Officer Who Delayed Ryan Moats An Officer Once More

The former Dallas police officer who prevented Texans running back Ryan Moats from visiting his mother-in-law before she died because Moats had run a red light en route to the hospital has found new work. And it’s still police work. ↵
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↵Back in March, officer Robert Powell pulled over Moats and his wife and held them there for more than 15 minutes for running a red light. The story received national attention, and matters worsened for Powell when the video from his dashcam surfaced online showing him to be unwilling to listen to Moats’ desperate pleas to get to his dying mother.↵↵Powell and Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle later apologized for his conduct. Powell was placed on leave by the department pending an internal investigation. In April, Powell resigned, saying he hoped his departure would allow the department, his fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to “move forward.”↵

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↵↵⇥“Officer Powell made a mistake,” [Stratford Police Chief Winston] Dennis said of the March incident. “We all agree it could have been handled differently. But was it a bad enough mistake to say he should never be a cop again? And I think the answer’s no.”↵↵↵I think most people would concur with that sentiment. While Powell’s conduct during the stop was certainly indelicate, he was obviously committing due diligence in stopping someone who had run a traffic light and not immediately taking their story at face value. While it is a tragedy that Moats was not able again to see his mother-in-law, if she passed away following only a roughly 15-minute delay, there’s no guarantee they would have made it in time anyway. That Powell has to move to what most would consider a less glamorous and most likely a lower paying position, after suffering months of national shame, seems like punishment enough.↵

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