Allan West Sounds Off On His Wife's Recent DUI Arrest

[cycleguy2300]

That only shows no alcohol was ordered at the restaurant. The blood test, or breathalyzer test would be more conclusive proof if she had been drinking alcohol, and how much.

You can be intoxicated on much more than just alcohol... meds, even prescription meds, taken correctly can cause you to be intoxicated.

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[45tex]

Aneurism, The whole thing will falter if the article is correct
and Mrs. West has had one. Everything is affected by a bleed in the brain. She is plenty recovered to be driving.
The leftest Socialist own police management. in large cities. This is weaponized politics, nothing more. There seems to be a group after West no matter what he does.

[B]cycleguy2300[/B] It was the chief who said the PC for the stop was entering the shoulder without signaling. That's BS at best​

 

[Axxe55]

You can be intoxicated on much more than just alcohol... meds, even prescription meds, taken correctly can cause you to be intoxicated.

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I'm in complete agreement with your statement on that. And occasionally people have been cited for driving while impaired even using prescription drugs in a legal prescribed manner.

I would suspect that for most officers, encountering someone being impaired, that alcohol is the most common source.

 

[cycleguy2300]

In one way I agree with you, but in another way I can see where he is coming from.

In regards to my own wife, when there have been instances of someone that I felt was disrespecting her, or treating her unfairly. whether real or perceived, I have gotten extremely angry and quite vocal.

I'm not saying I condone his actions, but I can understand them.

In regards to him personally, looking at possibly becoming a candidate for political office, I'm not ready yet to throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet.

I too would want to valiantly and loudly defend my wife, but the reality is I as an officer would have to avoid any perception I interfered or used my position of trust to unjustly sway the case.

Every strength can become a weakness when applied in the wrong are. Patton's attitude, Monty's operation on too thin of margins...

I admire Col Wests "let's fucking fight" attitude, but it needs to be directed in a useful way.




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[cycleguy2300]

From the video did the arresting officer sound like a rookie in training or did everything sound kosher to you? As a non LEO the cop using a cheat sheet and just sounded like she didn't know what she was doing. Your opinion?

I'm 99% sure on FTO, they had a class graduate on May 14.

The instructions were rough but all there, as if they simply weren't polished at giving them. The "what do I do" when Mrs West stopped and the notes, and the getting the phone were the clues for me. This officer should be nearing the end of FTO, but may have gotten injured or something so this might be one of their first DWI investigations.

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[cycleguy2300]

Aneurism, The whole thing will falter if the article is correct
and Mrs. West has had one. Everything is affected by a bleed in the brain. She is plenty recovered to be driving.
The leftest Socialist own police management. in large cities. This is weaponized politics, nothing more. There seems to be a group after West no matter what he does.

[B]cycleguy2300[/B] It was the chief who said the PC for the stop was entering the shoulder without signaling. That's BS at best​

Is the affidavit public yet? That will be the final word on what the stop was. You very well may be correct that it was the reason for the stop. Even so, I think you might agree that while kinda chicken-shit it is a lot easier to articulate a per se violation like failing to signal than write pages on the minutia of her movements and why they created reasonable suspicion of an intox driver.

I've seen a car driving "odd" where I suspect intox or distraction but for a little while there is nothing "against the law" then they make a minor violation like failing to signal or stop at designated place or something super rinky-dink, but that gives a good PER SE violation that judges like to see on probable cause affidavits if there is anything going on in the car. If there is nothing I document the stop and send them on their way. If they are drunk or I dig up something like a stolen car or something I can write something like this for the judge "While not a violation, my attention was drawn to the car when it drifted into the left lane then returned. I then saw the car make a right turn from NB X Rd to EB Y Ln without signaling its intent to turn. I activated my emergency lights..." Cheesy stop? I don't care, call it what you will. It is well within 4th amendment protections and unless you have warrants or doing something pretty brazen, you'll be on the road in about 5 minutes.

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[DoubleDuty]

I read that she took an etg urine test and it was negative.

 

[Axxe55]

I too would want to valiantly and loudly defend my wife, but the reality is I as an officer would have to avoid any perception I interfered or used my position of trust to unjustly sway the case.

Every strength can become a weakness when applied in the wrong are. Patton's attitude, Monty's operation on too thin of margins...

I admire Col Wests "let's fucking fight" attitude, but it needs to be directed in a useful way.




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I agree with what you're saying, and like I said, I can understand his reaction, and have done so myself on occasion. but how the public sees this is also very important as well.

IMO, he may have been a little too hasty with some of his comments though. The better road for him to have taken might have been to wait until the proof bears out what he believes, and then gone from there. And being a possible political candidate, the quieter the better.

On a side note. I'm not condemning, or defending anyone's actions here. That includes all parties involved.

 

[cycleguy2300]

I'm in complete agreement with your statement on that. And occasionally people have been cited for driving while impaired even using prescription drugs in a legal prescribed manner.

I would suspect that for most officers, encountering someone being impaired, that alcohol is the most common source.

Absolutely, probably 90% are alcohol or mostly Alcohol, the rest are typically Xanax (drunk in a pill), with a low percentage of arrests for DWI on other drugs like marijuana, opiates, PCP...

But arrests for DWI on "taken as perscribed" meds do happen, and they are just as dangerous as anyone else driving intoxicated.

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[Jon Payne]

Absolutely, probably 90% are alcohol or mostly Alcohol, the rest are typically Xanax (drunk in a pill), with a low percentage of arrests for DWI on other drugs like marijuana, opiates, PCP...

But arrests for DWI on "taken as perscribed" meds do happen, and they are just as dangerous as anyone else driving intoxicated.

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The majority of DWI’s that I worked involved prescription drugs. You know, the big three; Alprazolam, Hydrocodone, and Carisoprodol. These were Also known as the Vidor Cocktail.


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[cycleguy2300]

The majority of DWI’s that I worked involved prescription drugs. You know, the big three; Alprazolam, Hydrocodone, and Carisoprodol. These were Also known as the Vidor Cocktail.


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Definitely had a number of Alprazolam (xanax) but here the others may be in the system, but Alcohol is likely masking or enough to go over .08... the guys on the DWI, may have diff numbers than mine but there were all DREs so I might have not recognized the signs of some of the drugs.

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[seeker_two]

You can be intoxicated on much more than just alcohol... meds, even prescription meds, taken correctly can cause you to be intoxicated.

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True.....but that argument falls on its face with the officer's claim of "smelling alcohol" in the car.

Bad arrest.....bad cop.....give 'em hell, Colonel.

 

[Hoji]

True.....but that argument falls on its face with the officer's claim of "smelling alcohol" in the car.

Bad arrest.....bad cop.....give 'em hell, Colonel.

Yep.

 

[Louski]

Allen West USA great officers and American

 

[cycleguy2300]

True.....but that argument falls on its face with the officer's claim of "smelling alcohol" in the car.

Bad arrest.....bad cop.....give 'em hell, Colonel.

You didn't smell/see/taste what was in the car, so why are you rushing to judgment with the presumption the officer and potentially multiple officers were not simply wrong or mistaken, but lying??

We don't know this is a bad cop from the video or what we think we know, but we can plainly see Mrs. West had no business driving in her state.

The probable cause was clearly there for an arrest, now the next hurdle is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Iirc they got blood, so once it is tested it should be pretty easy to see of she was intoxicated or not.

Let's wait and see how it goes in court, but the officer's goodness or badness is not determined from the outcome in court, but whether the correct arrest decision was made. Whether the correct arrest decision was made is based on the facts reasonably known and inferred by the officer at the time.

It isnt perfect. A good arrest isnt one where there is PROOF, it is one where the totality of the circumstances (i.e.whether a particular container did or did not have alcohol is negligible in the face of her driving and the tests) lead a reasonable officer to believe the person PROBABLY committed the act (or ommision). How probable? That is up the the judge that gets the affidavit.

To reiterate the levels of burden of proof;

Mere suspicion
-a hunch
-can observe or make non detainment contact

Reasonable suspicion
- - The totality of circumstances lead a reasonable officer to believe something of a criminal nature is afoot
- may detain/stop for reasonable time to conduct investigation
- may frisk, which is a LIMITED search of the outer garments or lungable areas for WEAPONS

Preponderance of the evidence
- 51%+ confidence
- burden needed for civil judgements

Probable Cause (higher burden than Preponderance)
- may arrest
- may search readily mobile vehicles
- required for warrants or search or arrest
- articulation of PC required on arrest affidavit
-based on all circumstances reasonably known at the time of the arrest

Proof beyond reasonable doubt
- highest burden of proof
-required for criminal convictions
-reasonable doesn't mean all doubt...




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[Axxe55]

I saw some of the video. Given what I saw, I believe the officer had probable cause to effect an arrest. Honestly, If I were a LE officer, there is a good chance I would have arrested her as well.

An arrest isn't a conviction. And there is ample time for proof to come out, for any charges to be dropped.

Even if all lab results come back proving that no drugs or alcohol was involved, there is still the question of what caused her impaired driving, and whether she was in complete control of the vehicle.

There have been many cases where drivers were driving and falling asleep while driving. LE officers have stopped such drivers because they thought they were driving under the influence. But because of deprived sleep, the driver was driving impaired.

I think we should allow more facts and details to emerge before determining judgement on anyone involved in this.

 

[cycleguy2300]

I saw some of the video. Given what I saw, I believe the officer had probable cause to effect an arrest. Honestly, If I were a LE officer, there is a good chance I would have arrested her as well.

An arrest isn't a conviction. And there is ample time for proof to come out, for any charges to be dropped.

Even if all lab results come back proving that no drugs or alcohol was involved, there is still the question of what caused her impaired driving, and whether she was in complete control of the vehicle.

There have been many cases where drivers were driving and falling asleep while driving. LE officers have stopped such drivers because they thought they were driving under the influence. But because of deprived sleep, the driver was driving impaired.

I think we should allow more facts and details to emerge before determining judgement on anyone involved in this.

Exactly.

If what the Wests are saying about a brain injury/aneurysm is correct it may have simply been a medical issue HOWEVER it would not follow that if it is a medical issue it invalidates the arrest or that the officer is bad or made the wrong decision on the side of the road.

Part of the SFSTs prelim questions asks about medical conditions. I don't know how she answered on scene, but it would only be a factor in the arrest decision not a get out of jail free card.

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[Axxe55]

Exactly.

If what the Wests are saying about a brain injury/aneurysm is correct it may have simply been a medical issue HOWEVER it would not follow that if it is a medical issue it invalidates the arrest or that the officer is bad or made the wrong decision on the side of the road.

Part of the SFSTs prelim questions asks about medical conditions. I don't know how she answered on scene, but it would only be a factor in the arrest decision not a get out of jail free card.

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Simply an opinion on my part, but given the video and what I saw, if she had a medical condition that was causing her impairment, and not alcohol or drugs, the officer was still doing her job to the best of her abilities.

Even if the officer made the wrong call here to arrest her, doesn't necessarily mean she's a bad cop or doing her job wrong.

I think we need to remember there is a person behind the badge, and that many of them are just trying to do the best job they can, and to get home safely.

I am able to look at this objectively and can see it from several perspectives. As of this point in time, I don't see that the officer did anything but her job. She may be a rookie cop and might not performed it as a seasoned veteran officer might have. I can see Allan West being upset, and very vocal in defense of his wife, and I understand his position. Even if my own wife were wrong about something, trust me, I will still stand up and defend her to the hilt. Mrs. West, if she was experiencing a medical condition, it's quite possible it came on her without warning and she may not have even realized it was impairing her driving.

I'm just not going to rush to judgement on any parties involved at this point. There just isn't enough information at this time.

 

[cycleguy2300]

Simply an opinion on my part, but given the video and what I saw, if she had a medical condition that was causing her impairment, and not alcohol or drugs, the officer was still doing her job to the best of her abilities.

Even if the officer made the wrong call here to arrest her, doesn't necessarily mean she's a bad cop or doing her job wrong.

I think we need to remember there is a person behind the badge, and that many of them are just trying to do the best job they can, and to get home safely.

I am able to look at this objectively and can see it from several perspectives. As of this point in time, I don't see that the officer did anything but her job. She may be a rookie cop and might not performed it as a seasoned veteran officer might have. I can see Allan West being upset, and very vocal in defense of his wife, and I understand his position. Even if my own wife were wrong about something, trust me, I will still stand up and defend her to the hilt. Mrs. West, if she was experiencing a medical condition, it's quite possible it came on her without warning and she may not have even realized it was impairing her driving.

I'm just not going to rush to judgement on any parties involved at this point. There just isn't enough information at this time.

Yes, officers are not doctors and cannot be expected to diagnose someone on the side of the road.

We shall see.

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[mongoose]

Yes, officers are not doctors and cannot be expected to diagnose someone on the side of the road.

We shall see.

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One of my old high school class mates is diabetic. He was having a diabetic attack in the parking lot of a restaurant that he had pulled into to get off the road. Two Officers pulled him from his truck when he did not respond. He was thrown to the ground ( skinning him up) and was taken to the hospital when he could manage to say the word diabetic. The mistreatment was perpetrated while he was almost comatose. All he needed was a dose of the dextrose packets all first responders should have……the Fire Dept sure has been able to handle a similar event correctly. He didn’t sue because that’s just the guy he is.