This is the most well thought out response I've read.
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Originally Posted by
maroonmania
This is my feeling on the subject as well. I guess this is just one of reasons why we can't have nice things. I don't want to get in the middle of this back and forth but I just hope if the SPD found it necessary to put a black eye on the poster boy for not just MSU football, but all of MSU athletics for the time being, then I REALLY hope he was significantly over the limit. Yes, this will hurt Dak's reputation and draft stock personally somewhat but it also hurts Mississippi State and in turn Starkville. Nobody is asking SPD to turn a blind eye to MSU athletes in general but Dak is a different animal and EVERYONE should know it. I can tell you that whatever success Dak has on the next level he will be the first one to market us and give financially back to the University and cause other high profile recruits to have a higher interest in us (which he already does). Anything the SPD does to tarnish Dak is just hurting everything MSU and Starkville related. Would take a pretty short sighted cop to not understand this so I hope the arrest for DUI that Dak got was something that just could not have been avoided due to his significant level of blood alcohol. If this same type situation had happened in another big time college football town I would bet it would have been handled in a much different way.
I've not responded on this subject because of my close relation to law enforcement but, that being said, I hope he was REALLY sloshy drunk and ready to fight or this was just a bad idea. Not even counting Dak's career, the long term impact this could have on MSU AND Starkville is significant. You can say all people should be treated equally but there is something called officer discretion that is implemented EVERY day in the profession. I have no idea the circumstances surrounding what happened but I do know Dak was teaching a bunch of young kids 6 hours later at a football camp. Not many folks can do that after a heavy bindger. He has either hidden is alcoholism REALLY well the past 5 years or this was a major overreaction by an officer.
There is a lot of assuming going on here
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Originally Posted by
tallydawg
239 kids (ages 14 and younger) were killed in 2012 as a result of drunk driving. Statistics for adults is probably much more. Ultimately, I don't see how one could say this was only a "mistake". It was wrong and more than that, it was dangerously selfish.
Did you know that you can drink one (1) beer and be over the limit? In fact, you can drink 2 or 3 and not even feel it in any way and still blow over a .08. You would be, by the letter of the law, breaking the law and not even know it. Add into the mix a small town DUI unit that has to justify their existence and you have a perfect storm.
Conversely, let's say you had that one beer and were legally over .08. You hop in your car to head home for the night and, as you head down the bypass, a minivan swerves in front of you, catches your bumper losing control and everyone in the minivan dies. Guess who's fault that is? Not the minivans once the tox screen is conducted. Family will be looking for someone to crucify because of the pain they are experiencing.
I have helped with this type of case and it can be tough. It can also lead to some very skewed stats. All of that said...drinking and driving is stupid but I think we need to know more of the story surrounding this incident (which we probably never will). I find it very hard to believe he was really drunk and still made it to his kids camp several hours later. Lots of people there and no one reported him smelling of alcohol or being inebriated.
Just food for thought.