It didn’t take long for people to start posting YouTube videos capturing the low-speed chase featuring a motorist on a forklift trying to outrun Fort Worth police earlier this week.
Here’s the most notorious footage (foul language alert!), which was shot by Nathan Lowery while following the police chase. He and a friend give a running commentary during the chase and, at one point, give directions to another driver who pulls up beside them.
Fort Worth police are now reportedly grousing about Lowery’s video and considering citing him for pursuing the chase and possibly endangering others. However, police hadn’t taken any action by this afternoon. When asked if any action is forthcoming, police spokesman Sgt. Pedro Criado said, “No update today.”
I’ll bet a six-pack and a forklift that police won’t do squat to Lowery.
Police everywhere would probably love to make it illegal for citizens to video them at work. Just ask Rodney King.
Lowery wrote on YouTube that nobody can use his video without permission and he threatened violators with prosecution. However, he left the embed function available, which, according to YouTube rules, gives others permission to embed the video. So I embedded it on Blotch.
I’ve emailed Lowery to discuss the video and possible police action against him, and if he returns the call I’ll post his response.
I talked to Nathan Lowery, 25, and he said Fort Worth police have never contacted him regarding his videotaping the chase. Here’s an email he sent:
“The only ones to report the police possibly investigating charges against me came from NBC5 and the Star-Telegram,” he said. “They both said the PR man at the Fort Worth Police Department is unreliable and could be making up nonsense. I personally believe they announce it to scare people off from possibly videotaping high-profile police incidents because when they fail or do something wrong, then citizens like myself have the video over to the news pretty fast and it makes them look bad. I think they just want to scare people from filming incidents like that. But the fact of the matter is that I did not break any laws and most people are willing to agree. I did not run a red light. I did not speed. I obeyed and stayed behind all police cars, etc. So definitely nothing serious, and their allegations that I put myself and especially others in danger is complete BS! I will let you know if the police ever contact me. If you post anything about me commenting on this please include that I am very dissatisfied with the FWPD and their false allegations and scare tactics – I am a disabled Marine veteran and currently going to UTA seeking a degree in aerospace engineering and, of course, times are tough and so are jobs. The last thing I need is some charges I cannot afford.”
Later, we talked on the phone and Lowery said he was an active duty Marine from 2005 to 2009 and served in Iraq in 2007, 2008, and 2009. He said he received multiple concussions and head trauma while serving, and is currently on inactive duty. He still suffers memory loss and a lack of concentration at times, he said.
“I’m just trying to go to school and move on through life,” he said.
…and…uh…follow and videotape police chases.
Go ahead and key up the music for another exciting fall episode of, “….whatcha gonna do when they come for you.”
What happened to the DOG???
the dog was probably tazed
Police called Animal Control to pick up the dog. The arrested forklift driver authorized someone to retrieve the dog from the pound, and the dog was picked up the next day. (This info came from police and city sources.)
Just received this clarification from City Hall regarding the dog:
City spokesman Bill Begley called to say the dog did not belong to the forklift driver. Animal Control scanned the dog for a microchip to determine the real owner.
“When they scanned the microchip the name of the person who was in custody and the name of the registered owner were not the same,” Begley said. “They contacted the registered owner and he had a friend come down and show the proper paperwork and take possession of the dog.”