California Highway Patrol Arrests Fireman; CHP Power Trips

From
*Cop handcuffs on-duty firefighter for not moving truck AND
*CHP, Fire Department Make Peace In Chula Vista After Testy Exchange, Arrest

Updated 7/5/14

Update as of 7/5/14; Once again the CHP was caught in a video abusing their authority, this time with CHP officer who was a good size man who pummeled a women at least 11 times This will be interesting what excuse the CHP and the sleazy liberal control freak Governor Brown take to wiggle out of this one! Reference: California Highway Patrol Beats Barefoot Bag Lady (with Video)

Update as of 5/20/14; While this update is unrelated to the issue of the rogue officer in Southern California and his treatment of the fireman, I felt a shout-out of a GOOD CHP officer was due. On May 19 on westbound CA Hwy 44 near a rest area just past County road A21, we were driving our family truck with a travel trailer, and even though we were ourselves exceeding the 55 mph speed limit for those towing (about 58-60 mph), we were quickly gathering vehicles behind us after the A21 junction. A CHP officer passed us going eastbound, shortly there after a PU truck behind us decided to make an unsafe pass where the road ahead could not be clearly seen due to a crest in the hill. Almost immediately a car crested this hill and I slammed on my brakes so that the trcuk could swerve back into the westbound lane just narrowly missing a head on collision with the car going eastbound. Somehow the CHP officer witnessed this in his rearview mirror even though he was well past this incident and then swung around, came westbound, and then pulled over the reckless driver. I have to say we need more “on the ball” officers like him/her to keep our highways safe. This by the way was the second close call with a reckless driver that day as we had a similar incident (albeit not quite as close) on US 395. This is also why I am a big advocate of traffic officers “mixing it up in traffic” rather than simply pulled off to the side looking for persons that might be exceeding the speed limit on a downgrade

Update as of 3/27/14; As of Feb. 25, no discipline such as suspension has been handed down to Officer Sergio Flores of the CHP, further adding credibility to the accusations that the CHP has major issues with rogue officers and the discipline there of. As well since the buck stops at the top, this does not speak well of the CHP Commissioner (Scott Dennis) or even Governor Browns’ office who when I contacted his office, clearly blew this issue off. As of March 25, firefighter Jacob Gregoire is filing a lawsuit in an attempt to fix known issues with the CHP. As of March 25, the CHP has still attempted to sweep under the rug issues, in particular with alleged rogue officer Sergio Flores, as well as other similar incidences of corruption within the CHP, which unfortunately has an alleged long history of corruption that gives a bad name to officers everywhere. Reference: Firefighter files a claim against CHP In a March 27 phone call to the CHP, the officer at the Sacramento CHP headquarters (Officer Thomas) actually defended Officer Sergio Flores based on “chain of command”, which means (as explained to me) that if a CHP officer tells anyone to do something in their jurisdiction, including a firefighter, they MUST do it. So in other words if a CHP officers you to jump off a bridge, you must do this!! Sorry officer Thomas, this is no defense of asking the firefighter to endanger himself or others he is attempting to help. Sadly, my guess is Officer Flores and Thomas were school yard bullies in their younger years who could not get enough of it and are still continuing this practice into adulthood, except now they have a badge! Worse, after filing a complaint about Officer Thomas’ condescending attitude with me and others who call in to the Sacramento office including his bizarre reasoning, Governor Browns office found no problem with this officers behavior. This shows the scum that Gov. Brown is, yet you baffoons in California voted for Governor Moonbeam!!

From the Yahoo News Story:
“Good thing it was caught on camera, or it would be tough to believe: A California Highway Patrol officer put an on-duty Chula Vista firefighter in handcuffs for refusing to move his truck while tending to victims of a car crash.

As he was being handcuffed on the side of the 805 Freeway near Orange County, the firefighter, 12-year veteran Jacob Gregoire, told reporters who had gathered, “I just want to let you all know he’s arresting me.”

Later, according to CBS News 8, Gregoire told the arresting officer, whose name has not been released, “It’s unbelievable you guys have to treat us like this. We are trying to help you guys.”

The officer (Sergio Flores) replied, “We asked you to clear the road, you said ‘No.’ You are being arrested for not moving.”

Gregoire was reportedly detained in the back of a highway patrol car for several minutes before being released. He was not charged.

Chula Vista Fire Chief Dave Hanneman told CBS, “To detain one of our firefighters in the middle of an incident is ridiculous.”

In a statement, Hanneman praised the firefighters for doing what they were trained to do — protecting the scene of an accident with their trucks.”

Sadly this is NOT an aberration as the CHP and Governor Brown’s office would have you believe!!

This is not even the first time this has happened to a fireman in California (it happened in Santa Barbara County a few years before). I know of other police agencies such as LA County Sheriff Deputies who have told me of similar lack of respect of others and extreme power trips that in the end make all law enforcement look bad.

But more importantly, this is VERY TYPICAL of the California Highway Patrol toward everyday citizens.
I lived in California for 4 decades until 2002 and I can give many stories of there abusive bully type behavior and their Commanding Officers standing behind such action.
I can also state since living in Oregon, the Oregon State Troupers are vastly better with very few rogue officers and even then their COs will take the issue of rogue officers seriously, unlike the CHP.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES FROM MY EXPERIENCE (Including the many business trips and family trips taken down to California since moving):

• While traveling on a family trip in our RV, a large semi-gravel truck pulled out from a turn out directly in our path; there was no time to brake, so instead we crossed the yellow line about 3-4 feet (normally no passing). A CHP coming the other direction witnessed this and then turned around. To our family’s amazement, he did not pull over the truck for this reckless driving, rather us.
  Sadly his CO called it a “good write”
• While on a business trip to So. Calif. on Interstate 5, I witnesses another large truck passing others very dangerously, forcing SEVERAL cars in the fast lane into the center median.
  I called 911 and gave my exact location. I followed this truck (which was not easy since he was driving fast and recklacy) for 45 MINUTES, only to NEVER see a CHP respond
• Again on a business trip on Interstate 5, I witnesses a several CHP cars pulled to the side, forcing traffic to quickly and dangerously change lanes so as to obey the “Move Over” law. These CHPs were clearly abusing this law as as soon as a driver in front of me could not move over because of another vehicle in the left lane, he was immediately pulled over by another CHP who was working in teams.
  Reporting this went no where.
• I have MANY times witnessed CHP cars parked behind median barriers on down grades such as the one coming down to Redding southbound on I5 and nabbing vehicles for going just 5-10 mph over the speed limit, mean while on these same trips I have noticed cars drivingg as though possibly DUI.
  However since the available CHP units are instead looking for the “easy write” they are missing these real safety hazards because they are not “mixing it up in traffic”

• Even in my younger years, I still remember an incidence with my father (who was a highly educated electronics engineer with Honeywell). We were on a family vacation with my father pulling a tent trailer; he went to pass a slower vehicle in the second lane from the right but in the CHP officer’s opinion did not get back to the right lane fast enough. I am not questioning whether this officer was right or wrong, rather what stuck in my memory was how this officer belittled my Dad and quite purposefully was using his authority to make my Dad look bad in front of his children/family—- I will never forget this!!!

If you are tired of the bad reputation the California Highway Patrols gives to many other GOOD police officers, sheriff deputies, etc, call this number and call it again until this out of control agency gets the message!!!
1-800-TELL-CHP (1-800-835-5247) or 916-843-3000.

You may contact Governor Jerry Brown by mail at:

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160

Also boycott tourism/travel in California if at all possible.
530-365-1180

Please see the other examples from others gleaned from several comments made as per the recent CHP bully incidence in San Diego

*Larry:
CHP has always had a bad reputation among Law Enforcement agencies in Calif. as being unprofessional and arrogant. The TV show “Chips” gave them big egos.

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*William:
Having lived in CA, I know this not at all unusual. I once tried to inform a CHP officer about an overturned car I had passed. He was in the process of writing a traffic ticket. Without giving me the opportunity to say one word, he told me to leave
immediately or face arrest. I guess the ticket he was writing was more important than a possibly fatal rollover. They were known throughout the state as a bunch of arrogant prima donnas. This illustrates that this hasn’t changed.

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*John Retired:
Having just retired from a fire dept., I would never allow myself to be handcuffed while in the performance of my duties. The captain shoud have come to his aide and told him to ignore the officer and get back to work. I hope the brain dead CHP officer loses his job for doing what he did. Only your captain or a higher ranking officer of your department has any authority over your while you are on duty.

What a disgrace to the other CHP officers that they have this type of rogue officer amongst them.

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*James:
This is NOT an isolated incident. I am retired Los Angeles county sheriff (retired 10 years ago) and our guys were chasing two robbery suspects on Pacific Coast Highway (many years ago) and at gun point we forced the suspects to stop and we had them surrounded at gun point to get them out of the car. The CHP interfered with us telling us to move our patrol cars out of the traffic lanes. All they care about is traffic and traffic tickets. I told him not to interfere and go control approaching traffic. He was adamant we move our cars, and we did not until we had our suspects in custody. He could have -aused one of us to drop our guards and been shot by the suspects. Nothing happened over this incident, but the CHP should have been suspended and retrained. This CHP officer arresting the fireman should be reprimanded and transferred and criminal charges brought against him for interring with emergency crews at an emergency.

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*Diehard Skeptic
I can’t imagine what was going through this cop’s head! Could he not see the situation? Use some common sense, guy. The fire truck was positioned to protect the scene. I have seen that done many times. It makes sense to do it, giving security to the scene and to the fire fighters and police doing their jobs in safety behind it. Yes, it blocked lanes of traffic, but it was supposed to. This is like a meter maid putting a ticket on a fire truck for parking next to a fire hydrant.

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*Curbside
I have seen videos like this. Working the scene in a Highway or Freeway is dangerous. As a firefighter we train to use the trucks as a safety barrior. Flashy lights do attract people to a scene, and when they are going 60mph +; I’d rather have a large fire truck, with a full tank of water protecting me, than road signs saying slow down to 55mph and a guy with a stop / slow sign. At least the truck slows the people down.

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*straightspeaking
The CHP has a looong history of being badge heavy. But this is way over the top. I suspect the officer pictured will be spending some quality time driving a desk…Where he won’t be needing those cuffs.

OTHER WEBSITES OF MY INTEREST OR RELATED CONTENT:

*Grants Pass Police; Dishonesty, Alleged Corruption
This is another law enforcement agency that needs to do some serious “soul searching” and where those who regulate the agency (the Grants Pass City Council & Mayor) need to step up and show some badly needed integrity and fix these well known issues

*DHS/ DCS/ CPS/DCFS Abuse of Authority Problems In particular Oregon DHS
Another agency well know for their abuse of power and the failure of those who can fix these problems to act

On a Lighter Note:
*What to Consider When Choosing Your Aquarium LED Lights
An excellent article written by a friend in my field of business since 1978.
He tackles the misinformation about the growing in popularity LED Aquarium Lighting systems with an excellent comparison chart.
Facts and known science are applied to this aquarium keeping article instead of the usual opinions and “straw man” attacks used by many in the hobby when the facts cannot be challenged!