cop caught acting above the law, tickets councilman who films him

[Liberal_in_LA]

Cop Caught Flashing Lights, Speeding To Get Coffee
City Councilman Catches NYPD Officer Using Red Lights, Speeding, Swerving In A Rush To Get To Dunkin Donuts All While On Cell Phone

A traffic officer is under investigation, accused of acting above the law.

It all began when a city councilman allegedly caught the agent doing something extremely illegal: using his flashing red lights, and speeding, to buy coffee!

It wasn't a red light camera, but a red-haired councilman who caught traffic agent Daniel Chu red-handed, waltzing out of a Dunkin Donuts the other day with a cup of coffee.

"He is livid," City Councilman Daniel Halloran said.

Chu apparently didn't like being caught on candid camera, so he whipped out his ticket book and handed the councilman a $165 ticket for what Halloran says are trumped-up charges.

"He says, 'you're going to take pictures of me? Well, I'm going to write you a summons,'" Halloran said.

But that's only part of the story. A few minutes earlier, Councilman Halloran decided to follow Chu through the quiet streets of his Whitestone, Queens neighborhood after Chu put on his flashing red lights, as if to rush to an emergency.

"He was on a cell phone, talking while this was going on," Halloran said.

The "emergency" soon became apparent.

"He was in a rush to get a coffee coolata at Dunkin Donuts, and felt he could blow stop signs, speed, swerve in traffic," Halloran said.

Halloran says he couldn't believe a traffic agent would break so many laws.

"This guy is running around in a police department vehicle at high rates of speed, careening through a neighborhood, to get to Dunkin Donuts," Halloran said. "I think there's a real problem with that."

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There's another thing to consider: if a police officer had seen the traffic agent talking on his cell phone, speeding, and blowing through stop signs, it could have netted him 18 points on his license – and after 11 points, your license gets revoked.

Councilman Halloran is demanding a review of every ticket written by Officer Chu. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the case is under investigation.

http://cbs2chicago.com/watercooler/speeding.for.coffee.2.1757794.html

[sakabatou]

1. Yep, this one needs to be kicked out.

[provis99]

2. so how is he different than any other cop.

I mean, the stereotype of cops flipping on their red lights and driving fast to a donut shop exists for a reason.

[RKP5637]

4. +1, n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. he's different in that he got caught on film

[dorkulon]

8. It's not.

Here in Buffalo, they will blow past you at red lights, turning their lights/siren on for a split second, then turn them off until the next light or traffic obstruction they encounter. It is more common than not. But I'm all for busting them if you're in a position to do so.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. They do that here too

Drives me up the wall.

[RKP5637]

3. This guy was caught, good, and I bet many more do similar and are uncaught. n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. more horror stories coming in, he blocked people in to let meter run out

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/speeding.for.coffee.2.1760426.html

The traffic agent under investigation for acting above the law was still on full duty Friday, even as complaints continued to pour in.

CBS 2 HD has learned that the agent's use of flashing red lights to buy coffee is just the tip of the iceberg.

Traffic agent Daniel Chu is a bona fide legend in certain parts of Queens, and not in a good way.

"It seems like this guy is a one man wrecking crew in my district," said City Councilman Daniel Halloran, R-Whitestone. "And yet this officer is still on duty. This traffic agent is still out there doing what he does. The horror stories just keep coming in."

The agent some might call "Big Bad Dan" gave the councilman a big fat ticket after Halloran caught him using flashing emergency lights and going through stop signs to get a cup of coffee. Halloran said the ticket was in retaliation for him taking incriminating pictures of Chu.

Since the incident people have been coming out of the woodwork to rat Chu out, but the agent is apparently so intimidating that many told CBS 2 HD they were afraid to go on camera.

One man told CBS 2 HD he was parked outside a McDonald's with one minute to go on the parking meter. Agent Chu came and blocked his car in and when the meter ran out he gave the man a ticket.

Anthony Carollo, a former NYPD cop, has watched Chu's aggressive ticketing for years. He said Chu puts others in danger.

"Just to run in front of a vehicle that's about to pull out of a metered spot and use his body as a shield to stop cars and then can write the summons, that's very problematic," Carollo said.

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CBS 2 HD tried to get answers from agent Chu's supervisor.

CBS 2 HD: "He was using lights and sirens to go get a cup of coffee, was that appropriate?"

Supervisor: "I'm not answering you."

Councilman Halloran claims the NYPD won't crack down on Chu because it wants the money from all the tickets he writes.

Councilman Halloran is demanding a review of every ticket written by Chu.

And while it is investigating, the NYPD says the ticket Chu gave the councilman is valid.

[TexasObserver]

7. He's about to become a mall cop.

They'll let them get away with shooting minorities and teen agers, but arresting a citizen with video of the officer violating the law is over the line.

Hopefully, this guy's law enforcement career is about to end. He can get a job in loss prevention at some store.

[KonaKane]

10. What? No crew swarming in to defend this cop?

the way they did when that woman was belted in the mouth by Officer Friendly? I am shocked.

[Vickers]

12. The lady who assaulted the cop?

:shrug:

[noiretextatique]

15. a push is not "assault"

i saw the video, and though she was stupid, she did not "assault" that cop, she did push him though, and he punched her hard in the face.

[Vickers]

16. Legally, that is assault.

And in many jurisdictions, simple assault (as opposed to aggravated assault) is a misdemeanor, UNLESS it involves an LEO, when it becomes a felony.

[LiberalFighter]

11. This cop needs to be tazed and then fired.

[Ratty]

13. I give the cops a lot more credit than maybe a lot of other people around here

But the arrogance of this guy pisses me off. Caught in the act so he issues a ticket in retaliation. Blocking a guy in until his meter runs out. I give a good old fashioned Nelson-style HAW HAW to him. I hope he loses his job. He should not be a policeman.

[Scuba]

14. Drunk with power. Kinda like Jim DeMint.