Police Protect and Serve Pizza After Delivery Driver Crash
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A stunning number of people spend many of their waking hours bashing the police, especially on social media. This particular group of haters refuses to accept or admit that the police do a lot of good things, even those small things that can mean so much, like this little story relates:
From KOIN.com:
Two Portland police officers proved they’re willing to serve in any situation when they delivered a pizza earlier this month.
Portland police said a Pizza Hut delivery driver was involved in a crash on Sept. 1, so the two officers finished the delivery for him. The driver was hurt but is now doing OK.
Meanwhile, the customer, Steve Huckins, said he and his wife were shocked when they opened their door on Sept. 1 to see the two officers. He said they had already received a second pizza after contacting Pizza Hut and learning about the accident when the officers arrived.
“So [my wife] goes, ‘well we didn’t get the pizza,’ so [the manager] says, ‘well we’ll make one and I’ll hand deliver it and give it to you for half price,” said Huckins.
As Huckins and his wife were sitting down to eat the pizza delivered by the Pizza Hut manager, the officers came to the door with the first pizza.
“They turn around to leave, and I said, ‘whoa, whoa, whoa – I got to get a picture of this. No one is going to believe Portland police delivering a pizza.’ So that’s the picture everyone saw,” Huckins said.
Injured delivery driver to thank police with pizza party
Huckins said he sent the photo, which has gone viral, to Pete Simpson because he wanted to recognize the two officers, Michael Filbert and Royce Curtiss, for going out of their way to ensure he and his wife received their pizza.
“I wanted these officers to get a little recognition because these officers went above and beyond,” Huckins said.
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They’re kinda cute and photogenic too, so there is that. What can I say, I am THAT shallow at times.
Bet yer not as shallow as me so ner ner ne ner ner! 😉
First, MM, I generally agree with your premise. Police do many good things, and we appreciate them when they do.
But since the Ferguson, MO incident, some of your observations have lost their usual objectivity. I know you are a former police officer, and I get your desire to defend your profession. But every profession warrants critique…and many in every profession warrant full-on criticism.
So, while the “protect and serve pizza” story reminds us that many police officers are truly decent people, many of us can relate personal incidents with the police in which that was not the case. More importantly, your use of this story in the post Ferguson, MO context continues to drive home a point that may not be appropriate to that situation.
The old saying is that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And some police officers are absolutely corrupt in many ways…not just with power.
I respect you and your opinions, MM, but, for the first time, I see a clear loss of objectivity. The Ferguson situation is not black and white in many ways, but, regardless of the kind of person that Michael Brown may have been, the Ferguson police chief admits that the officer(s) who shot him had NO CLUE that he had robbed a store of some cigars. In other words, their behaviors were not motivated by an attempt to arrest a suspect. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/15/tom-jackson-michael-brown_n_5682762.html In other words, officer Wilson had other motives for his actions, and the theft of cigars and alleged “strong-arm” robbery (Brown allegedly shoved the shopkeeper) hand nothing to do with Wilson’s actions. It’s fair to as, then, what did motivate Wilson’s engagement. The question can be asked in much the same way as asking what motivated George Zimmerman to engage Trayvon Martin. In both cases, an “enforcer” needs a justification for an official interaction with a citizen who is suspected of nothing. And yet, in both cases, the young black man is dead.
And, since when does petty theft and a shove warrant death?
Not all police are bad. But not all police are good. Racism is real. Interracial hatred is real. Black resentment of a police officer who appears to have been being an ass-hole bully is real, and expecting a kid to put up with being bullied is unreasonable. Like I said…apparently Brown was not a model citizen. Similarly, Wilson was far from a model cop. The bottom line is that there is zero justification for Brown to be dead.
I have, until now, refused to comment on your resentment of criticism (in this case well deserved) of the Ferguson, MO police force. All I ask is that you take a step back from this issue, because, for quite some time I stopped reading your blog. The Ferguson situation became “personal” for you, and it made me wonder about the objectivity of your other posts.
I’ll reiterate that I have enormous respect for you, MM, but if you felt that the Trayvon Martin killing was unjust, I don’t know how you can defend the death of Michael Brown.
My friend, trying to inform is not losing objectivity.
You write:
“the Ferguson police chief admits that the officer(s) who shot him had NO CLUE that he had robbed a store of some cigars. In other words, their behaviors were not motivated by an attempt to arrest a suspect. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/15/tom-jackson-michael-brown_n_5682762.html In other words, officer Wilson had other motives for his actions..”
While the idiotic police chief originally made that statement he corrected it in an interview later in the day with the St. Louis Post Dispatch. I could tell you what happened but I doubt you would believe me, despite the fact that his retraction was all over the news, and given that you think I have lost my ability to reason when it comes to law enforcement. I remember my fellow officers saying that for the many years I commanded the Internal Affairs Division, and was forced to investigate, and from time to time, arrest members of the department.
I am reluctant to engage this story until the grand jury returns its No True ruling and everyone gets to see the evidence I have seen. I will however, point out that I disagree that there is zero justification for Brown to be dead and because my opinion is different from yours my friend does not mean I have lost my objectivity. It just means I know more about the incident, and the law, and police procedure. As to taking a step back, until now I have done just that, primarily because it’s virtually impossible to explain police use of force, reasonable suspicion, and etc. to civilians. When an effort is made to do so one is accused of “losing their objectivity.” In conclusion my friend, knowing what I know, and remember that is my old stomping ground and I know a lot of people, I would have done the exact same thing as Officer Wilson. As to Trayvon Martin I never thought that his killing was unjust. Sad. But not unjust, and apparently a jury of 12 tried and true agreed with me.
I am sorry we cannot agree all of the time. Also know that when I disagree I don’t make the decision not to read what you write moving forward. It just means we disagree. Respecting one’s opinion, in my world, means just that. I don’t lose respect simply because I don’t like or understand how you reach conclusions. By the way, just so you know, the crime was “Strongarm Robbery” a Class B felony and considered a violent crime under Missouri law. It was not petty theft and a “shove” warrant whatever that is. As to Wilson, he was and is a “model cop,” and I don’t see any evidence to the contrary. Now see. There I go again, doing what I do every day when I walk into the classroom: teach. Trying to educate.
In closing, peace to you my friend, and I hope my informed opinion doesn’t force you to withdraw from MMA. We’ve known each other for some time and I would miss your friendship.
Fair enough Jim old bean but I say as I always said : “Who you gonna call?” Probably not Ghostbusters 😉
Much work to do to restore confidence in the police in certain areas perhaps but if you aren’t breaking the law then you won’t get grief from the police, decent/corrupt/racist or otherwise.
Not good enough I grant you and you do make a valid point.
I reckon we should all step back a bit and take stock. The police aren’t all angels of justice here or in the USA Mike old bean as Jim says.
But who is?
I wonder if I ring Uxbridge police and ask for a pizza they’ll deliver? 😉
Besides Jim, makes a change Mike getting ‘stick’ instead of me 😉