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View Full Version : Gun pulled on an innocent family in road rage


JenniferWinfrey
Jan 15, 2009, 10:30 PM
On March 25th 2008 my family and I were on our way home from picking up my soon to be brother in law from the airport who had flown down to be here for the birth of my daughter his niece. He hadn't seen us in about 3 years because we moved to Florida from Maryland and hadn't been able to visit. We also had 2 other children (2 boys) one he had seen and one he had just met that day and was about to meet his new niece the next day so it was an exciting day. We were on our way home when a truck came flying up behind us rode our bumper pretty much then when he was able to get around us he gave us the finger. When we got to the stop light we asked him what the hell his problem was and told him that we had kids and a pregnant lady in the vehicle. His response was "i dont give a about your kids" and then proceeded to say ill put a cap in your . So that of course upset my fiancé and his brother. Words were exchanged I put my window down so he could see that we did have kids in the back seat but that didn't seem to matter to him. As we were driving down the road comments were yelled back and forth and we had passed each other a few times well then he had pulled off the road.. we pulled off the road yes dumb move but then he pulled back out on the road and so did he. We get near each other again on the road and the man pulls up a gun and flashes it at us so my fiancé and his brother automatically call the police they pull him over and come to find out the man in the other vehicle is a cop. I automatically get upset and press charges against him. We wait 9 months and finally go to trial.. the jury finds him not guilty! I couldn't believe it! He told them a bunch of lies saying that we were trying to ram him with our vehicle and he wasn't sure if we had a weapon and that's why he pulled his gun out. Now being in law enforecement for 10 years and going through all the training he should have not pulled his gun he could have flashed his badge if he was in fear. He could have pulled called the police himself if he thought he was in danger but he didn't want to do a lot of paper work for calling. He made my fiancé and his brother out to be thugs covered in tattoos. My fiancé has tattoos yes but his are tattoos of our kids names his brothers name and 2 other regular tattoos but they aren't anything bad. His brother has a tattoo yes but its of a fire fighter sign because he is a fire fighter and works on the fire engines. Both my fiancé and his brother are well respected by everyone we know and people we just meet so its not like they are trouble makers. He said I rolled my window down and was laughing. Im a mother and I love my kids to death I'm not going to be sitting in the vehicle laughing when someone says they don't give a about my kids. I don't see how he was able to get away with it and I am trying to figure out if I can go after him in a civil suit. I believe we deserve more then him just getting a smack on the hand. I believe we deserve some kind of justice. I don't believe he should be allowed to have the power of owning a badge I don't believe he should have the power of owning a gun or carrying a gun. Can someone please tell me how the jury found him innocent? I think they were afraid to say he was guilty because he is a cop. Please someone tell me if I have a case against this man and if I should get justice in this. I believe me and my family deserve it. We were having a wonderful day looking forward to having our last child, our first daughter and we had just picked up the uncle so we had no reason to be in any mood besides happy and excited till we were assulted by this man. Thanks for listening and tell me your thoughts on this.

stevetcg
Jan 16, 2009, 05:57 AM
A civil suit for what? I mean, what do you hope to gain?

JudyKayTee
Jan 16, 2009, 06:22 AM
On March 25th 2008 my family and I were on our way home from picking up my soon to be brother in law from the airport who had flown down to be here for the birth of my daughter his niece. he hadnt seen us in about 3 years because we moved to florida from maryland and hadnt been able to visit. we also had 2 other children (2 boys) one he had seen and one he had just met that day and was about to meet his new niece the next day so it was an exciting day. we were on our way home when a truck came flying up behind us rode our bumper pretty much then when he was able to get around us he gave us the finger. when we got to the stop light we asked him what the hell his problem was and told him that we had kids and a pregnant lady in the vehicle. his response was "i dont give a about your kids" and then proceeded to say ill put a cap in your . So that of course upset my fiance and his brother. words were exchanged I put my window down so he could see that we did have kids in the back seat but that didnt seem to matter to him. As we were driving down the road comments were yelled back and forth and we had passed each other a few times well then he had pulled off the road.. we pulled off the road yes dumb move but then he pulled back out on the road and so did he. we get near each other again on the road and the man pulls up a gun and flashes it at us so my fiance and his brother automatically call the police they pull him over and come to find out the man in the other vehicle is a cop. i automatically get upset and press charges against him. we wait 9 months and finally go to trial.. the jury finds him not guilty! I couldnt believe it! He told them a bunch of lies saying that we were trying to ram him with our vehicle and he wasnt sure if we had a weapon and thats why he pulled his gun out. now being in law enforecement for 10 years and going thru all the training he should have not pulled his gun he could have flashed his badge if he was in fear. he could have pulled called the police himself if he thought he was in danger but he didnt want to do alot of paper work for calling. he made my fiance and his brother out to be thugs covered in tattoos. my fiance has tattoos yes but his are tattoos of our kids names his brothers name and 2 other regular tattoos but they arent anything bad. his brother has a tattoo yes but its of a fire fighter sign because he is a fire fighter and works on the fire engines. both my fiance and his brother are well respected by everyone we know and people we just meet so its not like they are trouble makers. he said i rolled my window down and was laughing. Im a mother and i love my kids to death im not going to be sitting in the vehicle laughing when someone says they dont give a about my kids. I dont see how he was able to get away with it and i am trying to figure out if i can go after him in a civil suit. I believe we deserve more then him just getting a smack on the hand. i believe we deserve some kind of justice. i dont believe he should be allowed to have the power of owning a badge i dont believe he should have the power of owning a gun or carrying a gun. can someone please tell me how the jury found him innocent? i think they were afraid to say he was guilty because he is a cop. Please someone tell me if i have a case against this man and if i should get justice in this. I believe me and my family deserve it. we were having a wonderful day looking forward to having our last child, our first daughter and we had just picked up the uncle so we had no reason to be in any mood besides happy and excited till we were assulted by this man. Thanks for listening and tell me your thoughts on this.


The legal answer - and you're not going to like it.

For a mother who loves her kids to death you behaved very badly and put them in harm's way. I think the Court did and would decide that a prudent person would have let him pass and continue on and pulled back to safeguard the children and other passengers. You didn't. You confronted him.

You had every opportunity to let him drive away, not to confront him, not to scream back, to take his license plate number when the road rage started and call it in. You're lucky he was a Police Officer with a gun and not some maniac with a gun. I've investigated accidents with very similar circumstances but the second driver didn't have a gun so instead he chose to ram the first car with his car. And guess what the outcome was? The second driver was driving in an irresponsible manner. But the first driver is the one who caused the face to face confrontation.

He's a Police Officer. If he thinks you're out of control he has every right to control the situation, including pulling his badge and possibly his gun. There was one of him and how many of you?

I have no idea how the jury found him innocent and won't have any idea unless/until I read the Court transcript.

Do I think everyone behaved badly? Sure. Do I think the whole episode could have been avoided? Sure. Do I think a jury believed his testimony over yours? Sure.

You can always sue him and the Police Department for mental anguish and your monetary damages but I think the Court will see that you contributed to the problem and you will not prevail.

But contact an Attorney and ask.

And the moral of the story? There are a lot of crazies on the road. Some are Cops. Some aren't.

twinkiedooter
Jan 16, 2009, 11:52 AM
What were your injuries that you could successfully sue for? I'm not seeing any.

You should have not confronted this person and let them continue on whether he was an off duty cop or thug... you made the wrong decision.

Having already been to court and "nothing" was done to him, do you actually think you have enough evidence to sue this person?

An attorney will not take this case unless you are paying him a hefty retainer and usually a pay as you go attorney fee and even then there is no guarantee he will win the case for you.

You seem so indignant about a lot of things here. In fact, you and whoever was driving the van endangered your kids yourself.

Never, never, never confront another driver in the manner you did or you will definitely face the consequences and some consequences could very well be nasty on the other person's part. Road rage is still alive and well.

JenniferWinfrey
Jan 16, 2009, 02:54 PM
"For a mother who loves her kids to death you behaved very badly and put them in harm's way. I think the Court did and would decide that a prudent person would have let him pass and continue on and pull back to safeguard the children and other passengers. You didn't. You confronted him"

I do love my children very much and that's the main reason I pressed charges in the first place. No one can doubt the fact that I love my children. There is nothing more special in this world then being a mother.

We didn't pull back because we were drivnig like we were supposed to. We pulled up to the stop light like a normal person would with a tad big of room between us and the vehicle in front of us.(like any person would pull up to a stop light in traffic). He was the one who pulled next to us with 1 or 2 car lengths in front of us. He should have left us alone. We simply told him that we had kids in the car and a pregnant lady and his response could have been sorry I'm having a bad day or sorry I'm in a hurry or whatever his issue was. But his response was ugly, threatening, racist, and definitely uncalled for.

The only thing we did wrong was pull over to the side of the road a few miles down the road. No one got out.. no one yelled anything, no one did anything except pull over and then pull back out. That was it. There was no yelling back and forth the whole drive and actually the only "yelling" was when he was threatening us and we were defending ourselves. He would yell for us to pull over so he could kick our and they would yell back whatever they yelled. We said nothing threatening to him we did nothing threatening to him we simply asked him what the hell his problem was because he came flying up on us rode our bumper and then gave us the finger for no reason at all. We told him we had kids in the vehicle and he obviously didn't care.

We are not horrible people, we didn't ask to be attacked. We were in a happy mood very excited to be giving birth to my 3rd and final child the next day excited to see family we hadn't seen in 3 years excited that he could meet my middle child because he had never met him yet just my oldest so its not like we were in bad moods or anything we were all happy and excited.

I don't know what I can get him for but I think Harassment? Mental anguish is a possibility? false light/defimation?

I say harassment because he was the one who started it all, he kept putting his window down when he would get near us on the road maybe he could get some anger mamgement order or something.

Mental anguish because every time I look at my daughter I remember the day before I had her how exciting that day was supposed to be for all of us. How my oldest son has been a victim of a bad cop and now knowing that cop got away with pulling a gun on him and his family. My son had to miss school to pretty much hear the defendant call him a liar. That's stuff I have to think about and wonder if this man is going to come in contact with us again since he has to go through this town on his way home from work every day. If he could get away with doing it to someone else or if he has done it to someone else and has got away with that as well because he is a "cop"

False light/defimation. He made us out to be thugs covered in tattoos to the court and the jury. We are well respected people in the town we live in. we have only been here 3 years almost 4 years and know quite a lot of people. My fiancé is friends with the sheriff in this town, my little sister and I were friends with the sheriffs daughter before she had just recently passed away. My little sister is friends with the judges grand daughter who also just recently passed away. My step father and his family know the judge and the sheriff as well. So its not like we are bad people(thugs covered in tattoo's). I have no tattoos.

I'm ALWAYS smiling well most of the time. My fiancé is a wonderful father his brother is a wonderful uncle he's the only one out of both sides of our family to be here for my daughters birth. It was a scheduled csection so all the family knew about it and he wanted to be here for it which is wonderful! I worked at a community college for 5 years and was very well known and respected there but had to leave there when I moved here now I stay at home with my kids.

My fiancé was a police explorer when he was younger because he has respect for law enforecement. His father is a mechanic for the police cruisers up north in his state/county and is also a fire fighter. His brother is a fire fighter as well and works on the fire trucks. He has uncles and cousins who are in the police department and fire department. My fiancé has a few tattoos (our kids names) little joey, justin, and Sierra. He has an eagle on one arm, he has grim reaper on the other arm because he believes you walk next to death every day. He has his brothers initials in a ribbon. And he has a cross. And a skull. That's it. Nothing that makes him out to be a bad person.

He made racial comments toward my fiancés brother calling him a wet back and telling him to go pick some oranges. That's being racist.. not sure if I can get him for that. But the thing is he isn't even mexican or spanish he's white just has indian in him which makes him tan darker.

It all sums up to one thing.. this man was in a bad mood for some reason decided we weren't driving fast enough for him got aggrivated because he couldn't get around us on the road was able to get next to us at the light and obviously was looking for trouble. Im sorry if it's a crime to ask someone what their problem is and tell them we have kids and a pregnant lady in the vehicle. That right there "telling him" should have been a sign that we didn't want any trouble. We are not wrecklece drivers we move out of the way if people are in a hurry its just at this point and time we had no way of getting over and when we did that's when he shot out around us and got stuck behind another rig. Its not my fault he doesn't know how to pick the right lane to be in during lunch/afternoon traffic. That doesn't give him the right to take it out on innocent people.

When you are writing a statement about what happened you have so many things going through your mind you don't put every single little detail on there so I missed a lot of stuff that I could have put on there and didn't. I did feel scared for myself but I wanted to make it known I was first and foremost scared for my children. He is given a badge for a reason. When he pulled up next to us at the stop light and we asked him what his problem was he could have pulled his badge out then or after we told him we had kids in the car whatever the case may be.

There is no sugar coating what he did.. he should have went on his way and left us alone. He could have not told us to pull over so he could beat our . He could have done a lot that day that's what I'm trying to say.. he could have pulled that badge not that gun and I will argue that one point for the rest of my life if I have to. Lol

Yes there are good cops and there are bad cops and this bad cop needs anger management or something he doesn't need to be out there "serving and protecting" people because that's not what he is doing. He is "assulting and threatening" people.

Thanks for the responses I'm glad you all were able to help and yes I see that the jury went with him being innocent because he is an "officer" of the law but I think it was the wrong judgement and I'm going to see if I can fight it. I believe he deservers more then a smack on the hand. Like I said anger management would make me happy.

Thank you all I appreciate all of you taking your time to read my story and respond. I hope something can be done. I will update you all if I am able to accomplish anything. Its hard to do much talking with 2 little ones but I have my mom helping me who is good with the laws so wish me luck. Thanks again I definitely appreciate it. I know a lot of people don't like hearing "no" or hearing "you were in the wrong as well" but hey I know we were wrong in some parts of it by asking him what his problem was but I still believe he was wrong as well and that has not been recognized. I know I already said it twice already but honestly, Thank you for your responses =]

ScottGem
Jan 16, 2009, 03:05 PM
OK, as someone who has been involved on road rage incidents on both ends, let me offer my opinion. Based on your story, the likelihood is what you said. He had a bad day, you weren't driving fast enough and he got POed. So he got in your (meaning your family) face. Your family made the (perfectly understandable) mistake of standing up to him and the whole thing escalated way beyond what it should have.

I hope that makes you feel better because the rest of what I have to say won't. He was taken to trial and found not guilty. If you try to sue him that verdict will be bought up at the civil trial and you will likely lose. You have no real grounds to sue and you have little proof that he lied.

Life is not always fair and this is one of those times. You lost, its time to move on.

JudyKayTee
Jan 16, 2009, 03:12 PM
"For a mother who loves her kids to death you behaved very badly and put them in harm's way. I think the Court did and would decide that a prudent person would have let him pass and continue on and pull back to safeguard the children and other passengers. You didn't. You confronted him"

I do love my children very much and thats the main reason i pressed charges in the first place. No one can doubt the fact that i love my children. There is nothing more special in this world then being a mother.

We didnt pull back because we were drivnig like we were supposed to. We pulled up to the stop light like a normal person would with a tad big of room between us and the vehicle in front of us.(like any person would pull up to a stop light in traffic). he was the one who pulled next to us with 1 or 2 car lengths infront of us. He should have left us alone. we simply told him that we had kids in the car and a pregnant lady and his response could have been sorry im having a bad day or sorry im in a hurry or whatever his issue was. but his response was ugly, threatening, racist, and definatly uncalled for.

The only thing we did wrong was pull over to the side of the road a few miles down the road. No one got out.. no one yelled anything, no one did anything except pull over and then pull back out. That was it. There was no yelling back and forth the whole drive and actually the only "yelling" was when he was threatening us and we were defending ourselves. He would yell for us to pull over so he could kick our and they would yell back whatever they yelled. we said nothing threatening to him we did nothing threatening to him we simply asked him what the hell his problem was because he came flying up on us rode our bumper and then gave us the finger for no reason at all. we told him we had kids in the vehicle and he obviously didnt care.

We are not horrible people, we didnt ask to be attacked. we were in a happy mood very excited to be giving birth to my 3rd and final child the next day excited to see family we hadnt seen in 3 years excited that he could meet my middle child becasue he had never met him yet just my oldest so its not like we were in bad moods or anything we were all happy and excited.

I dont know what i can get him for but i think Harrassment? Mental anguish is a possibility?,false light/defimation?

i say harrassment because he was the one who started it all, he kept putting his window down when he would get near us on the road maybe he could get some anger mamgement order or something.

Mental anguish because everytime i look at my daughter i remember the day before i had her how exciting that day was supposed to be for all of us. how my oldest son has been a victim of a bad cop and now knowing that cop got away with pulling a gun on him and his family. my son had to miss school to pretty much hear the defendant call him a liar. Thats stuff i have to think about and wonder if this man is going to come in contact with us again since he has to go thru this town on his way home from work every day. if he could get away with doing it to someone else or if he has done it to someone else and has got away with that as well because he is a "cop"

False light/defimation. He made us out to be thugs covered in tattoos to the court and the jury. We are well respected people in the town we live in. we have only been here 3 years almost 4 years and know quite alot of people. my fiance is friends with the sheriff in this town, my little sister and I were friends with the sheriffs daughter before she had just recently passed away. My little sister is freinds with the judges grand daughter who also just recently passed away. my step father and his family know the judge and the sheriff as well. so its not like we are bad people(thugs covered in tattoo's). I have no tattoos.

I'm ALWAYS smiling well most of the time. My fiance is a wonderful father his brother is a wonderful uncle he's the only one out of both sides of our family to be here for my daughters birth. it was a scheduled csection so all the family knew about it and he wanted to be here for it which is wonderful! I worked at a community college for 5 years and was very well known and respected there but had to leave there when i moved here now i stay at home with my kids.

My fiance was a police explorer when he was younger because he has respect for law enforecement. his father is a mechanic for the police cruisers up north in his state/county and is also a fire fighter. his brother is a fire fighter as well and works on the fire trucks. he has uncles and cousins who are in the police department and fire department. My fiance has a few tattoos (our kids names) lil joey, justin, and Sierra. He has an eagle on one arm, he has grim reaper on the other arm becasue he believes you walk next to death every day. he has his brothers initials in a ribbon. and he has a cross. and a skull. thats it. Nothing that makes him out to be a bad person.

He made racial comments toward my fiances brother calling him a wet back and telling him to go pick some oranges. thats being racist.. not sure if i can get him for that. but the thing is he isnt even mexican or spanish he's white just has indian in him which makes him tan darker.

It all sums up to one thing.. this man was in a bad mood for some reason decided we werent driving fast enough for him got aggrivated because he couldnt get around us on the road was able to get next to us at the light and obviously was looking for trouble. Im sorry if its a crime to ask someone what their problem is and tell them we have kids and a pregnant lady in the vehicle. That right there "telling him" should have been a sign that we didnt want any trouble. We are not wrecklece drivers we move out of the way if people are in a hurry its just at this point and time we had no way of getting over and when we did thats when he shot out around us and got stuck behind another rig. its not my fault he doesnt know how to pick the right lane to be in during lunch/afternoon traffic. that doesnt give him the right to take it out on innocent people.

When you are writing a statement about what happened you have so many things going thru your mind you dont put every single little detail on there so i missed alot of stuff that i could have put on there and didnt. I did feel scared for myself but i wanted to make it known i was first and foremost scared for my children. He is given a badge for a reason. When he pulled up next to us at the stop light and we asked him what his problem was he could have pulled his badge out then or after we told him we had kids in the car whatever the case may be.

There is no sugar coating what he did.. he should have went on his way and left us alone. He could have not told us to pull over so he could beat our . he could have done alot that day thats what im trying to say.. he could have pulled that badge not that gun and i will argue that one point for the rest of my life if i have to. lol

Yes there are good cops and there are bad cops and this bad cop needs anger management or something he doesnt need to be out there "serving and protecting" people because thats not what he is doing. he is "assulting and threatening" people.

Thanks for the responses im glad you all were able to help and yes i see that the jury went with him being innocent because he is an "officer" of the law but i think it was the wrong judgement and im going to see if i can fight it. i believe he deservers more then a smack on the hand. like i said anger management would make me happy.

Thank you all I appreciate all of you taking your time to read my story and respond. I hope something can be done. I will update you all if i am able to accomplish anything. Its hard to do much talking with 2 little ones but i have my mom helping me who is good with the laws so wish me luck. Thanks again i definately appreciate it. I know alot of people dont like hearing "no" or hearing "you were in the wrong as well" but hey i know we were wrong in some parts of it by asking him what his problem was but i still believe he was wrong as well and that has not been recognized. I know i already said it twice already but honestly, Thank you for your responses =]


I already said it all and you have only confimed my first impression.

Quite bluntly, here's my concern. Your story goes back and forth and is inconsistent. I would love to hear the other side but so far -

Originally it went like this: "... when we got to the stop light we asked him what the hell his problem was."

Now it's: "The only thing we did wrong was pull over to the side of the road a few miles down the road. No one got out.. no one yelled anything, no one did anything except pull over and then pull back out. That was it. There was no yelling back and forth the whole drive and actually the only "yelling" was when he was threatening us and we were defending ourselves.

You actually intend to testify that you were yelling back in an attempt to defend yourself - and your children? From a guy you thought was crazy and might do anything at any time?

Originally it was: " "So that of course upset my fiancé and his brother. words were exchanged I put my window down so he could see that we did have kids in the back seat but that didn't seem to matter to him. As we were driving down the road comments were yelled back and forth and we had passed each other a few times well then he had pulled off the road."

You say you were acting like a normal person, concerned about your children but you and the other party were taking turns PASSING each other "a few times."

If you think you have a case, get an Attorney and sue. Keep in mind that the fact you've already lost round 1 is not going to help your case.

I don't think the Police Officer is the only person here who needs anger management.

If this was racial and you did not participate, then contact the ACLU and file a complaint. They love cases like this which you can prove and do a very good job at no charge.

As far as your mental anguish - I think testimony will show that you contributed to the situation. But, again, retain an Attorney, find out and come back and let us know how it works out.

I'm an investigator. I would LOVE to be part of this one on either side.

this8384
Jan 16, 2009, 03:27 PM
The bottom line here is that you should have let it go. By rolling down the windows and confronting an already childish person, you not only set a terrible example for your children but you also endangered them.

I'm even more upset about this because this just happened with my kids; their mom's dad thought he'd teach some other driver a lesson about following him too closely. The other driver passed him, cut him off and in the process, hit the car my kids were traveling in.

All you're looking for is an argument. You want to prove that you're right and he's wrong. It doesn't matter what advice you get, you just want to hear affirmation. Next time, be the bigger person and let it go.

this8384
Jan 16, 2009, 04:22 PM
my son had to miss school to pretty much hear the defendant call him a liar.

I'm also curious as to why the hell you pulled your child out of school to come to court for this. There was absolutely no reason for him to be there.

InterestedParty
Jan 16, 2009, 07:34 PM
I'm also curious as to why the hell you pulled your child out of school to come to court for this. There was absolutely no reason for him to be there.

The reason Jennifer's son was there was because the State's Attorney's Office called him as a witness... that's why the hell she pulled him out of school to come to court. Do you really think that was an easy thing for the parent of an 8 year old to do? Jennifer would have preferred that he not be there but they were told his testimony was necessary.

Fr_Chuck
Jan 16, 2009, 09:39 PM
Let me see you told off the other driver, then you exchanged words with them. When they pulled off the road, you did to.

Ok at that point I would have pulled my gun on your myself.

But after that you keep following them, and again had words ?

Ok, why you did not get arrested is beyond me, If I had been a officer and you told me this story, you would have been arrested for road rage.

Sorry, while he may have been a jerk, you and the people in your car cuased the problem to get to this point.

I would have had my gun on you long before this officer did.

twinkiedooter
Jan 17, 2009, 06:43 AM
In re-reading this I have come to the conclusion that the OP has a bad case of "I want to get rich, very rich because this guy is a cop and I'm going to sue the city/county for a bundle because I deserve the money".

Lady, you keep going on and on in such minute detail about the incident claiming your innocence. It's not us you need to convince of your innocence, it's a jury in a civil case - and quite frankly I don't see that happening. Any prudent driver would have pulled to the side of the road and stayed there for at least 5 minutes to let the other driver get far enough away. I have dealt with people like you on the roadway myself in that they are always right even when they are wrong.

As far as mental anguish - get over it. Have you been continually treated by a professional for this over an extensive period, probably not. It's just your "word" that this is occurring. No one was physically injured. Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me. YOU are the childish one here thinking you're going to make a mountain out of a molehill and get filthy rich doing it.

Please go see an attorney about suing this guy civilly and be ready for you to shell out big bucks to do this. If it would go to trial, be ready to shell out even more big bucks for a trial. Do you have that kind of money, probably not.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 06:49 AM
In re-reading this I have come to the conclusion that the OP has a bad case of "I want to get rich, very rich because this guy is a cop and I'm going to sue the city/county for a bundle because I deserve the money".

Lady, you keep going on and on in such minute detail about the incident claiming your innocence. It's not us you need to convince of your innocence, it's a jury in a civil case - and quite frankly I don't see that happening. Any prudent driver would have pulled to the side of the road and stayed there for at least 5 minutes to let the other driver get far enough away. I have dealt with people like you on the roadway myself in that they are always right even when they are wrong.

As far as mental anguish - get over it. Have you been continually treated by a professional for this over an extensive period of time, probably not. It's just your "word" that this is occurring. No one was physically injured. Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me. YOU are the childish one here thinking you're going to make a mountain out of a molehill and get filthy rich doing it.

Please go see an attorney about suing this guy civilly and be ready for you to shell out big bucks to do this. If it would go to trial, be ready to shell out even more big bucks for a trial. Do you have that kind of money, probably not.



A consistent story would also be helpful. I can only imagine what testimony was like if the written word varies so totally.

Oh, to be the investigator on THIS one!

Fr_Chuck
Jan 17, 2009, 06:54 AM
Also obviously this person was off duty and acting on his own, so the department is not part of this.
So she can only sue him personally. And knowing what police officers make, they can not expect to get much anyway

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 07:21 AM
Also obviously this person was off duty and acting on his own, so the department is not part of this.
So she can only sue him personally. And knowing what police officers make, they can not expect to get much anyway



I heard on the news this AM - and I think it happened on Long Island - a woman involved in road rage had 2 children in her car. The Police arrested both parties and CPS came and put the children in protective custody.

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 07:42 AM
The reason Jennifer's son was there was because the State's Attorney's Office called him as a witness...that's why the hell she pulled him out of school to come to court. Do you really think that was an easy thing for the parent of an 8 year old to do? Jennifer would have preferred that he not be there but they were told his testimony was necessary.

Very interesting. Someone who seems to personally know the OP just happened to create a brand-new account here and has posted once... I think we have a repeater here.

And I would love to meet an attorney general who calls an 8-year-old as a witness for a case of road rage. I can't believe a child's testimony would be "necessary" with the exception of family court cases or abuse, as there were 3 adults in the car who would have been able to testify... at least, that's what you said the 1st time. Your story may have changed again, who knows...

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 08:23 AM
The reason Jennifer's son was there was because the State's Attorney's Office called him as a witness...that's why the hell she pulled him out of school to come to court. Do you really think that was an easy thing for the parent of an 8 year old to do? Jennifer would have preferred that he not be there but they were told his testimony was necessary.



Wow, someone reading AMHD has stumbled across a post, recognized the circumstances, knows the parties, knows the circumstances AND has advice? AND knows the OP well enough to call her "Jennifer."

What are the chances? This person should buy lottery tickets!

Or else this person is a troll or posting under two names.

One or the other.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 08:23 AM
Very interesting. Someone who seems to personally know the OP just happened to create a brand-new account here and has posted once....I think we have a repeater here.

And I would love to meet an attorney general who calls an 8-year-old as a witness for a case of road rage. I can't believe a child's testimony would be "necessary" with the exception of family court cases or abuse, as there were 3 adults in the car who would have been able to testify...at least, that's what you said the 1st time. Your story may have changed again, who knows...



It's really unfair for you to get to a thread before me and then post MY answer before I do.

Really unfair. :)

Somebody call security.

(And, yes, X number of adults in the car... and the State calls a child to testify. Again, I'm surprised CPS didn't step in here.)

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 08:28 AM
It's really unfair for you to get to a thread before me and then post MY answer before I do.

Really unfair. :)

Somebody call security.

(And, yes, X number of adults in the car ... and the State calls a child to testify. Again, I'm surprised CPS didn't step in here.)

Why call security? Maybe I'll just drive my kids up to NY, give you the finger, we can pass each other a few times, I'll pull a gun on you and then you can sue me for defamation. AWESOME.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 08:38 AM
Why call security? Maybe I'll just drive my kids up to NY, give you the finger, we can pass each other a few times, I'll pull a gun on you and then you can sue me for defamation. AWESOME.



I was also thinking of this but I was thinking more in terms of me pulling the gun on you.

How does that work for you?

Then your husband could stay home and your kids could come back to NY to testify.

(I meant AMHD security. That's what AMHD needs. A few plain clothes people, lurking around. When there's a problem, no need to report it - just yell "security" and see who shows up.)

Fr_Chuck
Jan 17, 2009, 08:41 AM
And a family with a car with kids in it, following someone, no concern over the safety of the children, no wonder CPS got invovled. Most likely kids testify in family court to see if they need to be removed form the home.

But chances, here in Atlanta, how many million people? Well I was parked and a car just turned short and hit me the other day. The women in the car would not stop crying and crying, well her boyfriend came and guess what a person who is a customer of mine.
Small world.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 08:42 AM
And a family with a car with kids in it, following someone, no concern over the safety of the children, no wonder CPS got invovled. Most likely kids testify in family court to see if they need to be removed form the home.

But chances, here in Atlanta, how many million people ?? well I was parked and a car just turned short and hit me the other day. The women in the car would not stop crying and crying, well her boyfriend came and guess what a person who is a customer of mine.
small world.



Your accident needs to be investigated. I can be on the next plane. First, what is the outside temperature in Georgia right now?

Good point about CPS and an 8 year old testifying.

JenniferWinfrey
Jan 17, 2009, 08:57 AM
I found an attorney who is willing to take my case so I no longer need your assistance and will not be responding on this site anymore.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 09:02 AM
I found an attorney who is willing to take my case so i no longer need your assistance and will not be responding on this site anymore.


Hopefully you will either come back and let us know how this works out or we'll read it in a newspaper or legal publication so we know how to advise the next person.

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 09:14 AM
I found an attorney who is willing to take my case so i no longer need your assistance and will not be responding on this site anymore.

Look who's back! Maybe she can call up InterestedParty and let "them" know not to respond anymore, either.

And honestly Judy, I was really feeling good about me doing the gun-pulling. Maybe it's my Mid-western upbringing, who knows... I just really wanted to pull a gun on you. But maybe it would be better for you to pull it; you can yell racist remarks at my husband, who just so happens to be Hispanic! This is going to be the coolest day ever.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 09:18 AM
Look who's back! Maybe she can call up InterestedParty and let "them" know not to respond anymore, either.

And honestly Judy, I was really feeling good about me doing the gun-pulling. Maybe it's my Mid-western upbringing, who knows...I just really wanted to pull a gun on you. But maybe it would be better for you to pull it; you can yell racist remarks at my husband, who just so happens to be Hispanic! This is going to be the coolest day ever.



My nephew's wife is Hispanic, as are her children. Their kids are mixed but I'm sure they could pass. I'll bring him and them and then we can BOTH yell racist remarks!

Cool.

Tattoos? How do we line up there? My nephew has several but I think they're pretty well hidden. But he could take his shirt off.

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 09:31 AM
Mu husband has an arm band and one on his stomach. Mine are all on my back, but I could pull a Britney Spears and run around half-naked for no reason.

This thread isn't even helpful anymore, but I'm having too much fun to stop :D

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 09:32 AM
Mu husband has an arm band and one on his stomach. Mine are all on my back, but I could pull a Britney Spears and run around half-naked for no reason.

This thread isn't even helpful anymore, but I'm having too much fun to stop :D



We probably should right before we're sent to detention. Darn!

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 09:33 AM
Oooh, excon is viewing the board! Can he join in? Maybe HE should pull the gun... that would be even better.

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 09:47 AM
I found an attorney who is willing to take my case so i no longer need your assistance and will not be responding on this site anymore.

And how much is he charging you? If you are willing to pay, you can find a lawyer to do darn near anything.

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 09:48 AM
What if my gun is bigger?

The irony of this whole thread is that the title implys that the family is innocent.

Fr_Chuck
Jan 17, 2009, 09:59 AM
Excon can't pull his weapon, can't own one, now his "gun" I don't know I want to see him pull his.

But of course you can always find an attorney if you want to pay them, and a few that want headline news even if they loose.
They figure city will settle for something and the attorney will get most of it

J_9
Jan 17, 2009, 10:04 AM
Trust me... I have bigger guns than ALL of you!! :D

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 10:10 AM
Yes J_9, but can you yell racist comments? And are you covered in tattoos, but not covered in tattoos? And is anyone is your family Mexican/Indian/dark? And can you pull your kids out of school to come testify and get called a liar?

There are many deciding factors here; we can't be - I apologize for the bad humor - jumping the gun :D

JenniferWinfrey
Jan 17, 2009, 10:12 AM
Judy.. This...

First.. The person who called me Jennifer happens to be my mom. I told her about the site because I thought it was a pretty decent place.

Yes they called my son in, the defendant didn't like it much, His response to that was "yea lets bring the cute kid in to win the hearts of everyone" the defense attorney took my son out in the hall and questioned him and talked to him about being honest as well as the judge and had he no problem telling the truth. They tried trick questions and he still responded correctly.

As far as my story being inconsistent there is nothing inconsistent about it. I honestly don't think the officers who responded and heard both sides would have wasted their time coming to court and defending us if they believed we weren't telling the truth.

As far as the attorney I found. He said he would take the case and help me figure out a solution. I told him id be willing to accept an apology from this man. I feel at the least we deserve that much.

As far as coming back to the site and letting you all know what happened, Yes I will.

I would like to thank all of you for responding and listening to me even if some of the responses weren't what I wanted to hear. I do appreciate your time and once again, Thank you.

J_9
Jan 17, 2009, 10:13 AM
Dang, no tattoos, no piercings, I have a biracial niece, does that count? I don't pull my kids out of school for anything except illness.

Heck, I can sell you the guns then.

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 10:14 AM
Yes J_9, but can you yell racist comments? And are you covered in tattoos, but not covered in tattoos? And is anyone is your family Mexican/Indian/dark? And can you pull your kids out of school to come testify and get called a liar?

There are many deciding factors here; we can't be - I apologize for the bad humor - jumping the gun :D

My fiancée is 1/2 and my kids are 1/4 arab. Do I win?

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 10:17 AM
Hmm... not sure Steve. My husband is full-blooded Hispanic, my stepkids are 3/4 and my daughter is 1/2. So I have about 2.25 race on my side, whereas you have only 1.0-2.0 race(depending on how many children you have). I do believe my darkness trumps yours.

Fr_Chuck
Jan 17, 2009, 10:17 AM
Let me see, I am 1/2 red neck, 3/4 bull, my one ex wife is black, my other ex wife is part American Indian, my son is 1/2 black, my one ex wife is pure hell, and I have about as many guns as j9 does in her store most likely.

But I won't dance around naked, but may have to watch, for educational researh only of course

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 10:17 AM
Mu husband has an arm band and one on his stomach. Mine are all on my back, but I could pull a Britney Spears and run around half-naked for no reason.

This thread isn't even helpful anymore, but I'm having too much fun to stop :D



Mine is "sort of" on my shoulder, on what could be described as my "lower shoulder" for medical purposes so I can just be unbuttoned. But nobody will be looking at unbuttoned me if you're running around half naked, anyway.

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 10:19 AM
I found an attorney who is willing to take my case so i no longer need your assistance and will not be responding on this site anymore.

Judy.. This...

First..The person who called me Jennifer happens to be my mom. I told her about the site because i thought it was a pretty decent place.

Yes they called my son in, the defendant didnt like it much, His response to that was "yea lets bring the cute kid in to win the hearts of everyone" the defense attorney took my son out in the hall and questioned him and talked to him about beng honest as well as the judge and had he no problem telling the truth. they tried trick questions and he still responded correctly.

As far as my story being inconsistant there is nothing inconsistant about it. I honestly dont think the officers who responded and heard both sides would have wasted their time coming to court and defending us if they believed we werent telling the truth.

As far as the attorney i found. He said he would take the case and help me figure out a solution. I told him id be willing to accept an apology from this man. I feel at the least we deserve that much.

As far as coming back to the site and letting you all know what happened, Yes I will.

I would like to thank all of you for responding and listening to me even if some of the responses werent what i wanted to hear. I do appreciate your time and once again, Thank you.

Interesting how things change in exactly 75 minutes.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 10:21 AM
Let me see, I am 1/2 red neck, 3/4 bull, my one ex wife is black, my other ex wife is part American Indian, my son is 1/2 black, my one ex wife is pure hell, and I have about as many guns as j9 does in her store most likely.

But I won't dance around naked, but may have to watch, for educational researh only of course



The pure Hell ex-wife may very well trump This8384. I have Black neighbors who have three kids. Does that count?

Probably not.

Oh, it's a bad sign when you have to number your ex-wives. :D

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 10:22 AM
excon can't pull his weapon, can't own one, now his "gun" I don't know I want to see him pull his.

But of course you can always find an attorney if you want to pay them, and a few that want headline news even if they loose.
They figure city will settle for something and the attorney will get most of it



I'm sorry. I dozed off there. What exactly is excon pulling out?

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 10:23 AM
Hmm...not sure Steve. My husband is full-blooded Hispanic, my stepkids are 3/4 and my daughter is 1/2. So I have about 2.25 race on my side, whereas you have only 1.0-2.0 race(depending on how many children you have). I do believe my darkness trumps yours.

Yeah - you win. All told we only total 1.0 race, although visually we rank somewhere around -3. :)

I have a tattoo though! I get extra credit for that right?

I probably lose points for the mini-van though.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 10:23 AM
Dang, no tattoos, no piercings, I have a biracial niece, does that count? I don't pull my kids out of school for anything except illness.

Heck, I can sell ya'll the guns then.



Well, I'm certainly not going to BUY a gun. I'm going to steal it, like everybody else.

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 10:26 AM
So how long before this thread gets locked and we all eat a temporary ban for trolling? :)

JenniferWinfrey
Jan 17, 2009, 10:27 AM
Interesting how things change in exactly 75 minutes.

Nothing has changed I just thought you all deserved a response and a thank you but I guess I'm being to nice now to be thinking :confused:some people deserve that much.

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 10:42 AM
The pure Hell ex-wife may very well trump This8384. I have Black neighbors who have three kids. Does that count?

Probably not.

Oh, it's a bad sign when you have to number your ex-wives. :D

I don't know, Judy. We have the 2.25 race PLUS the ex-wife from Hell. And our pastor is black.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 10:42 AM
Yeah - you win. All told we only total 1.0 race, although visually we rank somewhere around -3. :)

I have a tattoo though! I get extra credit for that right?

I probably lose points for the mini-van though.



You're driving around with tattoos - in a minivan? Have you no self respect?

You're right. My friend "This" wins this competition.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 10:43 AM
So how long before this thread gets locked and we all eat a temporary ban for trolling? :)


Any second. Doesn't matter to me because I'm on my way to steal a gun and hunt down "This8384."

Be warned, "this" - I'm on my way. Load up your car with your kids, you and your husband take off your shirts and here I come!

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 10:45 AM
Omg, steve... a mini-van? I won't even drive one of those... no, I think the van did you in.

Have some more dark kids, that might put you back into the competition. That or tattoos.

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 10:49 AM
Omg, steve...a mini-van? I won't even drive one of those....no, I think the van did you in.

Have some more dark kids, that might put you back into the competition. That or tattoos.

It was tough coming to grips with the fact that I'm no longer young and cool. Until my fiancée pointed out the fact that I wasn't cool when I was young. A "big honkin' geek" I believe she said.

Looks like I'm out of the running. Casper the friendly ghost calls us white. We are not cool. I got nothing. I live down the street from a cop with tattoos. Does that count?

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 10:50 AM
Any second. Doesn't matter to me because I'm on my way to steal a gun and hunt down "This8384."

Be warned, "this" - I'm on my way. Load up your car with your kids, you and your husband take off your shirts and here I come!

I'll be waiting... just make sure you bring the racist comments! Although my daughter's nickname is "Bean" so you never know... they'll probably take her away from us just for that *lol*

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 10:51 AM
You're driving around with tattoos - in a minivan? Have you no self respect?

You're right. My friend "This" wins this competition.

I am about to get married for the third time. Of course I have no self respect. :-D

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 10:53 AM
It was tough coming to grips with the fact that im no longer young and cool. Until my fiancee pointed out the fact that I wasnt cool when I was young. A "big honkin' geek" I believe she said.

Looks like im out of the running. Casper the friendly ghost calls us white. We are not cool. I got nothin. I live down the street from a cop with tattoos. Does that count?

To be honest, I think I'll demote my family to only 2.0 race; I'm awfully white myself. Although my sister tans a lot, so maybe I can jack it back up to 2.125 race. Also, I think my great-grandfather was Jewish; maybe I can play that card somewhere.

Have you at least shaken the hand of a black/Mexican? I'd give you race credit for that.

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 10:56 AM
To be honest, I think I'll demote my family to only 2.0 race; I'm awfully white myself. Although my sister tans a lot, so maybe I can jack it back up to 2.125 race. Also, I think my great-grandfather was Jewish; maybe I can play that card somewhere.

Have you at least shaken the hand of a black/Mexican? I'd give you race credit for that.

I get credit for that? Rack up the points then. I have friends of every race, creed and color. None of them are dumb enough to admit to being related to me though.

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 11:01 AM
I get credit for that? Rack up the points then. I have friends of every race, creed and color. None of them are dumb enough to admit to being related to me though.

Maybe we should only give like, 05 for friends. Otherwise if you start counting everyone in my church, I'm well into the 100s for race points.

Also, I didn't get around to commenting on your post before. The subject of this thread doesn't just imply that the family is innocent, is says they are. I'd love to have heard the language that got exchanged in front of the children.

this8384
Jan 17, 2009, 11:05 AM
I also think it's clever how the OP keeps viewing what's being posted and then occasionally posts something new, just to keep arguing. Kind of shows her true colors, doesn't it? She can't let go and move on - just like when she was in the car being followed by someone with road rage, just like how she thinks she's going to accomplish something by suing this guy.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 11:07 AM
To be honest, I think I'll demote my family to only 2.0 race; I'm awfully white myself. Although my sister tans a lot, so maybe I can jack it back up to 2.125 race. Also, I think my great-grandfather was Jewish; maybe I can play that card somewhere.

Have you at least shaken the hand of a black/Mexican? I'd give you race credit for that.




Wait a minute! Credit is being given for being Jewish? I win hands down. Jewish Grandfather. Jewish husband. Jewish stepchildren. All "our" friends are Jewish - my husband was a Doctor of Pharmacy, for goodness sake. Everybody he KNEW is Jewish.

I win. So the rest of you can have more children, get more tattoos, replace the minivan (and you know who you are) and I'll STILL win!

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 11:08 AM
So here is a point that is actually relevant to the thread:

If the cop gets sued for his part in this mess, can't he countersue for their part?

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 11:08 AM
[QUOTE=stevetcg;1491552]A "big honkin' geek" I believe she said.[QUOTE]



Did she say "big honkin' geek" or "big honkin' GEESE"?

stevetcg
Jan 17, 2009, 11:10 AM
Wait a minute! Credit is being given for being Jewish? I win hands down. Jewish Grandfather. Jewish husband. Jewish stepchildren. All "our" friends are Jewish - my husband was a Doctor of Pharmacy, for goodness sake. Everybody he KNEW is Jewish.

I win. So the rest of you can have more children, get more tattoos, replace the minivan (and you know who you are) and I'll STILL win!

HEY! I admit it freely... I love my minivan! I can fit both kids, both strollers and a ton of groceries in it all at the same time. And its got a built in DVD player!

Um wait... did I say kids and groceries? I mean supermodels and footballs! Yeah!

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 11:12 AM
Nothing has changed i just thought you all deserved a response and a thank you but i guess im being to nice now to be thinking :confused:some people deserve that much.



Now I'm going to go even more off track here.

The classiest thing I think I've ever seen on this board was posted by Hollylovesbrandon. I don't remember exactly how it went but she posted something to the effect of, "Oh, my God" when referring to her husband. And so someone followed that with a statement with the words OMG in it and it went on and on. Pretty soon Holly came back, LAUGHED at herself, JOINED the rest of us and carried it off.

I've had respect for her every since - what a class act!

(If you're reading this, Holly, I mean it.)

So Jennifer, lighten up.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 12:18 PM
So here is a point that is actually relevant to the thread:

If the cop gets sued for his part in this mess, can't he countersue for their part?



No, what will happen is even if he loses the Court will assess fault - how much of this did OP bring on herself.

And then if he wins he'll sue her for harassment, intentional infliction of emotional stress and filing a frivolous lawsuit, particularly because this has already been tried somewhere or other and the OP lost.

OP cannot tell a consistent story here. She's going to be a disaster on the stand.

Then the Officer will call CPS and everyone else he can think of and OP will spend a lot of time getting pulled over. Not saying it's right, just that it happens.

My gut feeling - this is one of those "You people are wrong. I have an Attorney. I'm going to sue. You are all going to be sorry you gave such poor advice" deals. And then nobody, any place hears another word about it.

There's a thread somewhere - the OP was in a bar and passed out (not from drinking, of course) and the entire staff of the bar (which had the "mistaken" belief she was intoxicated), when she was revived, told her to leave. She left and it was her plan to sue the bar for emotional distress - ? When told she had no case, no injuries, no monetary loss, she also got an Attorney and she's going to show all of us.

I'm still waiting.

JudyKayTee
Jan 17, 2009, 12:18 PM
HEY! I admit it freely... I love my minivan! I can fit both kids, both strollers and a ton of groceries in it all at the same time. And its got a built in DVD player!

Um wait... did I say kids and groceries? I mean supermodels and footballs! Yeah!


My image of you in leather chaps on your Harley is rapidly fading.

ScottGem
Jan 17, 2009, 12:32 PM
Ok, I'm going to close this thread, because I think its gone too far afield and because I think Jennifer and her family deserved a little better.

InterestedParty used a different IP than Jennifer. While it was clear that InterestedParty was somneone who knew Jennifer, it was not as clear that they were the same. InterestedParty should have identified her relationship, though.

I agree with many comments that Jennifer and her family were not totally innocent parties here. The more prudent thing would have been to let this, obviously angry, driver goes his way and not get involved. That they responded to him is to their discredit and the part of the reason he was not found guilty.

As pointed out, you can get a lawyer willing to take on any case as long as you are willing to pay. My hope is this lawyer is not trying to soak you for a fee on a case he can't win.

I wish you luck and we would like to hear the results. I do apologize that the response here was a bit over the top, though I din't feel it was completely unjustified.

Thread closed