Current Events > Cops being cops in Winterville, NC.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.witn.com/2022/08/25/winterville-police-chief-responds-complaint-about-officers-conduct/

The police chief's sixth-grade-level Facebook post:

Citizens...................There are two sides to every story you hear regarding the Police and what they do or don't do. Today was one of those times that I must ask for you all to step into the shoes of your officers. I will refrain from using names, locations, or other identifying characteristics as it is a sensitive issue at the moment. Let us first start that within any neighborhood in Winterville that has had vehicles broken into during the night should be able to relate. The Police Department is working hard to prevent this and are encouraged by citizens and leadership of the Town to provide presence and prevent further crime. On this particular morning at 1am, our officers observe an occupied vehicle in a neighborhood that has been victimized prior. From a distance the officers observed the vehicle come to a stop and no one exit the vehicle to go inside a residence. WHAT DO YOU DO as the Police? Do you drive away as not to offend someone? Do you drive away because you are scared? Do we just hope that this vehicle has not dropped off 3 others out on foot to rummage through everyone's vehicles? Or shall we try to determine if all is safe and the folks there belong there at 1am.

We did the latter, and will continue to do so. We did exactly what a reasonable person would expect the Police to do at 1am while most folks are asleep. We got out to speak to the driver or any other occupants to determine their business and if they belong to the neighborhood.
The driver, an adult male, would not communicate with our officers and stated he did not answer questions. This behavior, although legal, not only makes our job more difficult, but time consuming and often more unpleasant for everyone involved. A BETTER route to this encounter would be "I just got off work and I live here." The conversation ends, everyone is satisfied, all is good and Police involvement over. This actually raises suspicion and concern among officers.

And lastly, we were scolded by a mother who thought that we had wronged her son somehow. She demanded to be shown what had happened with her son. Nothing happened other than someone has taught this young man that to resist communicating with Police. That this behavior is noble, real, or some other adjective or part of some narrative.

Of course, as Facebook posts suggest, this was disgusting and absurd. Others shed tears for the wronged. Some suggested our officers should be fired. On the contrary, we commend the officers for having the courage to approach an occupied vehicle, at 1am, with unknown intent to protect lives and property while others sleep.

Thankfully, this was a resident parked in front of his residence in this case. It did take much longer to figure this out as "THEY DONT ANSWER QUESTIONS."

Lastly, our officers were scolded by a mother who determined her son was wronged somehow. He demanded to be shown what had happened. She, like so many others, demanded names and badge numbers. Sadly, we have body cameras that show exactly what was said and how it was said. The rudeness, attitude and loss of composure in most cases is not your Police officers.

My door is always open to discuss how we do what we do. It is OK not to always agree, but not to present a narrative of victimization that is unfounded.

Chief of Police
Ryan C. Willhite

The mother's response that I un-wall-of-texted. She also said in a different post that the chief made this post shortly after she filed the complaint.

So, everyone is making a comment about what happened, I am the one who filed this report because my son WAS in fact profiled by your officers. I am in total shock to see your post, when in fact you were supposed to be reviewing the case and getting back with me. My concerns were and are legit about my son. What you failed to mention and what occurred per my son's dash camera is that your officer drove in front of him for close to a mile and a half, stopping, breaking, and picking up again. My son drives late at night, so he is prepared to capture criminal activity or in this case activity by an officer that shouldn't occur. His video shows that his bright lights are not on, he's not driving too close to the undercover vehicle....none of that, yet the officer (on video) stopped and slowed down multiples times in front of his car. That is how this started.

Then, as my Facebook post stated and as you are now going to social media with a weak and incorrect reply vs responding professionally to my complaint filed, my son did a loop around the cul de sac to then come back and park in front of our home, and he was stopped. As he asked the officers, both of them failed to answer why he was stopped. After his license was given back, the 3rd officer now on the scene did give a half reply, pointing in a direction of the cul de sac as to say that he was driving around there. So what, he turned and looped around the cul de sac. Why was that a concern or issue?

I am not 'that mom' who you are attempting to create me to be, but what I am is that mom who will step up and stick up for my child (minor or not!) He did NOTHING wrong, there was NO reason for the stop at all. In fact, I live in this neighborhood and I have yet to see any break ins, so that may or may not be correct, as far as you stating you were looking out for the safety of the officers and the public. Your officer Ellis is the SAME one who has complaint after complaint with stops, primarily with African American men, which would be my son. Your officer tried to intimidate him, belittle him, laughing in his face, as he also did the same thing to me when I came out to inquire about this stop and to ask for names, since they refused to tell my son. He laughed, repeated my question (why did we stop your son?), then laughed again. Is that on your body cam, because it's on my son's video, when he was standing in our yard recording again.

This is unbelievable that you are putting this out there with a twisted explanation of what really happened. So, are you not doing an investigation then? Your Lt. Williams who I spoke with today when I filed the report was less than accepting of my complaint, and met me with how the bottom line was that my son simply had to tell them where he lived and everything would have been fine. My question is this, WHY WAS HE STOPPED, and what suspicious activity caused that stop?

My retort o those cops

"Fuck off"

Cops being cops as usual.

Pigs gonna pig

I thought it was standard policy not to comment on ongoing cases under review?

Well allow me to retort. Go fuck yourselves.