LesterOfPuppets

Not too tough to imagine similar exchanges among police responding to a bicycle accident. Harsh.

https://www.komonews.com/news/local/D...?tab=video&c=y

Surprisingly no helmet comments on Facebook or KOMO site yet

sudo bike

There are similar shocked reactions when video of military personnel joking about killing people and such morbidity are leaked. Thing is, in that line of work you see a lot that most civvies don't, and humor (morbid and seemingly heartless as it may be) is one of the most common ways to deal with that, psychologically. You have to develop a thick skin and can't really let it get to you... you'd go crazy. It's something that's really hard for someone who hasn't had to do that to understand... to outsiders it just seems cold. We see something like a guy's brains splattered all over the road and may never forget it, have nightmares about it; it really gets to you (I know it would to me... I never saw one, but I could smell death after a bad crash once, and that was bad enough). These guys have to deal with it almost daily. What else can you do, really? Just another day at the office.

I don't really care if jokes are cracked or whatever, but the moment that carries over into your job performance, that's when I have a problem with it. I don't know if that was so in this case, but if it was, there's an issue that needs addressing. Crack jokes all you want about the guy getting killed or maimed, but you damn well better be doing your best to do him justice. Adding $.02.

fuji86

The police see a lot of things that they probably can't believe they saw. They probably overlook a lot more than people think too. Since they do, I give them the latitude to break up having to clean up messes like this with some comments that others may find offensive. Sounds to me like this guy needs to move forward with his efforts to determine who was at fault like he has with his lawyer(s). What good is an apology going to do ? I wish there was footage of the accident from a traffic cam, that's really the only purpose I approve traffic cams for, clarification of the event and what occurred.

genec

I have friends that work in ER, they too have an "odd" sense of humor when they get together with others they work with... otherwise they are just fine. It is how they deal with the day to day crisis they work with.

rydabent

I guess I have a problem with comparing a preventable accident to someone in the military killing someone that was trying to kill them.

Labling them accidents is wrong in a large percentage of cases. The "accident" was usually cause by someone not paying attention to what they should have been. An example these days is texting or talking on a cell phone.

BTW the police in the video were just plain stupid since they should have known the dash cam was recording.

Pete In Az

Look up "Gallows Humor". It's a way of dealing with a horrendous situation. You may not like it, but it's either that or watch the burn out rate skyrocket.

sudo bike

Pete nails what I was driving at. My comparison to the military was only meant to demonstrate how people deal with horrible conditions, especially in regards to loss of human life, especially when there is gore. No more than that.

Seattle Forrest

The pedestrian must have been white, because I haven't heard anything about a new racially motivated beating.

MMACH 5

Regardless of how stressful police work might be, their statements were about blaming the victim. And blaming the victim is no way to conduct a thorough, unbiased investigation.

bikepro

If you read the previous comments, the police were not blaming the victim, but rather coping with yet another difficult situation. I'm sure they will be officially admonished by the police department, which will probably include a reminder to keep their comments private.

jfmckenna

The police are not there to serve and protect citizens anymore they are simply the tools for the powers that control you.

Buddha4

Even if the LEO meant no harm you wonder how ignorant they are of their surroundings? They know they are videotaped and it could be embarassing if the statements would get out. I have had discussions with my Platoon Sergeants about situations in Iraq that I certainly would not have if civilians could hear. It is simply knowing when conversations are appropriate.

MMACH 5

Did you watch the video? Their comments were "THAT'S why you drive a car!" & "Don't try to jog to work dumb***." Both comments, from two different officers express their feelings that this was the victim's fault for jogging and not driving a car.

coney46

Yeah maybe to all thg above. As as volunteer firefighter I do understand, but i also understand the importance of public relations, and to get caught on tape, is just plain stupid, careless and thoughtless.

Seattle Forrest

Relax. They didn't hand cuff him and then kick him in the face, they didn't brake any ribs, and they didn't pepper spray him. This is a step in the right direction for SPD. Rome wasn't built in a day.

CB HI

But I would not be surprised if they went to the hospital to hand him a ticket.

Chris516

+1

Maybe all war vets, and those military personnel presently in a 'hot zone' somewhere in the world, should behave like this. Just so they don't get PTSD........NOT!!!

Pete In Az

They already do.

CB HI

I have never known any military folks joke about an innocent being injured/killed or blame the victim.

Maybe if the cops were joking about some scum bag drug dealer, gang banger or killer; then the comparison would be valid.

Pete In Az

They aren't going to do it around a civilian. The cops were rather stupid for doing it on camera. They may have forgotten they were being videoed. They are human and sometimes humans do stupid things.

Weather you like it or not, people in high stress occupations engage in that type of behavior on a regular basis. They do it so they can do their jobs. They try to keep it amongst themselves to avoid backlash from people with delicate sensibilities

sudo bike

\

Really? You don't remember that recent huge scandal when that video was released with military personnel in a circling helicopter were gunning people down and laughing about how they were dieing? (in that case it turned out they were unarmed, I believe). It was all over the news. Google choice words and I'm sure you can find it.

Point is, this is getting bent out of shape over nothing. Gallows Humor is a known concept... it's been around for ages. It's an effective way to help people constantly exposed to death keep from going crazy. As long as their job performance was not effected, it doesn't matter. Truthfully, it's selfish to ask that they not engage in it because it offends you while it actually helps them.

Now, if they let that carry over into their job; i.e., didn't follow proper procedure, then that's another matter. But it looks like all the fuss is about their private words shared while working. If that's what they need to do in order to keep doing that job and keep from going nuts dealing with the fact they are watching people die, I'm OK with that. Even if it's me they're joking about.

MMACH 5

I don't have a problem with them joking in a way that we civies might find offensive ("They say he flew up in the air and landed on his noggin") even when it borders on racism ("I don't know. It hit da truck"). While these are insensitive, they are quite tame and relatively harmless.

My problem is with the dead serious comments about it being the jogger's fault BECAUSE he wasn't in a car.
You don't say "Don't try to jog to work dumb***." to get yuks or cope with a bad situation. You say that because you're ignorant of non-motorized transportation. When this is your starting point and you are responsible for investigating the accident, how unbiased are you likely to be?

LesterOfPuppets

In a perfect world beat cops would deal with gruesome scenes the roll up on more like ER personnel than military ground forces.

Think more customer service, less trained killing machine. We pay these people pretty darn well, you think they could get through an 8-hour shift by holding their insensitive jokey banter 'til they get back to the station and spend a couple hours doing paperwork.

And yep, these were the two worst lines. Kinda funny considering that the city suggested everyone do something other than drive if they were gonna go anywhere near the Viaduct deconstruction area.

rwp

This hardly ever happens. Almost all deaths in war happen to people who don't even see the enemy or know that they are around.
By the way, wars and accidents are both preventable.

CommuterRun

Black humor. They use it as a mechanism to cope with what they have witnessed/experienced. Been there; done that. Anyone who doesn't do this as a release really is crazy.