Man pulled over for running red light in funeral procession, misses burial of great-grandmother

WASHINGTON - A Virginia man is furious after he was pulled over in Alexandria while driving in a funeral procession. He missed his great-grandmother's burial because of the delay, his family says.

Now Alexandria police are reviewing the stop.

With their hazard and headlights on, Heather Spinner and her husband were on Duke Street driving to the Mount Comfort Cemetery on June 12 when they noticed red and blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror.

"My brother-in-law behind us was actually pulled over for running a red light," Spinner says.

Both her husband and brother-in-law, R.G. Spinner, removed their yellow funeral procession tags from the rear-view mirrors and waved them out the window, hoping the officer would let them continue driving, she says.

But after the fact, Alexandria police Sgt. Seth Weinstein told Spinner her brother-in-law's behavior escalated the consequences of the traffic stop.

R.G. Spinner now has a summons to appear in court June 18.

"When someone is burying a family member, they're very raw and emotional. At what point do you give that as much consideration as you do the fact that the person approaching that person is a law enforcement officer?" Spinner asks.

steveschneider wrote:Saw in the Freep the other day the cops detained a kid of special needs at a Walmart  in Livonia when the store accused her of shop lifting a few .70 hair ties.

Turns out she had purchased them earlier and they had the receipt. The grand mother even tried to explain the situation to the store, but nope they had to get the cops involved.

In the end the kid was traumatized by the situation because she couldn't understand what was happening.

InTenSity wrote:I live next to a cemetery, there are quite a few processions with police escort. This is just a weird situation. I thought if you were in the procession, with or without an escort, that normal laws didn't apply to the caravan. How is the cop even close to being right, other than the city needs to back up the police?

steveschneider wrote:Saw in the Freep the other day the cops detained a kid of special needs at a Walmart  in Livonia when the store accused her of shop lifting a few .70 hair ties.

Turns out she had purchased them earlier and they had the receipt. The grand mother even tried to explain the situation to the store, but nope they had to get the cops involved.

In the end the kid was traumatized by the situation because she couldn't understand what was happening.

Cym Jim wrote:

The kid was 25, but yeah.

Cym Jim wrote:

The kid was 25, but yeah.

steveschneider wrote:

True 25, but with the mental capabilities of an 8 year old.

Gus Chiggins wrote:

Can't wait for SpartanDawgs265 to defend himself on this one.

Gob Bluth wrote:

I NEEDED THEM FOR MY FUCKING RAD JETSKI BRO!! **** THIS PLACE!

Gob Bluth wrote:

I NEEDED THEM FOR MY FUCKING RAD JETSKI BRO!! **** THIS PLACE!

steveschneider wrote:

True 25, but with the mental capabilities of an 8 year old.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:It was only his great-grandmother, he should quit his bitching.

Cym Jim wrote:

That's rude.