62 Year Old Nurse Arrest For Being Playing It Safe

[Wolfie]

Source: http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4935254

 

5/22/06-East Texas

7 On Your Side:Drivers Unsure What To Do If Pulled Over At Night

 

Watching Karen Jerome's arrest on television had many women, who emailed KLTV 7, confused about what to do if they're being pulled over at night.

 

One viewer writes: "I am a nurse and have worked many a night shift in the past years... This could have been any one of countless other nurses driving home after a long shift." Another viewer writes: "We've heard warning after warning about not stopping in dark, secluded areas, for safety reasons. So how are women supposed to know what to do??"

 

We talked to one viewer, Jill Krone, who lives off rural, Highway 42 in New London. "Prior to this I probably would have come on home. That's what I told my daughter to do," says Krone about what she would do if pulled over at night.

 

In our initial interview about Karen Jerome's arrest with Tyler DPS Spokesperson Jeanne Dark, she says it is the law to stop. "We in no way want to just advocate and blanket to people that you don't have to stop for a police car just because it's dark. No. That will lead to nothing but chaos and problems and that's not the law," says Trooper Dark.

 

DPS says it has distinctly marked patrol vehicles, so there should be no confusion. The light bar across the top with a siren attached, a P.A. system, the words "State Trooper" are decaled on their cruisers and reflect at night.

 

Trooper Dark offered these other suggestions, "There's nothing wrong with slowing down and pulling to the side of the road and waiting to identify that person. You're in your vehicle, you can lock your doors, your window can be up until you see the uniformed officer standing there."

 

Krone says she emailed Texas DPS after seeing our story: Their Public Information Officer replied with these suggestions to signal to a trooper you intend to stop: Decrease speed to 20 mph, activate your hazard lights, call 911 to verify a legitimate officer is pulling you over and, interestingly enough, their fourth suggestion, drive to a well-lit, populated area.

 

"There's really a catch-22 in this situation as to what you do," says Krone. "They also reiterated in their response to me that it is required by law to pullover, even if it's not a well-lit area."

 

Krone says she's still left a little confused on what to do in the future. Know from DPS' standpoint, that if you don't stop for an emergency vehicle you are breaking the law, no matter what time of day.

 

Christine Nelson reporting. cnelson@kltv.com

 

I've seen the video clip of what happened after she finally stopped (at her house), and the way she was treated was just completely outrageous. Officer didn't even listen to what she had to say about why she didn't stop or anything. Technically, the officer may have been in the right in following procedures for making an arrest, but realistically, he was just being power hungry.

 

Just wait until one of his relatives get attacked by a fake cop and it's being said that they should have done what that lady did, he'll feel like a heel for treating her like shit.

[Quackster]

That's stupid.

[eva]

i have a big problem with this just because we've had a problem with a guy dressing up as a sheriff and pulling women over in the country at night. i would hope that the law would be a little more flexible when people are trying to be safe... at least in places where there have already been incidents with fake police. as long as she did pull over eventually and didn't like take off going a bajillion miles an hour, i don't really see what the problem is. the advice given here was basically the same about putting on the flashing lights and slowing down until you get to a well lit place. i can see calling 911 too, if you were really freaked out, but just looking at a vehicle doesn't necessarily mean you can tell what it is at night. i'd think most people would expect anyone with lights on top to be the police, and people do some tricky things. i think it'd be better to risk getting a bigger ticket and fighting it in court than getting raped or something.