The title might suggest this belongs elsewhere but since it is motoring related I thought I'd put it in here. On Saturday a friend and I were at a gas station. While there a Toyota arrived on the forecourt occupied by a 20 something couple. The driving was "interesting" to say the least as the female driver parked front on across the entry door and appeared lost. It all became clear when she threw her empty vodka cruiser out the window and proceeded to open another - yep, she was well and truly p!ssed. My friend called the police who advised him to take the keys if it were possible. Being a large lad he simply opened the door and removed them. All very simple. Drunk drivers boyfriend took exception to this, walked around the car and starts kicking my friend - kick boxing style. Probably a waste of time since the big lad is 160kg. Ultimately my friend pushes the fool against the car and squashes him there until the police arrive. So, one more drunk driver off the road - she was double the adult limit. Great result - until last night however when friend gets a knock on the door to be informed he was being charged with assault.
This kinda nonsense is precisely what causes people to turn a blind eye and in turn allows drunk drivers to continue on to cause carnage on our roads. Fan bloody tastic.
kazbanz,
Nov 22, 6:49am
Rayzor- Isn't that total rubbish!I guess the only positive is that the sewrvo will Have CCTV so if it goes anywhere the evidence will speak for itself.
howie69,
Nov 22, 6:59am
Bloody Idiot Police. They should have been around with a medal for your mate, not a summons. Suggest he contacts the local opposition member and asks him to look into it. It's election time and the only time a politician will make any effort. They may be able to kick it upstairs and get it thrown out
rsr72,
Nov 22, 7:05am
You officially demand in writing/supoena the police tape of the callwhere they requested you to take the keys. - they will drop the matter.
pup2,
Nov 22, 7:06am
+1 Good idea. John Key did say the other day that the police have lots of free time, to much free time since they are now charging someone for doing something to save lives. Good call Kaz on the camera. Prob the only way he will get off.
smac,
Nov 22, 7:14am
Don't know, wasn't there, but imagine this is 'due process' until the driver is convicted. The passenger has obviously laid a complaint, so they don't have much choice. At the moment it's your mates word against the passenger that the driver was drinking/drunk. I have heard of people attempting to entrap people into assaults/fights etc with this sort of thing. SO police have to cover their arses, in THIS case I don't think they have any choice.
Would be good to hear the eventual outcome.
geedubu,
Nov 22, 7:19am
Your friend has a sober witness (you); possibly other witnesses!CCTV footage; his recollection of the conversation with police (write it down while it is fresh).Can't see how any prosecution could go ahead let alone succeed.
kazbanz,
Nov 22, 7:25am
Ya know its not even a matter of if the mate "gets off" the charge or not. The simple fact that a charge has been laid. He has to go to the effort to get off of the charge be it by simply contacting the police or be it by having the drama of going to court its still going to cost him. the cost may just be some time or may involve time off work.
jono2912,
Nov 22, 8:57am
It's a process Kaz, Smac is right. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, welcome to our justice system.
i-n-horz,
Nov 22, 9:11am
What a friigin pain in the ass.bet ya if your mate knew he'd have to put up with the bullsh!t of the justice system he would've had second thoughts taking the action of a concerned citizen.probably best to just grab the keys and run'em to local cop shop and let them deal with it.
smac,
Nov 22, 9:16am
Wise up guys, if anybody could pin down anyone else just because they thought something wrong was being done, with no right of redress, think where we'd be. As above the passenger has laid a complaint, so the Police have to act on that until they get to the bottom of it. Doesn't mean it will ever go to court.
shelleigh,
Nov 22, 9:43am
Smac do you not consider being kicked wrong! Hopefully there is footage of that idiot who was the one doing the assualting. And of the stupid female.
OP good on your friend for doing the right thing. It's a pity more don't do that.
smac,
Nov 22, 9:59am
Of course I do. Which bit of what I said have you construed to mean I don't!
crzyhrse,
Nov 22, 10:04am
More good work from the clowns in blue.
crzyhrse,
Nov 22, 10:06am
Now, first and foremost, your friend should remain silent, but I bet he's already given them a statement.
shelleigh,
Nov 22, 10:08am
The first bit. Obviously I picked you up wrong. Would be good if the one doing the kicking got charged. OP has your friend laid an assault charge against the other guy!
crzyhrse,
Nov 22, 10:11am
If what the OP says is accurate, and only he can know this, it sounds like there's been next to no investigation done. They'll be hoping for an early guilty plea which they may get solely because the cost of defending the charge is so exorbitant.
elect70,
Nov 22, 1:02pm
Now he knows, dontinterfereits plods jobto police the roadrulesnot joe publicIts not the first time its happened .And police wantthe publicshelp!
foxdonut,
Nov 22, 1:04pm
Is this a true story! I've never heard of Police comms operators (111 people are non-sworn members of the police force) arbitrarily handing out authority to joe citizen to confiscate keys of peoples cars or place people "under arrest" in a gas station.
rayzor14,
Nov 22, 1:06pm
Nope, he told them the moment they told him he would be charged that he was not interested in making any further comment and they could go ahead and do what they had to do.
rayzor14,
Nov 22, 1:11pm
How has anything I said managed to be twisted to represent a comms operator giving out authority to place anyone under arrest. Given that the driver was incapable of negotiating her way around a service station forecourt the act of removing the keys was a given and no instruction or permission was needed, he would have done it anyway - as would I to anyone in that state. As for "arresting someone"! The guy began kicking crap out of my friend in an effort to retrieve the keys to the car so his drunk driving girlfriend could drive off before the police arrived. As a result of this he was simply pinned against the car - not to detain him but simply to prevent him continuing kicking the hell out of the guy who (in my view) had quite rightly removed the car keys.
rayzor14,
Nov 22, 1:13pm
Lastly, I undertsand the security tapes have been uplifted today so I would imagine that will evidence the facts - hopefully some common sense will prevail.
pollymay,
Nov 22, 1:15pm
Why couldn't the police talk to a few witnesses and just come to a conclusion on the spot. What kind of nonsense is it to listen to some drunk prick rather than use logic.
foxdonut,
Nov 22, 1:26pm
I'm simply enquiring who keeps a police constable's number on their phone.
I assume your friend dialled 111.
The rest of your post is speculation.
I don't disagree with the point, but its actually a big deal if the operators are telling people to confiscate property, even from people who are breaking the law. Its not the role of a telephone operator to be dictating the best course of action in that situation.
What would of happened if your friend was stabbed or run over!
mike77,
Nov 22, 2:01pm
fowdonut speil sounds like politicallt correct nonsense!
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