Now a days it seems like everyone is out to make police officers look like the bad guys. At a McDonald’s parking lot in Webster, Massachusetts, one driver was trying a little too hard to turn a cop into a villain.
According to CBS Boston, Webster Police responded to allegation that one of their officers was parked in a handicap space illegally and confronted his accuser “inappropriately.” The accuser recorded the incident via camera phone as he informed the officer of his illegal parking.
“Do you know what you’re talking about?” the officer responded. “This isn’t a handicap spot, okay?”
“So you get to park wherever you want?” the driver says.
“That’s right,” the officer responds.
After the video was posted the department became bombarded with angry phone calls and social media posts criticizing officers for thinking that they are above the law. The department took to Facebook to respond.
“I will admit the cruiser is parked crooked in the parking spot, but I hardly think that is worthy of all this attention to include people wishing we were dead,” the department posted on Monday.
They also took the time to clear up the confusion about the spot.
“In Massachusetts a handicapped parking spot needs to be posted with signage that designated that parking spot a designated handicapped parking spot,” Webster Police posted.
Actually, if you look at the video, the spot you point to in your picture is incorrect. In the video the cop is parked closer to the square angle, next to the door. If you are correct, just simply tell the truth. Don’t exaggerate the facts, however, to make yourself seem more truthful. Then you just come off as being untrustworthy.
I’m in full support of the officer in this. However, somebody needs to notify that McDonalds that the sign on the wall, in front of the new stall is not ADA approved. It has to be minimum 60″ above the surface. This picture depicts it at ground level; technically not a legal handicap spot, and not citable.
Dee, either way, both of those spaces next to the diagonal lines are OLD handicap spaces. It matter not which one the officer was parked in, he was legally parked.
Dee, the video actually shows the spot to match up with the picture quite succinctly, unless you’re implying that all the lines have been changed between the video and the image.
As per the image, there is one “diagnol-lined” segment to the right of the door. The officer is clear, as per the video, straddling that, with half or a third of his vehicle further to the right [further away from the door]. According to the photo, this is not a handicapped spot, and is exactly where the black arrow is indicating.
The video is shot about 15 paces further to the right than where the picture was taken, but if you actually look at it, it shows, plain-as-day, where things are in relation to eachother.
Actually Dee if you look at the video and the picture it is correct where they point to. I guess your blind though to the truth.
Actually the spot is correct. You can clearly see the striped area. He just was parked over towards the left of the pointed spot over part of the striped area.
Dee,
Actually if you look at the video closer this time and do your research they do have it marked correctly on the map. Go ahead pull up the video on YouTube and pause it around 0:42. You can see the well painted lane with the handicap spot, the car next to it and the diagonal lines which match the pics perfectly. The reason he looks closer to the door is because he parked on the diagonal lines (0:49) a bit so I guess he is guilty of poor parking but no illegal parking. Do your research next time Dee. You are welcome.
John
I agree with Dee here, you guys are lying to the public that is not where the cop was parked. It is clearly seen in the video that the car was very close to McDonald’s front door, and their big ass windows – not near the back of the building as you so state. Please stop being a bunch of lying crooks.
First thing I noticed was that the Video was taken closer to the exit not at the spot the police now claim was the spot.
Dee you should probably watch that video again or maybe get your eyes checked. The black arrow in the pic is definitely where he parked. You can clearly see this from the video.
It is just the angle of the video, you can see the lines painted on the ground and he is on the right hand side of them, which would indeed mean he is not in a handicap spot…. . Your point is wrong, and you made yourself look like an ass….. . Cop did nothing wrong, just a case of a, idiot media hog trying to get his 10 seconds of fame, but unfortunately didn’t educate himself on the law before had, so he also cones across as an ass…
Unbelievable. You are unbelievable. The ridiculousness of some people never ceases to amaze me.
Gotta agree, the image has also been tampered with. Judging by the clarity of the vieo, the handicap paint job on the ground is more vibrant than what you see in this modified image, likely photo shopped the saturation out to make it seem like its not a handicap spot.
So clearly that shows the arrow is way off by a huge miss, it is sad people can’t understand perception correctly between a video and an image. Come on, you might gov affiliated, but I have seen gov officials admit they have seen ignorance in other authority’s, don’t be a skeptic, cause it makes your reputation look worse.
What are you on about? They got it exactly right! He’s parked just off center but u can clearly see that he’s parked in the spot they have marked…
Dee, you should view the video again. The correct spot is being pointed out.
Dee, you’re wrong. Your accusation made me re watch the video 3+ times and visually measure all stationary objects around the area. My conclusion is you’re wrong and this post is correct. The black arrow is pointing to the spot he attempted to park in.
Dee don’t know if you are visually challenged but you can clearly see the drivers door is next to the white cross bars exactly where they are pointing. Next time make sure of your facts before making accusations.
Dee is correct, the cruiser is parked directly in front of the door, not in the spot marked on the photo.
You are right the cop car was in the other spot
Hey “dee” know what your talking about and look at the video and the pic..your wrong the police
Cruiser was parked exactly where the arrow shows.. The grey vehicle was parked
To left of the officers cruiser which is the handicapped
Spot pay more
Attnetion before your try to berate people.
If you look at the video, you will clearly see the marked unit parked crooked, partially in the diagonal white blocked outlines and partly inside the aforementioned spot. With that observation, the Webster Police Department has in fact, pointed the arrow to the correct parking spot. The angle of the video makes it appear closer, when the actual spot is in fact farther away than the video indicates. They are correct, and telling the truth. Please review it for yourself.
He is more in the ‘no parking’ area than the actual parking spot. Its one of the worst parking jobs Ive ever seen, but hey, who is gonna’ give ’em a ticket for it?
You can clearly see the cruiser parked outside the window with the front of the car roughly inline with the McDonalds logo, your arrow couldn’t be further away from his actual parking spot.
If you’re going to lie then at least make it a good one.
This is a LIE. you can see in the Vid. that the car is Half on the blue logo, and half in the WHEEL CHAIR LIFT ZONE. Effectively occupying two spots if the person had a side ramp van. My father was a double amputee, and this sort of thing gets my goat. Not to mention the bald face lie of the Dept in his defense. We need cops with some integrity, and the courage to admit when they were wrong and just in a hurry. If he will lie here he will lie, and trump up charges on anything.
Hey stupid,
Did you watch the video before writing this article and posting that image?
*facepalm*
Oh, so he’s parked in that OTHER space that isn’t posted as a handicap spot either? Yeah, you’re right, you have every reason not to trust the cops on this one! (/sarcasm)
Dee, it clearly is the spot pointed out on the picture, just have a look at the hatchings. Don’t be a hater for the sake of it, you just come off looking desperate.
Wow! You should really work on looking! If you think your arrow is where the bacon mobile is you should work for Fox News! Thanks for taking the time to highlight your blind ignorance though!
I agree with Dee…you are clearly trying to downplay the incident. The officer was parked closer to the door in blocking the handicap parking spot. You have taken a bad situation and mad it worse by lying in his defense. No wonder people don’t trust you cops anymore!
Ya know “photos” indicates the plural form of photo as in more than one. The film is dicey, but the spot indicated doesn’t seem to have any blue paint which IS quite visible in the video.
the cop is parked where indicated, granted he is parked over almost half the chevroned area but he is clearly parked in an area where the disabled parking badge has been painted over
The report is accurate
In fact there is only 1 disabled space infront of the resteraunt
One problem. The spot the cop was parked in is clearly NOT the spot with the arrow on it, it’s the spot to the left of it. You can even see the handicap paint on the ground in the video.
Idiot
Dee, If you watch the video, he is parked in the spot the arrow marks. From the still photo of the video it looks like it is not marked correctly, but once you watch the video, you can see it is the correct spot.
The problem was the cops freggin attitude. Who are you? Gimmie your name. F U buddy! What cause I called you out? It’s viral because the cop was a bitch. Period. He could have respectfully acted like a public servant, you know, the job he applied for. Being a cop is no easy job. But being a cop who acts like he isn’t required to be accountable to the public is a worthless piece of shit and a disgrace to the uniform.
Exactly right. Despite all the ‘no he was there’, and ‘no he wasn’t’ – all that aside his lack of character, integrity, and as a public servant his instant abuse of ‘police power’ by demanding the kids name and ID because the kid is questioning his parking and the right to park there – WTF is this, a police state? Mr. public servant – explain the statute please – then carry on with a MF’ing smile if need be.. I bet if we demanded the police’s ID, we’d be in handcuffs.. How do I know you didn’t buy that suit at a costume store, and that you’re carrying openly, illegally??
I agree with Dee, it is painfully obvious after watching the video that the officer did use the handicapped parking to the left, more directly in front of the door/window of the establishment. Dont lie, it makes you look Reaaaallllly stupid. Thanks.
Dee said it best… they tried to bullshit their way. You can see clearly by the video the guy was one spot closer to the door…and Illegally parked.
an impartial reader is given to wonder whether the antagonistic tone of this article is intended, and whether it is necessary, if it does happen to be so. In today’s environment, the responsibility is placed upon the citizen to avoid antagonizing the law enforcement official, since, put simply, there is an extant power gap between john q. public and Officer Joe T. Bookem, which is sadly exploited by a few individuals on either side to create animosity between the two.
I believe, personally, that since a power gap exists, there should also be a corresponding gap in the standards to which one holds themselves. When i served, i was often told that i was held to a higher standard than an average citizen, and the reason given was that same gap in power. Given that statement, should you be flinging it back at the (in one poster’s words) “concerned citizen”, or should you be taking the high road and not ‘stirring the pot’? The answer seems obvious to me, but then again, i’m not in charge of your public relations, so my words may hold less weight.
That particular argument aside, aren’t both sides of this particular debate doing themselves a disservice by 1: engaging in it, and 2: adopting lowbrow ‘least common denominator’ tactics in doing so?
I don’t often comment on internet articles, in fact i believe this is the second in my roughly 26 years of having an internet connection, but someone has to say enough’s enough, here. You’re both acting like a couple of kids, here, taking your argument to the internet as your collective parents and asking them to determine who’s in the right. I am, quite honestly, surprised noone’s put you in the friendship shirt yet.
Thanks,
a “concerned citizen”
I guess after the ” hands up don’t shoot” narrative failed, dopey white ” concerned citizens” harass this cop who ended up again being RIGHT. These dopey white Libs should turn their cameras on and concentrate on the real enemies of our country.
Cops appearing untrustworthy? Nooooooooo!
I believe that any citizen of the USA would get cited by police for doing what the officer did sure u may get the case dismissed down the road but at what cost missing work hiring a lawyer and taking personal time out of your life to appease the court and police for them harassing you (and u just lose out cops get paid to go to court win or lose) so I’m glad either way cause I have got punched by cops for responding just as the officer did just cause “THEY” say u did something wrong don’t make it so but your word against theirs u lose in court even if u are right unless u have video or some other proof of innocence it has not been innocent until proven guilty since the 1800`s in the US
Actually, anyone could park at either space without fear of being ticketed and convicted of parking in the McDonald handicap parking space. What that???? The problem is that a handicap space must meet ADA compliance standards in order to be considered a handicap space. In this case there should have been a sign be mounted so that the lower edge of the sign is at least five (5) feet above the ground. This helps ensure visibility both for handicapped persons, other motorists and local enforcement officials.
The pic with the black arrow is not the space the cop parked in. What is going on?
btw….. that cop has no business being anywhere near a McD’s. He should spend his lunch at the gym.
lets all just agree that this isnt even the same mcdonalds.. yes they are standard and look like, however this video shows the officer parked closer to the door as previously stated by many people… So LEOAFFAIRS must be taking the same LIAGRA that Clinton is taking!!!!!! hahaha get your story straight.