120MPH off-duty cop defended by FOP

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
November 3, 2011

You probably have seen the news articles about the Miama (Fla.) police officer who was heading to his off-duty job at a private school in a Miami squad car and running late. So Ofc. Fausto Lopez decided to step it up a little and was hitting 120MPH when a Florida State Trooper attempted to stop him. The traffic stop has gone viral.

Now the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) is defending Lopez and accusing the trooper of unprofessional conduct. http://www.local10.com/news/Miami-FOP-defends-speeding-officer/-/1717324/4045750/-/154j1w8z/-/index.html

Baloney!!!

The trooper did everything right, except for disarming Lopez sooner. She was right to chase him down. She was right to order him out of the car. She was right to handcuff him and haul him in. Did she have the Miami squad car towed? I hope so!

But where is the "professional courtesy"?

Want to read what cops have to say about "professional courtesy"? Yes, there are a few who believe the trooper did the right thng. Then there are those others, who think she never should have stopped him in the first place. http://www.policeone.com/news/4562742-Miami-FOP-defends-cop-driving-120-mph/

All things considered, she showed it! She deserves full recognition for running Lopez down and arresting him, and I plan to say so to the Director of the Florida State Police right now!

Want to praise the trooper, too? Contact Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald M. Bailey at 850.410.7000