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A police officer was placed on administrative leave Thursday over a traffic stop involving an NFL player whom he kept in a hospital parking lot and threatened to arrest while his mother-in-law died inside the building.

'My mother-in-law is dying'
Ryan Moats Video: Watch Texan Ryan Moats' confrontation with a police officer who stopped him from visiting a dying relative in the hospital and threatened to arrest him.

Officer Robert Powell also drew his gun during the March 18 incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats in the Dallas suburb of Plano, police said.

"I can screw you over," he said at one point in the videotaped incident. When another officer came with word that Moats' mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell's response was: "All right. I'm almost done."

The Moats family, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in the white officer's behavior.

"I think he should lose his job," Ryan Moats said.

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family and announced that Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation.

"When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed," Kunkle said. "It's hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate."

Powell, 25, a three-year member of the force, stopped Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano after Moats rolled through a red light.

Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job, and that he drew his gun but did not point it. Kunkle said Powell was not necessarily acting improperly when he pulled his weapon out, but that once he realized what was happening should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way.

"His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.

Moats' wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her.

Ryan Moats on the officer who prevented him from seeing his dying mother-in-law: "I think he should lose his job." (File / Getty Images)

"He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car," Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.

Ryan Moats told KRLD-FM in Dallas in a phone interview Thursday that after the officer pointed the gun at his wife, he pointed it at him. "I just tried to stay as still as possible to not scare him or do anything to make him react," he said.

He earlier told the newspaper he thought Powell should be fired but backed off that in his radio interview.

"All I know is what he did was wrong," Moats said. "He stole a moment away from me that I can never get back. I'm really not the judge on what should happen to him."

The Moats family did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press. Powell did not respond to requests for comment through the Dallas police union.

Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.

He ordered Tamishia Moats, 27, to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.

"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at Tamishia Moats as she exited the vehicle. "Let me see your hands!"

"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"

Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.

"My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You're wasting my time!" Moats yelled. "I don't understand why you can't understand that."

As they argued, the officer got irritated.

"Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

Kunkle said the video showed that Moats and his wife "exercised extraordinary patience, restraint in dealing with the behavior of our officer."

"At no time did Mr. Moats identify himself as an NFL football player or expect any kind of special consideration," Kunkle said. "He handled himself very, very well."


When the exchange was at its most contentious, Powell said he could tow Moats' SUV if he didn't have insurance and that he could arrest him for fleeing because he didn't immediately stop when Powell turned on his sirens. The pursuit lasted a little more than a minute.

"I can screw you over," Powell said. "I'd rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens."

The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.

Texans spokesman Kevin Cooper said the team had no comment.

Moats, a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 out of Louisiana Tech, was cut by the Eagles in August and later signed with the Texans. In three seasons as a backup, he's rushed for 441 yards and scored four touchdowns.

He was a standout at Bishop Lynch High School, a private school in Dallas, rushing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.

If I were Moats, I would've grabbed the wrist of the hand the cop had his gun in, and bent it till it broke.  Then once that cop dropped the gun, I would've beaten his ass until there was nothing left to beat.

And I still would've gotten off scott free. 

If I were Moats, I would've grabbed the wrist of the hand the cop had his gun in, and bent it till it broke.  Then once that cop dropped the gun, I would've beaten his ass until there was nothing left to beat.

And I still would've gotten off scott free. 

If I were Moats, I would've grabbed the wrist of the hand the cop had his gun in, and bent it till it broke.  Then once that cop dropped the gun, I would've beaten his ass until there was nothing left to beat.

And I still would've gotten off scott free. 

If you're the cop, you walk him into the hospital and say "then let's get you to your mother in law." If it's a BS story, you'll know in short order, and if it is the real deal, you just did the right thing and are likely commended for it...rather than being suspended pending an investigation.

Which is why he is suspended for messing up.

Tommy - why not just use your Jedi mind-control powers and convince the cop to escort you to see your dying relative?  

The cop is 25 years old and has been on the force for three years.  If he pulls over 100 people in a day for speeding / moving violations how many of those people do you think toss a sob story at him?  Close to 100%.  I don't blame him for being skeptical about the story.  I DO blame him for not being professional in the way he dealt with the guy.  I heard the tape and he was a dick, just a complete dick.

Now Zach Thomas is saying his wife had a problem with this same cop.

You must have missed that they were in the parking lot of the hospital.  An odd place to be skeptical.  Its not like he could not have walked them into the hospital to check it out.

I didn't say anything other than that.  Well, actually, I did.  I said that he had no reason to hold the passengers in the car.  This was not a felony stop, he had no reason to fear for his life.  Not allowing the passengers to go inside the hospital was bunk.

Stops usually are not for felony reasons until evidence is found anyway. Most arrests come from stopping the car, then finding probably cause. I don't think any cop in America would let a passenger run away from a stop. I would think it is standard practice to keep everyone in place.

That said, I think he could have used a little more common sense and could have diffused the situation very easily.

No, I agree - you stop a car and suddenly people are running for the woods.  That would be a bit suspect.  But you stop a car in front of the hospital, there are women inside the car crying and saying "my mom is dying...right THERE" I would think it would be okay to let the passengers go inside the hospital.

This cop is an idot but why is race even being brought into it?  I hate that as it takes away from the legitimacy of the story. 

Yes, everytime an officer of the law enforces the law on a minority civilian we have to ask these questions.  It couldn't possibly be that he's just a bit too gung ho in doing his job.  There's no way that we should right this off as a young cop, in the middle of a situation, choosing to follow the rule of the law when he probably shouldn't have.  Quick, someone get Jesse and Al on the phone!  This person's civil rights were violated solely because of his skin color!  Let's march!

He made a mistake.  He should have at least let the passengers enter the hospital IMO.  I don't think it's so bad he should be terminated, unless he has a pattern of behavior like this.

I guess he won't be fired because he quit.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_re_us/fbn_nfl_player_stopped_2

OK I only read the story and skimmed the posts but does anyone not see that Moats put his life and the passengers in his cars life in danger?