and professional, and didn't write me a citation or warning.

I've always found out that when you act professional with the officer/Trooper stopping you, it usually turns out very well.

Rule 1: If you don't want a ticket, don't break the law.