03-02-2015, 05:43 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Obie
"This was not an inevitable chemical reaction, and the police chief (or the officer) making up a story about sun in the eyes when sunrise is at 6:39 just raises suspicions that a cover up is underway."
I don't see anywhere in any of the news reports were the officer reported the sun was in his eyes.It was actually a Fire Dept battalion chief and it was speculation.
Acting Battalion Chief Capt. John Whitman says that area is very treacherous for bike riders, especially during sunrise.
"It's kinda dangerous for a bicyclist to be riding in that area, being the sun rising and such, hard to see them. And there's no shoulder for those bicyclists to be riding on. They basically have to ride on the road, which is a pretty dangerous area," said Capt. Whitman.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28232...n-waikoloa
But the sun is not rising yet, the accident was reported at 6:30, sunrise this morning wasn't until 6:39, and it actually rises on that side of the mountain even later. Capt. Whitman was blaming the victim and making excuses for the person who struck and killed a bicyclist. If the victim was my family member I would be furious that anyone, without a formal investigation even started yet, would be publicly blaming my family member and making excuses for why an on duty officer ran them over and killed them.
Capt. Whitman was speaking in an official capacity, not as a private citizen, and either the officer lied to him and said the sun was in his eyes, or he was making up excuses that don't hold water to protect the officer. Either way he should be reprimanded for publicly making an excuse that is a physical impossibility and blaming the victim before there is an investigation.
I have family members whose sole form of transportation is by bicycle, if one of them was the victim in this situation I would feel doubly victimized by those statements. Whitman was out of line and should make just as public of an apology to the victim's family.