Monday, November 13, 2006

There’s No Such Thing As A Routine Traffic Stop

A Crisp County, Georgia sheriff's deputy, Steven Rankin, 25 was seriously wounded when he was shot in the face during a traffic stop. Rankin pulled career criminal Ben Westbrook, 32 over at 1:47 a.m. on February 4, 2006 for loud music and erratic driving.

Deputy Rankin lost about 70 percent of his upper right jawbone and several teeth in the shooting and he's already had several surgeries to repair the damage to his face. Deputy Rankin still has additional surgeries planned to repair the injuries. Today he’s on light duty.

According to court documents, Westbrook plead guilty to nine charges, including aggravated assault, aggravated battery, obstruction of an officer, removal of the firearm of a law officer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharging a firearm near a public highway, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, attempting to elude officers and driving with a suspended license.

This is yet another fine example of how out nations 22,000 gun laws has absolutely no effect on anyone but the law abiding.

Watch the disturbing video taken by the dashboard camera on Rankin’s patrol car.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad they got the scumbag. Lets hope someone does him in while he's in the joint. Save some tax money. Kudos to the cop.

leomemorial said...

Jesus.

This asshole needs to fry.

Anonymous said...

What happened to the attempt murder charge??? Thank God this P.O. lived! This is why who ever opens the door on a traffic stop and gets out! Get's my .45 pointed at them.

Anonymous said...

Hats off to Deputy Rankin for staying in the fight..."thats how we roll!!!" 201

Anonymous said...

I don't usually like cops, totally overrated career choice... but this video really makes me mad, to know there's animals out there that would do this.

It's sad that all cops treat most people like animals (especially minorities) thanks to scum like Westbrook.

Anonymous said...

The needle?...This man should of been tortured to fukin death..God Bless Steven Rankin for surviving this incident.

Anonymous said...

To shoot a cop and then beat him?What a scumbag!

Anonymous said...

I agree that this worthless excuse for a human being should fry. Too bad a couple of the officers shots couldn't have hit their mark. To do what this guy did he is truly a danger to society and does not deserve to live.

Anonymous said...

I just saw this story on TV and then looked it up online. I'm very glad this lowlife scum was caught and put away. I also agree that he should have been put to death.

Well if he had gotten away with it, then we could always hope that 'DEXTER' would come to the officier's aid! And that would be the end of the story!

Anonymous said...

The biggest mistake the US made was to ship in Africans as slaves now this is what we have.

Jesus Valdez said...

Good police oficcer are a rare kind of person....World needs more and more good police oficcers, I live in JUAREZ MEXICO, and the Chief of municipal police are a very brave man, People needs more brave and honorable officers to save and keep peaceful all cities in this world. Catch a lot of bad guys, put behind bars and mantein cities safe and productive, God was whit officer Rankin but Westbrook deserve death sentence..His life in prision is like a normal prisioner? Here in Mexico his life in prision must be THE HELL. Becouse evil GROW UP in this world

Anonymous said...

The only regret is that because deputy Rankin's shots missed, now the taxpayers have to feed yet another monkey.

Anonymous said...

I grew up with this dude. He shot my friend in the thigh with a shotgun in the mid 90s

Anonymous said...

His convictions include of assaulting an officer, but not attempted capital murder of a police officer. And I've heard of murderers being convicted of murder AND attempted murder. So although Ben Westbrook didn't actually murder a police officer, the fact that Westbrook was not even convicted at least with attempted murder, didn't get Rankin the justice he still to this day deserves, and didn't guarantee a life sentence for Ben Westbrook. Westbrook might get out on parole either by age 64, or after serving 25 years, since even a life sentence with a chance of parole often minimizes the term before parole to 25 years. Or since Westbrook was sentenced to 63 years and not life, it is a potential that his minimum term before parole could be 15 years. I've heard of a convicted killer who was sentenced to life, get out on parole for 'good behavior' after serving only 15 years. And he was almost sentenced to death. When all but 1 juror voted for the death penalty. YouTube search Forensic Files - Strong Impressions.

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