Florida officer forced to resign after slashing suspect’s bike tires

[Bob Hubbard]

Florida officer forced to resign after slashing suspect’s bike tires

On January 28, Robinson arrested a homeless man on trespassing charges. John Bilawsky used racial slurs against him during the ride to jail.
On February 8, Robinson is apparently still bothered by these slurs so he enters the storage room of the Pinellas County Jail and removes Bilawsky’s bicycle, slashes it tires and places it back into the storage room.
You would think that after 11 days of plotting revenge, he would have noticed that there is a video camera in the storage room.
He didn’t.

 

[jks9199]

Florida officer forced to resign after slashing suspect’s bike tires

And good riddance.

Whatever his past record -- his judgment and maturity in this incident were reprehensible.

 

[girlbug2]

Jeez it's deplorable that he was hired in the first place.

 

[arnisador]

Firing isn't enough--he needs at least a token jail sentence.

Slashing the tires of a homeless man's bicycle is quite cruel...and a LEO should know that mental illness is often present with homelessness and take that into account when hearing his words.

 

[Deaf Smith]

This can't be true. All the CSI and Miami Vice shows I've seen show cops soooo smart. I mean, they always solve the crimes, right?

Deaf

 

[Archangel M]

"Jail Sentence"? Please...Ive seen people with 80-90 prior arrests just get fines, probation etc. and not see a day in jail for worse offenses than criminal mischief. While I would have no problem with this "cop" getting a criminal charge, I think he should get exactly the same treatment as anybody else facing that charge. "Equal treatment" means exactly that.

 

[Archangel M]

Jeez it's deplorable that he was hired in the first place.

You would be shocked if you knew how civil service boards can tie a departments hands regarding hiring and firing of people. While a dept can refuse to hire people with blatant issues like criminal records, lies on applications etc...try not hiring someone who just "doesnt seem right" when they are high up on a civil service hiring list.

 

[arnisador]

"Jail Sentence"? Please...Ive seen people with 80-90 prior arrests just get fines, probation etc. and not see a day in jail for worse offenses than criminal mischief. While I would have no problem with this "cop" getting a criminal charge, I think he should get exactly the same treatment as anybody else facing that charge. "Equal treatment" means exactly that.

This was done under colour of law. He damaged something he himself took from someone he was arresting. That's different from me slashing your bicycle's tires. He was abusing authority entrusted to him. I don't care if it's a short sentence--two weeks is fine--but there needs to be a message sent in cases like this.

 

[Archangel M]

This was done under colour of law. He damaged something he himself took from someone he was arresting. That's different from me slashing your bicycle's tires. He was abusing authority entrusted to him. I don't care if it's a short sentence--two weeks is fine--but there needs to be a message sent in cases like this.

So cops should be "treated just like anybody else" when they break a law...but should be used "to send a message" when they are sentenced??? I dont think the law should be used in that manner. And perhaps there is a law in some state that addresses officer committed crimes, but in my state there is no difference between an LEO or non-LEO damaging someones property intentionally.

Its the typical double speak I hear all the time.

"You are a civilian like everybody else"...."you should be treated differently because you act under color of law"

"Cops should be treated like everybody else when they break a law"..."cops should be made an example of when they break a law"

I'd accept either side if there was at least some consistency.

 

[Twin Fist]

i hate stupid cops

 

[Archangel M]

me too

 

[jks9199]

I agree with Archangel. From the article, he did 20 years as a cop in NYC before going to Florida.

But his actions here are unjustifiable.

He was fired. A criminal charge of destruction of property would be appropriate -- but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he agreed to go quietly in return for no criminal charges.

 

[Archangel M]

Much like any other plea deal Ive ever seen...