Comments on: Police release video of Jovan Belcher, hours before murder-suicide

By: chi01town

chi01town — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:57:06 +0000

This video is pointless. I wish the baby well and his mom. and I wish there was a way to take it all back.

By: rameyag

rameyag — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:23:08 +0000

He appears that he would have passed a field sobriety test although it would have been better if one had been performed. Still, the officers made clear that he was not to return to the vehicle, which he did not do until hours later. He murdered the mother of his child with his own mother in the residence, which looks like it cost less than his Bentley. Without judging, it is hard to have much sympathy for him. Out all night with a woman other than the mother of his child while she and his mother took care of the infant. If not that night, it could have happened some other night.

By: dejohns

dejohns — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:05:42 +0000

How the cops can be at fault when the two ladies who woke him up to go and murder his girlfriend cant be held accountable. They should have known that he was unstable sober or under the influence. Nobody knows if they had arrested him if that would have stopped him, in fact the time in the cell might have stirred up other feelings and we may be talking about him killing his girlfriend,the two ladies in the apartment,his mother, team mates who knows

By: frankyvito

frankyvito — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:15:33 +0000

I remember the officer in the Ryan Moats incident getting blasted for following the letter of the law (to which I agreed with said blasting) and now an officer is using discretion, which I’ve seen done with non athletes as well, and we’re really talking about him being lucky to keep his job? Can’t have it both ways.

By: beefbus

beefbus — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 19:44:04 +0000

Obviously the officers had nothing to do with what transpired later that morning, but their preferential treatment is appalling. I’d be in jail, and so would most normal people without notoriety.

By: Max

Max — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 19:23:42 +0000

NO WAY to tell what he was going to do later. Officers used their discretion.

I can’t tell you how many times I have slept in my car which was safely parked after a night out drinking.

Rather sleep off the drunkness than drive while intoxicated.

By: Deb

Deb — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:32:49 +0000

Nothing in Belcher’s demeanor suggested he was violent, nor did he have a visible weapon or open container. Assuming Belcher had been drinking, he went inside and slept for three hours before returning home to murder his girlfriend. These officers aren’t responsible for what occurred hours later. If police can’t arrest men who’ve made active death threats against their spouses, how could these officers be responsible for something no one could have anticipated?

By: e23r0

e23r0 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:23:29 +0000

If this would’ve been anyone else they would be hauled off. Because of his car, clothes and celebrity he was given a break, and now two people are dead. There’s a reason why this law exists.

By: crookedstick

crookedstick — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:59:19 +0000

If the police officers had arrested him in this situation, they would have been ripped for arresting an NFL player who was “just sitting in his car in front of his girlfriend’s apartment.” And to play the race card, you know someone would’ve screamed “racism” because here are two white officers “harassing” a black man driving a $200,000 car. And, we’d never know that their actions saved two lives. It’s true, this is a no-win situation for the police.

By: raiderlyfe510

raiderlyfe510 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:52:37 +0000

The cops didnt need any crystal balls. They just had to do their job and send him to the courts and leave the discretion to The judge. There were laws and a system in place that could have prevented that tragic event from happening that morning, but the cops took it upon themselves to not enforce those laws.

By: manningbowl88

manningbowl88 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:36:21 +0000

im not to big a fan of most cops bec now adays alot of police officers force things instead of enforcing them.. but i have to admit theres situations where they cant win at all… if they use force ppl jump down there throats, and now this situation ppl are on them for not arresting them and actually treating someone with respect.. sometimes people shouldnt be allowed to give opinions.

By: dragonfly99

dragonfly99 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:28:23 +0000

In many states just being behind the wheel and being intoxicated is grounds for DUI. I guess this doen’t apply in Kansas City. I would be shocked if these officers don’t face some type of disciplinary action.

By: jc327

jc327 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:22:28 +0000

No need to jump on these cops, they treated him with the same discretion with which we would want to be treated. The circumstances that followed the next morning are not on them.

By: packh8er

packh8er — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:09:05 +0000

Nothing good ever comes out of being up at 3AM does it?

By: rboys69

rboys69 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:01:32 +0000

Thats what people are losing in all this. We don’t have crystal balls and no way of knowing what he would do. It’s awful what occurred hours later but these cops had no idea.

By: 05flynt

05flynt — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:58:25 +0000

Some of these comments are ridiculous. How is this the cops fault. They let a guy off and sent him inside. No one could know that even after he slept it off that he would wake up and kill his family. This is no way the cops fault. That lies squarely on javons shoulders.

By: urbusted2

urbusted2 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:53:56 +0000

Hindsight is 20/20. These guys treated him the way we’d all like to be treated. With respect. There’s no way to assume what would play out a few hours later by any information these guys gathered while questioning Belcher. They didn’t just blow it off because of who he was. They made a reasonable decision by anyone’s standards.

By: steel420

steel420 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:52:20 +0000

They obviously think Jovan is under the influence so much so that they offer to roll his windows up and lock his doors after they tell him not to drive and that his best bet is to go upstairs. I believe Missouri law states that you can be arrested for a parked car DUI if you turn on the engine of the vehicle, and you can hear one of the officers state that the car was running. Too bad we all can’t be treated equally. I wonder if they would have cut the same break to a guy driving a $20,000 car? If these officers weren’t so star-struck and treated Jovan like an ordinary citizen, then 2 lives might have been saved that day.

By: prgsdw

prgsdw — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:44:49 +0000

Looks like 3 cops that should be disciplined at a minimum if not fired.

By: raiderlyfe510

raiderlyfe510 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:43:13 +0000

In California you can be standing by your car with your car keys in your hand and get charged with DUI. If you’re in your car intoxicated it’s a wrap parked or not.

By: rboys69

rboys69 — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:30:02 +0000

It’s called discretion. He was parked creating no risk to anyone at the time. Sure, the police could’ve arrested him and charged him with DUI as easily as escorting him home but chose not to. It would be no different than you personally knowing the Officer and he had your family member in the car. These Officer’s should be fine. How could anyone know what Belcher would do hours later.

By: cliverush

cliverush — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:08:22 +0000

In many states just being behind the wheel while intoxicated if the automobile is in a public way is grounds for arrest. The quote of giving him a break could come back to haunt these policemen. The old days of on the job judgement for a cop are gone.