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twitterDriver in fatal crash with officer wasn’t drunk, to be released
Friday, May 8, 2009 | 7:38 p.m.
Officer James Manor
Sun archives
A man who was involved in a collision that led to the death of a Metro Police officer was to be released from prison Friday night.
Metro Police and the Clark County District Attorney's Office made a joint decision to release 35-year-old Calvin Darling on his own recognizance while the traffic collision investigation continues, police said.
Preliminary information from the scene of the crash at West Flamingo Road and Ravenwood Drive supported the suspect's arrest for charges of driving under the influence involving death and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, police said. Earlier Friday, Metro Police received the results of blood tests performed after the collision.
The tests indicated Darling wasn't over the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08 and did not have illegal drugs in his system, police said.
Based on those test results, the decision was made to release Darling. Because blood tests are only a part of the overall investigation into this incident, the charges in this case remain the same, police said.
Darling was involved in the fatal crash on Thursday that led to the death of 28-year-old Metro Officer James Manor, who was trapped in his police cruiser for more than an hour after the 1:49 a.m. collision.
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According to the eyewitnesses the Metro Cop killed was driving with no lights or sirens. Now the man that hit him was not under the influence as originally stated by Metro. What is going on here? This man had no record and was outstanding citizen and became a victom of a smear job by the Media and perhaps metro. I hope someone gets to the truth on this story, for the officers sake and the other accident victom.
The lady that witnessed the accident "Tarin" says the truck driver did not appear intoxicated she also says the cop cars did not have there lights on. She said she saw everything moments after it happened the dust hadn't even settled yet she said the cop car not involved did not have his lights on until later. She went further to say the cops that arrived after the accident were extremely ABUSIVE, BELLIGERENT AND THREATENING even though she stated she was a witness and has medical training and was attempting to render assistance they threatened her with prison if she didn't leave immediately. She said they didn't want to take her testimony or the testimony of the other witness. It's my hope that this gets to court and the truth about the way metro acted in this situation is made fully public this is a DISGRACE and this kind of response to a citizen just trying to do the right thing is INEXCUSABLE. I sorry if I sound like I don't care that a fine officer was killed, nothing could be farther from the truth. My point is all to often the truth is covered up and the actual facts regarding a situation never become public. My thoughts and condolences to those who have lost a friend or family member.
WOW!!!Shame on metro for announcing he was arrested for DUI I hope those charges were dropped.I sit and listened to them puring there heart out about how the guy was so drunk.This is where they get a bad name.I think this was just an accident no mal intention. what did the officer driving behind him say.Hail to the civil lawsuit that will take place in this case.I hope all winesses come forward because this officer who passed,I'm sure he would perfer the truth be told then someone going to jail because the city wants to save money on a lawsuit.I would back Metro 100% if they were right,but if not I would sing like a bird to tell the truth.The officer is gone,let's don't make another suffer!
WOW maybe you all should go to law school! You don't have to be over .08 to be impaired or to have it be a factor in impaired driving. They had PC for the arrest so I doubt a well publicized case would be fabricated. The fcats will come out and the truth will be told, it is a loss for all. This community is so concerned with drugs, gangs, theft ect ect yet the #1 killer accross the country is drinking. If everyone is so concerned maybe direct your energy to the larger problems and the large numbers of people that drink and drive. DUI deaths far out number any other crime stats, its just as funny as "smokers" claiming they tricked them into smoking! I guess some people never learn and are quick to judge, doesnt the fcat that they released this poor guy speak volumes that they are acting within the law? I guess not...maybe you should have another smoke!!! oh and of course another drink!
I feel so bad for the family, but seriously they only make a big deal about this because he was a police man. They never ever make a big deal when there's a fatal crash with a real drunk driver! Not only the news made a huge ordeal but also the cops. I want to know what they would do if Calvin wasn't a cop. We probably wouldn't even know about this if he wasn't a cop. It's so dumb.
I agree that b/c he was a cop it made the news. The reason it made the news is because his job is to keep the public safe and while en route to a domestic violence call he was killed by a drunk driver. Any unnecessary death is tragic, but it is especially tragic when it is someone that works to keep the peace. Why can't we let this man rest in peace?
Really, "Common Sense"? "They", the media? They never make a "big deal" over a "real" drunk driver? What about the poor UNLV student that was killed on the 215 by a drunk driving going the wrong way? Please, before you start stating you have common sense, do your homework! Calvin wasn't the cop in this story either. Calvin was the suspect that failed the field sobriety tests. That is why he was arrested and given a blood test.
There are very few calls that police can go to using lights and sirens. One of these would be a domestic battery call, where a female has locked herself in a room and her aggressor is trying to harm her. If it were your daughter would you want the police to take their time (driving the speed limit)?
We will know if the cops had their lights on or not. It's logged on their computers whether the lights and sirens were used or not.
Regardless of whether or not the lights and sirens were on, the other driver made a left turn and the cop had the right of way and the actual offense is called left turn fail to yield.
Cambridge, your the type of cop that gives metro a bad name. Y
Preliminary information supported the arrest. The cop was dead and the driver was ?????? not a cop (being polite).. People should be FIRED, or charged. If the poor guy had a few drinks and did nothing wrong he would be charged with manslaughter or worse. This is outrageous.
This is exactly the type of accident in which most motorcyclist's are killed. Driver turns left in front of oncoming traffic and does not yield to the oncoming traffic. Rip to the officer and hopefully the civilian will only face failure to yield charges unless more info comes out showing him to be impaired. And why does metro not have dash cameras? So dumb I mean little hick towns have dash cameras on their police cars why dont we? That would answer the question as to whether the police sirens were on or not. And also seeing the accident before the dust clears is not actually witnessing the accident so that testimony is mostly useless in court.
sorry im not a cop and neither are the 4 roomates here. we are just tax paying law abiding citizens. I know a few cops, cops that risk their lives protecting others that break the law and detract from the quality of life of the valley.
Well I'm afraid metro has a real problem now the drunk driving excuse is out. The fact the cop was driving with out lights and sirens has been verified by two witnesses and I'm sure the truck driver will corroborate this as well. This means the second officer has obviously lied to his superiors and to the press. Don't forget he was also driving way over the speed limit with out lights and sirens against department policy and the law. The truck drivers and the witnesses testimony is going to be very important or shall we say very damaging to metros case. Good luck metro you can't weasel your way out of this one. As to the truck driver turning in front of the cruiser at the distance the cruiser was at if it had been going the speed limit 45 the truck driver would have had plenty of time leave the intersection. It was dark the truck driver only saw head lights at a distance he could not have known the vehicle was going 90+ mph. CASE CLOSED NOT GUILTY.
You may be right weston, time will tell. Kudos to some logical feedback unlike CPO who based on his comments and other comments he posted has a problem with authority. It is a shame for all involved with the incident. DUI is so common and despite if it has anything validity to this case it is a common problem in the area. More accountability should be had by those that drink and those that serve it. We all know people related to a DUI in some fashion yet it really is not frowned against,it seems the stigma is more of a " I got caught " rather than a harsher one. I hope you all stay safe because it happens everyday 24 hrs a day out here.
So, now the pulitzer prize (for journalistic bravery) winning LAS VEGAS SUN is allowing comments on this matter, instead of deleting any comments that claimed METRO were lying about the officer having his SIRENS AND LIGHTS ON despite multiple eye witnesses saying THEY WERE OFF.
Where was the SUN's bravery when it came to investigating the OBVIOUS MOB HIT on BUFFALO JIM BARRIER and METRO's subsequent COVER-UP?
Shouldn't Metro also blood test both officers?
Cambridge you keep throwing the red herring up that this was a DUI, . You then try and dismiss anyone that disagrees with you as somehow having a problem with authority. Cops like YOU are the problem I have with authority.
Did everyone miss the part where the man driving the pick up truck after the collision, and injured also, had the sense to climb out of his vehical with a fire extinguisher and tried to assist the police officer in the other vehicle ?? Drunk ? I don't think so !!
The facts have never been covered up in a well publicized case before....Hmmmmmmm
This whole accident is a tradgety for all involved,that includes everyone that was there.This certain officer had been in my store many times,and allways held himself at a high standard to himself and metro,and will be missed by everyone he was in contact.It was allways a pleasure to serve him in anyway i could,and if possible, try to take the evenings events off his mind if only for a minute.We hear all the time its better the truth be told by all officers,and as the facts come out,we will all know what happened.If it does turn out that infact his light bar was not activated,the officer behind him shall save the department the shame of this whole thing,and leave.I also do know that when a call does go out,it is in many ways,all units,one unit,or a primary and a back up unit.And when the unit arrives,the call is cleared, arrival on a button on the keyboard.Not a good time for metro to loose public support here.Too much has allready been lost.
Every police car has a dashboard camera play back the video, All questions then will be answered. If the officer had his lights and siren on the law then states that the officer had the right of way.
Driving under the influence if just that, under the influence. It doesn't matter the level of the BAC or Drug used, this could be over the counter medicines or doctor prescription; you're still under the influence and shouldn't be driving. The legal threshold has no bearing on the charges filed. If the driver was under the influence regardless, put him in prison where he belongs. Drivers need to understand the taking any type of medicine that impairs your abilities and you choose to drive, you are breaking the law and this could have been you. When in doubt, don't drive. It only takes a second to forever change your life and your family's life.
The media is always bias toward public officials verses the death the young lady and all other private individuals who pass away from such a tragic event. The media here in Las Vegas slant left, attain your own facts and don't rely on the leftist media. Just because they say something, doesn't mean it is true; it is their interpretation of the facts.
The cop is dead. Yes, very tragic. The man charged was released late last night because his blood was under 008. The issue with the emergency lights will play a big part in the investigation.
However, my beef is with the RJ. They had a story on Friday about the girl that called 911. That was a phony call. Her mother said that her daughter was bi-polar.
Today the RJ ran another story about the girl, leaving out the information of her being bi-polar. The story is framed to shame this family as well as the truck driver. Typical RJ slant to blame everyone except the cop who may or may not had the lights on. As I said, it is tragic for the cop to be dead, but how this plays out in the press is also tragic.
The Las Vegas Sun totally dropped the ball on this story. They never reported that multiple eyewitnesses said the police car had no lights and siren on and was estimated to have been going 90-100 mph. When Gillespie went on TV and stated that the lights and siren were on he was lying. Now in turns out the drunk driving charge was a lie as well. This was a tragedy for those involved. Metro's lying and attempted coverup has turned it into a farce. The Sun's nonreporting of the story is either bad jounalism or willfull neglect.
CPO when your back from Ruby Ridge re read the comments Im not a cop, we are four graduate students that help pay for medicare and your presciptions for lithium. Once again tragic for all parties. It would be great if all parties including the media were held to higher standards.
Typical police.
Lie #1: The cop's L&S were on. LIE!
Lie #2: The other party was impaired. LIE!
Step right up folks for lie #3. Any takers? Can we get some action at the books?
It figures that all these cop haters would also be LV Sun readers.
I don't see anything here that qualifies as "cop hating". The fact of the matter is the police lied about the lights and sirens being on. The police also tried to frame the pickup driver. What we are left with is the story: according to all eyewitness accounts, two patrol cars were speeding down Flamingo at 90-100 mph without their lights or sirens on. If the police would have just admitted that in the first place there would be no problem. But they saw fit to lie and attempt to cover up the truth. In the end, the truth usually does come out. In this case the truth is verified by eyewitness accounts and a blood test. The only remaining question is why no one is investigating the other officer who was speeding without his lights and siren and then lied about it. And why did Sherrif Gillespie go on TV to say that the lights and sirens were on when ALL non-police accounts say the opposite. Not exactly the kind of behavior we expect from law enforcement. We all want to support the police. Want we cannot support is the lying and attempted coverups of mistakes by the police.
Let me see any of you have a HORRIFIC accident, get out of your truck after flipping across the street and help put a fire out. On top of that remember this man had just been in one huge accident. Do you think you are going to walk straight, talk without problems, or any of those things? Let me see you do it. Flip over and smash yourself all over the place and then concentrate on taking a test. See how fast you fail too when it's a cop that is hurt and dies. He could have had some serious injuries and also died but before he did he wanted to try and save the life of the officer that was trapped.
You guys are making this man out to be something so horrible, when in fact all he did was misjudge a turn; that could happen to anyone. Since a cop was killed this man should pay for it the rest of his life, according to some.
He was not drunk, he was not over the legal limit and had no drugs in his system. How easy that would have been for Metro and the citizens had he been, but it's not. It's time to let this drop and let both families start the healing process.
Why charge this man for something that could have happened to anyone at anytime? I find it sad some of the public wants to see him rot in jail because he made a bad decision to turn into oncoming traffic. I find it even more sad that people still want to say he was drunk, too. Remember everything you say here, could easily happen to you the next time you get behind the wheel. Would you want to have to fight for your life because you made a bad choice in driving and killed a cop by accident? He didn't do it on purpose. It's time for this man to get some respect too because he has been slammed by his neighbors, media and the cops.
Where is the report proving the lights and sirens were on before he chose to pull out in front of them. Let me see that. I don't think we ever will see it actually.
1 cop says they were on, more than five people (non cops) say they were not on, they have nothing to gain so the reason for them to lie would be what?
A lot has been written and said about a story that contained the word allegedly. We are all quick to judge after reading a story in the newspaper or seeing a story in the news without realizing that these mediums are just churning out stories without 100% fact. Let this play out in the forum it's designed for, which isn't here.
One fact that all of us drivers need to realize is the reduction in reaction times with the increase in speed. Remember, most of us learned this back in our teens?
At 45 MPH (speed limit on most city streets) we're traveling 61.3 fps while at 70 MPH (which I see a lot of drivers doing) we're traveling 95.4 fps. Remember this the next time someone turns in front of you or pulls out of a parking lot into your lane. Cars are not installed with radar guns and computers to calculate the "can I make it", it's totally up to our mental calculations. Speed limits are set for a reason, and that's not to see who far we can exceed it.
About the cops lying, this is what they're paid to do, they're habitual liars and don't know any better. They'll come up with any excuse to avoid a lawsuit, it is the training they receive, deny all allegations and support our politics. This is American politics and we'll never change it. Show be a public servant who says they are honest, I'll show you a liar every time.
Public officials and Law Enforcement should be held to a higher standard but the system enables them to lie in order to gain information they actually believe they wouldn't attain if they didn't lie. They've justified this practice for years and I do believe, once a liar always a liar. Until the system recognizes that a liar is a liar, it will remain this way. We the people are held to a different standard, when public officials / servants are held to the same standards then America will become less divided.
With respects to drinking, many people drink and drive and cops themselves are no different, I know many police officers throughout my years on earth and they are heavier drinkers than the general public. They use job stress as an excuse; they don't get caught as often and it is left out of the media spotlight when they are caught. The unions don't allow disclosure; they call it invasion of privacy.
Drive around and find the cop bar and watch and see how many have their drinks and then get behind the wheel and drive home, you'd be amazed. And, these are the very people pulling Americans over, it is called a double standard and this has to change. Give them daily BAC tests / Medicine testing before the work shift begins and we'll see how many fail but the unions don't allow this, they call it invasion of privacy.
I don't drink and I see drunks and hang over's daily with what I do for a living, I fire them on the spot without union involvement. When I was involved with the union, I couldn't fire, I had to put these people through rehab and then bring them back when completed. So you wonder why the system is broke, no accountability; just more appeasement.
Girl concocted story of domestic violence.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/44634087.html
Read this article and where is is the outrage and why isn't the girl being charged? I would tend to think this is just another way of appeasement.
ALOT of COP bashing Usually people that hate cops are people that go 100mph than bit@h about a ticket. They dont know cops and think its "cool" to hate them bc they have been brainwashed by Mtv and hollywood OR they are usually breaking the law themsleves and as a result hate all cops FOR DOING THEIR JOBS.
Blame THE COP FOR NOT HAVING HIS SIREN ON???
WHO CARES IF THEY DRIVER WAS NOT DRUNK IF WASNT HIS FAULT!?!?!?
HE MADE AN ILLEGAL LEFT AND NOW SOMEONE IS DEAD! CHARGE THIS SOB AND SET AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL THE CRAPPY DRIVERS IN VEGAS. EVERYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE CRAPPY DRIVERS YET WHEN SOMEONE DIES AS A RESULT OF those SAME crappy drivers PEOPLE ARE TOO LIBERAL TO LOCK THEIR A$$ UP?!?!?
its circle talk
AND for all you Cop bashers GET A LIFE and a set of BALLS or actaully meet some cops and you know they are not all JERKS WHO LIKE "HARRASING" PEOPLE
I saw a comment about when someone was at the scene the COPS were a little pissed and NOT POLITE. POLITE???? How would you feel if your family member or freind just got killed? A little pissed? Like I said GET A LIFE and STOP BASHING COPS bc you liberals know that if someone has a gun to your head YOU WOULD LOVE COPS THEN
FOR THE MORON THAT SAID "IF THE COP HAD HIS LIGHTS AND SIREN ON HE WOULD HAVE HAD THE RIGHT AWAY"
THAT DOESNT MATTER THE D1CK IN THE PICKUP MADE AN -ILLEGAL- LEFT SO THE COP OR ANY CITIZEN DRIVING
---HAD THE RIGHT AWAY-
THINK B4 YOU PEOPLE SPEAK
SORRY NOT ILLEGAL LEFT HE JUST FAILED TO YIELD
YIELD YIELD YIELD YIELD
5 YEARS IN THE SLAMMER FOR THE PICKUP DRIVER AND TO LYNN YEAH THE SUN DOES HAVE MORE LIBERAL READERS JUST LOOK AT THE IMMEDIATE COP BASHING OF COPS
THAT DOESNT EXCUSE THE LYING OF SOME
BAD APPLES IN EVERY BUNCH
STATISTICALLY IN THIS ROOM AT LEAST 2 PEOPLE HAVE CHEATED ON THEIR SPOUSES SO WHAT KIND OF COMMENT DO YOU EXPECT OVERALL?
LIKE I SAID MOST PEOPLE THAT HATE COPS USUALLY ARE BREAKING THE LAW AND HATE COPS FOR ENFORCING IT
INSTEAD OF HATING COPS GET OFF YOU @SS AND TELL YOUR ----------LAWMAKERS---------
TO CHANGE THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS
We don't need to change the laws, just have the police follow them and perform proper procedure. I am a strong supporter of the police, but they look like they are lying in this case. A big mistake on their part as it does them a tremendous disservice in the end.
As time unfolds and all the eyewitness accounts are heard, I am am certain Darling will quietly be let off with no charges. Quietly because the police do not want to draw attention to their own misconduct.
If you are going to make a left hand turn and there is a car half a block down the street do you wait? I don't think so you have plenty of time to make the turn. I went to the scene of the accident the cop hit his breaks at least 80 -- 100 yards before the intersection that's a football fields length and even after colliding with the truck both vehicles still went 40 -- 50 yards past the intersection. If the cop had been doing the speed limit the truck driver would have had plenty of time to clear the intersection, but the truck driver didn't know and couldn't tell the cop was going 90+-mph. Until you go down there and see for yourself you have no idea what you are talking about.
No lights and No siren driving 90+, Wow if all that is true someone owes that citizen a new truck. I just wonder why Metro would say he was drunk? He passed the test, he was helping at the scene and they still smeared him in the media and lied about the lights and siren?
If it turns out that Metro lied about this it would be bad very bad for them.
I just have a few things to say since everyone is bad mouthing the whole case. Just because Mr. Darling was released from jail does not mean he was not drunk at the time of the accident. Mr. Darling admitted that he had been drinking, do not forget that. Blood test came back that Mr. Darling was under .08... Everyone is jumping to conclusions about this. I have not heard how much he was under and that does not prove he was not drunk at the time of the accident. You have to consider those results are flawed because I there is a times lapse between the actual accident and when the blood was drawn at the hospital. Depending on the time that could have been just enough for Mr. Darling to have sobered up to be bellow .08. Driving after drinking is unacceptable and puts lives at risk. As for the whole lights and sirens that is up for debate. Many times people forget the details when they witness a traumatic event. I think this accident qualifies as a traumatic event. In the end Officer Manor gave his life trying to help someone who had placed a false report into police. I was trying to get there as fast as he could to help and "innocent" girl. My question is what kind of punishment is that girl going to receive? Next time all you want to call the police and you want them there the second you call I hope it the take their time and drive with caution and avoid every traffic law out there, because a police officers life is more important than your disrespect to the profession.
-Kyle
Obey all traffic laws** sorry for the multiple typos just goes to show how much you dont care about grammar or spelling then you are flustered.
If his blood test came back under the legal limit, then legally he wasn't drunk. And that's pretty much all that matters vis a vis the law.
If the officers at the scene even thought the guy was drunk, why didn't they give him a breathalyzer **on the spot**? After all, isn't that what those are for? I was under the impression they were used to mark the exact time (or as close as possible) and to provide some evidence should the blood test be taken some time after the incident.
There are entirely too many things about this accident that simply do not add up; that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. And sadly I doubt we'll ever know the truth.
Just as an FYI .... I was driving south on Rancho yesterday near Texas station. I thought I caught a glimpse of something and looked into my rear-view mirror to see lights on a police car a bit away. So I slowed and moved to the right as per usual. Suddenly, the police car zooms passed me, no lights, no sirens, going well over the posted 45 MPH speed limit. This is not one of those stories that people post to make someone look bad; this actually happened. It isn't the first time either but one would think that in light of what's going on ..... but then, one would be wrong I suppose.
Metro stated he was under the influence. You don't need to blow an .08 to be under the influence its called a wet neglegience. Clearly the driver had some type of intoxicant in his system that imparied his driving ability. Not rocket science folks just need to know your laws.
You are not going to conduct FST's (field sobriety test) on scene when your suspect is a "crash victim" as well. Had they conducted FST's on scene to an injured party he could sue them for not getting him proper and immediate medical attention... Use your head before you speak. Also as to your incident on rancho many times police are not allowed to respond to call for service running code depending on the crime and circumstances. For all you know that Officer was trying to catch a suspect and was running lights and sirens until he was close and then shut them off as to not alert the suspect as to how close he actually is, in hopes of getting some scum-bag off the streets so you can feel safe. Everyone always looks for that scandal especially when it comes to the police because for some reason the public thinks they abuse their power as police officers. If only you knew, as many laws are out there, there are just as many laws and rights out there that prevent officers from doing their job to the full capacity. I know metro has been accused of stuff in the past so it is no real surprise that they once again are in the spot light however Metro has a great reputation and they are considered by other departments as an outstanding department so I wont hold my breath when they prove what actually happened on that night. Funny seems everyone in Las Vegas all of a sudden has a law degree and thinks they are an expert overnight.... give me a break!
Some of the statements here are nonsense. We seem to have a whole bunch of armchair cops here.
"Clearly the driver had some type of intoxicant in his system that imparied his driving ability" You have no way of knowing that. The results of the blood test when made available will show a reading far under .08. Whether Darling was actually impaired will be determined in a court of law. That is if the charges are not dropped before then.
From all available evidence, it appears that the excessive speed of the patrol car was the determining factor in this accident. This is not my supposition, but comes from five different eyewitnesses. The same witnesses all state that the police car did not have lights and siren on before the crash.
It is a shame that the Police had to lie about the lights and siren and also lied about the accident itself, first claiming that Darling hit the patrol car. What started out as a tragedy of a fine officer responding to a call has become a coverup. And then we have the girl who started the entire thing with a bogus 911 call. Enough already.
I was in a similar collision once with someone traveling at a high rate of speed. I was making a left turn. I checked for on-coming traffic there was none to the normal distance one would look up the on-coming lane before making a (legal) left turn.
Due to the speed of the on-coming vehicle the collision occurred before I could complete my (now illegal) left turn. That my turn that began as a legal one could be made illegal by the action of another was a surprise to me but I had some pretty sound legal advice.
In most states if you grab your wheel, spin it to the left and ANY circumstances result in an accident it is your fault, contributory negligence of alcohol consumption within legal limits or that the other driver are usually secondary.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the fallen brave officer. What a tragic loss.
The other driver will be charged appropriately and fault assessed under the same laws as everyone else. There are no Super-Citizens, we are all just Citizens, some of us wear uniforms others don't.
Please try to remember that.
Hard to believe all the anti-police undertones, then again maybe not too hard to understand.
Can the surviving officers at such a scene conduct themselves dispassionately?
As if the injured person were a citizen like any other?
Should they accept ad-hoc offers to help?
Investigate in an un-biased manor?
Honestly assess the scene so the lessons can be learned to avoid such a tragedy in the future?
Yeah, they should, sounds easy.
But it's not!
What if your friend and colleague was dying right in front of you? How would YOU react?
Think about it.
Robertlv,
The only armchair Police Officer here is you. I was inciting law as an ex-police officer you dip s***. Yes this is a tragic accident and we will leave it at that, but you are an idiot to assume that the driver did not have an intoxicant in his system when he admitted to drinking alcohol at a bar and smelled of impurities similar to alcohol. Any type of intoxicant in your system can impair your driving whether illegal or not.
bush2hater -
If you are an ex-cop, then god help the police dept you were staffed at. You know nothing of the law for your claim of being a cop. In addition you are rude and have no business interfacing with the public. In the space of one paragraph you managed to try to insult me twice. The only result is a poor reflection on yourself and your attitude. Odds are you are no cop as I have a higher opinion of our police force.
Just as an FYI, "ko51", I come from a very LONG line of cops. But you wouldn't know that, would you? So, "[u}se your head before you speak", eh?
"For all you know that Officer was trying to catch a suspect and was running lights and sirens until he was close and then shut them off as to not alert the suspect as to how close he actually is, in hopes of getting some scum-bag off the streets so you can feel safe."
And for all YOU know that "scumbag" WAS the cop. So again, "[u]se your head before your speak."
"... Metro has a great reputation and they are considered by other departments as an outstanding department ..."
Well, it doesn't really matter all that much what "other departments" think, does it? Because those "other departments" aren't here, are they? What matters, rightly or wrongly, is Metro's history HERE and frankly it's a bit less than stellar (or "great").
What makes even less sense than many of the alleged "facts" that have been reported about this incident is BOTH SIDES of the "armchair cops" .... both pro AND con. Unless you were there you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
robert lv Right on, There are a couple of ex cops or current cops that posted here, bush2hater and cambridge mainly and really makes me worry that Metro has to hire these type of people. Clearly they have no idea who they work for, and make it all the more believable that Metro may have led a smear job on this civilian and try and cover it up. P
Patricia, you are more than entitled to your opinion but just because you came from a "LONG line of cops" means nothing. Until you are one and feel all the emotions a cop goes through after seeing what we see then you can talk about what its like... Use your head before you think because no Police Officer really shares the full scope of the emotions he has, we keep it inside and within the brotherhood. Not even our families know how we really feel. But you wouldn't know that struggle. My family member was a Metro officer who was killed in the line of duty, but you wouldnt have known that either... I suggest you follow your own advice and think before you speak. This incident has brought out all the bad memories of my families struggle and it has done the same for every other family who lost a son a brother and a friend.
I know we all feel sadden that someone has lost their life, this was clearly avoidable and the sorrow we all feel towards this officers family will always be in our hearts.
I believe the issue isn't if the lights and sirens wee on, t he issue is what was the causation of this horrific incident?
If the driver of the truck had any substance in his system, regardless if he was below, above, or at the legal limits is what the issue is. If the driver had any substance in his blood steam, regardless of the level, he shouldn't have been driving. He made the choice to open his door, start his engine and drive, where he could have called a cab, friend, family member, or walked.
The law is very clear on this subject matter, driving under the influence, it does provide a threshold where one is considered legally under the influence but this has no bearing on the law. Anyone who is involved in an accident and who is under the influence of any substance will more than likely be charged with an offense. This is what the law was enacted for, to protect the public from people driving.
The law isn't driving while intoxicated, driving while high, it is DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, it is the language used where charges could be filed. If was under the influence, he should be charged.
Re: its2hot: "Girl concocted story of domestic violence.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/44634087.html
Read this article and where is the outrage and why isn't the girl being charged? I would tend to think this is just another way of appeasement."
Thank you for the link. As you indicated, this sounds a bit "odd" to say the least. If in fact this child did this, she broke the law, and absolutely should be charged. it makes no sense otherwise. In fact, that was one of the strangest articles I've ever read..
How come the 911 calls have not been released, as many are, to the media? These sorts of calls are played on the News frequently...
Another little oddity, miniscule, but it did catch my attention... the donut comment.... cops and donuts.. Nor was the officer's name that supposedly went to the house of the 911 call wasn't even mentioned.
In any case, my condolences to the families of both Manor and Darling. I am hoping the truth comes out at some point. Someone made a mistake, actually it appears a lot of them, and I view Darling a victim in this as well...
it2hot, your line of thinking is completely ludicrous. Base on that argument cops should stake out every local bar in town and arrest any patron that gets behind the wheel. And if a person who has any alcohol in their system become involve in an accident that person should be automatically at fault. That's the reason they have a legal limit. The legal limit is the law, if you're under the limit you're not breaking the law, duh. Ever heard of the slogan, "over the limit, under arrest?"
Tragic accident but, their are several questions that must be answered.
A. How fast was the police officer driving?
B. Did he have his emergencncy lights on?
C. Why the rush to judgement on the other
driver?
D. What really happened, we still don't
know.
E. Will the Sheriff turn the investigation
over to the Nevada Highway Patrol?
Lvprgal:
The comment used about the bars was used to get conversation and for others to see how absurd it is just as people defending the driver who admitted he had 4-beers.
The driver got behind the wheel, end of story. The earned consequence will be justice.
The DUI laws are just that, driving under the influence, not driving over the legal limit.
The law is clear:
2) DUI Laws
The Illegal Per Se Law simply means that driving with a BAC at or above the legally prescribed limit is an offense in and of itself. However, because the BAC limits are just a guide, you can also be arrested or cited for having a lowerbut still detectableamount of alcohol in your system.
The Implied Consent Law means that you must submit to BAC testing when requested by a police officer. Getting into the car while under the influence of drugs or alcohol already "implies" your consent to being tested.
If you resist, law enforcement has been given permission to use reasonable force. You can also be arrested immediately for resisting (this is the more likely result).
I believe that many factors played a role and the truth will be told and all will be held accountable along with the girl that made the 911 call.
The point being if someone drinks, take over the counter medicines, or any other substance that impairs ones thought process, abilities, or reaction time, then they shouldnt drive. Should the person choose to drive then they better be prepared for earned consequences that follow.
If the officer contributed to this horrific accident in anyway; the officer paid the ultimate sacrifice should it be discovered through discovery that that the officer was negligent in anyway. This still does not excuse the driver if the driver had any substance whatsoever in body that impaired his thoughts or abilities in anyway. There is no excuse and the driver should have found another method of transportation to get home.
its2hot -
Your reading of the Nevada statues is correct. One can be arrested for any sign of impairment while driving, whether real or not. But in the end, the case must go before a judge and/or jury. If Darling's BAC had been above .08, there would be no contest - he is guilty. But because it was not, the judge and/or jury must be willing to convict Darling of driving impaired while his BAC was less than .08. The chance of that happening depends on how close to .08 we are talking about. If below .07, the chance is approximately ZERO. So law enforcement can arrest people all day for drunk driving, but in the end they don't get to assign guilt in the matter.
This in no way condones drinking and driving, but I am tired of seeing some posters here say that Darling had a couple of beers and therefore is guilty of driving impaired. Below .08, that is simply not the case for anything but a judge and/or jury to decide. In the case of Darling I am suspicous as to why the actual BAC was not released. If it was close to .08, I would think that Metro would already have gone public with it. Time will tell.
Seriously guys, any competent attorney is going to get this guy off these bogus charges. The only probable cause the police had was from the field sobriety test and administering such a test after the subject was in such a traumatic event does not sound reasonable to me.
Whatever the case, it sounds like the blame can be spread around to all parties involved. Its just this attack on Mr. Darling is down right sickening.
It is sad to lose any member of our society under these circumstances. Lets hope Metro revisits their policy on running code, because this could have easily been avoided.
ko51 I'm sorry for your loss but you aren't alone. I've lost a number of very close friends over the years in the line of duty and lost several more on 9/11 (police AND firefighters). I lived in NYC for 40 years before I moved out here in 2000.
That said, however, do not assume that I know nothing simply because I'm not now nor have I ever been a cop. I've known cops who shine above the rest and I've known cops who .... well, I'll keep that comment to myself. I've known the best and the worst and you can't always tell even close as you might be.
Again, NEITHER of us knows the other or what we're about or where we come from, and neither of us was there, so we should BOTH use our heads. I have written nothing that is derogatory or untrue. I have assumed nothing, yet you assume that I did. Think before you type, ko51. You dishonor the memories of your lost loved ones & colleagues and friends with your assumptions.
We sincerely appreciate the protection and bravery from our police officers and would hope honesty and accountability to never be an issue. Understandably there is much anger on this site due to this tragedy. However, I must ask is it fair that some have berated others for indicating witness statements to reports of no emergency lights nor sirens heard prior to this horrendous accident? Is it not possible that Officer Manor, being human, made an error? It happens..I say this because on 4/30/09 my daughter's SUV was in a near miss after just arriving in Las Vegas. We were in seperate vehicles, I was in the right lane she in the left and without warning and from a side street a car came speeding up behind her SUV and as if the driver just noticed she was there swerved onto the left shoulder of the road while she swerved to the right to avoid being hit. When the car passed it was traveling at a high rate of speed and we saw it to be a police car. There were no indications to an emergency. No sirens, no lights, nor flashing headlights seen in our rear view mirrors, nothing. When the police car crossed back onto the paved street THEN and ONLY THEN were the lights and sirens turned on as it proceeded quickly ahead of us. Thankfully we were just shaken up a little.
I share this story as not to place blame but to indicate that "yes" mistakes do happen. However, it is when we attempt to hide truth, create distractions of blame especially where pain already exists, we become nothing more than manipulative terroristic bullies.
We can right our mistakes by not allowing Officer Manor's death to be in vain. Support all Police Departments (economically) that utilize continuous in-service training as a tool in preventing complacency that can be the leading cause of "in the line of duty mishaps". Refresher training is not a blame thing but a good thing. Fighting amongst ourselves accomplishes little to nothing.
RIP Officer Manor as our hearts go out to you, your family and to the truck driver, Mr. Darling whose life will never be the same no matter what the outcome of this investigation.
robert_LV
I am sorry I did not know that I offended you is such a manner. I guess I'm going through withdrawals of not being able to listen to Faux News in the past few days so that I acquire some hate for any authority figure from your brothers in arms Rush Limbaugh, or Sean Hannity. I will do my best though and give you a big liberal hug since I hurt your feeling so much. Do you feel better now or do you still have all that internal hate in you from not being able to live up to your father's standards.
I have a question from you where did you acquire your legal training. Did you get your law degree from the dumpster located behind Big Lots or better yet did you receive your police training as a security guard at the Wild West Gambling Hall (I'm betting on the latter, since I have a feeling you're a cheap skate). Since you can't understand simple law I merely stated that even though he did not blow a .08 he can still be charged with a wet negligence which is stated below. Reckless driving is an operation of an automobile in a dangerous manner under the circumstances, including speeding (or going too fast for the conditions, even though within the posted speed limit), driving after drinking (but not drunk), having too many passengers in the car, cutting in and out of traffic, failing to yield to other vehicles, and other negligent acts.
Did the police have probable cause to arrest him on suspicion of driving under the influence? "Yes" based on first contact of admitting that he had drank 3-4 beers, bloodshot eyes, smell of intoxicants, injury to others and failing the horizontal nystagmus test which is a test for alcohol in the blood stream where as a vertical nystagmus is primarily to indicate the presence of drugs in the body.
Will Darling be charged with any crime who knows? It is up to the Police to prove with probable cause a 50% belief that Darling committed a crime. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt (100%) is up to the courts to decide. Like I stated earlier this is a tragic accident and we will leave it at that, but you are wrong to assume that the police are wrong and Darling is in the clear on this one since he was not over the legal limit.
bush2hater -
You either forget your own posts and can't read or have some other psychological problem. You were the one who continually insisted that Darling was driving impaired, which is a strictly legal definition, not your interpretation.
Your continued insulting talk indicates that if you were a cop as you so stridently suggest, you were either dismissed from the force through incompetence or fired for some infraction. No police officer I know talks with so much disrespect and ignorance. Of course you could be the exception.
bush2hater -
ok, I have to laugh.
Big Lots and Wild West Gambling Hall? Sounds like you used to work there. Rush Limbaugh? WTF? Please stop taking the medication, it is not working. Keep up the good work and go back to your cop tv shows. That way you can tell us more of your legal theories, however muddled and confused.
Ohwhataworld: Excellent post! Nice to see someone posting that is able to see both sides of the coin!
to the comment made by ihavecommonsense. I guess you dont because Calvin wasnt the police officer. he was the engineer. Manor was the officer killed. all the facts people........
Looks like the DA delayed Monday's court appearance...this case is in complete melt-down...wait til three or four witnesses testify they were chased away at the scene by police and not allowed to give statements as to what they saw...that ought to impress a jury...
most disturbing is the local "newstalk" station whoes manager and morning shock-jock declared the suspect "guilty" on the air...when it was the TV reporter that had a "hit and run" in the spagetti-bowl they went out of their way to defend him--including giving him a new job...hopefully we will get some media reform that will deal with such media outlets