Off-duty police chief in PA suspended after pulling gun on motorcyclist

[02SE]

That's the thing. The guy is clearly just casually riding into the parking lot. Doesn't seem like he's in a hurry or running from the police. Then the chief comes driving in with his unmarked SUV, no flashing lights, and the first thing he does is pull out his gun and point it at the guy on the motorcycle who has his head down and takes a while to notice. The the chief pushes the guy on the motorcycle against the wall with his gun in his other hand.

He turned on his police lights after he got back to the scene. The suspicion is that he was looking to stage it for when other officers arrived as if he'd had them on during the "pursuit". I think he knows he screwed up and is trying cover up that he never reasonably identified himself as police or his vehicle as a police vehicle. A lot of people are thinking that he clearly lied on a police report about the circumstances, including that he was assaulted by the motorcyclist.

But he probably would have been believed had it not been for the security camera footage.

Now I suppose that he might have some dashcam footage that could back up his claims of evading. But at the very least it looks like the chief lied about being pushed back. To me it looks he's trying to get away from a psycho in street clothes who just pulled a gun on him. But with the most serious charges dropped, I don't think that happens if the dashcam showed he was running away and there are lights flashing.

I've had people try to mess with me while I'm on a bike. Were some of them cops in unmarked cars? If they were, they never indicated they were with lights and siren. In those cases I made good use of the bikes advantage, to put some space between the car in question, and myself. I've always pulled over if a marked car turns on their lights and siren, and a few unmarked cars that turned on lights and siren over the years.

This police chief reminds me why my best friend who was a cop, advised me to avoid any interaction with cops. Because you never know who the good ones are, or who the corrupt, power-mad imbeciles are. Such as this police chief appears at this point to be...

If it is as it seems, I only hope that he'll be held accountable.

 

[dnewton3]

We need to understand, as a group, that new stories VERY OFTEN are edited for content, time, etc. And they RARELY tell the whole story.

It does appear to me that the actions of the officer were overt and perhaps undue, but what we don't see is what led up to the confrontation. What we're not privy to is the preceding minutes of interaction, any known history of the suspect, what other risks were present, etc.

I concur with most here in that LEOs need to be held to a very high standard; that has always been my position. But they also are people who have rights; they are allowed their due process and a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, just like any other person. So jumping to conclusions after watching a short video may be premature.

The officer was suspended, per the storyline. I accept that as an indication disciplinary action(s) have been taken, and more may be pending.
I will withhold any judgement pending further information.

 

[Slick3914]

Wasn't sure if he was in his city, but looked it up. The Wingstop website says it's in Lancaster, PA, but i had a look on Google Maps and it's one of those address things where it looks like it's legally in Manheim Township.

That being said, there's video. His police lights clearly weren't on when the chief arrived in the parking lot and pulled out his gun. The motorcyclist claims that he didn't identify himself as police but just yelled at him to drop and he had no idea what was going on. And he seemed really quick to draw his gun, as if he had just come out of a high risk pursuit. The guy's coworkers said that he never identified himself as police until he got back from the foot chase. So on the basis of all that, I'm thinking this chief messed up pretty badly.

I like it when the truth comes out. There have been accusations against police that have been disproven via dash and body cams. I don't see why this video disproving the chief should be seen as anything more than seeking the truth. I suspect that he's going to be fired, but I'm not sure if there will be any criminal charges against him.

It was, maybe two miles from the police station

 

[Cropduster172]

I guess I miss that training every year.......weird.

It wasn't a block of instruction in the NJSP Academy either.
I wonder what it's titled? Basic Police Lying?
Lying for Law Enforcement Officers?

 

[Astro14]

Wasn't sure if he was in his city, but looked it up. The Wingstop website says it's in Lancaster, PA, but i had a look on Google Maps and it's one of those address things where it looks like it's legally in Manheim Township.

That being said, there's video. His police lights clearly weren't on when the chief arrived in the parking lot and pulled out his gun. The motorcyclist claims that he didn't identify himself as police but just yelled at him to drop and he had no idea what was going on. And he seemed really quick to draw his gun, as if he had just come out of a high risk pursuit. The guy's coworkers said that he never identified himself as police until he got back from the foot chase. So on the basis of all that, I'm thinking this chief messed up pretty badly.

I like it when the truth comes out. There have been accusations against police that have been disproven via dash and body cams. I don't see why this video disproving the chief should be seen as anything more than seeking the truth. I suspect that he's going to be fired, but I'm not sure if there will be any criminal charges against him.

You are seeking judgement in the court of public opinion. You are seeking a conviction of the basis of partial evidence. You are denying due process to the accused.

That’s not seeking the truth.

That’s a rush to judgement - and it’s both inaccurate and unfair to those involved.

 

[shortyb]

I guess I miss that training every year.......weird.

Don't feel bad, I missed it too.

This is so typical of videos shown of incidents where there is not much information and folks draw a conclusion to fit how they feel about things (personal biases) with police, motorcyclists, society in general, etc. Three sides to every story and until all the facts come out, one should not rush to judgement based on this video. However, if the Chief did embellish the facts of his incident report in an attempt to protect himself, well then we have a bigger problem (well, HE does).

Integrity is the most fragile trait of a police officer, but it is the only one that instills the public to trust them. I cherished that public trust that was bestowed on me and NEVER did anything to compromise it. Most cops do the same, because once you compromise your integrity, you lose that public trust. Once you lose the public trust, you're done. But police officers come from society, and while as a whole, society may be good, there are still some bad ones that get through. This does not mean that every cop is bad, or all should be viilianized to the point that it forms a negative bias against every police officer. Thats broadbrushing it and not accurate at all.

For all those Law Enforcement members reading this, please know that I'm using cop, police officer, as a term for EVERYONE involved in fighting crime and guarding the peace, no matter the title. Thanks for your service.

 

[Jetronic]

We need to understand, as a group, that new stories VERY OFTEN are edited for content, time, etc. And they RARELY tell the whole story.

It does appear to me that the actions of the officer were overt and perhaps undue, but what we don't see is what led up to the confrontation. What we're not privy to is the preceding minutes of interaction, any known history of the suspect, what other risks were present, etc.

I concur with most here in that LEOs need to be held to a very high standard; that has always been my position. But they also are people who have rights; they are allowed their due process and a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, just like any other person. So jumping to conclusions after watching a short video may be premature.

The officer was suspended, per the storyline. I accept that as an indication disciplinary action(s) have been taken, and more may be pending.
I will withhold any judgement pending further information.

Doesn't matter what happened before, falsifying a police report should be sanctioned, and frankly he should never return to the force. There's no excuse.

This doesn't mean that what the motorcyclist did before, during or after this video shouldn't be sanctioned either, but some other evidence is needed than the word of a police chief using a magic pen. I'm sure something happened that drew the chief's attention.

 

[KrisZ]

Only a suspension? If a civilian did it, there would be a criminal investigation. This police chief should be charged for a crime he committed, not just suspended from his job.

 

[Ranger83]

We don't know what happened prior to this recorded encounter.

Looks like a Grom or scooter. Under 50cc doesn’t need a plate in most states. Officer made a radio call detailing traffic violations. I’ve seen scooters riding like that, certainly. LEO did not have lights on when he stopped.

In a statement provided to News 8, she recaps the events, writing, "Chief Fisher called out on the radio that he was following a motorcycle with no registration plate and provided his location. He then advised that the driver was operating the motorcycle erratically and ran a steady red signal at a traffic light. He further indicated that the driver was passing vehicles on the right, mounting the sidewalk, using no turn signals and cutting across multiple lanes of traffic and weaving between other vehicles. After Chief Fisher relocated the motorcycle, he then again radioed his location noting that he had the “vehicle stopped to the rear of 1917 Fruitville Pike.” Chief Fisher then exited his vehicle with his weapon drawn and physically grabbed the driver as he “began to start the motorcycle.”

https://www.wgal.com/article/lancas...stigating-police-chiefs-use-of-force/64796700

 

[Fattylocks]

People who do that are not punished?

Cops are trained to lie to you. On the other hand, it is illegal to lie to a cop, so best to keep your mouth shut. This should be taught to everyone starting in elementary school.

They're not your friends.

 

[KrisZ]

Looks like a Grom or scooter. Under 50cc doesn’t need a plate in most states. Officer made a radio call detailing traffic violations. I’ve seen scooters riding like that, certainly. LEO did not have lights on when he stopped.



https://www.wgal.com/article/lancas...stigating-police-chiefs-use-of-force/64796700

Sounds like he was so concerned about public safety that he was willing to gun down a person for it.

 

[IndyIan]

We don't know what happened prior to this recorded encounter.

You are right, maybe the rider missed a pedestrian by a foot at 90mph... Why the chief lost his temper isn't really a factor legally anyway.

But, it looks like the kid on the bike had no idea that someone could be chasing him? Why would he spend a couple minutes parking his bike so carefully, not looking around or behind him? If he knew he was being pursued, he probably wouldn't go straight to work still, or at least he would've disappeared into the building in 2 seconds...
Seems like an oblivious guy riding to work, broke a few traffic laws, and then didn't notice a driver losing his cool in normal looking vehicle behind him? The rider probably doesn't do mirror checks and has ear buds in...
I have no problem with the chief showing his badge and explaining that he saw him break some traffic laws and was pursuing him, but pulling the gun first, and then grabbing the rider, seems like the chief forgot his training, and lost his temper, and then was unsuccessful in apprehending the rider. Probably doing things calmly by the book, would've worked out a lot better for everyone....

I think law enforcement should get a couple chances to learn from mistakes, but the job is to stay calm and professional, in stressful situations, and this didn't even seem stressful based on the riders body language, until the chief showed up....

 

[mk378]

It's a 50cc bike. It can't go 90 mph. When someone is riding dangerously the cop should have used the blue lights and siren. It serves two purposes: maybe get the biker to pull over before he crashes, and it would alert bystanders to look out.

 

[Shel_B]

Deleted

 

[ammolab]

Nothing indicates that the Chief or anyone else was a threat by the rider sitting on his parked bike. No reason to pull a weapon. I expect he had a badge. That would be an appropriate item to display to the bike rider. Deescalation is more appropriate than a gun and a shove. Abuse of authority and excessive force.

 

[y_p_w]

Doesn't matter what happened before, falsifying a police report should be sanctioned, and frankly he should never return to the force. There's no excuse.

This doesn't mean that what the motorcyclist did before, during or after this video shouldn't be sanctioned either, but some other evidence is needed than the word of a police chief using a magic pen. I'm sure something happened that drew the chief's attention.

I'm certainly not anti-police. But I somehow came across this video and was rather shocked because the reaction (gun out, no lights, motorcyclist looks calm) just didn't seem to compute. I've been pulled over by police and had some police interactions because of unfortunate events (I have never been arrested nor has anyone with me been arrested) and generally found them to be professional interactions. I've never had a gun pulled out on me.

The motorcyclist did get cited for traffic violations and reportedly paid the ticket. The DA dropped all the more serious charges against the motorcyclist and said they're not going to investigate the chief and leave it as an internal police matter. But I would think the PA Attorney General and perhaps the federal government could take over.

Only a suspension? If a civilian did it, there would be a criminal investigation. This police chief should be charged for a crime he committed, not just suspended from his job.

Like I said, I suspect he's going to be fired. Since the Lancaster County DA has decided that there's nothing left to investigate or charge, I'd think this might go up the ladder.

 

[KrisZ]

Here is a pretty good summary of what we know to date. Hopefully this guy will be able to obtain the vehicle camera footage if there is one.

 

[KrisZ]

Like I said, I suspect he's going to be fired. Since the Lancaster County DA has decided that there's nothing left to investigate or charge, I'd think this might go up the ladder.

Yes, because getting fired for a criminal offense is the real punishment. Oh the humanity, that poor chief is out of a job now. The rest of us get off lightly for such actions, by comparison.

 

[y_p_w]

Here is a pretty good summary of what we know to date. Hopefully this guy will be able to obtain the vehicle camera footage if there is one.

That's the original source that came up for me in my YouTube feed. But I picked more or less raw footage to post here.

 

[crashz]

As usual, the reported story is missing something. No idea, but maybe the rider flashed a gun or other weapon. You've got to wonder why a Chief of Police would draw his weapon knowing that security cameras would see it. I mean, we all have been on camera now for a while (traffic, security, You Tube, etc.), I'm sure he knows this better than us.