Cuffed teen said to leap to death fleeing police

**Piggybank Cop** · 12-04-06, 04:39 AM

Cuffed teen said to leap to death fleeing police

Va. police: 16-year-old escaped police car, drowned after jump off bridge
The Associated Press
Updated: 5:56 a.m. ET Dec 3, 2006
OCCOQUAN, Va. - A 16-year-old boy in handcuffs escaped Saturday from a police cruiser parked on a bridge, then jumped over a concrete barrier, plunged into a river and drowned, authorities said.

It was unclear why the boy jumped off Interstate 95 and into the Occoquan River about 60 feet below, Virginia State Police Sgt. Terry Licklider said.

“We don’t know if he was just trying to escape and didn’t realize what he was trying to jump over,” he said.

Rodger Rodriguez, of Woodbridge, was pulled over about 3:20 a.m. for speeding, Licklider said. A police officer determined the boy had been drinking and arrested him for drunken driving and driving without a license.

The officer, following normal procedure, placed Rodriguez in the front passenger seat of the cruiser, Licklider said. The boy’s hands were handcuffed behind his back, the seat belt was buckled and the doors were locked.

The officer then went to check on Rodriguez’s car and realized he was missing when he looked up a few minutes later, Licklider said. The officer called rescuers after seeing the boy in the water.

His body was found about five hours later at the bottom of the river by a Prince William County police scuba team, Licklider said.

The boy’s mother, Gloria Elena Rodriguez, told The Washington Post her son was familiar with the area along the highway.

“He knew the river was there,” she said. “We don’t understand how he escaped from the car handcuffed. How could he have gotten out?”

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16017013/

Guess he showed those stupid old cops.

**drillsgt98th** · 12-04-06, 04:53 AM

it is possible that his cuffs at least on one hand were not tight enough. overlooked due to his age. i work with mainly 16-27 years olds at my jail..and them bastards are slippery at times. but it doesnt explain how he got outta the cruiser.sounds fishy to me. im sure IG will be all over this one!

**TheOldRhino** · 12-04-06, 05:21 AM

He died of stupidity. Stupidity claims the lives of thousands every year- when will this madness end? We should make stupidity illegal and force stupid people to be sterilized.

**Growler** · 12-04-06, 06:38 AM

Good point about the wrists.

Well if the trooper was still active on their stop, their dash came should have caught it all and where the trooper was standing so the media can not jump on the he was pushed and full investigation band wagon.

**ida40dj** · 12-04-06, 07:38 AM

well one less idiot to bred now.

**Star Man** · 12-04-06, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Rhino

He died of stupidity. Stupidity claims the lives of thousands every year- when will this madness end? We should make stupidity illegal and force stupid people to be sterilized.

**TXCOP** · 12-04-06, 08:09 AM

I'm guessing the officer didn't have a cage. I'll bet my stripes(as if they do me any good-I'm always on shit details)that he was in the front seat and got out that way.

**BigDawg** · 12-04-06, 08:15 AM

No it says he was in the front seat. And its not hard to bring your hands from behind you to the front. Even if he didnt he had enough wiggle room to push the seat belt button, reach the other side and open the car door. Most front doors will unlock and open just from pulling the handle.

Wonder if the parents will try a wrongful death law suit saying the police didnt do enough to protect him because he was in their custody. I dont agree with it, but for some reason I can see it coming. Call it a preminition.

**BEB** · 12-04-06, 08:16 AM

The officer, following normal procedure, placed Rodriguez in the front passenger seat of the cruiser, Licklider said. The boy’s hands were handcuffed behind his back, the seat belt was buckled and the doors were locked.

As TXCOP said, he was in the front - just pointing out that passage. Seemed odd to me, but what do I know? (rhetorical)

Signal_W · 12-04-06, 08:29 AM

I have never understood these departments that place suspects in the front seat. I have heard they do that so they can tell if they had been drinking or not. And my reply is that you can smell it from the back through the cage also. I would NEVER place a suspect in my vehicle if it didn't have a cage and I damn sure wouldn't put them in the front seat.

Unfortunately for that Officer the family is going to sue and I'm sure they will win some money from the department for what happened. As we all know once we place our hands on a suspect he belongs to us. There is nothing the Officer could have done to prevent this incident, its just a flawed policy by the department.

**Standard Dave** · 12-04-06, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Rhino

He died of stupidity. Stupidity claims the lives of thousands every year- when will this madness end? We should make stupidity illegal and force stupid people to be sterilized.

Another entry for the Darwin awards.

http://www.darwinawards.com/

**gozling** · 12-04-06, 12:09 PM

I have to agree...
the front of the car is my office and stays yuckky free!!

It amazes me what someone will do. I am sure he has seen too many movies of guys jumping off a bridge only to escape!!! better yet.. in the movies they jump off 70' waterfalls with rocks at the bottom and live.... so he was probably sure this was a walk in the park? lol

sorry but no sympathy here...

he created his destiny

**Pedro56** · 12-04-06, 03:00 PM

Back seat or trunk works for me. I seen a trooper the other day with a 6'05 gorilla in the front seat with him. All I could think to myself was, what a moron. I stopped him and called him a city wagon to transport the guy in.

**Jks9199** · 12-04-06, 03:18 PM

VA Troopers don't have cages, and they train to transport in the front seat. And I was taught that if you don't have a cage, you transport them in the front seat, as well, unless you have a second officer who can ride in back with them.

But later related stories lead me to suspect strongly that the kid had just a few little issues... He was arrested once riding in a stolen car after a chase. You can see some of then at Washingtonpost.com. (I think the one story was supposed to make me sympathetic for the family of illegals... Didn't work. It really just convinced me that the kid saved everyone the time and cost of trials and future "government housing.")

**Jenna** · 12-04-06, 03:51 PM

Were his last words, "Neo, I believe...."?

http://www.thematrix101.com/animatrix/kid.php

**Growler** · 12-04-06, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Signal_W

I have never understood these departments that place suspects in the front seat. I have heard they do that so they can tell if they had been drinking or not. And my reply is that you can smell it from the back through the cage also. I would NEVER place a suspect in my vehicle if it didn't have a cage and I damn sure wouldn't put them in the front seat.

Unfortunately for that Officer the family is going to sue and I'm sure they will win some money from the department for what happened. As we all know once we place our hands on a suspect he belongs to us. There is nothing the Officer could have done to prevent this incident, its just a flawed policy by the department.

We have that policy here. We always transport juveniles in the front of our cars. If combative, then we tell a supervisor and they can go in the wagon with no adults. Also if we are transporting adults, they also go in the front seat if no caged unit is available.

**10-42Adam** · 12-04-06, 07:35 PM

I imagine it's pretty hard to swim with your hands cuffed behind your back. Dumb decision on his part!

**K9ForLife** · 12-04-06, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by TXCOP

I'm guessing the officer didn't have a cage. I'll bet my stripes(as if they do me any good-I'm always on shit details)that he was in the front seat and got out that way.

This happened in my county. I'm not disparaging the Va. State PD as I'm friends with several of the troopers. Their policy is not made by the road troopers but by dinosaurs in their puzzle palace. Troopers have no cages and their prisoners are still placed in their front seats. I've seen many troopers conduct field interviews of DUI's while seated with the suspect next to them in the front seat. Their safety skills, or lack thereof, is disturbing to watch at times.

Many years ago I had a recruit with me and we were dispatched to an intersection off of an interstate to meet with a trooper regarding some hitchhikers. I had no clue what he had. We arrived and this trooper had three male subjects in his vehicle sitting unhandcuffed in his back seat. Each was carrying some type of backpack/bag. When he got out of his car he non chalantly advised that all three were wanted in DC for various violations to include gun charges. I immediately drew down on the three as did my rookie. We took them out and handcuffed them all. The senior trooper was perplexed, even when I told him that was a bonehead move on his part. This is just an example of their idiotic old style training style at their academy.