DASH-CAM VIDEO: Trooper, Officer Ticketed For Alleged Speeding
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DASH-CAM VIDEO: Trooper, Officer Ticketed For...
OSP releases dash-cam video Friday after an off-duty trooper and off-duty officer were ticketed for allegedly driving nearly 150 mph on I-70.
OSP
OSP releases dash-cam video after an off-duty trooper and off-duty officer were ticketed for allegedly driving nearly 150 mph on I-70.
NEWARK, Ohio—The Ohio State Highway Patrol released video Friday after an off-duty trooper and off-duty officer were ticketed for allegedly driving nearly 150 mph on an interstate highway.
NBC 4’s Patrick Preston reported with the FAST FACTS.
An OSP radar plane clocked the men allegedly going those speeds, and troopers made the traffic stop.
The video was taken by two troopers’ cruisers.
Authorities said off-duty state trooper Jason Highsmith, 35, was clocked going 147 mph on Interstate 70, east of Columbus, where the speed limit is 65 mph.
Authorities said Christopher Thomas, 33, was clocked going 149 mph on I-70.
The incident happened Sunday, June 28.
Thomas has been on injured leave from the Gahanna police department since last December after he slipped and fell on ice.
Thomas continues to receive pay and benefits, including vacation time.
Here’s an abbreviated transcript of the dash-cam video:
Trooper Bryan Lee: “Either one of you have anything on you I need to know about?”
“No sir. A couple badges is all,” one of the motorcyclists said.
(Highsmith does most of the talking on the video, but it was unclear which one of the two men were responding each time.)
The conversation with Trooper Bryan Lee changed tone.
Lee: “What’s your name? Bryan. You? Highsmith. Did you say Highsmith? Yeah. I think you were at the academy when I was there. Did I train you? I think you beat the [expletive] out of the guy who had me. Oww.”
“You gotta do what you gotta do, man. We were pushing it today.”
The men shake hands and laugh and joke about the speeding.
Lee: “You’re a motorcycle cop? What? How fast were you going?”
Highsmith said they were driving in an open stretch. And Lee apparently took him at his word, despite traffic in the background.
“If you guys don’t mind, just tell them we’re a bunch of cops. Don’t tell them I’m a trooper ’cause that will get back.”
Lee turned off his audio before ever discussing the possibility of a ticket, of a reckless driving charge or even asking if the men were racing.
They talk another four minutes, exchange handshakes and drive away. No paperwork was filled out. Driver’s licenses weren’t checked.
A third motorcyclist also was part of the group but was not clocked on radar and was not ticketed.
An OSP spokesperson said Lee’s microphone should have remained on during the entire traffic stop and the issue will be addressed later.
As for the joking and lack of questions about reckless driving and racing, OSP said no two traffic stops are alike and the speeding charge was explained.
Four days later, troopers issued Highsmith a ticket, and eight days later Thomas was issued a citation.
Neither man has been charged with reckless driving currently.
Highsmith entered a plea of not guilty before Licking County Municipal Court Judge David Branstool Wednesday.
Branstool said the lack of charges didn’t matter and that he could use his discretion to suspend Highsmith’s license for as much as three years for driving in reckless circumstances.
“I don’t expect the court to have any leniency. What I did was 100 percent wrong. I made a mistake,” Highsmith said in court.
One Columbus defense attorney said he thinks the case will be scrutinized heavily.
“I think it’s going to have a big ripple effect for criminal defense attorneys,” Michael Probst said.
Probst said his clients have been charged with reckless driving for going 20 miles over the speed limit.
He said he’s never had a client drive 147 miles per hour, and he said he thinks fellow lawyers will cite the officers’ case in contesting reckless driving charges against their clients.
“I absolutely think that local criminal defense attorneys will point to this case, especially considering that they’re police officers,” Probst.
Thomas was expected in court next week.
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Reader Reactions
Every morning, I drive 70 West from Heath to Columbus…every morning at least 2 highway patrol cruisers pass me. I drive 65 to 70 mph so they have to be going faster. Why don’t they have to obey the laws?
to bo: Air Force. I wouldn’t do that in Columbus unless I was pursuing an aggressor. I would put the machine to the limit to bring that sucker down.
to LLLosingit: I guess everyone is missing my point in that they need to hone their skills. I believe in the track, I suggest a track, they should give time to these guys to use it. I reviewed all my comments and I think everyone is up in arms because I never mentioned that I didn’t support their using the public highway. I don’t but LEO’s should sharpen their skills anyway possible legally. I hope that clears everything up.
I can not speak for the rest of the force but my ex-girlfriend dated Thomas and she was with him when all this went down, I know they didnt date that long. She would often call and ask if certine things he did was ok.
ENFORCER1936 - Sounds like you’ve got some inside dirt. ;)
Gahanna has hired some loosers, havent they?
The trooper will have his day soon and knowing OSP he is gone. Thomas has done this in the past like in 2002-03 he was put in internal affairs for trying to buy beer after 1am at a gas station with his badge telling the clerk it will be ok. Also texting on his way to a call slamming into the back of another cruiser this is just a little of what you dont know. This wont go away so stop trying to get rid of it. THOMAS IS A LOOSER skirts the system and wants all the pay half the job. This is his 4-5th disability claim
Does this type of behavior from either of the guilty bike riders and their fellow officers and their reaction really surprise anyone? Not me.
Overall, it’s sad to say there are perhaps a handful of good LEO’s out there, but that’s about it. The rest are like these guys.
#1 class example of why there’s zero reason to ask for any taxes to protect these fools. Lay them ALL off and put speed cameras on the road. We’ll save all the associated costs with traffic patrol and heck, ground the planes. They aren’t cheap and we have too many as it is…..no tax increase needed.
After seeing the video now I am even more appalled than before. Fire Highsmith, fire Thomas, and fire moron Lee for not conducting this stop as he would with an average person. Any average person would be cuffed, taken to jail and had their vehicle impounded as well as being charge with speeding, reckless op, and probably drag racing. Just one more example of the jokes that are supposed to be protecting us. Bite me OSHP, GPD, and any other PD that can’t hire respectable officers who actually abide AND uphold the law.
Hello (fsa0033) I understand what you are saying however, if they want to ride bike’s at 140 plus MPH let them
go to MidOhio Road course where they can do it on a closed course without
citizens on the road. Also, were both
or all three biker’s cop’s? and were they all motorcycle cop’s?? You know
that if a regular driver is pulled over
for going that kind of speed one the
first things a cop will say to you is
“do you realize your puting every other driver out here on the road at risk”?
How many cop’s have been involved in high speed crash’s wether on the job or off? Also you mentioned that you have flown at nearly Mach 1 at 100 ft above
the deck, are you air force or navy??
Would you try that type of flying in
here in the City of Columbus?? Of
course not you are a professional, plus
when you do it you are on duty aren’t you?? The cop’s were not! Plus the
Gahanna cop is now under investigation
for possible worker’s comp fraud for
“supposedly an upper back strain injury
from back this past winter” so please
don’t compare your action’s with
their’s.
I havn’t heard that the firefighter has been fired. I did hear he was assigned to taking calls or something behind a desk. As for the moto racers. I ride and it’s people like this that give sport bike riders a bad rap. If you want to race go to Mid Ohio….if you want to watch races Super Bike is this weekend. Also, it’s not cool to scheme the system and go play and have fun. I’m sure we would all love to not have to go to work and get paid and play all day but there’s no such thing as a free lunch as it’s the taxpayers who have are paying.
Hey I am a bit curious, has anyone
heard anything about the Columbus
Firefighter that shot his 2 dog’s to death in his basement?? Has he been
fired by the Columbus Public Safety
Director yet??! Also, the Gahanna
Police Officer that was clocked doing
149 MPH on I-70 East, has anyone heard
anything about him or his apparent
WORKER’S COMP FRAUD CASE??
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