KUDOS To Dothan Police - Lt. Jeremy Collins Squad

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 5297

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jun 24 2016 11:21 AM

DOTHAN:   This article is going to be somewhat vague as to all of the details. But that is due to the nature of the event.

Last evening Dothan Police were dispatched to a child driving a vehicle. The officers encountered the vehicle and attempted to stop the vehicle. The child fled.

Dothan Police Patrol Lt. Jeremy Collins, the night shift commander of the officers on duty, instructed the officers not to give chase to the vehicle. And they did not.

The officers were driving 25 MPH and the child was speeding away at like 55 MPH. And I know this because I was directly behind the officers.

Based on the 911 call and the information provided to the officers, they had a idea where the child was headed to.

Again Lt. Collins came over the radio and instructed that multiple officers DO NOT approach the child.

The child did drive to the place where the 911 information provided indicated.

There was an exchange of words between the child and the officers. The child, 11 years old, was verbally and physically out of control and the mother was verbally out of control.

The child had to be placed in handcuffs because of the uncontrollable behavior. The child kicked the police officer. The child needed two things, major discipline and major love.

The child yelled about taking his life that no one cared.

The officers that were there, did an OUTSTANDING job of managing the situation, which was in public at a public business. It was a situation where you wanted to take a belt and wear that kids buttocks out. And that needed to be done.

But in addition, you wanted to also take the child, hug him and let him know that he was loved, his life mattered, he mattered, and talk of taking his life was not to even be considered.

The officers were doing a great professional job of letting the child know that people did care. Unfortunately they could not do the other task that was needed in wearing his buttocks out with a belt. 

Dothan Fire was called, non emergency, to respond. The Dothan Fireman also did an outstanding job of handling the situation.

No one wants to see or be involved in these type encounters. The kid driving the vehicle needed to be stopped and officers turning lights and sirens on, well that would have made the incident worse. A chase would have taken place and it would have been a safe bet a wreck or wrecks would have occurred.

The call by Lt. Collins was appropriate. Then multiple officers on the scene would have increased the intensity of the situation.

And the officers, hey they would have been justified in slamming the kid when he kicked the officer. But every situation commands a different response.

Officers are placed in all type of situations. And the manner in which handled is often times "off the cuff" as the situation develops. And then officers are placed in situations with limited resources at their discretion. What do you do?

Something I feel important to point out...this child was a black child. The officers were white officers. And these officers did a great balance of attempting to make it known to this child, people care about you as an individual person and the officers truly care about you. Your behavior is totally unacceptable, but never think you are not cared for.

The race of the persons was not a factor. This could happen to any race. But if you witnessed the situation unfold as I did, you quickly realized race was not a factor to the Dothan Police Officers in the handling, management, firmness but with compassion for a child emotionally troubled.

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