If you've ever blown past a school bus with its lights flashing, here's proof that there is absolutely no excuse. Even Kewaskum Wisconson Police Chief Richard Knoebe isn't above the law as the officer gave himself a $235 ticket and 4 points on his driving record for passing a flashing school bus while in his patrol car. What's amazing is that the officer even had a good excuse for passing the bus. He was approaching a stopped dump truck when he saw a vehicle passing from behind. He was busy passing the truck when he belatedly noticed the school bus. Since Knoebe was the only officer around, he wrote himself up and paid the fine the next day. We're guessing Knoebe received his Cub Scout honesty badge without any issues.
The incident occurred back in September but went unnoticed until recently when a local newspaper noticed the infraction in the court records.
[Source: MSN]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Big jim @ Feb 6th 2007 5:16PM
at least he is not a dirty cop.
Markos Prieto @ Feb 6th 2007 5:17PM
We should give him another ticket and dock another 4 points if he has the typical Freddy Mercury cop mustache.
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mikomi @ Feb 6th 2007 5:52PM
The incident went unnoticed for a few months because the records had only recently gone public. Good for him for being honest, I respect that.
Matt W. @ Feb 6th 2007 5:53PM
Actually, if there's no witness, he can't be fined or get points on his license,
No self incrimination = no story. All that cop really did was say "look how honest I am" even though every honest man knows when the difference between an accident and willful misconduct.
Cop = poser. End of story.
Frank Zappa @ Feb 6th 2007 5:56PM
What the story doesn't mention is that he was black. If he had been white, you know he would have just looked the other way.
Damn racism!
DriftPunch @ Feb 6th 2007 6:17PM
"No self incrimination = no story. All that cop really did was say "look how honest I am" even though every honest man knows when the difference between an accident and willful misconduct.
Cop = poser. End of story."
Yup, Police Chief is a political office, and that fine and those points are worth FAR more than their weight in publicity gold.
Darrell @ Feb 6th 2007 6:44PM
That's a honest cop there. Kudos to him. Cops from my area in Orange County (California) make illegal u-turns, break double yellow lines, run stop signs, and a bunch of other crap, but I've NEVER seen them write themselves up nor hear of it.
jc @ Feb 6th 2007 6:59PM
I saw a cop speeding
mcbobbe @ Feb 6th 2007 7:15PM
I wonder if Matt W's comment about "No self incrimination" arises out of a misunderstanding of the Fifth Amendment. This states that one shall not "be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself." This does not preclude one from witnessing against himself, just one being required to do so.
And how the cop's actions make him a "poser" is a mystery to me. I say well done.
Scott @ Feb 6th 2007 7:53PM
It seems like he had a reasonable excuse for missing the lights, and as nobody got hurt, it should be a case of no harm no foul. All this does is make me fear the sanity of law enforcement even more.
Adam @ Feb 6th 2007 9:04PM
"Yup, Police Chief is a political office, and that fine and those points are worth FAR more than their weight in publicity gold."
Police chief in Wisconsin is not a political office. You may be confusing police chief with sheriff.
Markos Prieto @ Feb 6th 2007 9:23PM
Damn racism?
"If he had been white, you know he would have just looked the other way."
Damn racist!
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paul34 @ Feb 6th 2007 10:15PM
#12, Markos - #5 was meant to be a joke, a pretty funny one at that. Relax, man ;).
Markos Prieto @ Feb 7th 2007 1:17AM
I think I need to start putting smilies on my messages:) and what not. Sarcasm is tough to type. Somehow :P doesn't cut it.
Tyo @ Feb 7th 2007 9:24AM
This proves a point all cops are retarded.
Dirk Dundenburg @ Feb 7th 2007 9:27AM
I see not one of you a-holes mentioned anything about the possible tragic consequences had a child been passing in front of the bus at that time. Typical.
Mattlach @ Feb 7th 2007 9:33AM
It's good to see honest cops for a change.
That being said I loathe school buses.
Enacting rules that make the world stop for your child has to be the very epitome of arrogance.
Most parents in this country with their "everything for my child" attitude disgust me.
First we build a road so we can get from point a to pint be faster. Then someone builds a school on this main throughway cause soccermoms want to be able to get to school faster.
Then there is public outcry that the area is dangerous to children, introducing 20mph school zones, and schoolbuses that stop every 10 feet blocking traffic cause kids these days are too good to walk...
Honest to god, next time I see a "Baby on Board" sign I'm INTENTIONALLY running the vehicle off the road!
Ian @ Feb 7th 2007 9:36AM
The Police Chief is palpably NOT telling the whole truth!
The school bus driver must have observed him. That's possibly why he ticketed himself. In case the bus driver complained. That would have been ultimately embarassing for him had he attempted to get away w/o a ticket.
8189720 @ Feb 7th 2007 10:22AM
I don't know, but perhaps it's just me and the old mentality, that if you teach it, they will learn.
What do I mean? Well, teach kids the safety of the road and perhaps we can stop babysitting them until they die. Don't cross until it's safe to do so. Seriously, I was a kid once too, and I learned to wait until the cars go by and it's safe to cross before crossing the road. I wasn't blindfolded crossing the street and was able to distinguish between safe and not safe.
Now, don't get me wrong, but it's no excuse passing the school bus with lights flashing. I agree with that, but it's just that we create so many safety zones that as soon as we remove them society becomes the lowest common denominator because now it can't think on its own.
Pope @ Feb 7th 2007 11:16AM
#17 I totally agree. All your people's kids suck. I don't care about them. We have to somehow get soccer moms to play in the street.