Several people were injured today when the driver of a runaway 10-wheel hauler asphalt truck smashed into the side of a single-story house in El Cerrito, snapping a power pole and destroying other vehicles on Moeser Lane before setting fire to the area.
Residents were also affected by the crash when power was knocked out in El Cerrito, Richmond and Berkeley.
El Cerrito Police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene.
After hearing cries coming from the burning truck and house, he spotted the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck. With the driver’s legs mangled and unable to move, Maples pulled the driver to safety with the help of Police Chief Scott Kirkland.
"We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there", Maples said.
Three other vehicles on the scene were also destroyed.
The driver of a Honda sedan was pulled to safety after his car was found crumpled. Rescue workers had to peel the roof of the car off to get to the driver.
Another sport utility vehicle holding a man and boy inside was stuck in the shrubbery next to the burning house. The force of the truck’s collision was so strong that it knocked over a third vehicle from Moeser Lane to the next street, Richmond.
Residents were also affected by the crash when power was knocked out in El Cerrito, Richmond and Berkeley.
One witness who lives across the street from the single-story home that was destroyed in the fire, was on his way to work around 1:30 p.m. when he heard the booming noise.
“First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable”.
His front yard was littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
The San Jose man identified as the driver of the asphalt truck broke both legs in the crash and is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Profile
The word “police” might make you cringe. Immediately, you think: power-hungry, donut-loving jerks. Ouch. This might seem harsh but the history of police corruption along with negative personal encounters can lead some people to perceive law enforcement officers as the enemy. For those of you still thinking this way, meet Officer Wahed Magee of the Mountain View Police Department. You just might have a change of heart.
Dressed in light blue jeans and a fitted black t-shirt, Wahed Magee takes a sip of his iced white mocha. He looks around the cafe, observing the people around him. I ask him if his profession as a cop has anything to do with him scoping the scene. He smiles coyly, “I’m not necessarily looking for someone to bust, it’s probably just a habit I picked up from the job.”
Wahed’s smile is refreshing. He has what some people call a baby face. His youth is apparent. Although he has one of the most stressful jobs in America, he bares no wrinkles; just two deeply embedded dimples. At 28 years old, he is one of the youngest officers on his SWAT team. Often referred to as the golden child, he is looked up to by his peers. Of course, there is envy too. “Sometimes, the other officers give me a hard time because I’m on SWAT, and it takes a lot to get to that level. They think I get everything I want, but it’s not favoritism. I worked hard for it and I know that. So, I don’t let it to get to me." He shrugs his soldiers. Magee is confident in his position. It shows in his laid back tone of voice and optimistic attitude.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Magee spent his college years away from home. During his senior year at Washington State University, the unthinkable happened. Magee was at his fraternity’s rush event when a gang of young Asian boys tried to crash their party. After his fraternity brothers denied them entrance, the boys became enraged and started vandalizing their cars. Magee, seeing his friend’s car get ripped apart ran after the gang. “It was funny because I ran out there by myself, and all of the guys started running away from me.” Standing at average height and weight, one would question why an angry gang would run away from one out-numbered fraternity member. “I chased them all the way down the street until we hit the culdesac, and that’s when one of the guys turned around. He pulled a gun out of his back pocket, and that’s when it happened." Magee fell onto the pavement and curled up in the fetal position after the bullet pierced through his stomach. Asked to describe the feeling of being shot, he becomes animated. He motions being punched in the stomach, “Have you ever been hit so hard that it felt like the wind was knocked out of you? Well imagine that, and a burning knife stabbing into you. It’s intense, only someone who has been shot knows what I mean.”
Magee spent the next three weeks in a coma. The experience did not make him bitter or pitiful. Instead, Magee returned to school and graduated with a degree in Sociology. He also decided to go back for one more degree, this time in Criminal Justice. “After I was shot, the detectives who handled my case really lifted my spirits. Just the fact that they wanted to help me find the guy who almost took my life meant a lot. It made me want to do the same for someone else. Now, I can.”
Magee recently helped a rape victim overcome her struggle by finding the man who attacked her. “When you handle these cases, you spend a lot of time with the victims. They put their trust and emotions in you, and it’s the most gratifying feeling when you can help them find closure.”
Wahed Magee is more than an officer who hands out tickets. He is a man of great courage and integrity. He is a man whose own struggle led him to help others. “I know that feeling of helplessness after you have been attacked, and I don’t ever want someone to feel like that. It’s my job and desire to help those people.”
And donuts? Magee chuckles, “Not for me.”
Dressed in light blue jeans and a fitted black t-shirt, Wahed Magee takes a sip of his iced white mocha. He looks around the cafe, observing the people around him. I ask him if his profession as a cop has anything to do with him scoping the scene. He smiles coyly, “I’m not necessarily looking for someone to bust, it’s probably just a habit I picked up from the job.”
Wahed’s smile is refreshing. He has what some people call a baby face. His youth is apparent. Although he has one of the most stressful jobs in America, he bares no wrinkles; just two deeply embedded dimples. At 28 years old, he is one of the youngest officers on his SWAT team. Often referred to as the golden child, he is looked up to by his peers. Of course, there is envy too. “Sometimes, the other officers give me a hard time because I’m on SWAT, and it takes a lot to get to that level. They think I get everything I want, but it’s not favoritism. I worked hard for it and I know that. So, I don’t let it to get to me." He shrugs his soldiers. Magee is confident in his position. It shows in his laid back tone of voice and optimistic attitude.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Magee spent his college years away from home. During his senior year at Washington State University, the unthinkable happened. Magee was at his fraternity’s rush event when a gang of young Asian boys tried to crash their party. After his fraternity brothers denied them entrance, the boys became enraged and started vandalizing their cars. Magee, seeing his friend’s car get ripped apart ran after the gang. “It was funny because I ran out there by myself, and all of the guys started running away from me.” Standing at average height and weight, one would question why an angry gang would run away from one out-numbered fraternity member. “I chased them all the way down the street until we hit the culdesac, and that’s when one of the guys turned around. He pulled a gun out of his back pocket, and that’s when it happened." Magee fell onto the pavement and curled up in the fetal position after the bullet pierced through his stomach. Asked to describe the feeling of being shot, he becomes animated. He motions being punched in the stomach, “Have you ever been hit so hard that it felt like the wind was knocked out of you? Well imagine that, and a burning knife stabbing into you. It’s intense, only someone who has been shot knows what I mean.”
Magee spent the next three weeks in a coma. The experience did not make him bitter or pitiful. Instead, Magee returned to school and graduated with a degree in Sociology. He also decided to go back for one more degree, this time in Criminal Justice. “After I was shot, the detectives who handled my case really lifted my spirits. Just the fact that they wanted to help me find the guy who almost took my life meant a lot. It made me want to do the same for someone else. Now, I can.”
Magee recently helped a rape victim overcome her struggle by finding the man who attacked her. “When you handle these cases, you spend a lot of time with the victims. They put their trust and emotions in you, and it’s the most gratifying feeling when you can help them find closure.”
Wahed Magee is more than an officer who hands out tickets. He is a man of great courage and integrity. He is a man whose own struggle led him to help others. “I know that feeling of helplessness after you have been attacked, and I don’t ever want someone to feel like that. It’s my job and desire to help those people.”
And donuts? Magee chuckles, “Not for me.”
Law & Ethics
ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING EXERCISE:
Scenario 1: I would never read or take the documents on her desk. Instead, when she returned, I would tell her that I couldn't help but notice the documents on her desk. Based on her comfort level, we could discuss it from that point on. Reading or taking documents that do not belong to me and are not public records is definitely unethical.
Scenario 2: Getting a job at the nursing home to reveal inside information does not sound ethical, especially if I applied and lied about not being a reporter. This goes back to the Food Lion article; if I lied on the application, I would be trespassing like the producers of ABC. I would not do it, for that reason.
Scenario 3: In any writing where you use quotes that are not yours, you should always cite the source. If it were from a person, I would cite that person. If it were from a website, I would cite the website. Otherwise, this would be an act of plagiarism.
LIBEL EXERCISE:
In the case of running the story about the student who accused the professor of sexual harassment, there are definitely a couple of things I would omit: the name of the professor and his threat against the newspaper. Because the student has not filed a police report or even talked to the university, it is unfair to print the professor's name. This would defame his character and accuse him of something we are not sure is true. I cannot rely solely on the student's word because she could be lying. I would run the story without his name. That way, the news is out there, but the conclusion is yet to be determined. Once further details surface, then a more specific story can be run. I would also refrain from printing the part about the professor threatening the newspaper for libel; that doesn't make the newspaper or him look any better. I would also make it clear in my article that the truth is yet to be determined.
Scenario 1: I would never read or take the documents on her desk. Instead, when she returned, I would tell her that I couldn't help but notice the documents on her desk. Based on her comfort level, we could discuss it from that point on. Reading or taking documents that do not belong to me and are not public records is definitely unethical.
Scenario 2: Getting a job at the nursing home to reveal inside information does not sound ethical, especially if I applied and lied about not being a reporter. This goes back to the Food Lion article; if I lied on the application, I would be trespassing like the producers of ABC. I would not do it, for that reason.
Scenario 3: In any writing where you use quotes that are not yours, you should always cite the source. If it were from a person, I would cite that person. If it were from a website, I would cite the website. Otherwise, this would be an act of plagiarism.
LIBEL EXERCISE:
In the case of running the story about the student who accused the professor of sexual harassment, there are definitely a couple of things I would omit: the name of the professor and his threat against the newspaper. Because the student has not filed a police report or even talked to the university, it is unfair to print the professor's name. This would defame his character and accuse him of something we are not sure is true. I cannot rely solely on the student's word because she could be lying. I would run the story without his name. That way, the news is out there, but the conclusion is yet to be determined. Once further details surface, then a more specific story can be run. I would also refrain from printing the part about the professor threatening the newspaper for libel; that doesn't make the newspaper or him look any better. I would also make it clear in my article that the truth is yet to be determined.
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