Told in a story that is inundating the comments feature of our Web site (1650 comments and counting), Dallas police Officer Robert Powell pulled over NFL player Ryan Moats as he was trying to get family members to the hospital to see their dying loved one.
But that's not the only thing department officials are now investigating him for. Comments he made to a Plano police officer afterward - while his dashcam tape was still rolling - also are drawing scrutiny.
Powell told the other officer he was in a chase after a traffic stop in January. He said the motorist pulled away and drove toward him while fleeing.
Under a strict pursuit policy, Dallas officers may only chase those suspected of a violent felony. Often in a post-chase report, it is an officer's own perception of being assaulted in some way that provides justification.
"I worded it that I was in fear of being run over; the chase was on," Powell told the other officer.
Chief David Kunkle had this to say at the news conference today:
"It appears, what he said, to have been contrary to our pursuit policy, to where he may have lied about the circumstances under which the pursuit began. So that is something else we are going to investigate."
View this article's author, Steve Thompson Crime Blog here.
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