It has happened yet again, another incident of road rage, but this time involving not just an ordinary motorist, but an armed policeman.
The incident happened last week in Quezon City when a cop was recorded pointing his gun at a truck driver near the Mindanao Avenue Toll Plaza of the North Luzon Expressway, pulling him from the vehicle, and forcing him to the ground before kicking him.
At one point he appears to place the truck driver under arrest.
It was learned that earlier the truck driver had hit the policeman’s vehicle but didn’t stop and decided to book it. The policeman chased the driver down and did everything else that was recorded on video.
The policeman, who was assigned to the Philippine National Police Civil Security Group and in plainclothes at the time, has been relieved from his post.
Let’s get this straight; both parties are at fault here. The truck driver for allegedly hitting a vehicle but then not stopping, and the policeman for going overboard in his actions.
Yes, we consider what he did going overboard. We can even say it was a form of abuse of authority. Of course, he can be forgiven for not being in uniform at the time, maybe he was not on duty. And also for having a gun, as a policeman has to be ready all the time after all. But in pointing the gun at the truck driver and forcing him to the ground in the arrest position reserved for those who pose a threat to policemen, he was treating the truck driver like he was already a dangerous criminal who had just committed a serious offense.
We don’t even have to mention the kick he delivered.
While the second act of this episode was a lack of judgment on the part of the policeman, we are thankful he didn’t actually shoot the truck driver in his moment of road rage.
There are two takeaways from this incident. The first being to never drive away from an accident one has caused. The second, as in every road rage incident, is to never give in to your wrath while on the road.